Whisperkiller Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 Looks like I will finally be making my forge sometime soon! A friend of mine managed to find me a 3x4 foot sheet of 3/8 plate for a forge tabletop, and was finally talking about helping me build my forge table! We are going to use 2 inch pipe for legs and some old bed frames for the table lip to hide the torch cut edges and make it a bit more smooth. The problem is still a firepot. He would like to custom make a firepot and blower system...he suggested a reverse blower on an 8 inch pipe with angles cut out the pipe to form a cone...i think just taking some 3/8 plate and cutting angles to make a sloped box firepot would be better and have a t with an ashgate and squirrel blower on the side would be better...his argument is for airflow control. My question is this, what would be a good way to control the air flow? my design is more traditional from what I can tell as it seems to be on every table forge I have seen and is indeed the design for several home made ones I have found as well...besides the brake drum (which I am in no way opposed to doing), what would be a good design for a custom made firepot for a table forge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerald Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 There are literally hundreds of forges around the country giving good service with brakedrum fire pots. You will be happier with a "T" style tuyuere with some sort of sliding air gate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted August 20, 2007 Share Posted August 20, 2007 My first forge was the top of an old gas water heater with the gas tube cut out and a section of it used for the air supply. I welded it in to a tee configuration, put a swing gate on the bottom for air regulation, a squirrel cage fan for forced air supply, drilled a piece of 1/2" plate with lots of holes sand set that in a thick bed of mud/sand for the inside of my forges. I then made legs out old bed frames. After letting the mud/sand dry for a couple of days I fired it up with a coal fire and used the forge for five years with only replacing the mud/sand and 1/2" plate from time to time. Now I use a gas forge. Much cleaner to use and good and hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 That's a nice size for a forge table, a bit heavy but that's okay. Till you've made a few forges you'd probably be farther ahead copying a proven design. Better yet, make the table with a drop in firepot and your friend can experiment with his ideas while you can enjoy using something that works. My first forge was the fireplace in the living room, the anvil the brick hearth. Needless to say the folks chased me out pretty quickly. My first working forge was a washing machine lid with a hole to drop a brake drum into. the tuyere was a plumbing "T" and nipple, air was supplied by an old hair drier. (The kind with a plastic hood, hose and blower unit) The forge stood on cinder blocks and I burned wood to charcoal in the pot. My anvil was a piece of 4" x 3" x 2' +/- HR I highgraded from Dad's shop. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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