capnroo Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I plan on building a coal forge out of a piece of 10.5inch O.D. 3/4inch wall tubing 12inches long. My plan is to cut the tubing in half and weld endpieces on each end, then cut a hole in the bottom for the tueyere (air pipe). then, build a stand for it at whatever height should be comfortable. It should end up looking like a pipe grill without a top half on it. Are there any reasons this design would not or should not work? Does anyone have suggestions? if so, shoot away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I suggest you tell us what this forge should be expected to do. As it stands the answere is Yes it will work and No it won't work depending on information you haven't provided. Also is the pipe just the firepot or is it supposed to be the forge? If it's the forge will you be able to get odd shaped items down into the hotspot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 The tubing is meant to be the forge. I am just beginning, so my first projects will be tools, such as tongs, hotcutter, etc. eventually I would like to be able to make knives, etc. but I will be focusing on the basics of smithing with this forge, so I will build a purpose-built forge later on or modify this one if this one doesnt cut the cheese. Quick question- is there a standard or time tested size for the teuyere hole to be? (im pretty sure im spelling teuyere wrong, please bear with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Is there a way to add pictures from a mobile phone to my posts? I'm about halfway done building now and want to post a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Lots of ways to go with that hunk of pipe. You could slice it in to 2,6" rings, slice one in to 2 "c"s. ad your end plates to make a 5" deap 10" long fire pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweany Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 search is good ?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>'?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent> ?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>'?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Ok, hopefully these pictures uploaded correctly. Most of these are during the manufacturing process, and there are 1 or 2 that are the finished forge sitting on saw horses. the only thing that I did not take pictures of is the grate I made to go over the tueyre hole. also, I have welded in the crack around that hole. I found a large table frame made from tubing in the woods behind my workplace, and the plant manager said I could have it. I plan on mounting the forge to the frame on one side and welding a large piece of plate to the unused end to form a workbench right next to the forge itself! Let me know if you cant view the pictures above. Also, any suggestions are still welcome. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 How are you going to get the ash out of the pipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 uggh, I did not think about that. maybe Ill cut the elbow off and fab up a weld sealed box at the end of the vertical pipe with the horizontal pipe coming in at a 90degree? thanks for the criticism. does everything else look ok? And I just read some interesting threads about using corn for fuel. I think Ill buy a bag and try it out as soon as I get an afternoon off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Ok, one a 10" by 12" fire pot is huge, 6 or 8" by 10" would be more efficient, plan on bricking up the sides except to heat treat a 11" knife. Second, lose the round cut outs, a 5" deap fire pot isn't to deap, you need a bit of fuel under the work to use up the O2 before it reaches the steel. Third, as your welding looks good, just go ahead and fish mouth the pipes together to form a "T" and eliminate the elbo. You want to make the air path as short as practical as friction will rob you. ( don't forget to cut the hole in the side of the pipe first, I have had that kind of "du" moment) and that will solve your ass dump problem. 4 add some kind of table for tools and such., just ad a 1" flange around the fire pot cut a hole in a fire proff table and hange the fire pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 thanks, charles. I was looking at it when I cut the pipe in half and thought "man, that looks like it would be alot of coal in there". so, what youre saying is that its not, right? and as far as the table goes, I have a huge metal table frame that I am going to use, hang the forge on one side of it and put a plate of metal on the other half. that way i will have about a 3foot square work area. Ill take pics when I can, which will probably be tomorrow afternoon. thanks for the info on the ash situation. 1 question- wouldnt I lose half of my air flow if its just a "T" ? shouldnt there be some kind of angle to the pipe that my blower is attached to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 If you put a counter weighted flapper on the down end of the pipe (ash dump) then you won't restrict air flow any more than the 90. Depth isn't your problem, it's width. 12x10 is huge. 5" deap is good. Try reducing your pot to 8" wide, leaving the 10" of the original curve. Maybe try a removable baffle on each end? So you can expand the fire pot for when you need a big heat. Other wise 6" of hot steel is usualy more than you can really work effeintly before it cools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Ok, I can do that. I should be able to find some clay bricks to close it up with fairly inexpensively. Ill probably be able to get some corn and experiment with it this weekend. If I get a break from my afternoon farm work, maybe sooner. As for the ash dump, Ill just go with the "T" design you were talking about. ash/clinker grate. Do you think that 2 pieces of diamond-shaped expanded metal criss-crossed would melt through under working temp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 yes, the expanded will melt through eventually. as for the fish mouth, If you don't have a notcher, but have access to a chop saw, or band saw you can cut stright angles on the pipe. a 90* < on the horizontal pipe (two 45* cuts in oposite directions), with the point of the < centered, and than 45* half cuts on the two sections of vertical pipe so that the end of the angle is in the center of the straight cut end of the pipe. weld the veritcal pipe together so it makes a l-< that the horizontal pipe goes into and than weld that on. Thats what I did for my build. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> it'll do ok in the short term though. I've got a 1/16" floor drain cover in mine right now and will worry about replacing it when it's melted through. 4 hot fires so far and it still seems to be doing good, but than again, I haven't had it burning for more than 2-3 hours at once yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 I use expanded metal for my grate in my coal forge. Never had it melt through but it does scale away. I'm using some of the thicker expanded stuff right now and it's lasted for about 60 hours of forging including a lot of forge welding so far---It's nice to be able to pull the grate and hammer off the flux-cicles before re-building the fire. Of course I am using a hand crank blower; an electric one tends to heat things up more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Thanks, Thor. I will likely end up with a setup like that. thomas, I dont have a 'blower', as such. ill probably just use a hair drier until ive gotten more advanced with everything. either that, or a squirrel cage blower. Im not really sure yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 those are blowers. and they'll put some heat in. but what ever you use, make sure you design in some way to regulate the amount of air you're putting in, a dimmer switch. multi step switch, Air gate, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 Will do, Thor. I just wish I had the afternoon free to finish it up. I hate waiting lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Trust me, I know exactly how you feel. but I need weeks to get all my projects finished up. not just an afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Depending on the size of your fuel, I've seen spirels made out of 3/8 rod (two prices spire led to gether flat then seperate them to have two grates) as well as a peice of 1/2 bent up like a yin/yang symbol. Lots of options. When you set the fire pot in to your table, don't set it to close to the edge, having table all around is nice, as well as having room for a side draft hood to the side. So lets say you have a 2.5x5' table, placing the fire pot in the dented of one of the 2.5' halves will work out well, gives you a nice space aroung the fire to work as well as a nice space to lay out parts of the project you are working on (mine looks like a big chalk board most of the time, but a full size fire resistant blue print is nice to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 SOFA has a neat trick for electric blowers---they have theirs routed through a foot switch so you have to stand on it to run the blower---a lot less coal used and a WHOLE LOT LESS steel burnt up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Yea, tried that as a kid, moms hair dryer and sewing machine rheostat... She still holds a grudge... I have used an old style flore starter switch and a reostate on a old heater motor, worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnroo Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 I fired a guy from work about 3 months ago. He had brought a small blower fan to work a year ago, but didn't take it home with him... I wonder how long it has to be on shop property before it can follow me home? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThorsHammer82 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 90 days is the time you've got to reclaim a pawned item.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 You can always flame you took it home for safe keeping... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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