badusai Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hallo to everyone guys ! I wish a happy new year to all (year with love and health). I am new to this forum and generally new to blacksmithing...trying to build my first forge for sword smithing (and for b/s training of course) !!! i ordered from my local metal supplier to make me this iron forge.Its dimensions are 1.40 metrs in length , 55 cm across and 34 cm height , while the iron pieces are 4mm thic ... Now i have a problem with the inside formulation ! I dont know what to do in order to have a good and efficient-working forge .Firebricks seem too expensive...someone told me to use maltese-stone (something like that)...im in a chaos ! And the other thing that assalls me is the tuyere and the bellow part.How is it supposed to have a nice fire all over this thing? Will i need an electric bellow or a big foot-manual ? I would be glad if someone helps me !!! :) :) :) This is the thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Please add your location to your profile. Chances are there is a blacksmith somewhere near you that can help get you started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRiley904 Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 sword smithing huh. well i guess you are jumping into the deep end. now dont take this wrong, but you WILL fail. sword smithing is a highly advanced practice, my advise to you is start small and work up to it. that looks to me like it would function better as a slack tub. Read through the forums here there are lots of design for forges on this very site. as Glenn said put your location on your profile and there could be a smith locally who will give you some one on one instruction, this will greatly improve your learning curve. MAKE SURE YOU READ UP ON SAFETY, basically read everything that is pinned on this site. and DO NOT forge coated material as it could be deadly, IF IT DONT RUST DONT TRUST, at least until you KNOW why it doesnt rust and that it IS safe to forge. good luck and welcome to the addiction. Riley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Remember when forging a sword you need only to heat the entire length when heat treating; so if say you take 100 heats to forge it *5* will be heating the entire length; they rest will be heating only what you can work before the metal cools AND anything else that gets heated is bad for the metal due to grain growth, decarburization and scale losses. Next; what fuel will you be using that's way too big for a coal forge but could be modified for a charcoal forge by filling in the sides to make a V or U shaped trough down the middle. I used clay and sand from a local stream when I made one like that 30 years ago. The tuyere will be about a 4 cm diameter steel pipe that is not galvanized with a lot of holes drilled in it along the upper sides and down the middle of the top. Holes should be 6-10 mm. If you are burning charcoal you don't need much to blow air you could build a double chambered bellows to do it but a fairly small electric blower would be easier to work with. Sword smithing is considered one of the hardest things to do in blacksmithing and questions like this seem to be like saying: "I want to win Formula One Car Races---how do I drive a car???" we will suggest learning to drive (smith) first and practicing on less demanding races (making knives) and finally going into Formula One Racing (swordmaking) when your skills and experience is ready for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badusai Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 Please add your location to your profile. Chances are there is a blacksmith somewhere near you that can help get you started.Hi mister admin.Im located in Greece, city of Chalkis :) My friends thanx a lot for your usefull piece of advice !!! Really apreciate your kindness and will to help :) .I know that sword crafting is a master art and surelly needs training and lot of knowledge and work (but this comes with time and experience and love to what you do)...with this site's usefull info and with the helpfull community i believe someone can find the way ! Knowing that in here, there are great smiths and newbies as me its encouraging :) .So... i must use clay and sand for my forge... Is there any link to guide me throught the process of making this mixture ? Cause this must have its own secrets and must be a lil bit diffycult especially when you are a newbie xD haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Badusai Take a few days or weeks and read as much as you can from this site. Then re-read whatever is of interest to you. And find some good books about basic blacksmithing. And read them. Begin by learning how to deal with your fire, use your tools, and basic metal types. When you can do basic operations, then maybe move on. It is a steep learning curve that takes years to master. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan C Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Check out this thread, it should be very useful to you. ?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent> Another suggestion would be to google " sword forge stormthecastle" though I would look up a brake drum forge and start with that to learn basic blacksmithing. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 for thousands of years forges were/are holes in the ground. The modern forge is basically trying to put that hole in the ground at a convenient working height. As such there is a wide range of "workable" methods---some people mix their clay with wood ashes---search on "Tim Lively washtub forge" for example. Where I currently live houses are often made from mud brick, (adobe), and the mixture for that works well in a forge. Not knowing how the local soil/clay in your area works I can't get specific instructions beyond try it out and modify as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 This section of the site has much information you should find useful. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/64-solid-fuel-forges/ Read it all and then reread what interests you for more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swords9023 Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 If you have any questions that you can't find in the forums just post it. I'm still pretty new to blacksmithing as well ( I got into it to eventually smith swords as well). These guys have been a WEALTH of knowledge and have provided me not just with answers to my questions but alternative solutions and suggestions as well. It has been a great source of encouragement as well. That box you have is GIGANTIC. You could probably get away with halving the size. That would cut down on the amount of clay/sand you would have to get immensley. I built my forge out of a portable picnic grill bottom. Cut out a hole in the middle and screwed on a flange and attached my tuyere pipe. I use a two speed hair dryer for air. Balanced the setup between two stacks of cement blocks. Entire set up cost me less than $100. Start small with things like letter openers and butter knives and work your way up from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRiley904 Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 im not sure what your options are but i built my previous forge using adobe and will never use it again. I let it dry and cure for a couple weeks then fired it really good and it still retained moisture and rotted it out from the inside. If you can go another route I would. on my next forge i intend to use a castable refractory. to do that i wouldnt need nearly as much seeing as i can use fire wool as a filler and cast a refractory shell. read read read, then read some more, you will find your answers. any answers you dont find , im sure someone will either provide you with the answer or a link to it. these guys appreciate initiative and a willingness to do the research nessisary, if you do that they will be of great help to you, if you dont, well you wont be around here long if you dont. good luck and i hope to see some of you good work in the future. Riley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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