new forge

[jz4570]

I purchased a champion forge and blower. the forge is case 2ft by 3ft, It says to clay it before using. What type of clay should I use and how much would the thickness the clay have to be? 

 

Thanks

 

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard JZ, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance.

 

It doesn't really matter what kid of clay you use, the stuff in the corner of the garden the wife won't notice is perfect. Apply it just damp enough to clump in your hand if squeezed hard and ram it in about 1" or more with a mallet, end of a baseball bat or whatever. You just want it rammed in hard so stuff doesn't dig it up easily.

 

the reason to ram it up damp is the less water there is in it the less it will shrink as it dries so the less it will crack. Use wet mud and it'll look like a dry mud puddle when it dries, lots of cracks forming polygons and that isn't such a good forge floor.

 

The reason you clay a cast iron forge pan is to even out the heat from the fire, cast iron doesn't respond well to high differential heat, having the center much hotter than the outside is likely to cause it to crack. Cast iron doesn't respond well to fast temperature changes either so put the water can away, an occasional LITTLE SPRINKLE probably won't hurt it but dump much in and it might crack. It's better to control your fire size by controlling the fuel than with water on a cast iron pan.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[jz4570]

 Thanks for the info, I am green at this, I wish I would have paid more attention to my grandfather, he had a forge about like this one, and used it quite a bit building and rebuilding horse drawn equipment,  Say would fireplace clay work? 

[Frosty]

 Thanks for the info, I am green at this, I wish I would have paid more attention to my grandfather, he had a forge about like this one, and used it quite a bit building and rebuilding horse drawn equipment,  Say would fireplace clay work? 

 

It will work but isn't necessary, the intent is to shield the cast iron from high spot heating near the fire. Most any clay that will pack reasonably hard is just dandy. In a pinch you could just use sand and take care not to get sand in welds and keep all the clinker raked out.

 

Think general "heat shield", not a special refractory.

 

Frosty The Lucky.