Everything Mac Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 (edited) What with my first show looming ever closer, it is time to build a decent portable forge for use on the day. I decided to emulate the old WW1/ WW2 Military style portable forges which are essentially a box with a hand cranked blower attached. I thought I'd post the work in progress pics here for you lot. So First things first you get a plate of 3mm mild steel and get your very nice friend to stick it on his ridiculously massive press. I had sever tool envy. That leaves you with a boxy "U" shaped bit of steel. ...obviously. Next just tack weld and then rivet on a couple of sides. Then all that needed doing from there was to weld on some sockets for the removable legs and to bolt on a hand cranked blower and a pipe for the tue. The tue was actually a pretty "clever" bit of pipe, if I do say so myself. I turned a piece of 2" mild steel bar on the lathe so that it would slot into a pipe welded on to a plate that could then be bolted to the forge. That might sound a tad over complicated but I figured it would give me a couple of benefits like being able to change the main part of the tue if/ when it wears out. The insert is also much thicker than a regular bit of pipe so in theory any wear would be significantly slower anyway. - It friction fits in place and is easy to pull out when cold. Also the entire assembly can be removed from the forge box if I need to adjust or alter it in anyway. All finished and ready for a firing. The hand cranked blower really puts out some air. Though I will stick to my electric blower for my main shop forge... Here's a buddy of mine having a go on it's first firing. The forge works well. I think the tue is about 1/2" too high up so that will get altered when I get the chance. It could also maybe do with a flap in the sides for longer stock and a raised rim in front of the blower. Thanks for reading. All the best Andy Edited July 15, 2015 by Everything Mac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Looks pretty good Andy, the only thing I can see needs tweaking is it needs a cup holder so your beverage isn't getting warm sitting in the pan.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 How about giving some critical dementions for the new guys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarry Dog Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 This looks like a seriously simple forge to build, at least if you use some lighter gauge material. I've never tried to bend 3 mm (around 1/8"?)sheet like that, but I would imagine it to be a little bit of a chore to do it by hand. That press looks like it could do it while in the On-For-Flight setting. I might have to try this design when I want to try out side blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 my current coal forge was a bit like that one but I used the front door off the base of a WWII Jig Borer that I found tumbled down a hill into a ditch---the door had come off on the trip down. I welded some barstock at the ends to make slots that end pieces slid down in; but I can slide them up a bit to put long stock through the hot spot. I used a 1930's Banjo rear end axle cover as a forge pot and made it bottom blast. welded pipe on the sides to take pipe legs; been using it about 25 years now... Again I was trying to design it for take down portability. I also bent some 3/8" stock to make a hammer/tong holder that drops in the tops of the legs at one end and bows out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Love to see pictures of that TP. When you get home that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 More likely to get one of it working at the Day of the Cowboy Sat July 25. I'll try to remember to get a shot of it empty to show the details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I think this is a good demonstration of how simple this kind of forge can be. There are a LOT of steel boxes that can be easily adapted to a portable forge. I have an old hanging file cabinet I keep my annealing Perlite dry in. I'm using the steel 105 recoilless rocket box to keep my torch and accessories in but it'd be a perfect cavalry type forge with a LITTLE work. That would be a dandy, make a couple clip on shelf brackets and the lid would make a handy work table attached to the forge.Steel boxes with hinged lids are everywhere, something to keep an eye peeled for at yard, garage, rummage sales, flea markets and swap meets.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 and scrap yards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Sorry Charles, I should have included dimensions. This is a rough sketch of the forge. Dimensions are in inches. Just in case you can't read my awful writing: W: 15" L: 20" H: 5" The tue is 5" or so long, 2" in diameter and the centre is approx 3" from the floor of the forge, though I never actually measured this to be honest. I've placed two firebricks under the tue. The legs are 31" long - the top of the forge sits at 36" high which is just fine for me. Though you'd need to adjust that for yourself obviously. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I had a fair idea but it helps the new guys understand what we are talking about. You could have gone a couple inches deaper with the 2" tyure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 I've been getting the "Forbidden" message all night - hopefully this post will get through ok. The forge is basically just a posh version of the 55 gallon drum side blast forge found in the blueprints section of this site. The tue could easily just be a section of suitable pipe but I had the ability to make something more substantial. I could have extended it further into the forge but I only had a short section of pipe a suitable size. The old military forges had a tue of a similar length so it's no big deal. The rest of the forge will be used as a fuel reservoir and I might make a drop in quench tank at some point. I hope this post inspires someone to have a go at their own version of this forge. They are much simpler to construct than a bottom blast forge and there is so little between the two in actual use. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I was thinking deaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Back when I thought I knew where good smithing coal was and planned a side blast forge I drew up a simple easy design for a water cooled tuyere/tue. The drawings are pretty hopelessly lost on the drive of that dead old computer but I think the text description will be enough for the mechanically inclined out there.I'm NOT suggesting the pipe sizes I'm using here are the ones to use, I'm just using these dimensions for the purpose of discussion.One ea. 2" dia pipe coupler, two ea. 1"x 2" bushing reducers. How it works goes like this. The 2" coupler is the water jacket and the bushing reducers allow the 1" air blast pipe to feed through the center of the water jacket.OR and I liked this idea a little better, use a 2" close nipple to connect the coupler to a 2" floor flange which connects directly to a water tank. The air blast pipe is then easy to plumb through the water jacket and to the blower.The open to the water tank radiator version would work nicely with a pipe nipple rather than a coupler and a bell reducer rather than a bushing reducer.The water reservoir tank should extend mostly above the water jacket inlet so convection will cause the heated water to rise in the tank and cool water from the bottom will replace it. A tall, wide, thin tank to maximize surface area would improve radiant cooling. Heck if a person didn't mind dialectric connections an aluminum cooling tank would be better still. Of course copper would be even better and look really cool.Shoot, if a person wanted to get carried away you could use an automotive radiator and radiator hoses.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Ah I see Charles. Yes it could have been deeper, no real need though. I see what you're saying Frosty. I wonder if it could be converted over to a water cooled tue. Quite probably. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 add two more hard fire bricks as a "belows sheild stone" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 (edited) looking at your pictures: think about taking a length of roundstock; doubling over each end and bending them 90 deg so they fit in the top of your legs snugly and then bending it out in a curve so you have a tong rack as part of the forge You can also make smaller loops in it to hold hammers as well as tongs. It's what I have done with mine. Edited July 16, 2015 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Way ahead of you TP. Didn't get round to that when I was home but that is the plan. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Well as I have been using mine done that way for over 15 years already, (and actually have made several variations on it so far); perhaps not "way ahead"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Perhaps not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael.Bell Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I have an old round barbecue base for that I'll use for a forge pot and I'll cut a tuy in the base with my jewelry saw and make it a bottom blast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 I have an old round barbecue base for that I'll use for a forge pot and I'll cut a tuy in the base with my jewelry saw and make it a bottom blastWell good for you. Post pics. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 I have an old round barbecue base for that I'll use for a forge pot and I'll cut a tuy in the base with my jewelry saw and make it a bottom blastWell good for you. Post pics. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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