DonKutter Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Hey everyone this is my homemade forge from an old flower pot and some plaster mixed with sand, it took around an hour to build which included mixing up the plaster mixture! Currently i am using an old varnish tin and a steel tube with a hair dryer as my airflow! The first image is the forge drying with the second pot still in. We used a another plant pot in the center to keep the sides upright and even. The Second is the finished product ready for its first firing to try and completely dry the plaster mixture and inscribed with 'Shed Life Smeltery' Th third is after the first firing and our very first Aluminium ingots!! WE were too eager to use it for the first time and didnt wait long enough after the first firing hence the small crack but it hasn't broken since touch wood!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Smelting is taking ore and making metal from it; so far all I see is melting. Doesn't look like a forge either, no way to get the middle of the stock in the hot zone.Looks like a nice small foundry; not a smelter, not a forge. Yes the jargon is important if you want to trade information; it avoids confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonKutter Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 Mr. Powers me humble apologies if I have upset with my wrong use of the lingo but I was requested to pop a couple of photos of what I have been using up on here to show what I have been using and where it can be improved! I see my lingo is one of the improvements I need to make, my apologies again if I confused you! I would however be grateful if you would tell me how to convert this into a forge or how to make a cheap and easy one without access to a welder! many thanks! Don Kutter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Being a little sarcastic for a person asking help aren't you Don? If you're going to get snarky about simple corrections you're really going to have problems with dealing with metal, especially molten metals.How about you go to the opening pages of IFI and start reading the sections, there are hundreds of posts about solid fuel forges alone.Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) forbidden, we hates it my precious Fast easy cheap forge not needing a welder: Take a shovel out to the back yard and dig it in and remove one shovel full of dirt. You have a forge much like ones that have been used for around 3000 years. Yes I am picky about the language as I have smelted iron/steel using Y1K technology. I also don't want you to look like an idiot to others "Hey look at my new car!" "That's a boat!" Easier to build a forge than try to convert a perfectly good small foundry into a poor forge. Edited August 11, 2015 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) Give him a break Jerry sarcasm will serve him well arond here ;-) Edited August 11, 2015 by Charles R. Stevens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonKutter Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Many thanks for the help and suggestions from all of you on where to look up on the forum and how to make a quick and easy forge, I only joined the site yesterday so am still very unfamiliar with it and this is my first time making a forge, foundry or smelter and working with metal so know I am bound to make mistakes and any help will be listened to and taken with a smile! So far everything has been self taught with very little research and practically no budget, it's the main reason I joined the forum to broaden my knowledge from people in the craft!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergy Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 that looks like a great effort Donespecially with little research and no moneyI eagerly await to what you produce after you have digested the abundance of information on this sitehave a look at the thread on Curmudgeons,might give you an insight ;-)Fergy The Brave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarry Dog Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Typing "site:iforgeiron.com xxxx" (the xxxx being your search) into a google search works great for combing IFI for things that hold your immediate interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Special Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 Flashbacks to my first foundry, 'cept mine was in a popcorn tin. They make lousy forges though. My current foundry is basically a larger version with better refractory, 10 yrs later. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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