Newbie Forge Build

[beergeekspeak]

Hello everyone,

I am brand new and am looking for some advise from those more experienced.  I think I have a handle on this build but to be honest I probably know just enough to make stupid decisions!!

Here is my forge build plan.  I am purchasing a firepot from Centaur. (this one)  My plan is to build a base out of cinder block and then use a 1/4" steel plate for the top and set the fire pot into that. So the top will be all steel with the fire pot in the center.  The edges of the steel plate will be resting on the cinder block.

 I have planned an opening for easy access to clean up and empty ash. I am planning on making it 32" tall (or should I make it lower).  I addition I have planned an opening on one side for the blower.

My biggest question is this.  Is the fire pot far enough away from the cinder block to not cause problems?  By my reasoning the edges of the top that are resting on the cinder block won't radiate too much heat for the cinder block to handle. Does anyone forsee any problems with this set up?

I have attached a rather elementary drawing of what I plan.  Not sure if it will help explain what I am trying to do or not!

[Charles R. Stevens]

Unless your planning a perment instulation, and want masonRy for estetic reasons, just build a low table out of angle iron. If you can weld, great if not a drill and bolts or rivets (more blacksmithy any way). Set your forge top at anvil hight. So you dont have to lift or loxer stock and you can use the anvil/forge table as a stock stand for long stock. 

Place your pot square to the forge not diaginal, you work from the sides not the front. (Long dimention facing the front, so you can heat the longest part of the bare from the side) 

The 1/4" top is more than good, last for years, and as long as the fire pot has an inch or two of free air the block should be just fine. 

Edited October 19, 2015 by Charles R. Stevens

[beergeekspeak]

Unless your planning a perment instulation, and want masonRy for estetic reasons, just build a low table out of angle iron. If you can weld, great if not a drill and bolts or rivets (more blacksmithy any way). Set your forge top at anvil hight. So you dont have to lift or loxer stock and you can use the anvil/forge table as a stock stand for long stock. 

Place your pot square to the forge not diaginal, you work from the sides not the front. (Long dimention facing the front, so you can heat the longest part of the bare from the side) 

The 1/4" top is more than good, last for years, and as long as the fire pot has an inch or two of free air the block should be just fine. 

Thank you,  Aesthetics is a concern as we will be building this in an area that will be used for entertaining several times a year and we would like a more permanent installation. That's why I opted for block. 

Thank you for the height and other recommendations.

[ThorsHammer82]

unless you're 100% certain that you'll never want to move it, I'd make it mobile. not permanent. that way it can be removed for your entertainment and brought back out when needed.

[beergeekspeak]

Thank you, I will take that into consideration!

[Frosty]

If aesthetics are important cheat rather than build a permanent installation. If you build a steel table as Charles describes it opens some options: First it's easy to make them knock down to a small stack in a closet. Another is making them accept wall paneling with clips. Brick wall paneling is easy to shape and you can make it a disguise so it looks like a red brick forge. If you want a red brick hood and chimney then line the inside with cement backer board and let it get black.

All the cladding will lift right off and make a stack a couple inches thick.

Also, if you look into the history of the blacksmith's craft you'll see iron portable forges going WAY back.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Consider using 4" tumbled caps, (the 4x8x16 solid cement blockes that have ben tounkee to soften the edges) dry stacked, with a top rimed with angle. This gives a very nice look, and with a bit of swet the ability to move it if need arises.