thoughts on building a side draft forge

[bluecarpenter]

I've been lurking on this forum for a while. makes me drool looking at some of your forges. iI've got a small portable one but I'm wanting to build a stationary one. the building to house it in is already up. I like the looks of the brick side draft forges but don't have enough bricks and besides that I don't like brick work.
Have any of you built them with cement blocks and then gone on up with the cement blocks for the chimney. What size should the chimney be. 12"..
other than the forge pot can I make the table out of chimney brick or maybe even pour from cement??
I'm still quite amateur at this even though I've played around at blacksmithing off and on for 20 some years.
any help would be much appreciated.
thanks mark

[skunkriv]

If it was me I would make the table out of steel. Have it just drop in and sit on a ledge or some angle iron fastened to your block or brick.

We will all be waiting for pics when you git er done

Welcome to ifi and Happy Holidays to you and yours.

[rthibeau]

http://www.iforgeiron.com/blueprints-300-400/bp0394-side-draft-forge.html
Here is a Blueprint I did about my side draft forge. The table is a 4'x4' sheet of SS diamond plate with 1"x1" square tube framing underneath that I scored from work. I put it on concrete blocks for height, cut a hole for a centaur forge firepot, put concrete chimney block on top to set the metal stove pipe into, and ran the pipe through the roof with a metalbestos chimney. the stove pipe is 10" diameter, but 12" would be good too. there is no mortar, it all sits in place by its own weight. the bottom piece of stove pipe is a T with the side piece as the opening for the flue. The table should be steel, the size is a personal preference, but whatever you can find in the scrap yard.....it doesn't have to be new or pretty. Chimney can be block, just need a code compliant thingy through the roof.....it won't take much heat as it will primarily be to suck the smoke out. Good luck.

[jimbob]

look at the forges this guy has built he just uses regular bricks for the table no mortar
Student Forges in the Shop of Donald Stanley
the whole site is packed with ideals

[skunkriv]

Those are firebrick in the forge shown in the link listed above. I have a big pile of firebrick out behind the shop but choose not to use them for the surface of my table. To each his own.

One thing I like about the forge in the pic is the firepot is flush with the table surface. I did mine that way too even though my table top is just steel. The flush mount pots are easier to drag coal in and out of and there is no lip in the way of you laying your piece in there wherever you want.

[bluecarpenter]

If I build the firepot how long will it last. I've even thought about the side blast forge??? I'm wanting something simple. I also plan on building the bellows. I'm wanting to have a setup that is like the old ways. no electricty needed. I just have less stress with the simple things in live.
being without electricity for week due to the ice storm makes be stop and think. Heck I really enjoyed that week. used kerosine lamps propane lights and we have a pressure tank and pump that didn't work so we went back to the hand pump that I've got mounted at the sink. also heating water on the stove. makes you slow down.