raven0813 Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Hello first off id like to apologize if this is posted somewhere else. I am a bit new to the art but I'm saving up to go whole hog as it were, trying to get all the tools and such. My biggest problem is building to forge. as this is mostly about bladesmithing it needs to be a certain length. I'd had many ideas and they all went down over time, it was either expense design flaw or some other thing. but eventually I saw a video on youtube about living off the grid. The video was one of xxxxxxxx I dont know if any of you have watched any of his videos, but they all have to do with living off grid or in the bush. and what intrigued me was his dual 55 gallon barrel furnace. So I got to thinking and designing. If a steel barrel could withstand furnace temperatures enough to heat a house then maybe it could do for a forge. So my question is would id be safe to make a forge by converting a 55 gallon steel barrel into a forge by using the conversion for a barrel furnace. With this kit link removed Now I figure you add a bathroom fan, chimney pipe and cut an exhaust hole and you have a forge. Please let me know if you have any experience with these, if they are safe or not or anything else. thank you very much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Like any other fire place, stove, or wood or coal heater, they are a beast that you DO NOT leave unattended. If you read the internet the 55 gallon drum stove is both loved and hated. It can be safe and can be VERY DANGEROUS to operate. Read ALL the reviews and get on the stove dedicated sites for information. If you get a drum kit, get the top barrel kit also. When looking for a wood stove / heater be sure and ask what happens when the electric goes off. There are a few brands that will self destruct or burn up components if the fans quit working. They also will push extremely hot gasses up the chimney and heat the chimney to a dangerous level. I purchased two wood / coal stoves when we built our home. One was suppose to heat it quite well, but in reality two would not keep it worm in cold weather. I built a 55 gallon drum heater that will heat the house until the outside temps go into the minus F range for several days. The last 25 + years, the 55 gallon drums have been replaced twice. I closely monitor the stove temperature and the exhaust stack temperatures. The type wood, the dryness of the wood and the size of the wood all factor into the burning, as well as the size and construction of the chimney. We clean the chimney 3-4 times during the burning season, and more if it is needed. It is a SPACE HEATER, and NOT a forge. The 55 gallon drum CAN be used as a forge with solid fuel by cutting 6 inches from the bottom of the drum, placing a house brick on edge, and laying a 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch pipe on the brick. It is a side blast forge that works very well and reaches welding heat with little problem. The ash insulates the drum from over heating. Once you start thinking chimney, you will want a 10-12 inch diameter chimney stack, straight up being preferred. ALWAYS protect any area where the stack is close to or goes through a wall, roof, etc. If you do not have a good understanding about the stove, forge, or chimney then you need to read and research a LOT MORE. As I said they are a beast that MUST be constantly monitored and NEVER left unattended. The 55 gallon drum CAN be used as a forge with solid fuel by cutting 6 inches from the bottom of the drum, placing a house brick on edge, and laying a 3/4 to 1-1/4 inch pipe on the brick. It is a side blast forge that works very well and reaches welding heat with little problem. The ash insulates the drum from over heating. Once you start thinking chimney, you will want a 10-12 inch diameter chimney stack, straight up being preferred. ALWAYS protect any area where the stack is close to or goes through a wall, roof, etc. If you do not have a good understanding about the stove, forge, or chimney then you need to read and research a LOT MORE. As I said they are a beast that MUST be constantly monitored and NEVER left unattended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 There are many stoves out there to choose from. Some will cancel your insurance. Look into the stove with an outside burner or combustion chamber that uses water to heat your house or building. These burn stumps, and logs, instead of cut and split firewood. Lots of choices, so choose wisely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raven0813 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 thanks alot for your input. I just picked that idea because the man in the youtube video said that they are safe to use as a chimney, which to me means that it could be used as a forge with little damage. As my current state of finances are very low I thought to use that as a beginner forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Glenn has posted 4 different plants for "55" forges I recommend his "55 sideblast forge" with modifications Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 Yup, I agree look into the 55 forge blueprints. I use one, it works well for me. Cheap, works good and was simple and quick to throw together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 The 55 Forge is designed as an OUTSIDE forge. The chimney (the supercharger) is designed to collect and remove smoke from the outside work area and push it up and out of the way. The chimney (supercharger) is a 24 inch diameter chimney, which was designed to be simple to build and operate, and it moves a LOT of air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raven0813 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 i just used the chimney as a current use of a steel drum at high heat, similar to what a forge would operate at. a precedent if you will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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