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I Forge Iron

Help decide on forge


ForgeCrossing

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Good Morning All!  First post here but have been reading the wealth of knowledge for a while.  I know the "what forge" is rather common but I wanted to get some insite on my specific needs so I can get what suits me best.  My main need is working with railroad spikes, so nothing big is needed.  I would like to keep cost at a minimum without sacrificing quality, at least for the time being.  As I gain experience I may upgrade but right now I just need something to get me going for a commissioned piece that I need to manipulate the spikes.  I was thinking coal would be easier, as I am in Western PA so it is readily available BUT I am open to recommendations.  

Every time I search and decide on a forge design ( like brake drum ) there seems to be much opposition to it as well.  What would you guys recommend as a small, budget minded forge to get me started into this great art? 

 

Thanks!!

Dan

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Probably the quickest, cheapest and easiest to set up would be a side blast forge. It'll work with any type of solid fuel and it's nothing more than a hole with an air supply blowing in from the side. If you have any type of clay soil near you (I think most of us do) you can use some of that and some sand to build your fire bowl. If you click on the link and ignore all the talk of the forge this guy has a concept for and skip down to the next to last comment you'll see a side blast like what I'm talking about. Iforgeiron.com/topic/44354-plaster-sand-mix-forge-concept/?page1 After  looking at that picture Charles tells us on the next page just how to go about building one. 

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13 minutes ago, Michael Cochran said:

Probably the quickest, cheapest and easiest to set up would be a side blast forge. It'll work with any type of solid fuel and it's nothing more than a hole with an air supply blowing in from the side. If you have any type of clay soil near you (I think most of us do) you can use some of that and some sand to build your fire bowl. If you click on the link and ignore all the talk of the forge this guy has a concept for and skip down to the next to last comment you'll see a side blast like what I'm talking about. Iforgeiron.com/topic/44354-plaster-sand-mix-forge-concept/?page1 After  looking at that picture Charles tells us on the next page just how to go about building one. 

Thanks Michael!  I'll check it out.  I have another variable and question I didn't think of.  An issue I have is that as a stay at home Dad I have my children in my shop with me many days so if there is any way to not have to run inside and out in the winter that would be optimal.  

My real question is since I will be primarily just heating railroad spikes up, which are softer and I don't need weld temps, would it be at all possible to use my old cast wood burner to get the spikes hot enough?  Or is that not a viable option?

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12" flue...

for most hobbiest a 3/4" to a 1" tuyere is sufficent (air pipe) a plain peice of 3/4" schedual 40 black pipe is about 7/8"ID. 

A box, 2-2 1/2 foot square and 8-10" deap works well. A 55 gallon drum works as well ( see "55 side blast forge") set on legs to bring the forge to anvil hight. 

In its simplest form, a forge is just a hole in the ground with an air supply. So filling the box with dirt works fine, most of the old ones are filled with ash and cinder. For most i would recomend placing two fire bricks in the bottom, this sets you at 2" from the bottom of the box, and keeps you from digging down to close to the bottom when cleaning out, I then notch between two bricks, so they set on the other two, and the tuyere fits so the bottom of the opening is an inch above the bricks, fill the rest of the box with dirt, sand, ash or a mix. Dig out a bowl 6-8" across against the back bricks.  

So this gives you a 6" heat zone, wich is about all one can hand forge. Swords and axes are forged 6" at a time. Now with a side blast in a 2' sand table you can modify it to make a trench forge out to about 18" long if needed. If using charcoal, it realy only wants to be about 6", so a manifold with tuyere 6" apart will "strech" the fire. If you need bigger around, build the manifold with angled tuyere. 

Now if you build or scrounge a box deaper than 8" either space the tuyere higher or notch the sides so long bar stock can pass threw ther center of the fire ball. 

 

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As to the flue, a "side draft" is the answer. Simply bring it down to the table behind the sheild bricks, their is several posts that spell out the size and placement of the doore/opening that draws the smoke in, the fire will acualy be drawn sideways by the draft. 

Up grades would be dry layed brick around the fire (not to close) extra brick to modify the fire shape, even build tempuary fernace/oven shapes. A wooden box will work, a steel one is more durable, even brick. I have seen large pipe (cast, cement ect) and flower pots set on end and filled with dirt as well. 

Clear as mud?

To add to the confusian, a water cooled tuyere is common in permenent instulations. 

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An anvil up till about the early to mid 18the century was more often than not a block of steel, a horn was a seperate peice called a bick. 

A 4x4 block works, as dose a sledge hammer head, chunck of rail, a drop from an outfit that cuts circles from heavy plate , (4" thick drop from cutting out two foot circles is almost a double horne stake anvil) 

folks have used broken earth mover axles, solid round or square drops, broken train couplers, large track hoe pins etc. any largish solid chunk of steel with a relitively flat spot bigger than your hammer is an anvil. 

As two hammers, a 1-1/2 threw 2-1/2 strait pein will get you started, tractor supply has one that takes minimum dressing to get you started, as most box store hammers have a sharp pein that has to be choped back and dressed. 

If their is a farier school around check out the pawn shops close buy. 

Once you have a forge, "anvil" and hammer you can forge the rest, we can show you how. The skills learned are ones you need to know anyway. 

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  • 1 month later...

Charles,

Thank you for the details you have provided, very helpful. It makes me want to build a side blast forge right now. Easy to find materials and a design that doesn't sound like it could be screwed up. Perfect!

I already have a little propane forge I made last year. It works fine for small items and I can't really complain. For my first try it turned out really well. I just don't like the sound of the burner. It isn't as bad as the bigger ones I have seem in videos, but it still bothers me. I thought I would like how clean and simple it would be, and I do. I just keep coming back to pictures and video of coal forges. It might just be nostalgia. I keep going back to the solid fuel though.

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