Forge prices

[matt993fod]

I am sorry for what must be a very Newbie question but...

I got myself a nice anvil for only 20 quid, and now I am after a forge.

Cutting a long story short, I know nothing about how much forges should cost, or what exactly I should be looking for.

I need something small. I have plenty of space, but not enough for something requiring a permanent chimney. My Dad reckons the you can buy portable forges (for farriers and whatnot) that are sufficient for making horse shoes with. Do such things exist? If they do, they'd be perfect.

I need it for practicing techniques I have, and will learn on courses. So far all I know how to make are barbeque butlers and toasting forks, but I hope that will soon change.

Cheers!

Matt

[Ice Czar]

lots of information to be gleaned in the blueprints section

Blueprints - I Forge Iron - Blacksmithing and Metalworking

first question is what will be the fuel
(propane, natural gas, mapp, coal, charcoal)
second question would be depending on your comfort level with fabrication you could cobble together something for a few pounds or spend a small fortune on a turnkey farriers forge which you could quickly grow out of

sort of a forge index of the blueprints section
LB0003 Blacksmithing Forges - I Forge Iron - Blacksmithing and Metalworking
and a gallery of sorts
LB0003.0001 Blacksmithing Forges

[hammerkid]

lots of information to be gleaned in the blueprints section

Blueprints - I Forge Iron - Blacksmithing and Metalworking

first question is what will be the fuel
(propane, natural gas, mapp, coal, charcoal)
second question would be depending on your comfort level with fabrication you could cobble together something for a few pounds or spend a small fortune on a turnkey farriers forge which you could quickly grow out of

Yeah , if you CAN build your own it probally would be cheaper

[Paragon]

If you can make your own, the main cost will be refractory and a propane regulator.

[Ian]

Not to sound overly harsh IN THE LEAST but if you don't have the basic skills required to make a forge (and lets be honest a shovel isn't rocket science) then you need to go and talk to a working Blacksmith or Farrier and throw yourself on their mercy for help.

Now, the shovel joke.... well strictly speaking that isn't actually a joke. A few thousand years ago forges were often scraped out of the ground, they were dug like an upside down Igloo, and often pointed with the 'igloo entrance' pointing into the prevailing wind. Bellows of course removed the need for a 'weather eye' and were a better idea and the simplest were animal skins over another couple of holes. The edges were covered in soil then the skins lifted and pushed into the holes to create an air blast. A bit of further research will fill in the other blanks on this system.

Today however I'd build a first time forge differently, especially if I was thinking of using it on a regular basis. Glenns oil drum forge is a good place to start from and is in the blueprint section BP0133 55 Forge and BP0238 Simple Side Blast 55 Forge. If you don't want to read that then quickly put, find an old brake drum, some bits of old exhaust of a size close to the hole in the brake drum, some old hoover pipe and the blower out of an old (but preferably working) tumble dryer. If I tell you that the fire needs air from the bottom then how the parts list comes together as a forge should sort of fall into place.

[Ice Czar]

and of course the whole shooting match could be done without the car parts using rammed earth, rocks, bricks ect.

bringing us to another very important question
where is the forge to be located?

outdoors simplifies things
a dedicated buildingshed away from a residence slightly more challenging
in or attached to a residence there are serious precautions to be taken

a little on chimneys
Forge Chimneys
BP0460 Anatomy of a Forge Flue


a gas forge poses similar but different challenges to a solid fuel forge
we have 2 propane forges at work with no real chimney, just a 30ft tall ceiling in a 60x30 foot bay w 20 foot tall doors and a lot of ventilation, effectively "outside" in a small space thats entirely a different matter

[Archie Zietman]

Take a 2 foot by 2 foot by 1 foot deep wooden box, fill it with dirt, dif a hole in it, stick a pipe in it and use it for either coal or charcoal or corn or wood chips. It actually works really well.
Good luck,
Merry Being,
Archie