Jmsprad Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 So far all I've got is a disire to get into Blacksmithing, more towards knife making. I've done right much research and have and idea on how I want to build my forge. I was thinking about making my own firebricks. And building the form for them so they will interlock so I can dry fit them together so it's easier to replace the cracked ones. The firebrick recipe is 1 part by volume Perlite, 2 pt by vol Fireclay (refractory clay), 1 pt by vol Sand( Silica, pure as possible), 1 pt by vol Ash, 1 pt by vol Portland Cement. I read that coal ash is the best type of ash to use to make firebricks. Has anyone tried to make their own bricks? Or does anyone have any suggestions? I appreciate any feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. You're over thinking the forge, interlocking fire brick sounds much cooler than it really would be. I take it you're making a coal forge in which case the perlite is completely superfluous. If on the other hand you're thinking of making a propane forge they aren't up to the job at all. Portland cement and a propane forge are a deal killer it won't survive the heat. Leaving out the cement and perlite and that's a pretty good recipe for a rammed forge pan liner though the ash isn't necessary. It doesn't hurt but it's not necessary. An old friend and I made light insulating fire bricks once for his pottery kiln. That recipe was IIRC, 1pt fire clay, 2pts sand, 1-2pts saw dust. Firing them was the serious PITA and we couldn't keep the fire going long enough for a good fire. He used them but personally I'd take up a couple odd jobs and buy brick. Unless you're building a Formula 1 super forge they aren't helped by getting fancy. First decide what kind of fuel you're going to use, if solid go to the "solid fuel forge" section of Iforge and read it. If a gas forge go to that section and read it. While there are some really top notch how to videos online, Youtube say, until you have a handle on the craft they're more likely to send you down dead end or harmful paths. All it takes to be a Youtube "star" is a video camera and connection, the general quality of blacksmithing videos is pretty poor. Do you have smithing books. These are my suggestions: "The complete Modern Blacksmith," by, Alexander Weygers. "The New Edge of the Anvil" by Jack Andrews, "The Backyard Blacksmith" by Lorelei Sims. There are more but those are a good foundation library for the beginner. Did you notice I didn't include one book about bladesmithing? We have a number of world class bladesmiths on IFI published authors in fact. The reason I didn't include any of them, worthy though they are is because you need to know how to forge the steel before you make blades. Sure you CAN learn both but it'll take well more than 2x as long as learning the craft in order. Once you're proficient at the anvil learning to forge blades is "only" a matter of learning a new steel and a couple new processes. Trying to learn all of it at once WILL lead to many more failures and it's so much harder trying to figure out what went wrong when a number of the possible causes are new to you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmsprad Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 I really appreciate the info bud. Seems like I haven't done nowhere near enough research yet. I will definitely look for those books and checkout the solid fuel forge. I'm glad I stumbled across this site. It's nice being able to correspond with people with experience. Thanks again bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 You may want to visit the book review section on the site and read some of the reviews. Lots of information out there is why we recommend to pack a lunch and a cold drink before you visit the site. (grin) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Good Morning JM, Seems like I haven't done nowhere near enough research yet. If you don't start, you won't Learn. If you wait to learn more, you still haven't started. If you are afraid of making a mistake, You won't start. If you are afraid of making a mountain of "Bish" (rubbish), You still haven't Started. Instead of sitting on the Fence with your KeyBoard, asking Permission, Why don't you just Start. Then when you do Start, you will say "I should have started this years ago". Do yourself a favour, Turn your computor OFF. Turn the Propane on and START!!!!!!! Forget the Notion that it HAS TO BE COAL!! You Have To Start!! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Jm, I'm going to preach to you just a bit.....I feel the term "bud" is a bit disrespectful in this format. If you wish not to spell out Frosty or another members name, try "Sir", it will make you sound a bit more sincere. Respectfully...... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmsprad Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Well let me start by saying I mean no disrespect. It's just how I talk. I call everyone bud. If you're offended by the term bud I don't know what to tell you. Maybe toughen up a little bit. People get offended over everything, and want everyone to be politically correct. That is not me. I treat the everyone with respect, but I call it as I see it. So if the way I talk offends you; well maybe it's not me bud. Sincerly Your Bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmsprad Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Swedefiddle you're 100% correct bud. All the research in the world won't give you experience. The reason I was gonna go with coal is that my Pop burns rice coal for heat. So I figured I'd buy a couple bags from him and try it out. After visiting the " solid fuel forge" section last night I saw an awesome idea for building a coal forge, which I'm gonna start on next week. I recon it is a whole lot more fun doing it and screwing up, than just continuing researching and not actually doing it. I appreciate the kick in the shorts to get me going. I also love the use of the word "rubbish". I'm gonna have to incorporate that here in the South. Take care bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Ah, I think we can live with you calling folk Bud, anyone who can't can set the forum filters to "Ignore." Do you know what grade coal your Father uses? Most heating coal is anthracite and not best for smithing. It WILL work however it just takes some adjusting and practice learning to dance it's tune. How good are you at fire? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Hey thanks guy for clearing that up... I'm good Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 By an awesome coincidence in the Chinese zodiac I am a "Fire Monkey" and those two combine only every 60 years and so this is my year too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 8 hours ago, Dave51B said: Hey thanks guy for clearing that up... I'm good Dave I didn't say thanks for speaking up Dave, my bad. We get trolled often enough here it can be easy to be annoyed, especially when a new guy addresses us in the diminutive. Encouraging folk to use manners is never a bad thing, being polite doesn't cost a thing and is a LOT more likely to get good responses. I didn't reply to the post immediately, let it set a while, I don't have the armor I did before the accident so I can get more invested in a response than I should. Sometimes I have to remind myself to not give a . . . pht about little things. It's not like we know a new guy well enough for his/er opinion to mean much, though I must admit explaining to us how it's our problem the way he addresses us is an indicator. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 57 minutes ago, Frosty said: I must admit explaining to us how it's our problem the way he addresses us is an indicator. Frosty The Lucky. Yeah. Not everyone was raised "old school", ... but for those with adequate cognizance, the passage of time sorts it out. My GrandMa would have "adjusted" that attitude, before he was out of diapers. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Good Morning Bud, You caught the gang off guard. Normally everyone is polite and asks you to put your place where you make a shadow, in your Avatar. If someone here is, in your area of this rock, might be able to share thoughts, so to speak. There are members from almost most places. There is a HUGE amount of information available on this Forum. It takes a lot of Time, to sit down, relax with your favorite sandwich and beverage and by reading some of the Information, slowly understand why some people get a little jumpy when someone new asks questions that are answered many times previously. Yes, you can make your own Fire-Brick, WHY?? If you are making a Coal Forge, you don't need any!! Regular River/Garden Clay is good. The K.I.S.S. Principle works BEST. Welcome!! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave51B Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Everybody polite??? Not quite! Several folks address me as Tom and not Thomas as is my name, well my middle name. Only folks that use my first name are border guards looking at my passport card and Drs looking at the insurance cards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 "Bud" might not be all bad, my mother called me by my brother's name the last 35 yrs. of her life, made it interesting when were standing next to each other. With my Grandmother we were all "Hey You There" 16 or so of us would turn around and then we got the old " Not you, Him" and she would point out one of us. When some of us were Pallbearers for her the Funeral Director said something to one of us and my brother responded and we got the old 'Not You Him" we got to laughing so hard we almost dropped her. "Call me what you want but not Late to dinner" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 On 2/21/2016 at 1:18 AM, Frosty said: Ah, I think we can live with you calling folk Bud, anyone who can't can set the forum filters to "Ignore." Do you know what grade coal your Father uses? Most heating coal is anthracite and not best for smithing. It WILL work however it just takes some adjusting and practice learning to dance it's tune. How good are you at fire? Frosty The Lucky. There are a few threads about using anthracite for smithing; for example, see here and here. Also, if you're looking to build a super-cheap solid-fuel forge, take a good solid look at this one here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.