Craig Tallant Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 I started this over a year ago and life sorta took me away.. no I'm back and the project I wanted to start over a year ago is almost complete lol. Please judge my design and tell me what you would change.. just a basic forge for basic beginner work. With the exception of the pipe.. it is made completely from parts and scraps from the at my property. ( old charcoal grill side shelf, drum from brake change, strange metal tube I found.. probably been hiding for about 20 yrs lol. and T-post for legs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Steel should go into the fuel pile horizontally. Take a 4' long piece of steel and try to heat the middle of it in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 It's a little hard to tell scale from the pictures. What is the tuyere pipe size? What is the inner diameter and depth of the drum? Where is the air inlet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Tallant Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 From Base of Pot up it is abot 20" .. I think I covered all the questions.. lemme know if you need more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 Depth of the pot? I'd guess 3 inches. Looks like a usable setup. I think you'd be happier with a flapper on the ash dump rather then a screw on cap. I fought with the cap too long before I changed to a weighted flapper on it and wonder why I didn't switch years ago. You'll also want a cutout on the table to pass longer stick through. I use a 2" deep rotor for smaller stock and have a 3" deep pot for larger stock. Both about 8" diameter. Burning bituminous coal. They work fine for me so it looks like that should work. I welded up the lug holes in mine but you could possibly use bolts and nuts to plug them. If it's just used outdoors I'm not sure if it would be an issue or not. And I don't know how the grill grate will hold up but it might work. Tho it might be a pain to pick out clinker. For that I welded in a piece of 3/16 plate with holes. Here's what I use. Works for me and yours didn't look much different. After 3 years I still like mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Tallant Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 Good suggestions thank you, yes it is 3" deep ( also have a 2" unused drum sitting in waiting lol). It will be used completely outside as I do not yet have a cover of any sort constructed and no garage. The pipe is 2" I have a bunch of scrap this stainless I could use I suppose in place of the grill grate. The concept was to try and make it as mobile as possible without losing functionality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 If ya have a blower and fuel give it a try and see how it works. Over time you will see how it works and what tweaks can be made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 The grate looks a little light. It may hold up for a while but I agree with Daswulf about looking for an alternate. If you have a welder You can lay 1/2" round side by side and spaced 3/8" apart and weld up a sturdier grate. You can also get a cast ductile tuyere cover from a blacksmith supply for around $20.00. I would definitely flare those legs out to get a sturdier base. Looks a little prone to tipping over as is. Other than that it looks good. I forged with a break drum for three years until I upgraded. Forging in that set up for a while will let you know exactly what you want when you build another one! Now build a fire and show us some more pics! Happy Forging....-M- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Tallant Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 Thank you all! I was already eyeing the legs and agree that they do need to be flared. I have a black iron post cap I can grind up and poke some holes in .. probably work out quite well actually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Another new smith led astray... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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