clw1985 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 i'm a new comer to blacksmithing, its something ive always wanted to do with a passiont, yet im kinda low on funds so i've decided to build a forge, my problem is i can't seem to find any reliable...or trust worhty advice, or all the information i need, im a full time student of welding and have been for a couple smesters, but smithing is what i really want to do. i know i need a gas grill sized bbq grill sized propane tank...20lbs. and most likely a half decent sized air compressor or 02 bottle that squirts in bursts....but i need to know where to find a crucible, and what should i use for the insulation on the inside of the body? i also need some kind of configuration of the pipes and all that into the body. how is that you determine the amount of gas for the size whats the formula for that? and burner info...geez im needy... but im an admitted newby, who doesnt wanna blow himself to high heaven, or any where else, i know im asking alot but if anyone could help it would be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrynjr Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Welcome CLW, first thing we need to help effectively; is to know were you are in the world. One of our members may be living next door to you! Go to the top of the webpage and click on User CP and fill in info. Next go here and read some of the basic of the site; Getting Started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 G'Day clw1985 Firstly , ow bout tellin' us where youse from bloke , -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go to the top of the forum page and click on User CP Click on edit profile go to the bottom of the page, enter your location and save. We would like to know where in the world you are located --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maybe youse is near 1 of the " many " Blacksmithing group's from around the world . GS0003 Blacksmithing Groups*-*I Forge Iron - Blacksmithing and Metalworking Secondly , ave'a look in the link below Getting Started*-*I Forge Iron - Blacksmithing and Metalworking Thirdly , ave'a look around IFI ,, the place is FULL of the info youse is after , don't expect me ta hold youse hand & show it ta youse . Sure ask questions , but ifin youse hadda taken a minute or 2 ta look around youse woulda found what youse was lookin' for . No doubt i'll get canned over this , but the site ain't that hard ta use Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 the dirt cheap planRegia Anglorum - Anglo-Saxon and Viking Crafts - Iron WorkingBox BellowsForge Building Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 I agree with Ice Czar; build a solid fuel forge. Much simpler. Much cheaper. Check out pictures of my forge: a stainless bowl, a piece of shopping trolley poking through the side and a blower I cobbled together from junk. Start with something simple and crude, and see if you enjoy blacksmithing. In that case you have welding ability and probably steel plate; you can easily fabricate either a side/back blast or bottom blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 My coal fired forge is made out of bricks- but nothing expensive believe me. Very cheap in fact the only thing I actually paid for was the blower which is the type used to inflate childrens' bouncy castles! I control the speed with a dimmer switch for an electric light which also cost me nothing. The pipework is off the scrap pile. The forge runs on high quality coal cos that is easiest but would run on charcoal if ever I got a free source of that. Main thing is meet other smiths and tell them what you are trying to do. Most of them will have a few bits of something to get you started. You can soon build up a forge and a smithy if you have a creative mind. If you can look at something and think how you could use it. You need that sort of lateral thinking to be a good smith anyway. Most of my time is spent doing jobs that every other tradesman has already said are impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 re-reading the original post, maybe there is some confusion here are you looking for a forge or a foundry furnace? if a furnace what are you aiming to melt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw1985 Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 ok, im going to attempt to answer everything at once......first thanks to everyone and all the information i think i can get started to build, ill have to adjust with size of body and btu and all that but other than that i believe im ready to build a cheapo forge. i did my c p thing. the sites ease of use isnt my issue its finding the most information in one spot with the least amount of xxxx filler, by xxxx filler i mean anything that isnt the information i need. thanks again for all the help and info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw1985 Posted February 13, 2008 Author Share Posted February 13, 2008 foundry furnace..........ehh no, from what ive been told a forge, hollow body lined with this blanket of heat and fire resistant stuff i cant remember the name of, some kind of pipe comin out of the side witha shut off valve hooked to a propane tank, and then some sort of blower, evidently i can use the same type of blower they blow up slides with....i dont really know what consitutes a foundry furnace. bigger? melts small cars and planes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 clw1985 IForgeIron has a LOT of information. The best way to access the information quickly is to use the search engine. This retrieves the key words you request. The more specific your request, the more specific the material retrieved. As you navigate the site, you will be able to refine your searches even more. You will find that IForgeIron is not just a Forum, but the site has many other sections, all working together to provide a great resource of information. If you have specific questions as to where information is located, just ask. Someone will point you in the proper direction to locate an answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 i dont really know what consitutes a foundry furnace. bigger? melts small cars and planes? large enough to place a crucible in, hot enough to melt a metal, can be smaller than a bread box or bigger than my house Melting points of elements to make alloys, Bronze, Brass, Steel ect Tin 449F Lead 621F Zinc 692F Magnesium 1202F Copper 1984F Nickel 2651F Iron 2800F forges are generally horizontally oriented, foundry furnaces are generally vertically oriented, but the truth is a glass furnace, ceramic kiln, industrial oven, foundry furnace, or forge are all basically the same thing but tuned into a certain temperature range, and accessibility (Steel however is generally made in a Copula Blast furnace, a more specialized animal) Most blacksmith forges wouldnt even get hot enough to melt bronze or brass, they are dialed in to heating steel enough to work or forge weld not melt metal (though they are generally hot enough to melt tin or lead) there are several links you might find of interest here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blubrick Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 CLW, from what you've given us, it's clear that you want a propane fueled heat source, but exactly what you need depends highly on what you intend to do with it. Are you intending to heat metal so that it's soft and you can smack the tar out of it until it conforms to the shape you want? If so, you need a forge, and you don't need a crucible. Or are you intending to melt metal and cast it into molds? 'cause in that case, you're talkin' about a foundry and/or a furnace and you will need a crucible. But most importantly, that "xxxx filler" you talked about? Read it - You'll find it's actually not "xxxx" or filler. It often contains definitions of terminology, explanations of procedures, and safety recommendations. The first two will allow you to ask your questions in a way that's likely to get you the answer you need, rather than requests for clarification. The other one will help you to remain alive and intact long enough to ask your question - particularly if you plan on building a gas-fueled forge/furnace thingy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphy Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 CLW, Welcome to IFI, We all want to know, Do you want to melt metal?, or heat and shape it?I have plans from an old popular mechanics book, that shows how to make a smelting furnace, two air forced gas nozzles, crucible, in a fire brick lined steel can. but it's a good way to get blown up! since you weld, I hope you have a good source of metal or a place to scrounge metal, A solid fuel or gasforge could be easily be made to heat and shape steel, keep us posted on your progress, good luck and happy forging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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