I decided that I was not content with the forge I built and the durability of it was questionable. I started getting materials to do a better long lasting job of it. Before I venture into making the tuyere I should get a suggestion as to the size I should go with, using a hand crank blower. I'm thinking 1 1/2" for the sake that less effort is needed to get good pressure. I will be using charcoal only for fuel.  This will be a tinkering around forge and not production of any kind.

Um. Side blast or bottom blast forge?

Charles R. Stevens's original JABOD forge uses a 3/4" pipe for the side-blast tuyere, and he's burning charcoal.

You don't want much pressure burning charcoal, a gentle blast is more than enough. A paper shopping bag blowing through a piece of garden hose allowed me to weld in a camp fire. The final tuyere after the hose was 3 sticks stacked, covered with damp mud, the air blew through the gap between the sticks. A garden hose doesn't do well if stuck in a fire but mud covered sticks lasts a surprising length of time.

I wouldn't worry about making too nice or long lasting forge till you've spent some time and know what you want around for a long time. I have a couple forges that've lasted years longer than I needed them to. 

Frosty The Lucky.

6 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I have a couple forges that've lasted years longer than I needed them to. 

Nothing is so permanent as a temporary solution.

This will be a bottom blast. I just have lots of enjoyment building. I get teased all the time that I never use what I build. Oh keeps me out of the bars. LOL

I like 2" black pipe for the bottom blast tuyere. Then again, that's what was suggested to me from the get go, and what I have used and all I've ever needed. I first used charcoal in my forge until I found a source for coal.

I use 2" black pipe also, works for me.

Here's a couple pics of my start on the new forge.

 I was in to Home Depot and got the makings for the tuyere and blower attachment. I'm lamenting on the stand that shows bellow the tray in the pic. If I should put heavier legs on this or use the stand.  It's not heavy duty but rolls around nice. I guess I can see and change later. The tray is 24"x30" with 3" sides. I think I will make a hood over the firepot end to gather smoke up and away. I'm putting some time into this so it will look good and be functional for quite some time.

Are you planning on having the table with the folded parts up? As in, is the table upside down in the second picture? 

The base/legs should be fine, but as you said you can try it out and see. 

I should have mentioned that the table was upside down. Here's a pic with more of it together. I'm impressed with that cheap blower. It works great. I need to get some angle iron and make my hood, next.

The blower was on E-bay for $72 free ship. I say cheap cause its made in China and sheet metal casing but has steel gears and cast casing. It works really nice.