Forge repairs follow up

[dickb]

I am repairin a masonry supported coal forge . A hole burned through the side of the cast iron firepot was patched with Rutland Furnace cement and a 3/8 steel plate set up in front of the patched hole. Seems to be holding up okay.

But there are some gaps between the firepot and the supporting masonry ranging from an inch to two inches wide. These gaps ae presently covered by some a few loose steel plates. The plates shift around, coal falls throught the gaps, and are a very poor fix. 

I would appreciate suggestions on repairing these gaps . 

Thanks 

 

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

A couple of pictures would help figuring out a fix.

[Frosty]

Give us a gander Dick or we'll just make wild irrelevant suggestions based on Youtube, ex spurts who believe in vido game apprenticeships.

It shouldn't be a major repair to do right though it might entail welding up your own fire pot if you can't find the right size to buy. Of course chipping out the mortar and making the masonry fit the fire pot is easy enough. We just need a better idea of what you have.

Frosty The Lucky.

[dickb]

I would prefer to close the gaps with something that I can kind of mold in place. 

The pot is about 40 years old, cast iron about 3/8 of an inch thick. Dimensions are about 4 inches deep, about 10 inches by 10 inches across the top. 

Blast is from the bottom through a triangular clinker breaker. 

Basic masonry is of brick with a concrete cap about an inch thick . The cap is in poor shape with a few cracks and a few loose pieces. 

The firepot has a flange on the left and right side and these flanges rest on iron bars supported on masonry. This part of the masonry is in good condition. 

There is a gap of about an inch between front the firepot and the cap. Coal falls through the gap. There is a larger gap at the back of the firepot, about two and a half inches wide. 

I put an iron plate over each of the gaps to reduce the coal dropping through.  Unfortunately this changes the geometry of the firepot . The firepot was built with the front and back about an inch lower than the sides. 

We will be doing a complete rebuild in September or October So the question is, how do I patch to get me through till then ? 

[JHCC]

For a temporary fix, ram in some dirt; whatever is under your feet will probably work fine. A mixture of sand and clay is best, and you can work in some wood ashes too.

Crumble up the dirt, mix in the ashes, and add just enough water to barely dampen. Think pie crust dough, not soup. Pack the dirt into the gaps and pound into shape with something blunt. Let dry.

This won't be particularly durable, but it will last you until the fall, especially if you don't mind touching it up occasionally. I keep some smallish containers of crumbled dry soil and wood ashes in the shop for when I need to do repairs on my JABOD.

[gote]

It al depends upon what it looks like but I used a single 4mm plate with a hole in. The flange of the pot supported by the plate and the plate supported by the framewor. In your case the masonry. It is very nice to have a good flat surface arouns the pot.