Good afternoon everyone!  My name is Don and I am new to blacksmithing.  The show Forged in Fire sparked the creative side of me and has inspired me to give blacksmithing a try as a hobby.  I built a side-draft forge of stacked brick and cinder block.  Air is supplied by my shop vac connected to a 1-in (black) pipe at the bottom of the fire bowl. The fire bowl is 7.5-in L (left-right) x 6.5-in W (front-back) x 6-in D.  I added the second course of brick based on posts here discussing charcoal forges.  I plan to buy some coal to give that a try as fuel, since it burns hotter.

I have been working two old files.  I can't seem to get the metal more than a medium-bright orange.  The right-side of the fire bowl doesn't burn bright, so I am thinking to cut the brick and make it smaller.  I purchases a 3-lb cross-pien that I've rounded and a 2-lb sledge that I've started to reface, based on what I've read here.  My "anvil" is currently a 4-lb sledge.  I'll be looking for something more appropriate and with more mass.  I have been running the valve controlling the air flow at about half-open.  I get a lot of blowing ash, if I open it too much more.

The file that looks most like a knife was one of my dad's old files that I did on Father's Day.  Dad's been gone three years now and the effort was a reconnection and lot more emotional than I expected.  The making something from "nothing" was very satisfying and is very similar to the creative urge that got me into software development as a profession.  

There is great advice on this site and like reading about everyone's experice.  Suggestions and advice welcome!

Don

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Unfortunately coal does not burn hotter than charcoal; they have similar BTU contents per pound, charcoal is just less dense than coal. Both will heat steel hot enough to burn it up---how much hotter do you need it?

Now your forge may be tweaked to burn one fuel better than another.  Can we have a picture of your forge running?

 I wonder that you are still putting in too much air for charcoal and so may be cooling the fire.  What kind of holes/slots, etc do you have to let the air into the firepot?

Are you burning briquettes?  If so: they have very little charcoal in them and such things as clay, starch, anthracite.  They are designed to burn *cool*. Try with *real* lump charcoal and see if you get different results! (Remember that all the viking pattern welded swords were forged with charcoal as were/are traditionally made japanese swords.)

Just listen to Thomas!  Seriously, try lump charcoal and use less air.  Even backing the output from the shop vac a few inches from the inlet pipe might help.  Trust me, I'm on my fourth redesign of my forge and air control has been an issue for me.  Listening to the advice on IFI has set me straight.

Thanks Thomas & Lou! Here is a movie showing my forge running. Also a pic of the air inlet (1-in pipe). I've been using brickets, but will definitely try lump charcoal!

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Welcome aboard Don, glad to have you. Welcome to the addiction, few things feel as good as using a tool you made with your own hands.

Briquettes aren't particularly good but if you break them up into peanut to walnut size pieces the increase in surface area makes a hotter fire and it consumes the oxy more completely. It's not particularly good but it can be MADE to work. 

A blow drier is more air than you need most of the time, that puppy of yours is blowing the heat right out of the fire. I know it sounds silly but honest it will. 

I'd maybe make the fire trench longer and more narrow by a bit.

Good first forge, well done.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you Frosty! I do remember seeing a post about breaking up lump charcoal. Didn't extrapolate that to the brickettes I've been using. Makes sense though. I'll do that the next time I fire up.

Here is a photo of a narrower restacked configuration. Now only about 3.5-in W x 12-in L (front-back) w/o the bick in front to keep the coals from spilling out. I kept the air inlet in the middle. I'll post video of it fired and I'll turn down the air volume from the blower.

Edited July 3, 20178 yr by DonLC
Corrected spelling.