SEMO forge Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 I've been interested in black smithing for a while now and my teacher is going to let me make a forge as an in class project. From scrolling through the forums and looking through websites that people mention I think I've found a design i like. If anyone has made a forge like this or has any input on it I would greatly appreciate it. One question i have is how thick should the table top be? 1/4? 3/8? also how big should the firepot be? This is just some image I pulled off of google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 The table top doesn't need to be real thick.It just holds extra fuel. The fire pot takes most all the heat. Looks like a good design. Sorry I cant help much on pot size other then to say an 8"dia./2" -three" deep brake rotor works great for me. you could look at the sizes sold by commercial fire pot makers in that design. Also 2" pipe works great for the T for me. Cool project and best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 If your fabricating a fire pot, look at the factory cast units available, the list enough information about the size and shap for you to extrapolate (death and width assuming a 3 or 4” bottom) as for fabricating a tuyere, 2” square tubing is easer to work with and works very well. It doesn’t have to be heavy wall either. Now side blast forges are another option as well, especially if you will be using charcoal for fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMO forge Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 Would using a brake drum style firepot work for this? Possibly cutting a whole in the table and then welding the brake drum to the bottom side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 here in the UK most brake drums and discs are cast iron so you need special rods to weld them and it may be better just to sit the drum or disc in a hole in the table without fixing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzkill Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 You'd be better off with a brake rotor. Something with a "bowl" 6 to 8 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 inches deep will suffice. You don't need to weld the firepot to the table. Whether you buy one, fabricate your own, or use something like a brake rotor, there should be a flange that is bigger than the hole in the table, and that will allow you to set the firepot in the table without welding it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Welding the fire pot in only leads to it cracking the welds. If you will be using a bottom blast simply cutting a hole big enough to admit the pot but small enough that the rim sets on the hearth works just fine, this way expansion and contraction are accounted for. Another excellent option, eliminating the fire pot and ash dump... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 I have had some luck mig welding to the rotor but I would not suggest welding it to the bottom of the table. As others have said a rotor will easily hold itself in the hole of the table with the lip on it. Welding on a spacer and pipe and tacking in a grate worked fine for my own forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 If you want a square fire pot, this one by Bob Patrick is excellent. http://www.bamsite.org/firepot.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMO forge Posted February 23, 2018 Author Share Posted February 23, 2018 thank you all, I was trying to over complicate things with welding the firepot to the bottom, I just did't like the idea of the lip getting in the way of extra fuel. the more I think about it the more I realize that it really won matter that much. I do have a few questions still. what are clinkers and what is the need for a clinker breaker? I've been looking at the firepot design in the complete bladesmith by Jim Hrisoulas and i didn't see that in it. is it needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 The lip on the rotor isnt too bad. sure it would be better without but the right rotor works. if you have the means, making a fire pot is still a good option. clinker is the impurities in cole and a lil bit in coke that dont burn but absorb heat and heat up blocking the airflow and need to be scooped out occasionally. the cleaner (better)the coal/coke the less you'll get. I dont have a clinker breaker but rather scoop it out when it builds up. you'll know when it is once you learn fire management and get used to your forge. some use a raised air inlet in the pot to get the clinker to form a doughnut around it instead of it blocking the inlet. I added that to my portable forge ot but have yet to finish and try it out. many times if it isnt too bad you can poke or scrape the inlet with your poker/fire rake and clear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Get an OLD rotor from a popular make and model vehicle. Under the table weld a rail with a gap the thickness of the rotor ring so the rotor can slide in and out easily on the rail. (think of a cabinet drawer). This will put the rotor below the table so the fuel can be transferred from the table top directly into the fire pot. The reason you want a rotor from a popular make and model vehicle is so you can locate another one if needed. If you use a single plate rotor there is no problem. If you use a double plate rotor you will need to fill the holes between the plates with clay or other material to keep the fire on the inside of the pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Richter Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Welcome Semo, setup on drawing looks good look at this link to. your setup, allready build as solid forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.