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I Forge Iron

Help Improving My JABOD


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Here’s my first forge. It is basically a box of dirt with a few fire bricks on top to keep the edges firmer. I’m using a 1” black pipe for the tuyere and a box bellows for an air source. 

The V-shaped trench is approximately 4” by 9” in dimension and 6” deep. The tuyere sits 1” from the bottom of the trench. I’m using lump hardwood charcoal for fuel, broken into pieces about 1” in size.

5ad64b8e1c12b_Forgev1_1b.jpg.41e1bdec62e2d1cde521765c6dfa79a8.jpg 5ad64bd0b9827_Charcoalsize2.jpg.ba6e4a883b5ef26157c246ca8544725f.jpg

I’ve done a few tests with a half-inch piece of mild steel to see how well it works, and in general I am satisfied. My only problem is that I can’t seem to get my steel hotter that dark yellow. I’ve tried varying the speed and strength of my bellow strokes, but can’t seem to get to welding heat. And I’m making sure to keep an inch or three of coals above the steel.

 

Wondering what I am doing wrong. Are my pieces of charcoal still too big? Is my tuyere too large, resulting in too much concentrated air?

 

Suggestions on how I could improve my forge would be welcome. :)

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See if it’s hotter an inch or so closer to the tuyere, dark yellow is welding temp for most tool steels. Just need to get a good soak and have all the other factors under control. 

Another brick on one or both sides will help keep the amount of fuel used to a minimum (keeping 3” of fuel above the stock makes aside pile)

Charcoal fires tend to be shallower in side blast forges

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Thomas: No picture of it running, I'll try to take a few later today.

Charles: I've tried angling the stock so that it would be closer to the tuyere, but it didn't seem to help get it any hotter. The amount of fuel above the steel may be the answer. I'll try to add more on my next test.

Good to know that a charcoal side blast need to be shallower. My initial version was deeper (almost 8") but after testing it I realized that was too deep. So I've made it shallower in the current version.

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Mine is about 4 inches deep, total. The heart of my fire is usually right at, or just above, my tuyere. I ended up digging out the sides to get my stock into the fire and level. The sides are also lined with bricks to block the wind and bank my charcoal against. I use a hairdryer for my blower and can get it well past welding temps. 

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If you look at the civil war traveling and pack forge plans one of the members has so generously posted you will se they are rather shallow. The nice thing is you just keep remodeling till it works. Seriously try creating somthing to bank coals against, or even a trench even with the bed inflator I prefer we are talking about a slow steady rithum to forge, and a bit faster but not strained pace to weld. I like 3/4” schedual 40 pipe as it more closely conformed to the 1/2 to 1” historical evidence of Viking era and ironage forges at Meir 7/8” I’d. 

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Here are the pictures of my new test. By angling the stock down towards the tuyere and pumping my bellows solidly (though not crazy hard) I was able to get the steel to light yellow - it was sparkling at one point (no picture of that).

jabod_v1.2_a.thumb.jpg.7cf9704ba379e4d88a1f58a8d9fe393f.jpgjabod_v1.2_b.thumb.jpg.ee53e1df5defc5f14399f03b6fa300d3.jpgjabod_v1.2_c.thumb.jpg.0778bb3d5e3cf1afa8f7bffd886caf96.jpg

Once I shut everything down and removed the coals, I saw that the walls of the trench as well as the tuyere were red-hot. And when I cleaned up the trench, I fished out two small pieces of melted sand. So obviously I'm doing someting right.

My guess is that I could make the slot where I insert the stock (between the two bricks) at least one inch deeper. So, in short, between 1" and 2" above the tuyere is plenty deep for a charcoal sideblast.

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