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I Forge Iron

Finally built the forge.


Bozious

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Hi ya'll I finally finished my half 55 gallon drum firebrick and refractory cemen coal forge! The pictures show my refractory ingredients the start and the finished forge. I welcome any and all critiques! I know that the first couple heats I'm going to have to do some patch work.  Lemme know what ya'll think.

Thanks,

Boz

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Can you insert a rod in the tuyere to break out clinker drips ?  When I built mine I had the pipe extending out the end for cleanout access and controlled the fire length with a "ramrod".  I hope those bricks on top are easily removable so you can feed and work the fire.

Also not telling us what fuel it is to use and what you want to do with it makes it hard to give constructive comments.

Example I bought a pickup truck, provide comments: As you need to cross rivers and bays with it it won't work at all. As you plan to carry 50 tons a coal with it per week it will not work. As you need to take your forge to demos with it it's a great choice!

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As far as fuel I did say coal yes? I have access to as much coal as I can carry for a 6 hour truck drive. As far as "use" mostly felling axes and military spec tomahawks. Clinkers? There is an access door in the back where I can remove clinkers with a rake. All the bricks facing the fire are coated with satanite. Thanks for the tips and questions very appreciated!!

 

Boz

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I don't think I am completely understanding the concept of use for your build. I see what appears to be holes drilled in the long pipe section toward the back section of the vertical brick walls (1st pic) and I see expanded metal sheet possibly covering this area, cemented in place in the 3rd pic. Are the roof bricks mortared in place (looks like it in pic #2) or are they loose? Does the feed pipe penetrate the end of the barrel and if so, is it accessible to clean out? Forgive me if this has been covered in another post I haven't seen. I'm just going off what is offered here.

This will tell me how you will be adding coal to the fire, i.e. pour it on top or push it in thru the front opening. The question about the clinker removal is valid because not all clinker comes out as a big solid piece. Smaller pieces, as well as ash, will deposit and collect in and around your feed pipe, thus restricting air flow and heat production.

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It's a bit of a strange forge design. It will be a limiting on size of work you can do in it with no pass through. It will also be a bit difficult to feed in fuel and control the fire. Also you may find the expanded metal will eventually burn out.

I'm curious if you were inspired by someone with one like this that is functional. 

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Your getting hit with a lot of negatives young man, please don’t be discouraged. We aren’t realy ganging up on you we just see a lot of common mistakes seen on YouTube and such. 

We realy do want you to succeed. So first what class of work are you looking at? Small furnaces like yours are good for production welding but not so much for general forging. Other beginner mistakes I see is the expanded metal and the refractory mix. Generaly we disparage the use of Portland cement. As the prices that makes cement work relies on molecular water and forge heat drives of the water it degrades the cement. The only thing it dose for you is stabilize the clay (reduce the contraction and expansion of the clay when wet) and that can be done buy any alkali such as wood ash. 2 parts sand and one part clay makes a strong adobe. If I might suggest looking at side blast forges they work very well with charcoal and can be remodeled to adapt them for the work at hand relatively easily. 

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Thanks Charles!

Let me see if I cant answer all the questions and explain my design...

This is a working forge, experimental design. I've done the brake drum, rotor, BOD and old grill with firepot. Expanded metal works for about 3 heats I'm making a firepit using half inch plate. I'm looking for another piece to finish it. I've been a chef for 30 plus years...hmm lemme rephrase that, I've been in the restaurant industry for 30 years a chef for about 20ish. I left it completely to chase my lifelong dream of making historically correct weapons mostly spear and axes. I live on felling axes for 2 logging companies in Seattle and Canada.  The top bricks come off and there's access to the expanded metal and to clean out. Also the pipe is removable for a full length pipe if I should ever do a sword for heat treating.

Also I have the most important blacksmithing tool... a loving understanding supportive wife!!

I hope I got everyone covered. 

Thanks to everyone for your help and questions!

Boz

 

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At the end of the pipe the back brick can be removed and there's a door to access the end of the pipe and its topped with a threaded cap. From there I can get on top and underneath the expanded steel and all the way to the 90 degree Elbow to the air supply.  Its hilarious what I've been using for air, see picture.  I've been using this mini leaf blower for years. It runs like a champ and it's the perfect amount of pressure. If I was using 2 inch pipe I dont think it would be enough. I had it hooked to a dimmer but uve never needed it.

Boz

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1 minute ago, jlpservicesinc said:

So basically what you did was to make a modified side blast with a heated pipe to feed air to the fire????  I am assuming the house on top if where the air comes out??? 

Yeah the picture with the expanded steel with the pipe under it is where the air comes out.

Boz

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OK; next build give a thought to putting a hole in the end of the drum and mounting a floor flange to it and having the threaded cap on the outside of the drum for easy  cleaning the pipe out.  Can you get a ramrod in there to knock off any flux/clinker stalactites in the current setup?

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  • 1 month later...

Hi yall!

So I've been away for awhile, I got an infection in my foot, in the bone and got my toes and about an inch more of my foot amputated! It made for a great Christmas.  Anyway I am finally back on my foot haha! 

I went to start up the forge and couldnt get it to light. Too many issues I didnt see or assumed they would work through.  Didnt happen! Please see pictures... firebrick house removed and expanded metal opened up. I would appreciate some help as how to fix this and get it to work. I'm willing to make any changes at this point. I'm stuck and I'm not sure where to go from here.

Frustrated and fireless!

Boz

 

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Happy almost,

What kind of fuel are you trying to burn? Looks like you have gravel for filler.

We have a similar style Forge. 3" Pipe with 5 - 3/4" black pipe pieces, 3/4" high, 3/4" between the nozzles. We normally have two of them plugged. We burn Coal. If you start a wood fire and then slowly add Coal, you will get it going. Our clean out is through the front face with the cap available to remove so we can scrape it out, without disturbing the fire.

Sorry to hear about your Health problems.

Neil

 

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Thanks!

That's all refractory cement broken up from me breaking it up to get to the clean out. I'd love to see a picture of your forge to give me some reference. I use coal and I've had no problems in the past with other forges. I wanted a bottom blow forge, ive made side blown in the past but this ones giving me troubles!

 

Boz

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So after much tweaking, breakdown and rebuilding it's done for now and it runs like a beast! What I did was added a valve as an air gate and adjust the pipe under the coal. I'm working on building a firepot based on Randy McDaniels design. That's gonna be the only change. Thanks for all the help and suggestions! That's what got me to the finish line. Now time for the real work.

Boz

 

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