Neat down draft forge

[setlab]

Anyone ever run into a forge like this? Really cool concept, wish I could find more pictures and maybe a few dimensions. 

[Latticino]

My understanding is that they used to be fairly common back in the day when trade schools taught blacksmithing.  I have seen old black and white photos of a dozen or so of these in a room with young teenagers learning the trade.  I think they are most suited to facilities with multiple stations as the hood exhaust needs to be ducted down at floor level with an exhaust fan pulling the fumes out.  You can see the large aluminum corrugated flex duct for that on the left side of the photo you posted.

[ThomasPowers]

Lots of old pictures of downdraft forges being used in "industrial" settings.  I have a champion that was originally downdraft. (The original hood was long gone when I got it and it was using a Volkswagen beetle hood as a replacement. Early 1980's, Oklahoma City, US$80  damaged firepot where the previous owner had burnt a piece of RR rail in two accidentally.)  One of the big advantages is that you can use a jib crane to sling large stuff around and not run into any chimneys. 

In the 1990's I ran into a NOS buffalo downdraft, mint condition, Columbus Ohio, at a place that was a big army surplus dealer after WWII. Never been used and priced as such.  Way out of my price range but I found a fellow working off shore who had some money to throw around and it went to a good home.  I used to break out in a sweat thinking of it going to some clueless landscaper and them filling it with petunias and letting it rust...