anvil Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Dang, I was hoping to get rid of some stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Another possible source for forge pans are plumbing shops or scrapyards. Old water pressure tanks are just waiting to become forges. This one is a side blast, if I ever find time to finish it and the steel is heavy enough to last a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 Such a flash to the past! My first forge was home built by me. It was the bottom of an old cast hot water heater with 3 green tee posts for legs. I made my twyre out of a couple of pieces of 1-1/2" pipe. The fan was a dc auto heater fan hooked to my truck battery. No switch, I just tapped the hot wire to the forge as needed to control my air flow! And, lol, anthracite coal! You've come a long way, baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 Something that could be used for a fire pot is a brake rotor, and you could probably tie your tuyere into it. The kind of brake rotor I'm talking about would be the kind that is off a rear disc brake with the emergency brake on the inside. For the inner "pot" around 8" diameter and around 2-3" deep work well for me. Just set the rotor in a hole cut in whatever metal "table", add the tuyere, some fencing around the table to keep extra coal from falling off and you're good. I have used mine for around 5years and it's still good to go. Use a brake rotor for my portable forge as well. Once it's setup it's good. No fussing with clay since its thick and can take the heat. I have an 2" black pipe T on mine and and it should technically last atleast my lifetime. Tho I don't see why you couldn't fit your existing pipe and cover to a rotor. Take a tape measure and ask around nicely at mechanic, body, and service shops, and you'll probably score a few. A box of doughnuts is a good thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodFireMetal Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 Daswulf, I actually have a brake rotor forge I built a few months ago. Brake rotor and piping in a big box of dirt on lawnmower wheels which is not as portable as I need for museum outreach events. Way too heavy. My hope was to find a similarly sized and shaped pan like the forge already has. Little did I realize how difficult it would be. My original search was for oil pans, but apparently they’re nearly all plastic, with an occasional aluminum one. A wok showed up as an option in that search, then all the suggestions above. Finally measured the existing pan and it’s just a hair under 18” between the 3 legs. The stainless cooking pan I showed above has a neat double curve shape that already looks like a firepot bowl, but it’s 22” wide, alas. Not sure the thin tube legs would stretch that far without permanent bend issues. It appears to be conduit type piping. Long term, I’d love to have a more historically accurate forge for colonial era events, but from what I’ve seen, that’s a major build. Jymm Hoffman has one and its a beast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeyn Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 are there any cast iron pans available in the size your after? just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 You could definitely find a cultivator disk in the size you need. If you know where a feed store or farm co-op is I bet you could get a used one for free. If not they only run about 25-35 bucks new and they look like they would last a while. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 On 9/13/2019 at 2:58 PM, Mikeyn said: are there any cast iron pans available in the size your after? just a thought... I don't thinking anybody's casting forge pans anymore, fire pots yes but spendy when making one is so easy. Ask a farmer about used disks, if s/he doesn't have any getting in the way s/he'll know someone who does. Pick a farm with a lot of acreage under cultivation. (yeah I know too obvious but. . . ) Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikeyn Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 I meant cooking pans lol something you can modify that has the right diameter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 Just now, Mikeyn said: I meant cooking pans lol something you can modify that has the right diameter Oh yeah, you were thinking outside My box! You can get cast iron cookware almost anywhere and they go cheap at 2nd, hand shops. A small cast iron frying pan makes a fine fire pot. If you use cast iron pot you run into the depth problem again. I've never known anybody who used a large frying pan. Anybody? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 A cast iron skillet will crack if it isn't clayed, ask me how I know. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodFireMetal Posted September 16, 2019 Author Share Posted September 16, 2019 An 18” cast iron pan would probably be pretty heavy. Just a small skillet is pretty hefty. I accidentally stumbled upon a forum post while google searching and it turns out my “modernish” forge may not be so modern. Someone else acquired the same style and called it vintage (photo attached). And here I thought it was a homemade job. Doesn’t help me find a pan replacement, but I’m going to chat with some farmers this weekend at the farmer’s market about the ag discs. There is one style that is a little deeper that may help keep the fire a little more contained than the completely flat surface of the original pan. It just uses up way too much fuel and I’m finding myself fighting with the fire to keep it up. Unless I perhaps cut the center out of the disc and drop a forged sheet metal bowl into it as a firepot. Any thoughts on thickness of sheet metal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 You can make the fire deeper with a few well placed bricks. Google ducks nest iforgeiron. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 I was looking online and noticed that the the axle washers for AG discs would make a good way to connect the air supply. You just need to weld a couple pieces of round stock across it like Glenn shows in the 55 forge thread. I also found another supplier that has about any size AG disc and axle washer you'd need. The site is called smalink. Just Google AG disc smalink and it should take you right to it. Good luck and let us know what you end up doing and how it works. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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