Building a coal forge

[slanwar]

Hi everybody, my first post I believe, building a coal forge after I built 2 gas forges and  I think the next step is a coal forge.

I will post pictures of my build and the size is 22.5' x 22.5" x 1/8" , the fire pot is a 8"x 8" made with 1/2" steel, will be covered with firebrick reason for the size and will take 12 - 9"x4.5"x1.25" firebricks. Now for the blower -  I will use a small blower I use for computers (powerful) and later on I will look for a real blower. 

[pnut]

Sounds good. A bit heavy. Quarter inch would more than suffice for the firepot. Post some pics when you can please. Welcome aboard and remember it's supposed to be fun.

Pnut

[slanwar]

Thanks!

I have 1/2" steel plate left over  I used on my cheap Harbor Freight anvil so I used that.

Slan

[pnut]

It'll work. It doesn't sound like you're going to be moving it so it shouldn't make a difference. 

Pnut 

 

[slanwar]

My coal forge is half way done, I was fitting the fire bricks and then I cut the hole for the firepot, should be done by the end of the week.

[slanwar]

Now I need to work on the firepot.

[Steven NY]

I welded up my new fire pot out of 1/2" mild steel last year. I am glad I did. During normal operation it is black to dull red, when working it hard, it will glow medium to bright red and has formed scale on the outside. I am hoping the extra thickness will help it last longer. I used an old table saw table for the table, the fire pot drops into that. One of the largest reasons I made my new forge setup was the size of the table on my old forge. It was to small, no place to store my coal/coke while cleaning out the fire pot. I like the size you are going with should work well.

[arkie]

Nice size table and good firepot, the 1/2" thickness will serve you well.  I hope you aren't needing to use all that wood to start your coal.  I just use a couple of sheets of newspaper wadded up in a mushroom shape to start my bituminous.

[Steven NY]

I use mostly anthracite coal, takes a little more startup to get it going quickly. A few sheets of newspaper will not touch anthracite. To be honest the base of that fire is crumpled newspaper, so it is probably not as much wood as you may think. But from experience I can tell you it works. 

have a good one,

W

[slanwar]

Thats a nice size table, did you weld the firepot to the table? Im going  to leave mine on top not welded but not sure if will stay in place

[pnut]

It should stay put. If it's welded it's a little more difficult to change or modify if needed. I wouldn't weld it but that's just my opinion.

Pnut

[arkie]

12 hours ago, Steven NY said:

I use mostly anthracite coal, 

OK, understand that! Yeah, you nearly need a bonfire to start that stuff.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

If the firepot seems loose, just a small tack weld should suffice and it would be easy to cut loose if needed. I like your air gate Steven.

[Steven NY]

Mine is just sitting in the hole in the table on a 1/4" x 1" rim welded to the fire pot. With the weight of the fire pot, tuyere, and ash dump it probably weighs about 40-50 pounds. It does not move. I left a 1/4" of space between the table top and the drop in fire pot for thermal expansion and compliance. My table is an old cast iron table saw table so I did not weld any part of the fire pot or rim to it, it just free floats in the hole on the rim. 

Thank you IFC, it was a bit of a head scratcher on how to mount and control the air flow with the new blower, and I wanted to have the ability to hook up my Champion 400 at some point to this new system also.  It works well for being made out of scrap from a shed I built this summer. The blower I was using for this forge was off my old forge which is now at school, I am using it in my metal working course with my students. So I had to make the new system work or go with out forging. Necessity is the mother of getting it done. 

Have a good one,

W

[slanwar]

The firepot will sit on top of the firebrick and will weight a ton  I couldn’t finish today because I had to replace a door in the back of my house but since tomorrow Im off I will work on the firepot.

[slanwar]

Almost done, got busy getting ready for winter and couldn't finish today. 

 

[Steven NY]

Looking great!!! You may want to raise the rim from the edge of the fire pot in the back down one side maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of its length to give yourself a place to pile your coal during clean out without the risk of it falling off the table. But then again I am very fussy about my shop, maybe to fussy at times. I do sweep up every night before I leave lol.  

Have a good one,

W

[ThomasPowers]

Steven; I finally gave up on sweeping the smithy's floor; no mater how many times I swept the dirt floor it was still dusty!

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I've been known to use a leaf blower in the shop/garage.

[slanwar]

Ok I did what Steven said and after looking for some pictures I welded 3/4 high rim, the only problem I had was.....no gas and too many beers,  the mig's  tank was empty but worked fine after a few beers (I didn't realize until my brother-in-law told me the welds look weird ). Can't wait until coal covers all that.

[Chris C]

Amazing how alcohol can ruin our best efforts on a project.   Still, once it's covered with coal, no-one but you (and all of us, of course) will know the welds weren't perfect.

Chris

[ThomasPowers]

As RAH once wrote: "Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors...and miss!"   I try to not drink anything stronger than iced tea in my shop during working hours for safety reasons and as an insulin dependent diabetic it's a good idea for me to ration my ethanol intake rigorously.

[slanwar]

41 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

 "Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors...and miss!" 

That's a good one.

[Chris C]

I like that one, Thomas.  Tempted to use it in my signture.

Chris

[ThomasPowers]

Robert Heinlein, "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" in "Time Enough for Love".