pnut Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 (edited) I've been trying to make my way through the entire site and on page 265 of the general discussion forum a member mentioned using a cesspool bell trap as a firepot for a bottom blast coal forge. I haven't heard seen them mentioned again. When I looked them up they look like a good alternative to a commercial replacement pot or a brake rotor for a fabbed forge. They have a different sized flanges from I believe 1in to 4 inches and look like they would accept commercial tuyeres or it would be just as easy to make one. The one I've posted is 9inches and 4 inches deep. Has anyone else used one of these or do you know of any drawbacks? I thought it may be a better alternative to using a brake rotor or possibly even a cheap replacement for a commercial firepot. It's $23.00usd versus a couple hundred for a commercial replacement. Pnut Edited November 25, 2019 by pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 25, 2019 Share Posted November 25, 2019 Could make an interesting firepot, if you ditch the grate and fabricate a clinker breaker to go in the bottom. I would be concerned about whether or not the casting is sufficiently massive to handle the thermal fluctuation. Let us know how it works out if you go that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 25, 2019 Author Share Posted November 25, 2019 I'm not planning on making one. I was just trying to give another option to those wanting to make a brake rotor forge. I read through the entire solid fuel section and didn't see them mentioned anywhere until 256 pages into the basic discussion forum and I don't think many new people will be delving into the forums that deep,at least not for a while. I'm surprised that there's not a bunch of threads from new people asking if this works. I guess since YouTube isn't overflowing with videos of it they've been overlooked or they make really bad forges. I thought about mentioning that you'd have to remove the grate and it could be cut to size for a grate over the air supply. I was wondering about thermal cycling cracks myself. They come in fairly large sizes that could be clayed like a rivet forge. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 We regularly use a forge made out of a half of an old ford rear axle "banjo housing" modified into a fire pot. It works very well. Don't see why the bell trap wouldn't work too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 Two things to fight against: Thinking you can only use something special and thinking that your forge has to last forever, unchanged. I've been using the same banjo rear end axle cover for around 33 years now in 4? different forge bodies and still have the other one to replace it with when it gives out. So try it! and get it to work! Just be careful about thermal shock on thin cast iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 I have not seen an old banjo diff in many a year. Interesting to note, if you break an axle in one you can loose the wheel, drum, and whats left of the axle. Not a fun thing to do back in the early days of hot rodding. They used to make, and may still do for the guys who want to build the old rat rods, retainer kits to keep the wheels on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 They used to make jackstands from them too; and that is where mine came from. A $3 set of jackstands bought at a fleamarket back int the 1980's and dating from decades earlier. Think of them like a more modern version of the exploding jousting armour of the 16th century....wows the crowd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 I still have around six half housings, hanging around for the next project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 Which will be?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 I really do not know. I've had them for around 20 years now. Something is bound to show up. Thought of making a cone out of one for light work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 I have a piece that was the shaft cover for a large water valve that makes a good cone for certain sized stuff; it's about 2' high and is cast iron and weights quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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