Nathan Kraft Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 Just built my first forge. What do y’all think? The cardboard is just a mock up- I plan to use a piece of a soup can lid as my airgate. I am planning to use a hair dryer not my bellows. Any suggestions for how to support it on the end of or otherwise attach it to the tuyere? Especially thanks to Glenn, IDF&C, and BillyBones for your help and suggestions on my forge. I also wanted to say for all of y’all complaining about the price of starting the total price of this was $10, though I know others have done it cheaper. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Cut the other side out so you can run long stock all the way threw. This also allows you to work from the other side of the forge is you have a special tool such as a power hammer or striking anvil on that side. Typically we work from the side of the hearth not the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Kraft Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 How do you differentiate the side from the front? That is not a blacksmithing power tool, I just built the forge in my dads woodworking shop. This is not its final place- I’m getting kicked outside lol. Thanks for the idea, I didn’t even think about the idea of larger stock later on lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 In a square forge it’s not an issue, though typically the tuyere comes in from the rear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 If the air pipe comes in from the west side of the forge, the stock would have to go into the fire from the north or the south side of the forge in order to pass long stock through the fire and out the other side of the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 How you arrange it depends a lot on what type of work you plan to do with it; but if you look at the pictures of the hot spot for a side blown forge you will notice a sort of "hard back" that the tuyere goes through meaning that you need to be able to move your workpiece from side to side as you look at the end of the tuyere. That way you can heat more than just the end 4-6 inches of a piece. So cut an access slot on the "ends" and trough the forge bed to allow it's use and Bob's your uncle! I hope you get a lot of time using it over the Holidays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 For the mounting the hair drier, you could mount it on the side of the box. I would put a “T” right after the hair drier, with the stem of the “T” connected to a flexible tube up to your tuyere pipe. Then you could use straight through side as a waist gate. If you hard mount/plumb to your tuyere pipe, it will be a pain to adjust as the end of the pipe burns up. The tuyere pipe will most likely be consumable. However you do it, make sure you air adjustment is easy to use and reach. That way you can get in the habit of adjusting the air between heats. That will save you a lot of fuel. Keep the pictures coming! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Kraft Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 David, I am having a little bit of trouble picturing this. What exactly are you suggesting as an air gate, and how would you suggest actually mounting the hairdryer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 This is just an idea. Just use what you have or can source cheap/free. This is your first forge and you’ll probably want to change it around a bunch. (Sorry, not sure how to fix the rotation...) David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Kraft Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 You're good on the rotation, but my display is messing up the quality of the image. I have been able to decipher all but the bottom left two labels. What do those two say? Sorry if I'm being somewhat of a pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Williams Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Here is another way from this thread: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 Yeah, I finally figured out how to lower the resolution on my uploads, and it looks like I overdid it. I wrote that if your hair drier has a cool air button, wire, wire tie, or tape it in. You don’t the hot air and the hot air may melt cheap corrugated tube, not to mention drive up electricity bills. The other note was to use a PVC T or better a long sanitary T, but conduit body shown above by Chris Williams is fantastic! That has a easy gate method built in! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Kraft Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 Anybody know what i should search online to get a piece of flexible tubing to connect the conduit to the tuyere? (or a place to get it in person?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted December 23, 2019 Share Posted December 23, 2019 I find internet searches useless for this type for thing. I would normally walk through the hardware store and just get what would fit close enough and was cheap. (I also have a good hardware store only two blocks away.) I believe the tube I used may have been a discharge hose. You could also try shop vac hoses, but the are probably heavy, generally meaning more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Kraft Posted December 24, 2019 Author Share Posted December 24, 2019 Thanks for all your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Look for some 3 inch flexible and expandable metal clothes dryer vent that can be found at the big box stores etc. Crimp or crush one end to the air pipe on the forge and hold in place with a hose clamp. If you need a larger radiator clamp, put two clamps together. Expand the length to what you need to go to the blower. DO NOT connect it to the blower but separate the blower from the air pipe and aim the air toward the end of the pipe. Aim more directly for more air, less directly for less air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Depends on what your using for an air source. If your using a bed inflator pump the factory hose works as dose 7/8” heater hose if your afraid of the heat it ones in silicon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.