Sabre Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Well todays the day i am going to start on my new forge. i will be welding up the table legs and top first. I still have not found some 3/8 plate or 1/2 inch plate for my fire pot so it may be aile till i get it but i will keep you updated on the build with pictures and ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 So make it from 1/4 or even 1/8 so you can forge while hunting down the good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Exactly, even 1/8" will last a number of years. Waiting on perfection leaves you waiting forever. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 OH well if 1/8 works then thats what ill find i just thought it would burn up quickly but what will hapen if i mig weld another layer of 1/8 on the exsisting piece? will it be stronger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Caradoc Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I would sugest the 1/8 and lining it with refractory cement which is pretty cheap and it will extend the life of the fire pot. Just my 2cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I myself would still try to find maybe 1/4 or 3/8'' but thats my 2 cents worth.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave M Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I don't know about up in canada but down here if you check with paving companies, earth work or road work type construction companies they use 36 inch X 36 inch 3/8 -1/4 inch steel plates to cover up drain, sewer and manhole covers to pave over them to protect covers. You might be able to find one cheap. I picked up 12 of them from a little company that not going to do road work any more. All so down here the scrap yards like to sepperate out steel plate from the piles, most of the time it comes from drops when large plate is cut to a different size and they tend to sell it for a little more then scrap value. But heck my first forge was from th bottom half of a webber BBQ grill and I got 2 years out of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 If you are going to use 1/8 lining, just cover it with a fire clay. It's cheap and works well. Just don't forget to use like 1/4-1/2 inch round bars for the grate. That way it won't wear away. Like everyone else, my 2 cents. Best Regards & Good Luck, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zsartell Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I built a forge from a 15" steel truck rim almost five years ago. Except for replacing the tuere because of a design flaw it shows almost no signs of wear. I can't say that I've used it day in and day out, but I have gone through many hundreds of pounds of coal. I plan on building a new forge someday and if I happen to have 1/8" on hand that's what I'm going to use. If I have to go out and buy some steel, I'd probably buy some 3/16" and be very confident that it would hold up for many years to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 well my moms boyfriend has some customers that may be able to plasma out some half inch plate and weld it for me for FREEEE and maby supply the plate.... i hope so im poor and only have 130 bucks and thats for 150 pounds of coal so im pretty much broke uintill i work... Ill post pics of the forge table on mon or tues because im going ATVin on sat and visitin my mom today so i cant get back to the forge till mon.. then ill get some weldin pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Anyone have an opinion on what is best for the forge table and frame. I was thinking of using 1/4 inch for the table but a guy I work with, who built one, told me I was nuts and that 1/8 inch was plenty good. I plan on using 1 inch angle iron for the frame and firepot supports. Big firepot (15" x 12" X 5") cast about 1/4" thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Whilst 1/8" plate will work fine, in my experience it tends to distort with the heat generated from the fire if you use it seriously, (Basically it sags with the weight of the fire and the heat expanding the plate whilst the perimeter is rigid due to the sides for retaining the fuel) The pics show why this happens, the forges shown are prototypes for taking to demos and competitions and will forge weld 1" square + easily, which is probably why they get warm, For the home workshop I would make the sides higher. The forges usually use coke as a fuel. The side cutouts were put in to allow long workpieces to be heated in the central areas, this is the weak point, legs are inserted into the tubes on the corners, this allows the forges to be stacked for transporting or storing, second pic. You could always put some webs on underneath the cut out areas to help prevent this happening, in practice it is not a problem, the distortion is not great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 John, Thanks for the input. I think I'll go with the 1/4" sheet. This is for my 'at home' forge. I was thinking a table dimension of 30" by 40". What are other folks forge dimensions. Those are nice looking forges and clean looking shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My new demo forge will have a 1/8 inch table but have barces under it and it`ll have a brake drum for a a fire pot. My shop coal forge has a 1/4 inch table. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 ya thats a good sizt to use for a table i think im going to either use 1/8 or 1/4 for the table Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My big coal forge is 36" sq. The table is 14ga with 1" angle stiffeners under it. The table is covered in fire brick with a rim of bricks on edge except low spots at the sides to allow long stock. The bricks at back of the forge and a couple bricks down the side are on end so I can store coke against them. It doesn't have a fire pot, I like a duck's nest as I can make the fire pot any size I need. The tuyere is welded up from 4" exhaust pipe with a weighted rain cap as the ash dump and 2" exhaust as the horizontal leg from the blower. The blower is a 2" outlet, stamped sheet steel Champion on a new motor and mount. I don't use coal all that often but this set up works quite well when I do. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug C Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Just did a bit of research and for a 30"x40" table using 1/4" the table will weigh 85 pounds, 42.5 pounds for 1/8". Guess you need to decide how movable it has to be. Add the weight of sides and legs and you could hit 100 to 150 pound pretty quick. More if you get carried away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 hey frosty lets see some pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 I don't have any that show detail well but I'll post a couple drawings as well. I'll have to get back on the drawings, converting them to .JPG is outside my software library, I have to print and scan them. Deb's doing a fiber spinning demo today and I'm going to be busy. boy am I going to be busy. So anyway, the pic is from a few years ago in the tarp tent shop. It doesn't show the air grate almost always buried in breeze (forge coke) but does show a glimpse of the exhaust pipe tuyere, weighted rain cap ash dump and the brick layout at that time. There isn't a gap in the brick rim in this pic as I'd just laid them and hadn't thought of the gaps. The brick standing on end extends one brick down the sides now as well. Most of the brick is from a power plant rebuild in Fairbanks a few years ago. A boilermaker buddy working on the job brought a pickup truck load back with him and gifted a bunch of us. Anyway, these bricks are odd sizes, about 14" long and 6" wide. The blower is a 2" outlet stamped steel Champion with a modern motor and fabbed mount. Air control is via an air gate on the intake. Gating the intake is safe in this case as the motor does NOT rely on blower air for cooling. The original motor did rely on the blower for cooling. Maybe that's why it was burned out? There is a gap in the fire brick bed about 14" x 10", one brick thickness deep. The air grate is 3/8" plate with a series of holes drilled and drifted so they taper wider on the tuyere side. This is so clinker will drop out with a little tap as the hole is wider as it goes down. I lay brick on the table as needed for my fire pot, up to and including building a covered box for better temp control during heat treating and such. The hood looks a LOT better than it works. If I start doing very much coal forging I'll build a side draft hood. For the little I do now I use a bypass off the blower (not in this pic) to turn the chimney into a large air inducer and get the smoke out. So, that's a coal/coke/charcoal forge built by a guy who uses a gasser for 99% of his forging. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted August 2, 2008 Author Share Posted August 2, 2008 ok well i am going to weld up the frame today... i cut it all up allreaddy justwaitin for my dad to get off his lazy butt and come help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 well here are pics of the forge... i finally got it done and just need to cut holes for the firepot... i still am waitin for my firepot but i will get it soon... you will notice in one of the pics i show my removeable tong rack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 I seeone problem, you wasnt wearing gloves while welding. other than that looks good, so it be a side draft eh? cant wait to see it finshed. Thanks,Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
48willys Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Looks the same as mine,I'm at the point of cutting out the hole for the firepot too. I'm putting fire brick in mine and trying to think what way to set the firepot,flush to the top of the brick or sitting on the brick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabre Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 hehe i forgot bout gloves but thats ok kuz i needed a tan....... i will have to wait till saturday to work on it next kuz my dad went to cal toll thurs and its at his work......... chris.... i saw a pic of a vise stand made from 3 inch c channel and i think ima goona steel the idea being as i have lots of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 (edited) okay. Thats fine , it works pretty garn good. I wanna get a 6 inch post vice sometime and use RT `s design with the I beam and plate. Brandon don`t make a habbit of welding without gloves, over time you can/will/may get skin cancer. Chris Edited August 5, 2008 by hammerkid seplinlg LOL (spelling) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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