Littleport22 Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Anybody try this? Looks like a keg, while large, would still make a good forge with a couple layers of kaowool for protection. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I`d say it`d work . I `ve see em used as quench Tubs. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Caradoc Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 ornamentalsmith made a foundry out of a beer keg so I think it could also work for a forge here is a link to his picHome made and commercial units - Blacksmith Photo Gallery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 They are aluminum, I would beware of using aluminum..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I`d say it`d work . I `ve see em used as quench Tubs. Chris Chris, A quench tub, and a gas forge are very different things.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triw Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I think a beer keg is kinda big you would burn more fuel etc. Why not use something smaller to start with and not waste a good keg. Just my opinion. William Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Some are stainless, I can't say as though specificly beer kegs but I have seen kegs that are stainless steal. Either way I think it might be a bit large, not that it wouldn't work but you would loose a lot of eficency, heating all that space for nothing. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 How big of a keg? Is it full? I'm sure we could find someone to empty it if need be. These guys are right, too much space to heat up, even with a couple layers of kaowool. Although I have seen a few small kegs that would be about the right size.Aluminum may work, but the melt temperature of aluminum is way lower than steel. Now stainless would make a nice forge. Hmmm, might be a good project for that stainless milk can I picked up a while back....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchmancreek Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Nearly all kegs nowadays are made of stainless steel. Any aluminum kegs would be very old. The standard keg you see is about 15 1/2 gallons and is probably too big to heat up. The next smaller size is about 7 1/2 gallons but the shape is wrong for a forge...large diameter but short length. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Keg for BEER!!! Freon can for small forge! Or any other similar diameter piping. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornametalsmith Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 (edited) They are aluminum, I would beware of using aluminum..... FWIW, the ones I've gotten were stainless. and maybe if you cut a keg in two.......lengthwise....that might make 2 forges with nice sized floors. I like em for foundry furnaces .........just about perfect. AND most metalheads...........like/love beer DOH!!!! don't think beer, don't think BEER. At least until the MELT/POUR is over. Edited July 29, 2008 by ornametalsmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleport22 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 I was looking at making one from a 7.5 gal keg. If it's alum, that could be a problem with a melting point of 1200F, and a forge can get much hotter. If it's stainless, that's not a problem with a melting point of around 2700F. Gotta love alloys. I don't know. Perhaps a bit more research. I'm pretty experimental, so I may give it a shot anyways. Worst case scenario, toss the keg and use it's burner and lining for a steel forge. Could be a fun project to tinker with. Thanks for all the insight guys, I love this site! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 The deposit you pay for the keg when you get the beer doesnt give you ownership of that keg. Not returning a keg and cutting it up for whatever reason is stealing plain and simple. Those kegs cost around $400 each new. So your $50-$100 deposit is just a monetary version of your word that you'll bring it back. Whats the big deal it's Bud and they can afford a couple kegs...right? That's a great line of thinking and if only a 100 people a month think the same way thats a mere 1200 kegs a year. Only $48,000 Bud can afford that...Sure they can they'll raise the price of beer across the board. Next thing you know beer will be $20 bucks a 12 pack. If your getting dented kegs from a scrap yard just ignore my post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleport22 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 Thanks for the warning to all those thinking about destroying good beer kegs. The one I got is from a scrapyard and I payed $/lb for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Mulholland - Tetnum Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 they are aluminuem so extra kaowool atleast or just dont use it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ornametalsmith Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 one thought about the aluminum ones. I've never had a forge get to 1200 deg. F on the outside. IF you did....there would be problems in the refractory lining. IMO. That being said.....I wouldn't use aluminum to make a forge. DOH!!!!:o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 If it's alum, that could be a problem with a melting point of 1200F, and a forge can get much hotter. Did we miss the part about the fire able to get twice the melting point of aluminum? The purpose of the koawool is to retain the heat in the forge and insulate it from being transferred and lost, lowering the fuel bill. After several hours of operation, the forge WILL get hot. Why use a low temperature shell you have to protect from heat? Use a shell that can withstand the heat of forging and then insulate it to retain the heat. Safety is a primary concern. It allows you to enjoy the rest of your life, in one piece, without pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleport22 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 Don't even ask how I missed this, but in the sun I can see that on top it's stamped 15.5 not 7.5 gal. It doesn't look that big. Little larger than a 5 gal bucket, not 3x. Oh well, maybe I ned glasses. At that size, I'd need 10' of kaowool to get a smaller diameter inside. Looks like more work than it may be worth. Moving in a new direction, what's a good diameter of pipe to use? I want plenty of room for more than tent stakes, but I probably won't be forging helmets any time soon either, lol. The yard where I got the keg has all kinds of pipe that I could get them to cut. As well as other containers. But obviously my eye-calipers need calibration, so I'll bring a tape measure when I go back We live and learn right? That's why we have these forums. So I don't have to make the same mistakes others have made. Now I can trade in that keg for a pipe, or some other container I could modify, so I can get to it! Thanks for the guidance, folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Measure the span of your hand (9 inches for me), the distance closed fist thumb extended (6 inches for me), closed fist across the knuckles (4 inches for me), the arm span finger tip to fingertip (6 feet for me), and your stride (3 feet for me). You can combine numbers to get most any distance. Just be sure to carry your hands with you so they will be available when you need to measure something. (Be sure to measure YOUR hands as those are the ones YOU will be using.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 SS stove pipe makes excellent pipe forge shells. It comes off the shelf in many handy sizes and if you want or need something larger than or non-standard you can snap more than one section together along the seams. For instance if you want a forge with a 12" ID w/2" Kaowool you'd need a piece of 16" pipe. But snapping two pieces of 8" SS stove pipe together gets you there far more reasonably than having a shell rolled in a sheet metal shop. If you're not set up to weld thin 24-28ga SS you can screw or rivet it all together. Tin snips, hand drill and bits, file, sandpaper, screw driver, pliers, etc. is about all you'll need tool wise. You can use either off the shelf brackets, bushings, etc. for standard size pipes or the excess trimmed from the ends of the pipes you put together. You can of course use steel stove pipe but SS is a much poorer conductor of heat, even better being shiny, won't corrode and looks good. Unless you're working on pieces over 100lbs or so you don't need anything as heavy walled as a beer keg. If you are working stock that weight simply adding a support to the stove pipe every 6" or so will do the trick. Okay, SS stove pipe is my favorite pipe shell but there are lots of alternatives almost as good. A 5gl. steel bucket is nearly perfect. Ammo cans are currently on the list. A 15gl. grease barrel has a better diameter to length ratio than a beer keg and are a lot more common. All you need is a reasonably heat resistant container to support a couple inches of Kaowool or the equivalent and your work pieces. Be careful of galvy or other unknown metals though I don't THINK there are many dangerous alloys being used to make buckets, pipes, sheet metal boxes, etc. I could be wrong so be careful. If all you can find is galvy or al, a little extra insulation, a heat shield and header paint (to keep galvy from burning in the air) and you should be okay. This isn't rocket science. . . HOPEFULLY! Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave M Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 I have a pile of beer kegs lying around my house (don't ask) 2 are stainless with built in handles, these I will cut the tops out of with my plasma cutter to use as lobster and seafood steam pots and beer brewing pots:D. The others are aluminum and I cut one of those that had handles built into it into a slack tub with nice handles. Even the small one would seem to be way to big for a gasser body. I like the small party helium tanks that wally world sells, I picked up 3 empty ones at the dump on sat. They are the same as the small freon tanks but I think safer to cut. Because dosn't freon become some bad gas when torch or plasma cut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 (edited) They are aluminum, I would beware of using aluminum.....Chris, A quench tub, and a gas forge are very different things.... Jeff, 1. I didn`t know that they was Alum. I Thought they all was Stainless. 2. Even if it was alum. he could USE for a quench bucket intsaed of throwing it away Thanks,Chris Edited July 29, 2008 by hammerkid forgot #2 LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleport22 Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 I love the 5 gal steel bucket idea! looks incredibly simple (and cheap). Now if I can figure out where they sell them. None at Lowes, HD, or Ace. Maybe back at the scrap yard. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJ234 Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 A couple of ideas I've wondered about inspired by some of the junk piles around the house: -muffler: seems like the size and shape is good, and many already have end caps with holes that might be suitable as doors -soda 'keg': Fountain drinks used to be dispensed from these 5 gallon stainless containers that are now used by homebrewers for kegging beer, you may recall seeing them in gas stations, restaurants, etc. years ago before they switched to cardboard boxes with plastic liners. They look to be a nice size, shape, etc. for a forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Now if I can figure out where they sell 5 gal steel buckets. Think from the "other" side of the problem. What comes in the buckets that you would like to obtain? Who uses contents of the buckets? The buckets are located in THEIR trash cans. For new buckets, what company puts a product into a steel bucket? Contact them for either a bucket or the source of their buckets. Be prepared to buy a BUNCH of buckets as there may be a minimum order. 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.