Bantou Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Has anybody tried the Simond welded firepot? It is a good deal thinner than one from centaur forge but it’s also 1/2 of the price. My JABOD works great but I’m tired of dealing with cracked bricks and clinker building up on the bricks over the tuyere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 24, 2021 Share Posted December 24, 2021 Web site says made from 1/2 inch plate which should be more than adequate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted December 24, 2021 Author Share Posted December 24, 2021 I just ordered it (Merry Christmas to me!). It supposed to be here sometime next week. I’ll post a review once I have it up and running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted December 24, 2021 Share Posted December 24, 2021 I think you'll be just fine with a firepot having 1/2" plate construction. The hot spot is directly above your tuyere and just a short distance from the outward tapering sides, so they won't get super hot. Their firepot looks identical to the ones Dave Custer (Fiery Furnace Forge) makes. His are 1/2" plate as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted December 24, 2021 Author Share Posted December 24, 2021 That’s good to know. I don’t have any experience with bottom blast forges. I built my JABOD as a side draft because it was easier to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sflorman Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Following to see how this turns out, as I saw the price difference also. I've also thought about designing my own, but I'm not sure that I can get the steel plate for that price, much less the clinker breaker setup. To say nothing of the time needed to cut the thing out and weld it together. Simond's is also 10" x 12" x 5" deep, as opposed to the 8" x 10" x 4" at Centaur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 If I were to build my own firepot, this is the one I would build. It is a very good firepot without a clinker breaker, which isn't needed in the first place. I have used several forges with this same firepot and really like it. Bob Patrick Firepot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sflorman Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Exactly. That's what I'm designing from, except I'd like it to be 6" deep. I can always do smaller work in a bigger pot, but if it starts out too shallow, it's tough to fix. My current homemade firepot is 2.5" deep and it's hard to keep a good hot fire for a larger piece like a hammerhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said: this is the one I would build. Not a whole lot different than using a brake rotor that has a depth of between 2-3" and a diameter of 8-9". It is all relative. The T pipe is the same idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Actually I like the ducks nest firepot. I made mine out of fireclay and a round commercial grate, been going strong for a long time now. If I remember right I retro fitted it around 1995 or 1996 and took these pictures for one of our members in 2019 not bad mileage for a firepot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 19 hours ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said: Bob Patrick Firepot It doesn't appear on the drawing, but Bob's firepot sides are 1/2" mild steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 4, 2022 Author Share Posted June 4, 2022 Ok, I’ve had the pot up and running long enough now to have formed a decent opinion. It works pretty well but has a couple of issues. First, the fit and finish leaves something to be desired. The paint (maybe powder coat) was applied too thickly and had to be removed from the bolt holes for assembly. The rod for the clinker breaker was slightly warped and had to be straightened before it could be installed. It also had too much paint on it that had to be removed before it would fit in the mount. Second, it doesn’t burn completely. The fire burns as a circle instead of matching the profile of the fire pot. As a result, ash and fines build up in the corners and along the front and back. This results in the fire getting progressively smaller over time. I find that every 4-5 hours, I have to completely rake out the fire and scrape the corners/edges. This may be a problem with all rectangular fire pots. I don’t have enough experience with them to say. All in all, I’d give it a 6/10. For the price, it works well enough. However, there is definitely room for improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 I don't get anybody painting a fire pot but I don't burn coal and live in the woods so I don't know lots of things. Sounds like you made the mistake of buying, round fire, coal, next time insist on, square fire, coal. You just need to learn how to manage your fire, it's just part of the learning curve is all. 4-5 hrs without cleaning the fire is pretty clean coal, try cleaning it more often. It's normal to have to rake the ash and clinker out every once in a while. Maybe forge a rake that will reach into corners and lift stuff out? I don't hear anything wrong. Well, the paint is a head scratcher but not a deal breaker. You'll get the hang of it, everybody has to. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 I pull a dinner plate sized chunk of clinker two to three inches thick out about every two hours or so. I got a better handle on the ash today. I didn’t expect this big of a learning curve moving from a JBOD to a metal fire pot. Although, in truth, I haven’t had a whole lot of time with it until the last couple of weeks due to sudden life changes. I didn’t understand why they painted the whole thing. I get painting the ash dump and the handle on the clinker breaker. Why they painted the firepot itself is beyond me though. All of the paint burned off as soon as I got it good and hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 Sounds like you need better coal! The good coal I've used produced a couple of tablespoons of ashy clinker per 4 hour session. The bad stuff was "cool the fire and pull the clinker" every 15-20 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 Unfortunately, it’s the only coal I can get right now within reasonable driving distance for a reasonable price. I debated making the 7 hour drive to Oklahoma to get some from a different mine. With the price of fuel right now though, it would more than double the price of the coal. It’s a big part of the reason I’m going to give gas a try. I love the feeling of working over coal but it is becoming less and less practical. Between the low quality, start up time, and cost of running coal; I think gas is going to be the better option for my current circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 The real problem is; once you get spoiled you end up doing things like driving to Quad-State to pick up great coal and hauling it the 1500 miles back; of course any excuse to go to Quad-State is a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 Quad state is on my bucket list. As much as I would love to go, it wouldn’t be a smart financial decision right now. I’m taking steps to get my smithing business up and going though (part time for now). So, maybe next year unless things go totally sideways before then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 7 hrs? Rent a dump truck and bring 5 tons back, it'll only burn about 3x the fuel for 200x the coal. For 5 tons you get to look at it before they load. Isn't learning the craft to a proficient level a good step towards a business? I'm not trying to discourage you but you're having trouble with basic fire management. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 6, 2022 Author Share Posted June 6, 2022 Fire management is undoubtedly part of the problem. Changing both the fire pot and blower at the same time kinda threw me for a loop. However, I’m not the only one who has been having issues with the imported Utah coal. I had the kinks pretty well worked out with my JABOD and was still having issues with significant clinker buildup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 I sidetracked myself again. My point was, you're awfully new to the craft to be thinking about building a business. How many business courses have you completed? When it comes down to it anvil time is almost the least of the skill sets a successful business needs. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 I understand and appreciate your concern. However, I have put a lot of thought into this and believe that the opportunity is there to make this work. I’m not playing the short game here. I’m figuring 3-5 years before I can even think about going full time. I have a BS in economics with a minor in management. I know I am new to the craft and that’s why I’m not jumping in full time right now. The plan is to sell mostly online and at local events. I have next to no overhead outside of web hosting and smithing supplies, negligible risk if it doesn’t work, and the opportunity for significant gain if it does. I am situated in a rural area that both sees a lot of middle class weekend traffic during the summer and has a reasonable population of people with more money than sense. I’m also closely tied with a vastly under server group who enjoys the more… medieval products of our craft. If I start with the simple things (cooking utensils, coat racks, camping equipment, triangles, etc), I should be able to expand my customer base into more high end pieces as my skills and shop expand. I know there are very few wealthy smiths. However, there are quite a few who live comfortably and have a level of flexibility that most people can only dream of. I have reached a point in my life where flexibility is nearly priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 I find in a coal forge I tend to get more clinker when I have the fire turned way up for forge welding. If you are just doing basic forgings right now you might want to consider running your fire a little cooler. Do you religiously turn down the blower to minimum every time you take the stock out of the forge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantou Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 I’ve tried doing it both ways (leaving it burning and turning it down). The clinker build up was definitely worse when I left it hot. I have a rheostat hooked up to the blower that is marked for various temperatures and fire pot conditions. I’ve spent several hours dialing in the marks to get what I need out of it from a long soak to a rapid heat. I keep my coal piled on the edge of the fire pot to coke and then move the partially coked coal on top of the fire to finish coking before it gets down into the fire. I’m careful with how I put my steel in so that I don’t drag a bunch of partially coked coal down into the fire. I seem to get a marginally smaller amount of clinker if I don’t wet the coal down but I go through the coal faster that way. The coal I can get is known for having large amounts of clinker though. I get it from a local school and they have similar issues with it. Unfortunately, I live in an area where coal just isn’t readily available so you are stuck with whatever you can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Sounds like you're better equipped to start a business than some business owners I'm acquainted with. If you have questions about propane forges and burners give me a shout, I CAN help with those. Frosty The Lucky. 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.