Jacob1 Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 So I saw this video on making a charcoal forge and I know that plaster of Paris and sand sucks as refractory but could I do a similar design only slightly larger with clay ? and if not what are some other refractories that could be used Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 If you want to build a forge like that, look up the JABOD (Just A Box Of Dirt) Thread. Lots of help and ideas to be had there. Keep it Fun, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 Also charcoal forges do better in trench like configurations to get you the greater depth of fuel while using less charcoal than round ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 Bentonite clay, as in cheap unscented kitty litter, and sand makes for a better liner in a charcoal or coal forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 You have to ask yourself; if they got something basic so wrong---like using Plaster of Paris in a forge; can you trust anything else they show/tell you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob1 Posted May 7, 2022 Author Share Posted May 7, 2022 Probably not I just want to make a cheap portable forge that won’t be super heavy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 Well I've seen several made from cast iron skillets. Size is the main weight factor. A wok can be used too. Commercial forges didn't line their cast iron firepots, just their cast iron forge beds. I've forged out of a hole/trench in the ground, on the side of a large campfire, made one from a brake drum, etc and so on. Been forging 41 years now and NEVER used Plaster of Paris! Have you looked up the Lively washtub forge designed for charcoal and used by a lot of the old Neo-Tribal metalsmiths movement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob1 Posted May 7, 2022 Author Share Posted May 7, 2022 I have not but I will now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 I don’t think anyone ever said the box had to be large… experiment with it and see what will work for you. Maybe a 3gal metal bucket lined with clay and sand with the air blast from the side you can remove easily. Drop it into a round hole of a custom folding table from pallet wood and stick in the air blast from below the table. Sounds pretty portable. (May want a piece of sheet metal on the table surface…) Just try something, but think about what could go wrong… David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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