Old coal stove into forge

[AnimaVetus]

Just picked up this little coal stove for cheap at a junk removal warehouse. Hoping it can be my first forge. Thinking maybe I can cast a new lid out of refractory cement with an opening in front and back. Make a new door where ash removal is to attach blower. Any other thoughts or recommendations welcome, I haven't done this before! 

[Daswulf]

Hi AnimaVetus,

Sounds like you are going for a bottom blast forge? 

What will the fuel be, coal, coke or charcoal? 

My first thoughts are that you might have to make more work out of that thing than is necessary, and also it wouldn't have any "table" for extra fuel around the fire to rake in as needed. 

If that is what you'd like to use we could help out with info

Have you looked at any more proven designs in this sections? 

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

My thinking on it is more trouble than it would be worth. You would need to fabricate a table & fire box to raise the fire up considerably, unless you plan to never have stock that wouldn't fit down to the existing grate. I would use it to keep the shop warm in winter and build a JABOD forge.

https://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/267-jabod-just-a-box-of-dirt/

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sail’s.
Semper Paratus

 

[Steve Sells]

Have you ever used a forge before?  Its always a good idea to use someone elses forge  a while before building one for yourself

[AnimaVetus]

I'm thinking of starting small and seeing how it goes. I'm fine with fabricating things, that's part of my enjoyment (though I don't have a welder). I'd be using charcoal for which I have plenty of wood and plan to make myself. I had originally thought of using a wheel from the truck I am restoring and found some interesting approaches for that:

https://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/6502/DIY-Blacksmith-Forge

 

Certainly would need to be raised. Stump and some fire brick perhaps.

 

 

[George N. M.]

AV, interesting project but I don't know why he built it so low, using it would kill your back.  As I went through the photos I thought that it would have the problem of many wheel/brake drum forges, too deep and unable to heat a work piece in the middle but the pie shaped fire bricks solved that issue although doing that much brick cutting would be a bother IMO.  You could do it easier by just filling the space with a sand/fire clay mixture.

Also, you may want to look at the threads regarding JABOD (Just A Box Of Dirt) forges.  

If you are going to use charcoal a trench type fire works better than a round one like you would use for coal/coke.  Also, with charcoal you don't have to worry about clinkers, just removing ash.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Daswulf]

Look up JABOD (just a box of dirt) if you are looking to use charcoal. It is an absolutely simple and easy side blast forge design that is very well suited to use charcoal efficiently. The basic idea of it has been around thousands of years. The box just gets it up off the ground. 

A bottom blast using that old coal stove would eat through charcoal fast and be way harder to make than a jabod side blast forge. Pretty simple to make, will get you forging fast instead of tinkering around with something that won't be efficient. 

Just because you have something doesn't mean it is the right thing to make something out of. 

Another point on a jabod, if it doesn't suit your needs or work as well as expected it is easily adjusted, where and something hard built is not. 

Here is the pinned thread. There are others to read into as well. 

 

[AnimaVetus]

My forge site will be outside by the woods edge on a slab of concrete where the old garage used to be. Currently no shelter but I'll either build one or maybe use a cheap grill gazebo. I can't do anything too permanent or invest too much with this new hobby in discovery stage. The portability of a smaller forge such as the wheel or stove is appealing. Of course a JABOD would be easy to cover up when not in use to decrease exposure. 

With the wheel concept, I agree about using fireclay mixture instead of cutting brick and is what I was thinking of doing if I went that route.

[AnimaVetus]

Seems that wheel forge in the link uses a tractor trailer wheel, which could be around 20" wide, or high in this case. Appears to be more than it's height off the ground so top of the forge could be around 40".

[Daswulf]

Give the jabod a try and to from there. 

[AnimaVetus]

Thanks for the advice Daswulf.

[JHCC]

The best use for that stove would be as a stove. If you absolutely had to convert it to something else, I would recommend making it into a barbecue grill or a smoker.

Definitely go with a JABOD.

[Frosty]

That's a sweet little old coal stove, even burning charcoal it's be a treat to have burning at your back while standing at the anvil in winter. As a forge it's a deal breaker. Tryinng to convert it would require either doing it irreparable damage or result in a major fuel hog. Charcoal works best in a sideblast forge where you can control the fire size and shape. In a bottom blast the fire will spread to the entire pile in the forge and burn through it crazy fast.

Another strong attraction of the JABOD is portability. When you're done for the day make sure the fire is out and dump the dirt in a bucket, pull the tuyere (air blast pipe) and carry it to the storage area. EZ PZ As a side do NOT store the bucket of dirt in the shed! The fire might not completely out and it doesn't take many coals to get away from you, best if that happens away from structures. Yes? Of course using a steel bucket with a lid would lessen the risk. . . Still.

An old hair drier, a couple bucks at yard / garage/ etc. sales everywhere is more than enough air for a charcoal forge.  little flex hose and a short length of straight UNGALAVANIZED pipe makes your tuyere. 

My first charcoal forge was a couple buckets of dirt on an old kitchen table I rescued from the trailer court dumpster and a piece of pipe, hair drier, yada yada. It wasn't until I ran into some reference material and online blacksmiths I discovered a proper side blast set up so changed the hole in the pile to a trench with the blast across the trench. BOY what a difference. The point though is it takes virtually nothing to build a working fire, dirt and a piece of pipe will do it if you have to make a cardboard funnel on the pipe and fan the air into it with a paper plate. You can make a REALLY potent bellows with a couple cardboard boxes or a pillow case. If you have a prevailing wind you don't need a bellows, blower or neighbor kid with a fan.

Look for an old BBQ like a square Webber at the dump, on the curb on trash day, etc. they're everywhere. Those make excellent side blast forges you can cover with the lid to keep the weather off. 

Lots better options than that beautiful little stove and you'll be abusing HOT steel / iron all those hours you'd have to invest to turn it into a poorly operating forge.

Frosty The Lucky.

[AnimaVetus]

Alright, JABOD side blast trench forge it shall be then! Kinda liking the idea of just having this stove at the side to keep warm. Plus, with some pipe wrapped around, it might work for the stock tank hot tub project I also have sitting on the old garage pad. 

[Frosty]

Now we're TALKING! A few raps of copper tubing and a shroud or wrap of insulation around that and you'll have a nice place to take breaks in your grueling days smithing!

You are SO going to fit in with the gang here! 

Frosty The Lucky.

[AnimaVetus]

Frosty, I appreciate the warm welcome! Haha

[BillyBones]

You can buy a new hair dryer for less than $10 now a days. I know a yard sale can be cheaper but if you can not find one that route, new wont break the bank. 

On a note about hair dryers, get the kind you can turn off the hot air or at least disable the heating element. Running a forge with one you will be running that dryer for hours, not just a few minutes to blow dry your hair. Some dryers the heating element is wired in such a way that if it burns out it quits working completely. Also cold air is more dense than hot air so you will be getting more oxygen into the fire. A filter over the air intake also helps keep dust, scale, soot, etc. out of the motor. A small piece of furnace filter works great. 

You will want an air gate as well. I cut a slot in my pipe and used the lid off a soup can to make a gate leaving about a 1/8" gap from the bottom of my pipe. Then drilled a few holes between it and the hair dryer to allow it to vent out the excess air. I got fancy and also put a sleeve over the holes that could be adjusted. Using the sleeve i very rarely had to adjust the gate. 

 

[Mike BR]

I’ve noticed that the newer axial fan hair driers stall quickly when the outlet is restricted. I have my doubts that one would work well with a forge. An old noisy one with centrifugal fan and snail-shaped housing might be better. 

[Daswulf]

For blowers don't discount n air mattress inflator, either electric or hand pump. Charles recommended a double quick pump sold through wally world or amazon. I have one and it would work fine for both its intended purpose and as a charcoal forge pump. I have used mine a lot for blowing up pools, floaties, and air mattresses lol. Havnt had a chance to try it out in a campfire to forge yet but it would work fine with a metal pipe to attach to it. 

[Goods]

Another option is to check with a local HVAC contractor. They often change out home heating systems with good combustion air blowers for new systems. If you explain what you up to they may let you salvage one.

Keep it fun,

David

[Steve Sells]

My blower was made from a 120v Air Duct booster fan, I use a ceiling fan speed control for it

[Daswulf]

Amazing the options eh?

The best thing to use is what works. 

[AnimaVetus]

So I take it no one is using ye olde hand crank blowers anymore, eh? 

[Daswulf]

Oh, lots of people use them. I have a 110v Dayton blower on my shop forge, but use a champion 400 hand crank blower for my travel demo forge.  Nice not needing electric. If you can find one in good usable shape for a decent price they are great. Don't even have to crank as much/fast using charcoal vs. coal. 

I'll be using the old hand crank tomorrow at a sales demo event. 

[AnimaVetus]

Phew! Got a Buffalo forge company blower coming in soon.