wulfgar Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 So I made myself a forge out of a brake drum off of a semi truck. It probably has about a 13-14 inch diameter and roughly is 8 inches deep. Is it to large a forge for smaller knives and such? I'd also like to be able to have a forge that I can use to forge weld with. What are you guys thoughts on it. Any advise on how to make it perform well? I'll try and post pics as soon as I find my camera. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyshackleford Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 to answer your questions in the order you asked them: No, it is not (because if you...) Cut a notch out of it, so that you can stock a smaller fire in it. This will reduce wear on the forge, your iron, and your fuel supply. from the inner bottom measure about 2.5" up, and make that the bottom of your notch (cut it as wide as you like, narrower if all you're making is knives). This will require an oxyfuel rig most likely, so if you don't have access, you may want to find a car brake drum, they are typically suitable right off. Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tgsmith1 Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Wulfgar, I obtained a couple of those brake drums, man are they huge, I'd think you could make smaller knives in it with no problem, however you have to make sure you don't lose the blade amongst the coals....I think that was my biggest fear so I opted to make a different type of forge. I'm sure by now you've already found all this out. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 You have to get the hot spot where you can stick your work in *horizontally* so either cut slots in the side or fill the bottom until the firepot is fairly close to the rim. Generally either one will be more of a pain than starting with a more reasonable sized brake drum. My main billet welder was a brake drum forge that used a small car brakedrum and then I put a "fence" in it by bending a piece of sheetmetal into a round C and dropping it just inside the rim so that it stuck up another 6 inches or so. I could get a deeper fire and stick the billets into the gap in the C with the hotspot just about at the rim height. The gap in the C was just wide enough for a billet so I didn't have coal falling on the floor. I also added a "mousehole" opposite the gap for long pieces to slip through at the correct height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arbalist Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 As an alternative can you chop the rim of the drum off leaving it say 4" deep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I started with a huge brake drum from a large truck. After a while I decided it was too big. I then put an auto brake drum inside the larger one with the rims level with one another and filled the void between the two with fire clay. After a while I didn't like the flat bottom. I then filled the smaller brake drum with fire clay to form a funnel shape. After a while the heat had eaten away at the clay and I was back to a shape I was not happy with. I then cut pie shape pieces of 1/2" plate to form a funnel shape and set that inside what I already had. I'm happy now.(probably temporarily) I said all that just to say: use what you have, you'll probably modify it later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulfgar Posted October 29, 2008 Author Share Posted October 29, 2008 Thank you all for advice and experiences. It helps alot hearing what others have experienced. I think my main problem with getting heat out of it right now is the grate that i built for the bottom is wrong. I cut 1/2" slots about 2" apart from each other and cut them 1" from each end of the slots and the whole width of the piece. All in all I think I am getting WAY to much flow through it and it is not able to centralize and concentrate the air flow into a central point. And it burns fuel like mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Browne Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Try a bit of plate in the bottom with nine 1/2" holes half and inch apart in three rows to see how it goes. This pattern works well for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 For welding in a coal forge you need a depth of coal that allows an area of the fire to be neutral. Anything less than a 2' by 2' forge with a good large cast-iron firepot just makes your life more difficult.... in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 My main billet welding forge was made from a car brake drum, *much* smaller than a 2'x2' forge and I used it in preference to a large RR forge I also own. Of course I tweaked it just for welding billets with a very deep fire held in place with a fence so it didn't "spill" as I pushed billets in and out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FieryFurnace Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I used a brake drum for over a year. First, cutting a notch in the side is a must! I wouldn't consider using one if it didn't have a notch. My brake drum forge worked great for the time I had it and it is still useable! Sounds like you got a pretty hefty drum too. Mine was about 4" deep and 11" across. I'd wet the coal around the edges of yours to keep it from burning too much fuel! I could very well be wrong but if the drum is 8" deep I'd cut at least a 3" notch! Just play around until you find YOUR happy spot! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethersin Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 When you get some picture's up, im sure these guy's will be able to help you more, but remember to go with what you want and feel comfortable with. Also remember once you cut thing's up to much it's hard, if not ni' impossible to get them back to how they were before. So do think before you act. But good luck mate, I'm sure you'll get something perfect for you. Don't forget that trial and error is the same as practice makes perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayco Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Sometimes a deep forge can be handy.....sometimes they can be difficult to use. It depends on what you're forging. My old wheel forge is 20 in. across and 10 in. deep. Real handy for deep fires, but unhandy for shallow fires and small work. The notches are 4 in. wide and nearly 6 in. deep. Cutting the notches with an arc welder was the most difficult part of turning this wheel into a forge. This forge is currently disassembled.....I'm experimenting with a flat, table type forge. 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.