Newbie looking for forge ideas

[mwcooke]

Hello all, I am just getting into this hobbie. I am currently using an old grill as my forge, but am looking for something that I could burn in my Garage and vent outside. I was wondering if a wood burning/coal burning stove would make a good forge. Specifically I was wondering what you guys thought of this one...

Harbor Freight Tools - Cast Iron Stove

Edited November 14, 2008 by mwcooke

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard MW.

Having done some forging in camp fires and once in a wood stove I can tell you one thing for sure. It will get so hot you will NOT be able to get close enough to use it, heck, you can't even cook on one of those without running everyone out of the place.

Still, there's no reason not to make an enclosed charcoal forge if you avoid cast iron as the body. A wood stove is designed to get the heat from the fire out of the stove and into the room. What you'd want to do instead is build it from refractory brick.

On the other hand a more traditional solid fuel forge with a side draft chimney works marvelously well and you don't have to reinvent the thing. If you do a search of IFI you'll find all kinds of designs, plans and long threads discussing the pros, cons and problems encountered and solved.

lastly, if you'll click on "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location there're probably guys close enough to you to lend a hand directly.

Welcome to the addiction . . . Er. . . Ahem. . . Hobby, that's right, it's a hobby, nothing more, just a hobby.

Frosty

[unkle spike]

Welcome to the forum, if you post where you are, you may find a neighbor with an "extra" forge, or would help you build one.

[Avadon]

Frosty is right, i've recently figured this out. Burning wood, even small scraps seems to make a fairly volumous fire. Not bad if your outside and have a good size steel pan (1/4 minimum) and a nice fire pot in your forge. Your basically converting wood to charcoal fast. Or at least with my hair dryer on low it's quite fast, and it's super hot. I often do it because wood here in Massachusetts is free to me and charcoal is spendy. So I do a little charcoal and a lot of wood. I generally wear a shade 3 visor so I don't melt my face off while i'm working the fire. My visor also brings down the glare of the hot material so I like wearing it. But if you don't like wearing a face shield/flip visor then a larger fire is not for you.

Here's me shade 3 visor from MSC industrial. It's a UVEX Visor.. they make good stuff.. comfortable too and very light. Can barely notice it's on. Of course when the neighbors see me they prolly think Darth Vador has landed. :D

[Avadon]

Just curious is there anyone else who used wood fires to forge with or heat material. I suppose if your only using wood you almost need a different setup... longer tongs, better safety equipment, prolly a forge that is more like pit shape to keep the heat radiating towards the worker and maybe a little taller as well so your not actually working over the top of it.

[bruce wilcock]

a good use for a wood fire outside is to burst heavy rust of scrap steel and iron ,and fit tyres on wheels ,for expanding tyres a wood fire has no equal.

[Alfie]

I am very inexperienced, and probably talking out of my posterior but surely you could get a small woodburner, like a 'squirrel', take off the doors, and stack up firebricks around the entrance till have a 3-4inch hole to put stuff in, thus retaining heat and not melting your face off.
you can pick up little woodburners cheap and easily and with a bit of welding etc it might work they get Hot but that's just me talking and my head isn't enourmously reliable.

[Glenn]

I have forged with wood using the Supercharged 55 Forge. It works but takes a lot of wood. Wear your asbestos underwear as the radiant heat is intense.

[Avadon]

I am very inexperienced, and probably talking out of my posterior but surely you could get a small woodburner, like a 'squirrel', take off the doors, and stack up firebricks around the entrance till have a 3-4inch hole to put stuff in, thus retaining heat and not melting your face off.
you can pick up little woodburners cheap and easily and with a bit of welding etc it might work they get Hot but that's just me talking and my head isn't enourmously reliable.

That's actually not a bad idea! Problem is cast iron stoves are pricey new. I bet if you could find one that someone is getting rid of and you could weld onto it in a way such that most of the heat is going up (and the front is mostly shielded by plate or sheet) and there is a narrow section for you to put your tongs and work into then I think forging with wood could be a good alternative for some who don't have reliable or economical access to coal. But then again if you have lotsa wood an option is you can always make your own coal in drums.

[Avadon]

I have forged with wood using the Supercharged 55 Forge. It works but takes a lot of wood. Wear your asbestos underwear as the radiant heat is intense.

Lulz @ Asbestos underwear. hehe.. It's actually not to bad with a tinted face shield and long sleeve shirt or welder sleeves and gloves. But your right the radiant heat is really impressive as it's akin to a bon fire pointed at you. It really makes you realize that if you ever need a quick bon fire, start a fire and put a hair dryer next to it. You will have an insanely hot fire in no time.

I agree with others.. it's great for driving off really bad rust on grills, pre-heating large stock prior to welding, annealing large plate, you name it. Although I might look into that asbestos underwear. I'm sure in the winter a higher wood content forge would be welcome to warm you up in the 30dg ambient temp.