Greetings from UK

[Xim]

Hi guys i love the website you have here full of info.

just made my 1st forge a brake drum type with a few additional tweaks here and there.

the materials i picked up were very easy to get.


1st of all an old door to some electrical thingy but its approx 3-4 mm thick.
i basically cut each sloping parts and then scored just enough metal away so that i could cold bend the thing into a sink type shape. Some more beads of weld can be used to build the scored corners if needed later



there's the good ol' brake drum (not a very big one, i know but a fine start this drum is thick enough to take some serious heat im guessing about 8 mm.

ok the blower is from an old huge computer to cool a massive old hard drive. its very strong so a variable device is needed to regulate this air flow..thats what is stuck on the end of it(or the beginnings of it).




in its full glory



and what to work my metal on but my 1st anvil....



this has not even been fired up yet as i have yet to make a gauze of some sort but next weekend i expect to burn her up.

Xim

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Xim, glad to have you.

That's a pretty good looking first forge. What's "gauze"?

There're plenty of smiths from your side of the pond, some may be close enough to get together with.

If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location folk won't have to try remembering where you are and can invite you to get togethers, tip you to tool deals and lend you a hand directly.

Frosty

[Xim]

What's "gauze"?
Frosty

a gauze: basically something to stop charcoal lumps from falling into the pipework

so this may work and is just gonna sit on top of the bolt heads

[Frosty]

Ah, got it. This side of the pond we call em air grates.

I think you've overdone the number of holes though. My coal forge has a similar pattern of 3/8" holes over a 2" dia. opening and I plugged all but 6 and I get plenty of air to burn coal. Charcoal won't need as much air generally.

Frosty

[Dave Budd]

yep, we call 'em grates too

Welcome Xim, good to have you aboard! SW england? where abouts? there are lots of smiths of all kinds down here mate ;)

[jimmy seale]

howdy son from west texas- glad you here. be well and safe, jimmy

[Thomas Dean]

Howdy from East TEXAS!! and welcome to IFI!. Yep, I'd say ya got the bug. Glad to have ya here. Have fun and BE SAFE.

[SteveW]

Hiya,

South West here too, North Cornwall to be precise. the forge looks good, much better than my first effort

Have fun.

Steve.

[beth]

hi xim im in south west uk too - glos - where are you? like the forge looks like youre going to have some fun.. ive only been using this site for a few weeks but already i found out alsorts from how to forge a hummingbird to how to grow garlic... theres loads of good stuff on the blue prints too - theres like a live teaching thing but its on us time so its at a stupid time for us sadly. anyway - hi im beth:)

[Xim]

Hey Beth i am in between Bath and Bristol :)

[781]

Welcome
The forge body looks like it could be galvanized steel tin
When you welded it together was there any nasty fumes
If so watch out when it gets hot the fumes are bad for you

[Xim]

781 : its painted only and rusting in places. the forge is going to be used outside only for the time being.

the "T" section of pipework is galvanized however im guessing the fan will be pushing quite a bit of cool air through that plus its some distance from the fire pot and has another plate underneath it to shield the t-section.

[matt87]

Welcome Xim! Be sure to check out the Wrought Iron Guild, located at Westpoint, Exeter. John Bellamy runs courses there and there's coke beans, stock and tools available to buy if you're looking.