Planning a new little forge.

[10Pups]

I may start building it next weekend. I love Spazola's forge design especially the table out front and the way the burner comes up from the bottom. I always wondered why no one ever placed it there. The pipe in the air at the top thing just didn't look right to me for various reasons like heat goes up and more line and well, it just looks top heavy. I don't have any big pipe but I do have some mail box shaped steel that is about a 1/16 thick. So what I am wondering now is soft fire brick or blanket ? For some reason I am stuck on the idea of using fire brick. Maybe because I can get it for nothing . I am thinking of coating it with bubble alumina refractory coating over a coat of satanite refractory mortar. Even if I go with the blanket I think I will do this. This will protect my forge walls from flux if I decide to ever do any welding with it right? Who knows I may want to hand wack some Damascus together someday or get creative beyond making a straight razor.
So back to the question of brick versus blanket. If I can use the brick as efficiently as blanket would it be better to go with a thick plate for the housing ? I do have some 3/8" or 1/4" laying around.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Hirlau]

Wish you all the luck 10Pups, but I can't help you there.
The closest I've ever gotten to a forge is the BBQ grill.
Let us see some pic when you get started.

[Bruno]

I am going to try using clay. Currently I use a micture of refractory cement, ashes, and kitty litter for insulation.
Over time it may crumble, but it costs almost nothing to repair or replace. I think that is a better solution than worrying about preventing it from being corroded or anything else.

And take it from me: after a while, you will want to modify your forge design

[10Pups]

OMG are we talking FMD ? (forge modification disorder). What your saying is, just protect the shell and get started making fire. Worry about refinements later. That is one way to go and would get me in cheaper.

[Lemur]

Hard to know what you want/need before you tried it, start building and after you used it you know how to make the next one!

[spazola]

My forge is not my own design, it is what I copied from other peoples shops. Most of my ideas for my forge came from Mike Blue or Dan Graves.

I would go with the brick or refractory clay if I were planning to make some damascus.

The important thing about the burner is that it meets tangentially with the hole in the middle so that the flame swirls around the forge.

I have kaowool->satenite->itc100 it is a great little forge for forging but not the best for welding. The flux does eat away at bottom surface. The main advantage of mine is how fast it heats up I am up an forging in a few minutes. The disadvantage is the forge lining is not the most durable.

Charlie

[skipnord]

There is a product that you can spray on kaowool that is supposed to protect it from welding flux. I don't know the name of the product - it should be available where you get kaowool. The source in Minneapolis is Smith Sharpe. Good luck. Ditto what Charlie said about fast warm up with a kaowool lined forge.

[Bruno]

I am going to try using clay. Currently I use a micture of refractory cement, ashes, and kitty litter for insulation.
Over time it may crumble, but it costs almost nothing to repair or replace. I think that is a better solution than worrying about preventing it from being corroded or anything else.

And take it from me: after a while, you will want to modify your forge design

This is what I did yesterday. My forge was crumbling on the sides, wasting heat. The walls should curve inwards to make a more contained hollow. And when I made it, the back was closed because at the time I didn't think I was going to heat anything bigger than 6" blanks. I also wanted to make a slit in the back where I could slide longer stock through.

I mixed half kitty litter, a quart of ashes and a quart of cement with a lot of water (costing only a couple of $) and then used all my play-doh skills to make it look the way I wanted, which took about 20 minutes including prep work.

[10Pups]

I do appreciate all the input here. I was going to start building but I started gathering things together so a plan formulates in my head. I went to my storage and found all kinds of stuff which changed the plan somewhat. My little forge is growing.

From the bottom up :

• A 20" plow shear for the stand foot.
• 3" X 5" rect. tubing for the stand pipe.
• 3/8" plate for the forge base
• 10gage steel in the shape of a baseball proof mail box for the forge walls and lid. ( I will have to widen it some)
• 2 full propane tanks
• 2 high pressure regulators with s/s hose and outlet tip attached. Up to 10psi out. (btw,clearance price at HD > 19.00)
• 2 needle valves from an extra cutting torch I had.
• a box full of pipe fittings and such.
• I'll get the firebrick when I know exactly how much I need. The size is still up in the air !

I ordered all of this :

• 3/4 inch SS Burner Flare (I will need another 1 if/when I go 2 burner in the future)
• 1 square foot of 1 inch Insboard 23 HD (forge doors)
• 5 Pounds Bubble Alumina Refractory Coating (to coat the firebrick)
• 2 Pounds Satanite Refractory Mortar (for coating blades to heat treat etc. later)

I'll spread everything out on the floor and start taking pics when the building begins! You know. the exploded parts list thing :<0)
I don't think I am forgetting anything

[Bruno]

Depending on where you'll use it, be sure to think of adequate ventilation.