Thread: Planning a new little forge.

Don't know how I missed this thread back in April,,,,too much time in the breakfast & dinner threads, I guess.

Well today was pretty productive once I got going.

I spread everything out on the floor and realized I was missing all the base and housing metal. A quick run to storage and I scrounged up some stuff.


I found the plow shear and a piece of 3X4 red iron so I made a stand. Some funky thing I had saved made a good base plate. All I had to do was half it and weld it on. Measurements came out a perfect match for the brick width.
I knew I would need that thing for something when I first saw it :<0)



The next step was encapsulating the brick. I grabbed some steel shelves and cut the pieces out with a jigsaw. Slow but the parts came out straight and square. I wanted those bricks in there tight. After I had 2 parts made I started clamping and tacking until I got it all together. It's not welded down to the base yet but that will be where I start tomorrow. I may have to take it apart to drill the hole for the burner. I haven't forgotten the tangent and I really want to come up from the bottom as much as possible.



Here it is all tacked up .
I have to make a front door at least and cut a hole for the burner. I have enough stuff to put 2 burners in it but after looking at how Charlie's worked, I don't think I am going to need the second 1. This will be about a 6 " inside diameter when the clay is added and 8 1/2 inches deep. I am hoping to line it tomorrow and then work on my anvil stand while it dries. If things go good I may have fire in 3 days or so.

Front with tray


Backside


To be continued.................. Thanks for the help and tips. It's nice knowing what 's up ahead and what to watch out for.

looking good so far!

It's been a long week and I feel like I am way behind with this project. I have excuses but lets get to the flame.

I finally came up with a torch design I like. Comes apart easy enough if I want to make changes like the tip length or hole dia. , what ever. I am going to add a fine gas control valve but I have to do some design/fabricating work on that still.

I went with a ss braided hose right off the tank into the 1/2 x 3/4 reducing elbow. The hose had a swivel fitting on one end and not liking the idea of a leak I just made a flat rubber gasket to seal up the joint inside. It was a smoker hose so that end just went out into the flame. It may have been okay but I didn't want to risk it. I put a reducer on the 3/4 " end of the elbow and ground the nut off it so it would fit inside the coupling. Then I welded the 90 to the coupling. Essentially I have 2 dia. of pipe coming out the coupling now. 1 for the 3/4" pipe and 1 inside that for the nozzle itself. After 2 many reducers a nipple and a coupling I got to an 1/8 plug that I drilled a #58 hole in. Close as I could get to .035 welding tip.



Here is the burner hanging out of the forge the way it will sit. I need to make a hanger bracket, a nifty handle for the air adjustment and the fine tune gas valve form an old cutting torch. The tip may not be far enough up into the air gaps ? When I first fired it up I had flame down in the mixing chamber (3/4 pipe). After some learning it didn't any more but I am wondering about what it will do once inside the forge. I know I will find out :<0)





Hold your ears or turn the volume down some. I did not edit the video . This is the last of 3 short vids the first 2 have a lot of blow outs due to the large gas valve and my learning where to start the air adjustment at.



I have to add some Bubble Alumina Refractory Coating inside the forge plus what I mentioned above and I should be ready to get it hot. That and making an anvil stand is the only thing needed for me to start banging on metal.

I forgot .... I have to make a couple of doors and finish the front tray . Can you tell I'm anxious ? :<0)

I envy you guys that are mechanically minded, these setups get me confused just looking at the photos.
I like to do things with my hands when someone shows me how, simple stuff that is.
I Feel sometimes that when God was handing out mechanical skill,,,I was the one who got the empty bag.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I envy you guys that are mechanically minded, these setups get me confused just looking at the photos.
I like to do things with my hands when someone shows me how, simple stuff that is.
I Feel sometimes that when God was handing out mechanical skill,,,I was the one who got the empty bag.

I don't know what it was but I am sure he made up for it by giving you something else you would enjoy more.
This week I got 2 bruises, 3 cuts and a cramp that goes from the top of my leg to my knee that is just now getting better. I slashed a good pair of jeans and burnt a hole in a good tee shirt. Not to mention metal shavings in my teeth from smiling the whole time. Fun huh ?

Getting CLOSE...
I bet you can't wait!
Looks GOOD

I think you are there. Your burner looks a lot like one I made that works just fine. I like the sliding outer tube you have to tune the air input. Get that puppy finished, and start forging!

I been looking at forge designs for a year so I don't know who to thank for what. :<0) I just started putting things together after I bought what I thought where the best parts from everything I have seen and read about. Not to mention the advice from everybody here. The only reason I haven't fired this thing up and got some metal hot is because I am afraid the Bubble Alumina may not stick to the brick as good. I haven't seen where anybody has used it yet. The reason I got it was it is supposed to be the most resistant to flux. I do want to bang some different steels together and make some pattern steel. I have some cool ideas and I hope I can hammer them out by hand. Picture a 12lb. sledge with a 12" handle.

Before you start pattern welding, hammer out things from monosteel first. The practice will be beneficial, plus you learn the heating characteristics of your furnace, which are still an unknown quantity at this point.