All you forge builders

[Burchtree]

For some reason (must be the cold weather), there is a lot of people building, or completing forges. Let's see some pics of the progress, or end results.

When I get home, I'll take a pic of the 16x21 pipe that is still sitting in the back of my Tahoe to show you all the hard work I've put into my forge.

 

[tself.us]

I love it!

ITC-100 coat and cure is all it's lacking.

Gets to heat FAST and purrs like a jet engine.

Thanks to Darren Ellis I am "cooking with gas".

Tom

 

[Burchtree]

Looks good -- I gotta ask though -- is that a TV it's sitting on?

 

[tself.us]

Actually it's a really old stereo/phonograph. It's still got Elvis and Bing Crosby records under the sliding top panels, would probably work if you plugged it in too. It came as part of a package deal with my wife's grandma . It was put out in "storage" to be hauled to the dump actually, but has now become a work table in the "forge". It's built very solidly, as things were back then, so makes a good table IMO.

It also came with a forger:

and a striker:

Tom

 

[Brett Gatlin]

Here's my latest forge. 14" diameter. It rocks now, but I will probably add a blower to the burner for more control.

Brett

 

[Burchtree]

Cute kids, or as Itrade calls them "shop elves."

Look at them clean gloves and that shiny new hammer -- time for that ITC-100 to dry!

 

[Dan Gray]

Originally posted by tself.us
Actually it's a really old stereo/phonograph. It's still got Elvis and Bing Crosby records under the sliding top panels, would probably work if you plugged it in too. It came as part of a package deal with my wife's grandma . It was put out in "storage" to be hauled to the dump actually, but has now become a work table in the "forge". It's built very solidly, as things were back then, so makes a good table IMO.

It also came with a forger:

and a striker:

Tom

I hope you got good fire insureance the forge is to close to that wall.. great looking little helpers you got there

 

[indian george]

Does re-lining count????

 

[Burchtree]

Graymaker -- it looks like he's got it all worked out. If the wall gets too hot, it catches on fire. The fire heat heats up the fire extinguisher until it blows up; which puts out the fire.

Sorry, I just had to add that.

 

[tself.us]

Originally posted by Graymaker
I hope you got good fire insureance the forge is to close to that wall.. great looking little helpers you got there

Thanks! I think they are pretty cool.

How far should it be from the wall? I plan to put sheet metal up before I get into any serious forging but it's about the same distance as the big vertical forge was from the wall at Ron Claiborne's hammer-in last weekend and that's what I based it on. Is there a rule of thumb for distance from wall?

Thanks, Tom

 

[Matches]

Sorry, I can't fit it on my scanner Seriously, I got my air supply pipes drilled and need about $2.00 worth of unions and plugs. All I really need is the wash basin or an old grill. I'm getting cool smithing tools

 

[John Frankl]

On that first forge, how is the burnder held in place? I have something similar and am trying to work out good ways to secure the burner.

Thanks,

John

 

[tself.us]

Originally posted by John Frankl
On that first forge, how is the burnder held in place? I have something similar and am trying to work out good ways to secure the burner.

Thanks,

John

The nipple going into the forge is drilled and tapped for a set screw but I haven't put it in yet. Mostly it just sits in there and has worked fine so far, but I have only run it long enough to cure a couple of coats of Satanite.

Tom

 

[Bruz]

Here is my forge and burner, think the forge is insulated enough? Do not think anyone will walk off with it, weighs around 500 pounds! Got the idea through many sites including Larry Zoeller at http://www.geocities.com/zoellerforge/flare.html where I bought materals like the SS flare and a ITC-100 substitute. Great guy. The burner (Nix Master Blaster...well, everyone else named theirs! ) also came from many sites but like most originated with the Reil burner I found here http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/ .

 

[magnum 1]

WOW! what a forge. I think I'm speechless for once.
Is that a 55 gal drum you used?
What did you line the forge with ? looks like concrete
from the picture.Your right I don't think you have any
worries about someone stealing it. Thanks for sharing.
Have fun!!!!

Ron Duncan
Duncan Made Knives
Cairo, MO

 

[Dan Gray]

Originally posted by tself.us
Thanks! I think they are pretty cool.

How far should it be from the wall? I plan to put sheet metal up before I get into any serious forging but it's about the same distance as the big vertical forge was from the wall at Ron Claiborne's hammer-in last weekend and that's what I based it on. Is there a rule of thumb for distance from wall?

Thanks, Tom

The vertical forge, I'm not sure about,
but with the brick in front
deflecting the heat, some of it will end up shooting at the wall you could stack up some cinder blocks
between the two..


Mike I like that

 

[indian george]

Bruz: Are you sure that isn't a motar or cannon????

 

[Bruz]

Bruz: Are you sure that isn't a motar or cannon????

Good idea Indian George, if I fail in forging I now know how I will "dis-assemble" it!


Is that a 55 gal drum you used?


Yep magnum, when the drum was standing up I put a wood frame and chicken wire bottom about 2/3 rds of the way down, put in refractory (my refractory is left-overs...2 bags of Portland cement, 2 bags sand, 1 bag potters clay, and 4 bags vermiculite. Mixed it all together (in an old pick-up bed liner) and added just enough water to make it stick together under pressure (a dry mix), once dried put a layer of Koa wool in it and soaked it with the ITC-100 substitute. A lit match brings it up to welding temperatures and it stays that hot for a week with the lid on!

In the back of the forge I put a Koa Wool plug in it about 3" round in case I ever decide to make a sword. The burner goes in the back bottom of the forge and is angled (and the forge chamber is designed) so the fire is like a whirlwind spinning around the chamber from the back to the front and is vented out through the front depending on how tight I have the lid closed. Was going for a convection oven effect. Don't know how much better it works but sure looks cool having a whirlwind of fire spinning out the front!