Beginner needs some more help: Forges.

[Martin Jr]

Does anyone think its possible to make a coal forge from a $20 charcoal grill I founf at wal-mart?

 

[Peter_E_Ryt]

Does anyone think its possible to make a coal forge from a $20 charcoal grill I founf at wal-mart?

The cool thing about a coal forge is that you can make one out of most anything. If you can get a tuyure in there and something to line it with (clay, ash, etc.), then you have the essential parts of a coal forge.

Make sure that you do a bit of research and make sure that you've got the tools to get it set up (though it shouldn't be too tough).

 

[Martin Jr]

Thanks for the info, I've got the "The $50 Knife shop" book, and it has how to make a tuyure, I just wanted someone's opinion that wasn't a book. thanks again.

 

[son_of_bluegrass]

My forge is made from an old Weber grill lined with wood ash. It's side blast by way of a pipe run in from the side and the fire pit is just a hole in the ashes.

ron

 

[Fiddleback]

I made my first one out of an old roasting pot. The second one is drying right now. Dang adobe takes forever to dry.

 

[Terry_Dodson]

my first forge was a CHARCOAL forge made from an old grill, lined with play sand, then a tyree tube thru the bottom, with the V made from hard firebricks, i used a hair dryer as the air source, worked real well, but took forever to cool down, that was why i switched to propane. I used charcoal becuase i could get lump charcaol from walmart cheap, and it smelled like i was bbq-ing.

 

[Martin Jr]

Thanks for all the info people, don't know what I would do without you.

 

[Darren Ellis]

Martin,

Go gas, you'll never look back. Come down to Knoxville sometime this Summer when I've got some free time and I'll help you set up a gas forge if you'd like.



-Darren

 

[Aware]

Mines a Charcoal Hole (in the ground) lol...

A pump for my dinghy doubles as a blower, and the steel tubing spine from a 12" hacksaw perforated with holes for the tuyere.... cost me something like $10 including charcoal, lol

.....performs well...



Even though I'm getting some 150 y.o drum bellows next week...I will not change my charcoal hole, lol, gas is the work of the devil...and electricity!

 

[Martin Jr]

Thanks for all the info. I don't think I can go to Knoxville this summer Darren, thanks anyways, maybe next year I can come down there.

 

[koyote]

How about making a bellows, just to play with the primitive thing, a bit.

My propane forge is....okay, but small and not going to do larger blades, so I'm in the process of making a clay earth charcoal forge. I was thinking of a foot trundle bellows, maybe with a sapling trunk as a spring. Anyone made one?

 

[Martin Jr]

I'm in the process of making a clay earth charcoal forge.

Awesome, I think that's what traditional Japanese swordsmiths use.

 

[son_of_bluegrass]

Martin,

Go gas, you'll never look back. Come down to Knoxville sometime this Summer when I've got some free time and I'll help you set up a gas forge if you'd like.



-Darren

I tried gas and went to charcoal ( sometimes coal). I prefer charcoal for forging and coal for heat treating (to much feeding the fire to heat treat with charcoal). But I think everyone should at least try the different fuels.

ron

 

[scottickes]

I use a propane forge now, but my first coal forge was made from a heavy duty truck tire rim. It has all of the following features to make it a good choice.

• It's fairly sturdy and much heavier metal than a $20 gas grill, so it will last longer.
• The cavity (open area inside the rim) is larger on one side than the other side, creating a very nice large place for your coal.
• It already has a hole in the middle of it for a tuyure. A standard two inch pipe fitting with a flange can easily be attached to the hole. Just look around a plumbing store to find what you need to make it work.
• You can pick up a truck rim at an auto salvage yard for next to nothing.
• The two inch pipe/tuyure coming out of the bottom of the rim can easily be hooked up to a blower of some kind, because the size is just about perfect as is.
• Just smear the inside of the rim with refractory and away you go.
• I put a mesh steel screen over the tuyure to keep clinkers from blocking up the hole. The refractory held it in place.
• I think the entire forge cost me about $15. I even used an old hair dryer for a blower. I took the heating coils out of it so that it wouldn't overheat. The hair dryer lasted over a year.