blacksmith question

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paintman

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May 6, 2013
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Recently I scored a cast iron forge basin and old blower.I've been told I need to line the bottom with clay or wet ash.my thought the cast would be fine by itself.am I wrong? Thanks for any help
 
I have been using my coal forges unlined for years, both the Centaur Vulcan fire bowl and the brake drum forges. Fire burns up or away from the air blast. YMMV. Gas forges are a whole different animal, ask about those and we will have long discussions about various types of linings and the advantages/drawbacks of each

-Page
 
A base of fire clay, clay/ash mixture, adobe, satanite, or Mizzou will make it last longer and burn better, but as Page said, you can work many of them unlined. You make the refractory base as a "bowl" with flat lips. Some google searches on "Photos of coal forges" should get you lots of pictures. Also, google "lining a coal forge".
 
The biggest justification I've heard for lining a cast iron forge pot is to avoid cracking, when using water to control a coal fire, since there's less likeliness of "shocking" the cast iron. This kind of makes sense to me, especially when you consider the thickness of many older cast iron firepots, which weren't always super thick.


In my coal forge, I've got a cast iron pot from kayne & sons, which is a minimum of 1" thick on all dimensions, and I use metallurgical coke in it, which doesn't spread fire like coal, so I don't need to water it, and thus don't bother with claying, and I haven't had a problem. So I'd say, it depends, but it probably doesn't hurt regardless.


I've also "heard" that fireclay has advantages since it can easily be removed to reline, but then again, satanite or mizzou can just be patched over. Anyway, if your firepot is an "antique", many of them did have instructions to clay them, so it may be prudent.
 
I have used a unlined cast iron forge pot for years with no problem. I have made lots of Damascus with it, and have sprinkled water on the green coal, with no adverse effects. Of course some one else might have a different experience.
Cast iron is better than steel, because clinkers stick to steel, but not so much to cast iron.
 
Tends to have a layer of ash anyway, but clay won't hurt- they used it a lot in the days of keeping a fire going 12 hrs a day 6 days a week.
 
A common misunderstanding here is the difference between a real firepot and a "fire pot" IE a rivet forge which is usually flat bottomed. YES the rivet forge style fire pots/pans should be lined, and in such a way as to make a little fire pot out of clay around the air grate in the center. Regular fire pots like the centaur ones need not be lined.
 
Sam that makes sense. I have a little rivet forge that I need to weld a few teeth onto the blower to make usable, I can see where lining that would be a major improvement !

-Page
 
Paintman , I think we have to be paid members to upload photos, but I hope I'm wrong. You did n't ask but you can get forge grade coal from the folks out at the homestead also probably get a lot of information on your forge. Why don't you get in touch with me and come to our mini hammer in next month in Waco.

Jim
 
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