Home forge question

[Michael McKay]

I'm looking at building my own hobby forge. I got 4 pieces of fiber refractory pieces for replacing fire brick in boilers through work, 15*19*2. It just has to be cured and it should harden.

Can I use beaded sheet metal to encase it? I've been reading if it heats up above 200 degrees Celsius it could give off zinc poisoning. Any suggestions on walls for the forge as i don't own a welder?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Lieblad]

Zink melts just over 400°c, boils somewhere twice that.
If your temperature comment is accurate, wont have any problem emitting zink oxide fumes.
Concentrated zink fumes are definitely bad for folks breathing it, but not as acutely toxic as Web-Land folklore might have you believe.

Once a zink coating is burned off, thats it. It emits no more. So if you build something what will get hot enough to be harmful, just initially fire up outdoors well ventilated until all zink coating is oxidised away.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Exactly - the zinc toxicity and fume danger is very exagerated.