Pictures of indoor forge setups?

[CWendling]

Im about to build my new shop and would like to see how others have their forges set up inside the shops. This will be a metal building 24x30 with 10' ceiling. Not sure if i want it in a corner or away from the wall. Im guessing ill need a cowl/vent over it? Ive always had my forge outdoors until now. Thanks

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Cory,
Since no one has replied, I will offer some engineering thoughts.
1) Location - Place the forge where it will be easily accessible when needed. That would require either a dedicated "forging area" or mobility of the forge. Mobility is far better. Build/place the forge on a sturdy cart and you can move it to the equipment you need it at.

2) Safety - A NC shut-off solenoid should be installed on the gas source ( outside at the tank). It should be wired so it shuts off the gas when the fire detector goes off, as well as when you are leaving the shop ( put a red master switch at the exit door).
When running the forge think about what is within 48" of the forge. That includes other equipment, hydraulic lines, wires, walls, ceilings, etc. In a metal building with 10' ceilings, the ceiling will not normally be an issue....read next item>

3) Air exchange - What is most important about running a forge inside a building is exhausting the combustion products and replacing them with good air. In a 720sqft building, one centrally placed powered roof fan will do the exhaust adequately. You want air to enter the shop at a place that puts the forge between the fan and the air vent for best airflow. Opening a door or window is always a good idea, but a louvered panel or two ( powered or manual) is also a good thing. Having one on each end of the shop would be really good. Total air entry should be at least 4sqft ( more is better). Obviously, if the ceiling is closed ( sheetrock), then you will need 1sqft ceiling vents in many locations throughout the shop, as well as a larger one in the forge area. If the ceiling is open beams, there is no needed for ducting unless you install a dedicated vent hood....Read next item>

4) Vent Hood - Unless you are running a BIG forge or there is a vertical blast from it, a hood probably won't be necessary. If placing the forge in a dedicated area, an 8'X8' cowl/hood over the area at ceiling level would be good. Run 12" duct from it to the powered roof fan. Building the hood from sheet metal should be easy. It should only need to project down from the ceiling 6" or so to get a good draw.

5) Monitoring - A CO detector, a fire detector, and a couple good thermometers on the walls should be in any hot shop as a minimum. Other good monitors are an oxygen sensor and a ceiling mounted thermometer or thermocouple in the forge area.

6) Other info - Installing an idle burner control on your forge ( low flame by-pass) will save heat output as well as gas consumption between heats. A foot operated switch is a good way to turn the by-pass on and off.

 

[Britt_Askew]

4) Vent Hood - Unless you are running a BIG forge or there is a vertical blast from it, a hood probably won't be necessary.

I was hoping to see some examples of hoods because I also want to move my forge indoors , guess most people dont use them? To me a hood is like insurance, you probably wont need it but if you do you will be glad it is there. The first guild meeting I went to made me realize they could be a good thing, somebody turned the gas to high when they started to light the forge and the flames went to the celing...... the hood prevented the ceiling from catching fire. The danger sign of the hood melted some though.

 

[HomeBru]

No good pics, but mine is on a wheeled cart that comes out for work and gets tucked away when not needed. I agree with Stacey's list 100%.

I work in my garage. When it's warm, the forge sits just inside the open garage door where I get a little breeze. In the winter, I lift the garage door a foot or two to keep good air exchange going. Sometimes I also open the back door depending on which way the wind's blowing.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

A ceiling hood is good for funneling exhaust gasses and heat into a duct and out through the roof/vent fan. If the ceiling is high or open it isn't nearly as necessary. Shops with 7-8' ceilings that are sheetrock over pine studs will be good places for a hood. Using a sheet or two of 22-24 gauge tin ( galvanized steel), you can form a simple box with side walls 3-6" high. The sides can even be a rectangle of 1X6 lumber. In the center make a hole to fit the 12" ducting.

To see how much need for this there is, simply run your forge for a little while in the place you will be using it and place a piece of sheet metal with a TC clamped to it on the ceiling. If it gets above 150F, you need a hood. If it gets above 200F, you should put a 1" layer of insulation between the hood and the ceiling.