How to Make a Basic Forge
A good forge is the most important piece of equipment in a blacksmith's shop. If one burns too hot, then the metal melts or is burnt up, too cool, and the metal never heats to the point where you can work with it. While commercial forges of varying sizes and styles are available, a you can construct one with a few basic steps and readily available materials and just a little time.
Things You'll Need
- Eye protection
- Heavy gloves
- Heavy pants
- Heavy boots
- Leather welding apron
- Used brake drum
- 1/4-inch thick plate steel cut to slightly less than the bottom diameter of the brake drum
- Drill press
- Clamp
- Cutting oil
- 2-inch black pipe floor flange with four bolt holes
- 4 bolts, sufficiently long to fit through drunk and flange
- 4 nuts
- 2-inch nipple (pipe threaded on both ends)
- 6-inch nipple
- T-connector
- 10 construction grade fire bricks
- 4 cinder blocks
- Mortar (if forge is to be made permanent)
- Small shop vacuum with reverse setting
- Duct tape
- 2-inch PVC Ball valve
Instructions
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Building the Forge
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1
Put on protective eyewear, gloves, apron, etc.
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2
Weld the piece of plate steel to the bottom of the brake drum so that it covers the holes in the drum. The drum should then form a "bowl" with the plate steel on the bottom, not inside.
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3
Place the flange on the inside of the the drum "bowl" and mark the bolt holes going through the flange, being careful not to place them over existing holes.
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4
Clamp the drum onto the drill press and drill through the marked holes at slow rpm. Drill three more holes through the middle of the steel plate where it covers the large, center hole in the brake drum. These holes are to allow air flow into the forge.
Drizzle cutting oil onto the drill bit during drilling to prevent overheating.
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5
Bolt the floor flange to the plate steel and drum with the bolt heads inside "bowl." Tighten nuts down to hold the flange firmly against plate steel.
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6
Screw the nipple onto the flange, then the T-connector onto the nipple. Screw the 6-inch piece of pipe into the side of T-connector so that it is at a 90-degree angle to drum.
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7
Stand cinderblocks on end and lay eight fireproof bricks across top, resting the lip of the drum on the bricks so that the top fits nearly level with the bricks. Place the bottom of the bowl below the level of fireproof bricks. Lay two fireproof bricks so they are set at an angle on top of other to form a bank against which you can heap coal to add to the fire as other coal is consumed.
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8
Attach the hose from one end of the shop vacuum to a 6-inch pipe with duct tape. Be sure the vacuum is set on reverse so that air is blown out rather than sucked in.
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9
Attach the 2-inch PVC ball valve between the hose and the pipe to adjust the blower's flow if it produces too much air flow.
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1
Tips & Warnings
This forge works best when using clean-burning blacksmith coal.
You can use mortar between the cinder blocks and fireplace bricks to make the forge more permanent.
Be careful when working around burning coal, particularly if the forge is not mortared for permanence.
References
- Photo Credit glowing coal image by Georgios Alexandris from Fotolia.com
