Home made forge question

A lot of reenactment level work is about learning appropriate historical crafts and skills. This board is for all general skills that don't have their own forum.

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Iodo
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Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

Hello, this is my first post here, and am starting to build a small forge for a collage project and would be grateful if anyone here can provide me with some advice.
Basicly I'm looking at it being as small as possible while still functional for small items due to lack of storage space.
The main thing I'm not quite sure of is size, I have something I have made in the past that could work as a fire pot but am not sure if it would be big enough. It is a metal ring welded to a steam pipe flange with a threaded fitting, which would be useful when attaching the pipe for the air (not sure of the name). It measures 6"round by 1.5" deep inside (would post pictures but am not quite sure how)
My other two questions are how would you sheald the fire from wind and what would you use as a makeshift anvil?
Hope this reads well, my spelling and grammar isn't always that good :lol:
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Scarxik »

Hello there!

I have no expirience in making forge and anvil at all but forging, archery and leatherworking are my main interest when Im on youtube... and I found one guy who make little forge for himself with an makeshift anvil from hosehold and hardware store items..

Try check him maybe you find it usefull :)

https://youtu.be/9XO1rE7v44g - forge
https://youtu.be/MdEhjRpPSlY - anvil
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caedmon
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by caedmon »

It all depends on what you want to make. And if you are intending to do things in a peri-oid manner.

I would suggest you start with a standard propane burner on a 2 firebrick forge and modern 1 horn anvil with a hardee, just because it's what most people have. An axe will be about the biggest thing you could do with it. After that, I spent a year using King of Random's Flowerpot Forge.

Also this forum has a few smiths, but for most smithing issues I go to IForgeIron


Also for small anvils.. these are perfect: https://www.oldworldanvils.com/stump-anvil-set
-Jack Horner

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Iodo
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

Thankyou very much for your replays, I have watched the YouTube links and one of the guys mentions the 'brake drum forge' brake drums are deeper than what I have but a similar size so I might weld another piece of large pipe to the top to increase the depth. Also Caedmon the link to the anvil site is interesting because I could possibly make something similar but unfortunately I have a tight budget. I would like it to be a coal forge as the project requires everything to be made myself and am abit uncomfortable working with gas and am unlikely to use it for anything larger than belt buckles and small blades, nils and such.
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
Aragorn: It's the beards.
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Eric C
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Eric C »

I commented on your other thread before I found this one. There is a young Englishman, Alec Steele. You may be familiar with him from youtube. He has online classes. One of them is $30 US. I bought it. In the class, he gives some good pointers to be up and forging for around $100. I mention this because of the anvil.

To start off with, you simply need a flat surface. If you can scavenge or buy an inexpensive chunk of round stock that is flat on one end, it will get you started. Of course, if you continue in the craft, you will want to move on to a better anvil. Also, you will put dings in this first anvil as you learn to forge. You would much rather put your "Learner's" dings in this mild steel junk anvil than an anvil that you have saved lots of hard-earned money for.

Forges: I didn't think about a brake drum forge until I was reading this thread. But that would serve to get you started as well. As for the effects of wind, that is going to be a problem without a dedicated semi-enclosed work area. Trust me, this particular problem plagued me for years and still does if the winds are high enough. But as I mentioned in the other thread, I will get you the measurements for my bottom draft firepot when I get home from work tomorrow. That way you will have options. Hope this helps. :)

Edit: On an interesting note, I noticed that I have 2008 posts and I've been on the forum since 2008. :lol:
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Iodo
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

Great Idea about not getting a decent anvill straight away, I now have a large stainless steel ring that I was thinking of perhaps cutting in half to make an enclosed work area.
Eric C wrote: Edit: On an interesting note, I noticed that I have 2008 posts and I've been on the forum since 2008. :lol:
What's the chance of that happening on my thread? :mrgreen:
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Eric C »

:lol: right.
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Iodo
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

Soooo..... forge progress
At the end of march I got through the collage project paperwork heavy design stage and started (finally) to build. Now I have the pipework and firepot assembled together all I have left is a stand and blower of some kind.

Here's what I now have:
IMG_20180418_201310.jpg
IMG_20180418_201310.jpg (59.06 KiB) Viewed 25267 times
A decent size break drum fire pot (after deciding what I previously made was to small), 1 1/4" BSP pipework and luck on my side:
IMG_20180418_201317.jpg
IMG_20180418_201317.jpg (58.01 KiB) Viewed 25267 times
I just came back from the scrapyard with the break drum, sure I would need to drill new holes, and they exactly match the pipe flange. Now is that magic or what :?: :mrgreen:
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by caedmon »

I assume your blower will be attached to the horizontal pipe, while the the vertical pipe is for both airflow and allows ash to fall?

Why do you have your swept tee fitting pointed the way you do? Flipping it will significantly improve airflow, and should have minimal effect on ash fall.
-Jack Horner

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Iodo
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

caedmon wrote:I assume your blower will be attached to the horizontal pipe, while the the vertical pipe is for both airflow and allows ash to fall?
Yep, that is almost exactly how it will work.
caedmon wrote:Why do you have your swept tee fitting pointed the way you do? Flipping it will significantly improve airflow, and should have minimal effect on ash fall.
The answer is I'm trying something a bit different. If it doesn't work I'll just turn the swept tee over. Hopefuly it shouldn't have to great an effect on air flow though. Here's the plan:
IMG_20180420_231212.jpg
IMG_20180420_231212.jpg (15.56 KiB) Viewed 25207 times
The swept tee allows ash to fall down the pipe without getting lodged on the shelf. The ash should then fall into the bucket that will be filled with water to block the air's path, with the pipe almost at the base of the bucket to make certain there is enough water pressure to keep back the air (not like in the bad drawing :lol:). Hopefully it will never need cleaning.
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

I have now created a hearth for the forge, it may not be big enough so when I test it I'll see how I go, make it bigger if needed and possibly a lip around the edge to stop fuel spilling onto the floor?
IMG_20180422_124240.jpg
IMG_20180422_124240.jpg (99.56 KiB) Viewed 25163 times
And when I cut it I got left with quite a nice octagon of steel:
IMG_20180422_124250.jpg
IMG_20180422_124250.jpg (57.24 KiB) Viewed 25163 times
Next project dwarven buckler?
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Elleth »

That is just really impressive work!
How very very cool!

Are you already daydreaming about what you're gonna make in it?
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Iodo
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

Elleth wrote:That is just really impressive work!
How very very cool!

Are you already daydreaming about what you're gonna make in it?
Thankyou :P:

Hmmmmmm...... What am I gonna make in it? I have a few ideas, my first projects will probably be a more middle earthy belt buckle and a set of tent pegs for my shelter. I will have to learn to use it first (if it works) :lol:
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Iodo »

Update: It's getting very close to the first test :P I have finished the framework, all I have yet to do is attach the air supply, move everything outside and find something to use for a stand for my makeshift anvill.
IMG_20180607_170723.jpg
IMG_20180607_170723.jpg (66.14 KiB) Viewed 24176 times
Gimli: It's true you don't see many Dwarf-women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for Dwarf-men.
Aragorn: It's the beards.
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Re: Home made forge question

Post by Kortoso »

One thing that slows a lot of would-be smiths, is the assumption that the anvil needs to be a huge block of iron or steel.
The Vikings often made do with something little more than a iron spike driven into a heavy stump.
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