HD Materials Forge

[chrisinbeav]

If you are going off of the design of Indian George's forge, a coffee can won't cut it. The blower design weighs too much and it will just tip over. I went to the local scrap steel yard and bought a piece of 10inch dia 1/4 thick steel pipe 14inches long for I think it was $10.00. Made a pretty nice basis to start building a forge.

The gate valve is to regulate the amount of airflow. With the barely open and after you just light the forge all that you basically have is a big flame. Not all that hot. As you turn the gate valve open letting more air into the mix the forge will roar to life sounding more like a jet engine. Now you got some heat. Once at forging temp you can regulate the amount of oxygen inside the forge for what ever purpose you need. Wether that be basic metal forging or forge welding. It really does make a lot of difference.

By "globe vavle" he probably mean a ball valve. I think that's the same thing. Actually that probably wouldn't be the best way to go. With a gate valve you have more precise control over your airflow where as a ball valve would be more for on/off puposes.

Finally, as far as your propane plumbing goes... I would just get it all from Darren Ellis. He carries everything you'll need to go from the propane tank to the burner assembly...


Anything else?

Chris Nilluka

[AwP]

A coffee can works as a forge, but IG's burner would be way overkill for it. A coffee can qualifies as a mini forge just like a 1 brick, so all you really need is a benzomatic type torch (I reccomend getting the nozzle with a hose on it).

If you're still thinking about the charcoal forge, the cheapest kitty litter you can find is clay that's suiable for lining it. You might want to add vermiculite, wood ask, crushed forebricks, or other stuff, it's supposed to help prevent cracks and hold the heat better, but it WILL crack, but then you ust patch it, no big deal. You can even do like Tai Goo does and use just straight wood ash if you have enough, after using it for a while it clumps up and holds it's shape and isn't powdery anymore.