This
forge is a simple earthin crucible. I found some native
red clay and mixed it with water and strained all of
the larger pebbles out of it. I then took the clay slurry
and mixed in wood ashes to thicken up the mix and give
it insulatory and refractory qualities. After I formed
the shape I let it sit for over a week until it was
bone dry. I had to inspect it daily for cracks. When
one appeared I smoothed it over with a few drops of
water and rubbed the crack smooth with my finger. When
it was fully dried and there was not any cracking I
put the propane torch tip into the side hole and fired
it that way.
I used the ash from my charcoal forge
so it is mostly mesquite ash, but I don't think that
matters much. Any wood ash will probably work. I have
no idea how much is in it as far as percentage or ratio.
I added just enough water to the clay so I could strain
it through some hardware cloth to get the bigger pebbles
out and then added just enough ash to the clay slurry
to make it thick enough to roll into snake shapes so
I could coil it. When it was too runny to hold the shape
I added more ash. When it was too stiff that it looked
kind of crumbly I added more clay slurry.
I made the crucible part by rolling
out the clay and ash mix into long snake shapes and
then coiling them around into a cylinder with a base.
Then I just smoothed out the surface and stuck a bottle
inside of it to help hold it's shape. Then pull the
bottle out and poke a hole in the side with your finger
and let it dry.
This little forge is great for someone
who is interested in experimenting with forging and
bladesmithing. It is very inexpensive to build and to
use. After using it a while you may want to use a regular
propane bottle instead of the disposable type. It would
be cheaper and eliminates the waste of a bottle. This
set up with the disposable bottle is great for being
portable though.
Always wear proper safety gear. Especially eye protection!
The ashes in the adobe mix have an acidic quality that
will eat the skin off your finger tips and is very dangerous
if you get it in your eyes. There is also extreme dangers
of working with hot metal around a propane bottle. Make
sure you sheild your propane from accidental contact
with hot metal or sparks.
Please be careful!!!
If
you would like to continue this tutorial click here.
.
|
