[TheForge] Coal Forges - lets try this again

[Jerry Frost]

I'm in the buy a firepot and build the forge camp. 
Heck, I like a ducks nest so I guess I'd skip the 
firepot as well. <grin>

The coal forge I built a couple years ago is around 39" 
square and the table is made from 10ga. with a layer of 
firebrick. I put two pieces of angle under the 10ga. to 
support it and it hasn't moved at all.

Using a duck's nest and firebrick to build whatever 
size "pot" I need has served me well for all my coal 
forging. I'm a mostly propane guy so that's not a lot 
of coal forging.

Anyway, in my humble opinion you don't need plate heavy 
or otherwise for the table, even 10ga. is overkill but 
I got it for free, 14ga. is plenty with a little 
reinforcing. My reasoning goes like this: If you get 
steel or iron hot it's going to expand no matter how 
thick it is. A layer of brick or rammed clay will 
prevent much heat penetrating to the steel table so all 
you really need is enough steel to support the work 
properly.

The only thing I don't care for about a brake drum for 
a firepot is how steep the sides are, they tend to keep 
the fire too deep unless you need a large one. Simply 
ramming a little fire clay in the drum to make sloping 
sides takes care of this minor thing.

>From what I've seen the kind of hood and stack you have 
is more important and it looks like a side draft works 
best.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.

http://www.artmetalradio.com/