[TheForge] Forge Design.

Sat Apr 11 09:54:39 EDT 2015

you guys talking about using fire bricks ...this time of the year at Tractor supply they sell the stove fire bricks that are only 1 inch thick ...I picked up 1/2 dozen or so of the as they good to stack around the fire when you don't need the full two inch or so ...

Jim Davis

> Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2015 20:56:10 -0400
> From: blcksmth at wcnet.org
> To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Forge Design.
> 
>      My forge has a fire brick surface above a S.O.F.A fire pot. The 
> fire bricks are aligned with the smith facing the narrow ends.
> One row of fire bricks directly in front of and in back of the fire pot 
> were left out. This provide for a deeper fire but you can still
> lay the iron on the top of the fire pot but below the top of the fire 
> brick thus well into the middle of the fire.
> 
> Bob Willman
> The Eagle’s Anvil
> Bowling Green, Ohio
> WB8NQW
> 
> And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when
> we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the
> minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?
> That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I
> tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His
> justice cannot sleep forever.
> 
> Thomas Jefferson
> 
> On 4/10/2015 8:40 PM, CGRAF wrote:
> > I agree the charcoal is plenty hot. Like I said it just might require 
> > a re acquaintance with part of the learning curve. My tuyere is about 
> > 8 inches across and five deep. Piled over the top I get a nice dome of 
> > very intense heat great for spot heating the middle of things and just 
> > the area that I am working.  To get the same intensity I needed to add 
> > the 2.5 inches provided by the firebrick corral around the tuyere. 
> > This of course made it harder to stick things through the fire  rather 
> > that on top of it.
> >
> > How deep is the fire on the brake drum forge? I am probably the only 
> > one here who has never owned one <G>
> >
> > Mike Graf
> >
> >
> >
> > On 4/10/2015 5:52 PM, Saint Phlip wrote:
> >> Not sure what modification you'd need to your coal forge to get the heat
> >> you want. My charcoal forge started as a coal brake drum forge, and, 
> >> when I
> >> realized I was using charcoal to get the coal/coke lit, decided to 
> >> switch
> >> to entirely charcoal. I've never looked back- smells nicer, is more 
> >> period
> >> appropriate, and my coffee tastes better ;-) However, if you're using
> >> briquets, they don't seem to produce as much heat as lump charcoal does,
> >> AND they have additional chemicals to form the trash wood into 
> >> briquets. I
> >> have taught forge welding quite easily on my forge, not to mention I 
> >> burn
> >> up the little useless bits of leftover steel in it, rather than have 
> >> them
> >> lying around, so the heat is definitely there. Maybe you need more air?
> >>
> >> On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 12:08 PM, CGRAF <adveniam at att.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>> I have tried the charcoal , to switch would involve a pretty big
> >>> modification to my coal forge in order to get enough depth and still 
> >>> keep
> >>> the fire at the right working height.
> >>> Charcoal worked just fine when I built a firebrick rim around me 
> >>> tuyere.
> >>> There was just not enough Btu's available from the charcoal with the
> >>> shallower coal fire setup. At least not for my tastes. Perhaps I 
> >>> would just
> >>> need to revisit part of the learning curve.
> >>>
> >>> You are right about the coke. When I am up and running the coal fire is
> >>> primarily coke and the coal at the edges isn't all that bad as it 
> >>> converts.
> >>>
> >>> I am sitting on a fair stockpile of coal at the moment , but am
> >>> contemplating  a change over as I run out.
> >>>
> >>> Mike Graf
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 4/10/2015 10:38 AM, Ron Childers wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Charcoal or coke takes care of the odor problem
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
> >>>> CGRAF
> >>>> Sent: Friday, April 10, 2015 11:01 AM
> >>>> To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
> >>>> Subject: [TheForge] Forge Design.
> >>>>
> >>>> Most of us have used , or are using, Coal and gas fired forges.
> >>>> I am frustrated by the limitations of each.
> >>>>
> >>>> The coal has the whole irritating the neighbors with the odor issue.
> >>>>
> >>>> The gas forges have problems putting the heat exactly where I want it
> >>>> heating up to large an area or limiting the forms I can make and still
> >>>> insert the piece into the forge.
> >>>>
> >>>> I have been playing with forges built to purpose out of just a 
> >>>> loose pile
> >>>> of firebrick. This allows me to modify fire shape and area pretty 
> >>>> much on
> >>>> the fly. It is a bit more trouble than changing the shape, size and
> >>>> intensity of a coal fire but not much more.
> >>>>
> >>>> Anybody else out there have any thing that you have tried to address
> >>>> these or other issues with differing fuels and forge designs?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Mike Graf
> >>>>
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