My forge

[forgeblast]

Hi all, with a name like forgeblast you bet I have a forge! After promising to post pics here they are.
My forge is an old steel wheel barrow shell, mounted onto an old gas grill frame (the wheels are nice, and the handles hold tools), with a blower mounted under it (surplus supply). I also have pictures of my aluminum casting tools.

top of forge showing firebrick and firebrick cement that protects the shell. also you can see a stainless steel strainer in the middle to help keep the airway clean.

showing the gas grill base

showing the blower and pipeing

casting tools, basically one pair on tongs and a turkey frier lifter for handling the crucible

crucible with welded chain on the side

molds

about 2 bags worth of cans

any questions please ask!!

 

[yooper1]

Looks like a nice set up and it gets the job done

Thanks for the pics

 

[mwb]

That's really cool!

I guess my questions are

Why? Do you make parts or is this just for condensing recyclables?

If you cast your own parts what do you use for moulds?

 

[jayste]

Forgeblast, thanks for sharing. Do you do any blacksmithing with this or does it not create the heat you need?

 

[forgeblast]

I like keeping metals on hand. And melting them down saves space. If i did need to cast a part there are two ways i would go about doing it.
1. make a styrofoam mold, add a sprue and pack it in sand...play sand is fine. Pour the molten al over the sprue and it will vaporize the styrofoam and leave the shape. its called styrofoam vaporization casting. do it outside the fumes are nasty.
2. I do have some green sand casting supplies and havnt done it in a while.
a good book is the tim mccreight book on casting he also has an excellent jewerly one too.

I can/do smith with it. It will get up to a high heat with this blower. My first one didnt have the cfm to get it up to white heat. This is a nice design, i would just like to put a hood on it to direct the smoke. But its still fun to pound away. I was making a bunch of hot dog roasters, with twists in them, made my own fireplace tools. I want to make froe from an old lawnmower blade but just dont have the time now.

forgot to say when forging i use the firebrick to hold in more heat, kind of making a tunnel to put coal in and then the metal can go inside. when casting i use the fire brick to sit the crucible on.

 

[Baby Grand]

Very nice - and portable, too!
Now I want to make one like that.
Just hafta find a wheel barrow that I can "Repurpose".
-Jim

 

[chopped]

Im curous is that lowest pipe 't' closed at the other end.?Its really functioning as an elbow?

 

[Lloyd_E]

forgeblast...

Very creative. I went from a coal forge to a propane one. I found the coal to be too messy/dirty and I always had to check on it (wood building/floor) sometimes late into the evening/morning hours. The propane is instant and when shut off I have no worry. I can get a good welding heat on a 1/2" or 1" bar no problem and it is very conservative on fuel.

I don't do as much as I should... but do enjoy it!

The first photo shows a forge I made using brick and roofing torch for heat. The torch was mounted below so the flame would travel up - heat rises! It worked great until we( Maritime Blacksmiths Association) had a weekend of building propane forges - other photos...

 

[jayste]

Lloyd and Forgeblast, I'd like to see some of your work.:thumbsup:

 

[forgeblast]

Awesome forge, good use of the fiber. Your forge is similar to one my college professor would use to heat up 4'x8' sheets of copper to make table tops.

The elbow is open because i was cleaning it out. its normally capped so that the air flow is higer, also it keeps the fan from getting anything hot in it.