Uncle Kenny's Backyard Forge

[B7510]

Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

I needed to bend some 5" x 1/4" plate today and quickly realized that my trusty plumber's propane torch was not up to providing the amount of heat needed. It was a bit more complicated by the fact that I needed to put a curl in the plate instead of just a straight bend. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Thats when I remembered the homemade forge on my Uncle Kenny's farm. It didn't take much to replicate. I used a shop vac whereas he used a Hoover canister model. He used fire brick and all I had was rocks. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Well, it ain't pretty, but it got the job done. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Photo 1/6 - The basic setup.
Shop vac blows air into a steel pipe.
Steel pipe discharges air at bottom of a pit lined with rocks.
Fill with charcoal, light and get to it.

 

[B7510]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

Photo 2/6 - The Forge

 

[daedong]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

was the fuel charcoal or coke

 

[B7510]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

Photo 3/6 - Pipe into forge

Ran the pipe down to the bottom of the pile of rocks. Idea was to allow air out of the pipe but keep the charcoal from falling in and plugging the pipe.

A few elbows would be handy if this were a more permenant setup.

 

[B7510]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

I just used plain charcoal for fuel.

Photo 4/6

Now we are starting to get things cookin.

I keep saying this is a pile of rocks. It is actually a cone shaped hole in the ground lined with rocks. I understand that some rocks can blow apart when heated, so I fired it up and let it cook for about 15 minutes before getting close to it and starting to work.

 

[B7510]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

Photo 5/6

I later found that I could get the plate hotter by sticking it down into the coals, but as you can see from the photo, it got plenty hot just sitting on top.

 

[B7510]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

Photo 6/6

It didn’t take too long to make up the forge and once I got the hang of it, it didn’t take too long to bend those plates.

Uncle Kenny has passed on and I’m sure that Hoover is long gone, but it was fun remembering those afternoons on the farm while I was doing this today. He always took time to show you what he was doing and explain it to you too, even if you were just 5 or 10 years old and mostly just in the way of getting things done. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[mrcaptainbob]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

Mine is Uncle Leonard. Fortunately, he's still around. Frail, but still around. A great part of what I am today is because of what he taught.

 

[polecat]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

1,000,001 ways to skin a cat!!!!very clever!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

TODD

 

[KiotiJohn]

Re: Uncle Kenny\'s Backyard Forge

B7510, this post was a real inspiration for me, thanks, John