Home made forge... wow!

[spandit]

As some of you may know, I was given a beer keg and was trying to decide what to do with it

Decided to make a forge in case I fancied heat treating some blades:

First, I cut around the keg and inverted the top. I removed the tap and fitted a PCL air fitting. The top had holes punched in it and the edges were peened down to stop it coming undone again:

Just as I was trying to get it lit, it started pissing down quite hard. Moved it to the ground under a workbench to give some shelter and with the help of some firelighters and meths it eventually got going. Once the flames had died down a bit, turned the air on - wow! Big shower of sparks (probably good that it was raining...) and coals started glowing red hot:

Not having any steel to heat treat at the moment, I threw an empty aluminium beer can on... it melted before I could get the camera out. I then looked around the workshop to find something a bit thicker. Settled on an offcut of 4mm chequer plate, about 60x40mm. Should have fetched the camera sooner as by the time I retrieved it... there was just a puddle in the charcoal... After fishing it out and dropping in some water, I was left with this:

Uses a hell of a lot of compressed air (and I was probably a bit gung ho with the PSI ) but certainly effective!

 

[R.Lewis]

Looks effective! I take it is hooked up to an air compressor. What size is your one? I have an old but decent one and wonder how effective it would be....

 

[spandit]

Mine's an old one too. Tank is about 100litres, I think but just dumping air out of the hose like this means it empties in no time (under a minute)

 

[lannyman8]

good work dude, you could make the bottom hole bigger and connect a hair dryer to some pipe, constant hair dryer air...

tesco do value hair dryers for £5 ish.

what fuel did you use, it looks like charcoal, try coal or coke next time, it gives even more heat for longer.....= more forging...

 

[spandit]

good work dude, you could make the bottom hole bigger and connect a hair dryer to some pipe, constant hair dryer air...

tesco do value hair dryers for £5 ish.

what fuel did you use, it looks like charcoal, try coal or coke next time, it gives even more heat for longer.....= more forging...

Thanks. I've got a cheap hair dryer but this was easier to connect quickly. It does need more air holes which should make it more efficient.

I used charcoal mainly because I had it lying about. Will see about getting some coke/coal

 

[lannyman8]

coke is the best but can be hard to find, coal is easy to get but takes time to heat up and get rid of all the smeg and crudd before you can forge with it..

happy smithing Spandit...

 

[demographic]

I used a hairdrier on its lowest setting and even then had to vent some of the air downwards away from the forge to stop it going too fast.

 

[lannyman8]

you only turn the hair dryer on when the steel goes in and turn it off again when it comes out, if its still to hot place it just back from the pipe and carry on untill you get the right amount of air....

regards.

chris....

 

[adestu]

mmmmm adams....

 

[spandit]

What pipe are you using to duct the hairdryer?

@adestu - not my favourite beer, but the vicar who gave me the empty barrel loves it (and has just done the brewery tour)