I have a passion for blacksmithing and have been wanting to bring a little bit of it into my suburban garage for a long time. After watching several thematic videos, I understood what needed to be done, but did not find any step-by-step instructions on this topic, so I decided to write down for you how to make a forge with your own hands.
The time to assemble a mini forge with your own hands from start to finish is about an hour and a half.
DIY FRIEND
Dear visitors to the “Homemade Friend” site, today we will look at how to make a forge from a gas cylinder with your own hands... A forge made from a gas cylinder will be an indispensable assistant in your workshop, with the help of it you can heat metal red hot and forge, for example, a knife , or an axe, you can also take up artistic forging and make exclusive items to order.
This forge has a body from a small 25-liter gas cylinder, the end walls of which are cut off using a grinder. The forge has 2 layers of ceramic blanket (it is fireproof and does not burn) additionally covered with a heat-resistant lining. The lower part inside the furnace is lined with fire-resistant fireclay slabs (you can use fire-resistant bricks); underneath they are also lined with a ceramic blanket. Refractory bricks are used in the laying of furnaces
A hole is made in the upper part of the cylinder and a small squeegee is welded in; it is necessary for installing the gas burner nozzle. The flame is powered by a regular propane gas cylinder. The temperature inside the forge can exceed 1000 C°, which is optimal for heating the metal to red hot.
Let's look at what exactly is needed to assemble a forge from a cylinder.
Materials
- gas cylinder 25 l
- ceramic blanket
- lining
- refractory cement
- fireclay brick or slab
- heat resistant paint
- drive
- gas-burner
- sheet metal 2 mm
Tools
- welding machine
- drill
- grinder (angle grinder)
- hammer
- stationery knife
- respirator and protective equipment
- brush
Step-by-step process for assembling a forge from a gas cylinder with your own hands.
The first step is to prepare all the necessary components, namely the cylinder and first neutralize it, drain the remaining gas, fill it with water, and rinse it. Read our article on how to cut a gas cylinder correctly and safely. A ceramic blanket is an excellent material for a forge, but you should use a respirator and rubber gloves when working with it.
We make markings on a prepared and safe cylinder so that we can then cut off the ends.
We walk along the intended contour with a grinder (angle grinder)
The same goes for the second end. Then we drill a hole for installing a squeegee into which the gas burner will be inserted. Next, a refractory brick or slab is taken and placed in the lower part of the hearth body. For masonry we use heat-resistant cement.
Then we begin cutting the ceramic blanket, having previously put on a respirator and rubber gloves for personal protection.
First we put the first layer of blanket into the body of the forge.
Then immediately the second layer. We cut a hole in the squeegee by cutting the blanket. Next, the damper is made. Next, you need to treat the resulting walls with a lining, for example this one.
You will need to prepare a container and some water to prepare a liquid solution.
Then carefully coat the entire surface of the blanket so that there is no gap left. As soon as the lining dries, you can immediately try out the new forge in action. We insert the nozzle of the gas burner into the squeegee on the top of the body and be sure to fix it so that during operation the burner does not fly out, but stably produces a flame and high temperature. This kind of forge can be assembled in your workshop or in the garage, thanks to it you can forge iron, knives, axes or make castings from fusible metals, and engage in blacksmithing. In general, the thing is good and necessary
Home gas forge
To make a simple home gas forge, you can use parts from an old bicycle. If you turn the sprocket from the gearbox on a lathe, the device can operate on butane or propane and heat closed furnaces of small volume. An important condition for using a portable design is to prohibit the operation of the burner with acetylene, since the high temperature of the flame can burn the former “star” and the stove will simply explode.
Assembling such a device is not difficult, and a homemade forge for forge is not much inferior to industrial ones, but is much cheaper. The main thing is to follow safety rules during manufacture and use.
- Author: admin
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Stages of making a homemade forge
How to make a blacksmith's forge, and where to start? To make a closed furnace, you will first need to determine the dimensions of its hearth. They are determined by the desired performance, and depend on fuel consumption and the intensity of the forge. For the gas option, the optimal fuel supply speed can be taken to be 1 - 1.5 m/s: in this case, heat transfer processes in a closed space will proceed quite efficiently.
Closed forge forge
The hearth tension N is related to the productivity of the forge N by a simple ratio:
where F is the hearth area.
Taking into account the area allocated for the forge, as well as the expected forging productivity (for example, in kg of products), it is possible to establish the actual minimum tension of the hearth (it should not be less than 100 - 150 kg/m2 ∙h, otherwise the arrangement of even a mini-version of the heating installation turns out to be unprofitable).
Solid fuel device for forge
The simplest model of a solid fuel device for a private forge is an outdoor open stove, which does not require the installation of a ventilation system. The construction of the structure involves pouring a reinforced concrete base; wall bricks must be laid at the base of the structure. The table is installed at a convenient height; a hole is left in one wall for the blower.
The mountain pit is laid out of fireclay bricks supported on steel corners; a cavity for the grate is left in the middle part of the structure. A chimney or probe will help ensure sufficient draft in the fireplace; the air supply system is installed at the final stage of construction work. Installing an electric fan in the chimney or installing blacksmith bellows will help increase the draft.
Classification of types of forges
It can be carried out according to the following main indicators:
- According to the type of fuel used. There are gas furnaces, as well as devices operating on solid (coal) or liquid (fuel oil) fuel.
- According to the design features, open and closed forges are built.
- By hearth size (effective surface) – small, medium and large.
Solid fuel furnaces, which require the use of coking coal, are an effective technical solution for video shooting, but an outdated one. This will require not only ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality charcoal, but also coming to terms with technological shortcomings, including:
- uneven heating;
- inability to control the process;
- increased sulfur content, which will increase fragility during the forging process;
- increased fuel consumption, it can be up to 120 - 150% of weight;
- low efficiency of the device, accompanied by significant waste.
Nevertheless, such designs can be used at home in conditions of single production of products, especially if they are mini-forges running on cheap fuel oil.
