Home Made forge??

[ohiodreamer]

Anyone have first hand experience with the Plaster of Paris/ Sand LP forge? 

We have found an anvil and tools (not sure what all tools) from a guy DH works with.  They were his grandfather's  and the family if finally ready to sell them.  Picture look good, price is right so it's a starting point for us.  So DH has been looking at how to make a forge economically and small enough for where we live.  He's run across this one in a few places so we are going to give it a try.  Just wondering if anyone else has tried it.  How well should it work??

[beowoulf90]

Well Apparently I wasn't reading this properly..
I missed the LP part..

So what follows really doesn't apply..Unless you want a coal/charcoal forge..



The one I built many many years ago was made from an old electric water heater. Lets see if I remember how I did.

I took the water heater apart to expose the inner tank. I cut the tank approx. 10" from the bottom. That is the piece you will use.
I made (bent) 3 legs for it from 3/4" or 1" conduit (not as heavy as iron pipe)and spaced them evenly around the bottom piece. You can weld or tack them, I drilled holes and bolted mine. Once you have the "forge"with legs built fill the bottom with sand about 4", level it out and lightly tamp it down. Add more sand until you have 4" of tamped / packed sand on the bottom. Now take approx 2 or 2 1/2 fire bricks and lay them end to end across the forge (this will be the bottom of your "heating area"). Stand (on long edge)fire brick on 3 sides of this "heating area". Pour more sand in the non "heating" area to hold the fire brick in place. Take note: pour a little on each side and lean the top of the fire brick out to "widen" the heating area. Tamp the sand in place as needed.

Now figure out what you are using for an air source. I used an old electric hair dryer.
On the side that doesn't have the fire brick drill a hole as low as you can in the "heating area". This is where you will provide air to your fire. I used 1" black iron pipe and fittings. They are cheap if you have to by them new, but even cheaper it found at a yard sale etc.. So be sure to drill accordingly per the pipe you are using. You will need enough pipe to insure that your source of air (hair dryer in my case) doesn't get burnt for the heat.

Side note: You can easily run the pipe up and over the edge and then back down to the bottom of the "heating area" if you don't want to drill into the side.

Also this "side air" forge isn't as good as a forge where the air is from below, but they do work. I used mine for years before buy a nice Champion Forge and Blower set up at auction for a steal..

Champion is a brand name, made in Lancaster, Pa.late 1800's early 1900's Mine is from the 1890's. Still works like a charm and I got it for $35 about 10 years ago.

Buffalo Forge is another brand name from the same era..

Hope that helps

[ohiodreamer]

beowoulf90, That's OK...this plaster/sand LP forge is just a starting point for us. Goal is to have a "better" forge down the road....so the more design ideas the better!! Charcoal/coal is my favorite option for a forge, so that's the direction I want to go down the road. So your post will go in my file

[beowoulf90]

If you do a search for the following "names" you will be able to see some examples.

Rivet Forge
Champion Forge
Buffalo Forge
water heater forge
Brake Drum Forge

If you have any questions I will try to answer them. Not that I know anything about blacksmithing, because I'm a tinkerer.
So my skills are just basic knowledge and how to fix or repair/build things.
In my spare time I'm a scrap guy who gets all kinds of things that people throw out. If I can fix or salvage certain parts I do.
Now if I could only find some one who is scrapping a LP Forge .

I just sold an old Rivet Forge I was redoing a week or so ago. But it still needed some work.