How to make a coal forge. Methods for making a forge for forging with your own hands

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A forge is equipment that allows you to heat metal to a temperature of 1200 degrees. Its dimensions vary widely. Some are large and stationary, others are small and portable.

You can make a forge with your own hands of any design, which will work on both solid and gaseous fuel.

In order to understand how to make a forge with your own hands, you need to understand its design. Physical processes are based on the combination of carbon and oxygen. In other words, the process is underway combustion of carbon releasing heat.

Whatever happens complete combustion metal, the amount of oxygen is not supplied to full quantity. This is regulated by air blowing. You shouldn’t overcook the workpiece in the forge either. The metal will dry out and become hard but brittle. Classic example- cast iron.

A homemade forge for forging consists of the following parts:

Table made of refractories.
A firebox or hearth with a grate.
Air chamber.
Air drainage.
Supply air duct.
Air valve.
Camera.
Window through which workpieces are fed.
Umbrella.
Chimney.
Crucible.
Quenching bath.
Gas-air chamber.

Figure 1: Drawing blacksmith's forge

To line the table with your own hands, refractory bricks are used. The hearth is based on a form that includes a firebox, grate bars and an air chamber.
With the help of air drainage, the blowing is adjusted. The chimney is designed to remove accumulated gases.
A hardening chamber is not always necessary. It is required in the case of forging damask steel so that the product undergoes the necessary heat treatment.
The crucible is the place where the maximum temperature is maintained. At home, it is made of fireclay bricks.

Fuel

The following can be used as fuel:

Small coke. Pre-kindling is done with firewood, on which coal is placed. The ignition temperature of coke is up to 600 degrees, so it is placed last.
Charcoal burns better because it has a microporous structure.
Coal. When burned, it should reach the carbon stage. It burns worse than coke, so it is used for forging less critical products.
Firewood. They are burned in the shell so that harmful impurities do not reach the metal.
Working with waste oil.

Solid fuel forges

To figure out how to make a forge that runs on solid fuel, you need to study the instructions and decide on the type. A closed-type forge furnace is better suited for working on coal or wood. It is made at home from scrap materials. A charcoal forge does not require special equipment.

Necessary materials:

Availability of refractory bricks.
Injection burner.
Hood.

Manufacturing procedure:

On preparatory stage drawings for the forge are being developed.
A cube is being made from bricks. There remains a cavity with a hole inside.
Using reinforcement, the frame is secured.
A burner is installed in one of the side bricks.
There is a hood on top, which creates safe working conditions.

Figure 2: Drawing of a solid fuel forge

Making a forge for heating metal with your own hands makes it possible to adjust it to the necessary conditions. The material used must only be of high quality to ensure fire safety is maintained.

Gas horn

A DIY gas forge should be practical. Its walls are made of fireclay bricks.

Refractory bricks are being prepared.
The walls of the forge are folded. The amount of material varies depending on the complexity and size of the case.
Surfaces are processed using a hacksaw.
All elements fit tightly. The presence of cracks is not allowed.
A threshold is installed in the front part.
A rectangular hole is cut at the back. It serves both for ventilation and for working with long workpieces.
Side, under gas burner, a hole of the appropriate diameter is cut.
The gas burner is made of stainless steel. This is a pipe welded at one end and at metal mesh on another.

Such a forge has its advantages:

The furnace is structurally simpler than a coal forge.
Simple fuel supply and simple temperature adjustment.
Light weight.
Low cost.

There are other varieties gas forges made of metal. There are no fundamental differences between them.

Figure 3: Burner drawing for a gas forge

Waste oil furnace

Considering that petroleum products are expensive, it is beneficial to use a forge using waste oil. To make the forge during mining, parts that have served their useful life are used. After processing the furnaces, a significant drawback emerged - the spent mixture did not ignite well. To eliminate this problem, an additional compartment was built into the mining forge. Here the oil is preheated with coal or wood. To improve combustion, waste fuel passes through filters and diesel fuel or gasoline is added to it.

As a result, the mining forge has the advantages of a yellow flame and stable temperature.

You can make it yourself:

It is made from fireclay bricks, dimensions: 85×48×40 cm.
The vault is made in the form of an arch to maintain temperature.
The body is completely covered with sheets of iron. A thickness of 1.5 mm is used on the sides, and the top and bottom are lined with 2 mm sheets.
The supports are made from angles based on the weight of the structure.

Air is pumped into the chamber by a fan. A waste tank is installed on a hill. From it, the oil enters the chamber through a pipeline, where it is picked up by air, which moves under a pressure of 2 atm. The waste is broken up and fed into the nozzle.

To reduce the ignition time, a heating element is installed in the forge during testing. Ignition time may take up to 30 minutes. But the hot mixture burns well. Now you need to make sure that the fireclay does not melt.

Scheme of the furnace during development:

Aluminum smelting

Aluminum having high degree plasticity, is a low-melting non-ferrous metal. A forge for melting aluminum is easy to make with your own hands. There are many designs that use furnace smelting. They have no fundamental differences between themselves.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a forge for melting aluminum:

The body is made of brick. The material is selected without cracks to avoid heat loss.
Picking up scraps steel pipes, shelves for grate bars are made from them. Low-melting material cannot be used here.
Steel strips up to 6 mm thick are selected and used as grates.
The grate bars are screwed on.

Both coke and coal can be used as fuel.
With help blowtorch or gas burner is ignited.

Such a homemade blacksmith's forge can only be used in open space, due to the absence of a chimney. During operation, a lot of gases are released that should not accumulate in a confined space.

Mini horn

A small, portable forge is often useful on the farm. It can be used not only in the forge, but also in the garage or at the dacha.

To make a mini-forge with your own hands, you need to have 2 refractory bricks, a hacksaw, a drill with a diameter of 8 cm and a length of 15 cm. It is advisable to have a pobedite tip at the end. To fasten the structure, 2 pins with a diameter of 8 cm and a length of 21 cm are prepared. During the work, you will need 2 hole saws, 63 and 26 mm in diameter.

The operating procedure is as follows:

2 bricks, 250 mm long, are sawn in half.
Two halves of one brick are laid on top of each other and 2 through holes with a diameter of 63 mm are drilled using a hole saw.
Placing the third half under them, drill in two corners, diagonally through holes under the studs.
Using pins, a block of three bricks is assembled and pulled together. First, washers are put on the ends of the studs and nuts are screwed on.
A hole for the burner is drilled between the first two bricks using a 26 mm ring drill. It connects to the main passage, but does not touch the second wall.

The burner is inserted into this hole and ignited. Any metal is fed into the main passage, which falls under the flame and heats up in a few seconds.

Making a forge from a potbelly stove

Essentially, this is the same potbelly stove, only without the grate. Appearance blacksmiths can be in the form of a cube, parallelepiped and cylinder. After cleaning the grate, the air does not come from the space below, but is blown through a side channel, which can be adjusted. As a result, the oven heats up better. It retains gases longer, which also increases the heat.

The manufacturing procedure is as follows:

From a pipe with a diameter of up to 300 mm, a ring 100 mm wide is cut. This part is called a collar.
Take a sheet 4 mm thick and cut a circle out of it equal to diameter collar This will be the door.
A piece of pipe for air supply is cut off. It can be from 76 to 102 mm.
The damper is inserted into it using a handle, a spring and a nut.
A strip 30 mm wide and length equal to the perimeter of the door is cut out of a 3 mm sheet.
The strip fits around the door and gets scalded.
A hole is drilled in the side of the door and a pipe for air supply is welded there.
Using a locking device, the door is attached to the collar.
This unit is installed on the firebox with a distance of 100 mm from the bottom.
In the back part, at the top, a hole is cut and a chimney is installed.

The disadvantages of such a stove include the absence of an ash pan. However, longer combustion results in improved combustion of solid waste. Ash removal can be done less frequently.

Making a forge from a bucket

The bucket forge is also designed for melting aluminum. To do this, you need a bucket with a capacity of 10 to 20 liters. In addition, gypsum and sand. This mixture is placed at the bottom of the bucket.

Step-by-step instructions for a forge made from a bucket with your own hands:

The selected bucket must not be galvanized. This is due to the fact that zinc, when heated, releases harmful gases. The container is made of ordinary metal.
A mixture of gypsum and sand, 5 cm thick, is placed on the bottom. The ratio is 1:2. First, such a mixture is formed at the bottom. After drying, the inner walls of the bucket are treated with it. Drying time is 15–20 minutes.
A water squeegee is installed below, through which air is supplied with a hairdryer.
A crucible is inserted into the bucket.
The ignition process begins.
Aluminum is placed in a crucible and melts under heat.

Small items can be cast in this way.

A hand-made blacksmith's forge is a necessary household device. However, first, you need to read the instructions for its use. Buy necessary drawings. The risk of fire must be completely eliminated. Selected for it right place. Working with hot metal will bring not only pleasure, but also benefits.

Hand forging is becoming increasingly popular - both to meet your own needs and to produce various products to order. Heating of metal, in order to increase its plastic characteristics, must be performed in special heating devices, the simplest of which is a forge. The main task of the forge is to ensure a stable increase in the temperature of the metal to forging temperatures, i.e., no less than 1200 °C. How to make a homemade forge, and whether it is possible in principle, is discussed below.

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.
By design features open and closed forges are built.
By hearth size ( effective surface) – small, medium and large.

Solid fuel forges, which require the use of coking coal - effective for video shooting, but outdated technical solution. 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, in conditions of single production of products, can be used at home, especially if they are mini-forges running on cheap fuel oil.

Forge design

To create more favorable conditions For blacksmith work, it is more expedient to build closed forges. Although they are somewhat more difficult to manufacture, they are more efficient and provide uniform heating of workpieces, in particular, those with a round or rectangular cross-section. Open forges remain insignificant in terms of product size for artistic forges.

A closed-type forge consists of the following elements:

steel support frame with racks;
hearth;
linings;
gate valve;
fan;
chimney pipes.

If during forging it is necessary to heat the metal not completely, then technological holes are made in the damper. They are equipped with closing eyes, necessary to reduce fuel losses and speed up the heating process.

When setting up a workshop, it is economical to equip the forge with a simple recuperator - a unit that increases the temperature of the exhaust furnace gases. Furnaces with recuperators have a higher efficiency, and the generated heat can be used, for example, for a furnace that performs subsequent processing forged products– their forge welding, bluing, etc.

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 gas version the optimal fuel supply speed can be taken to be 1 - 1.5 m/s: in this case, heat transfer processes in closed space will proceed quite effectively.

The hearth tension N is related to the productivity of the furnace 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).

In order to make a forge with your own hands, you will need the following materials:

thick sheet heat-resistant steel;
refractory brick (fireclay or dinas);
rolled steel profiles (angles, channels) for mounting the hearth frame, manufacturing the damper and support posts;
steel chimneys for removing gases generated during the heating process of products;
fireproof coating for sealing cracks;
sheet or wide steel for external lining.

The design of an open hearth is much simpler - it only needs to be equipped with a grate system and provide an air supply that intensifies the heating process. In this case, a conventional ventilation hood made of heat-resistant steel is sufficient to remove combustion products.

In addition, during construction it makes sense to use standard units. Here we should mention a fan for the furnace, which can be used as units produced for high-power double-circuit boilers. Also suitable ventilation pipes and steel chimneys designed for flue gas removal at 300 - 400 °C. You can set up a forge with your own hands using burners from powerful double-circuit boilers.

Making the support frame

Since the forge is a stationary unit, you should clearly determine its location. At home, not the entire part of the workshop can be used as a forge. But, of course, the forge should be adjacent to one of its walls, preferably one that does not communicate with adjacent buildings, since in this case it is much more difficult to arrange chimneys and install a fan for the forge.

According to the terms fire safety the structure must be at least 1 m away from the main wall of the workshop, and any use of materials with reduced fire resistance (including plasterboard of the GKLO brand) is excluded.

When making a support frame, it is advisable to use ready-made drawings that can be purchased or downloaded on the Internet. The dimensions of the forge/mini-forge are consistent with your own capabilities. It would be good if the drawings also included photos and/or videos of the forge in operation.

The support posts and frame are made welded, for which low-alloy steel 09G2S is usually used. It has sufficient strength, is easily and reliably welded, and is resistant to high-temperature corrosion. The pitch of the plate cells of the support frame is determined by the dimensions of the refractory. The finished frame is provided with holes for subsequent fastening of external lining elements.

Manufacturing of hearth and roof

When choosing refractories for arranging the upper part, they are guided by considerations of durability, the type of heated products, as well as the intensity of use of the forge. Fireclay and dinas are used most often.

Fireclay is manufactured according to technical specifications GOST 390-79. Buying uncertified products is very dangerous, since it is sometimes difficult to distinguish fireclay bricks by color from ordinary ones, which melt at 1200 ° C. Fireclay bricks suitable for masonry must be cream-colored and have low porosity. In this case, its weight is at least 5 kg. There are plenty of demonstration videos on the Internet that can help you distinguish quality products. The brands ShPD, ShA and ShB are suitable for the construction of the forge.

Download GOST 390-79 “Fireproof fireclay and semi-acid products for general use”

Forged products, if desired, can be made with your own hands at home, but for this you need to purchase or make them yourself necessary equipment for heating metal - forge. Exist various designs forges, they differ mainly only in the type of fuel used.

Despite its high cost, blacksmiths give the greatest preference to coke; when working, it requires several times less than ordinary coal. In addition, coke provides a high temperature and produces less waste. To save time, craftsmen use “coke” - fine coke, because it does not need to be crushed. Gas and liquid fuel furnaces are used mainly in large enterprises.

So, you have decided to master artistic forging, and you naturally immediately have main question- how to make a blacksmith's forge? The manufacture of the forge, of course, can be ordered at the factory, but if you have the ability and desire, you can make the forge yourself.

First you need to decide what type of forge suits you, closed or open.

Open and closed type

A closed-type forge has a special chamber in which the workpiece is heated. In terms of energy costs, this type of forge is the most economical, but the size of the workpieces processed is limited by the size of the heating chamber. Perfect option closed type forge, forge using gas as fuel.

When using an open, traditional type of forge, fuel is poured onto the grate from above, and air is supplied from below. In such a forge, the workpiece is placed directly on the fuel. This type of forge allows you to process large-sized workpieces.

Making a forge

The table is the basis of the forge, its working surface, where the hearth with fuel is located, on which metal workpieces are heated. The table top is usually made of clay-based fire bricks, but this design is very heavy. You can make a metal cover from 4 mm steel sheet, or make a metal frame using refractory bricks. The grate is usually made of cast iron and is located in the center.

You can make the grate from cast iron frying pan and from a steel 8 mm plate, drilling holes in them with a diameter of up to 10 mm, you can use a wheel rim.

The manufactured lattice must be inserted into the hole of the table, with a tight fit, so that the fit is really tight, the brick is carefully cut out. Bricks pre-soaked in water are easier to process. The height of the table is arbitrary, it all depends on the height of the blacksmith, usually at the level of the master’s belt. The surface of the table can also be made arbitrary, at your discretion.

Options for using a forge and their impact on the design

Air blowing can be mechanical (foot), but it is better, of course, to use a fan. You can fit a vacuum cleaner, etc., under the fan, the main thing is that there is a speed controller and it doesn’t make a lot of noise, you can install a valve that regulates the air supply.

Forging begins with pouring fuel onto the grate. Most blacksmiths place the workpiece directly on the coals, and add another layer on top. A small dome is formed inside the coal and extremely high temperatures are created, sufficient to melt the metal.

The preferred fuel, as we said, is coke, but even wood waste can be used.

example homemade forge done in 1 hour

To do this, a steel ring with a height of 150 mm and a diameter of 200 mm is installed on top of the forge. To position the workpieces inside the ring and control the combustion process, a vertical cutout is made on the wall of the ring, and another one is made on the opposite side - it is made in case the dimensions of the workpiece are large enough.

Upon combustion wood waste go down. In the lower part of the ring used, under a layer of charcoal, a high temperature sufficient for working with metal is created.

When processing large workpieces, it makes sense to increase the table area; for this, a removable table is made from corners and metal plates any size.

A necessary device installed above the forge is an exhaust duct; it can be purchased as a hood, or made from thin-walled metal yourself.

The forge is made with your own hands, now you can start working.

Construction of industrial furnaces

To better understand the process of functioning of the furnace, you can study it using the example of the design of an industrial product.

The figure on the right indicates:

nozzle (tuyere) - air is supplied through it into the chamber;
refractory bricks that maintain the temperature in the furnace;
grate bars or hearth board holding fuel above the air chamber;
a furnace socket into which solid fuel is loaded;
bricks forming the frame;
fan for supplying air to the furnace;
holding frame made of metal;
air chamber;
ash pan;
air duct;
casing

A forge is a workshop for manually processing metal blanks, primarily by heating and forging. Handicraft blacksmith shops are maintained by passionate masters of simple and artistic forging, who, through their hobby, preserve the traditions of the craft.

Forges are equipped with a hearth (forge) and an anvil. A huge amount of metal processing work is carried out in the forge: smelting, pouring molten metal into molds, forging, welding work, soldering of copper and brass, hardening, stamping, drawing, bending, torsion, embossing and others. Ready-made melting furnaces in this shop.

In one of the previous articles it was described by a talented craftsman. Here we will look at what kind of forge this master made with his own hands for the forge. Creating a homemade forge at home, practically in the yard, he used, as one of the forums aptly put it, a “minimalist-primitivist approach.” However, it should be noted that this approach turned out to be very effective.

The basis of the forge was a portable forge made of a pipe 1 cm thick, weight approximately 60 kg, bottom 1.5 cm. Cuts were made on the bottom surface with a grinder. Under the bottom there is a hollow part, to the base of which a pipe for supplying boost air is welded. The air is supplied from the vacuum cleaner. The furnace has a door to reduce heat loss.

An anvil is a piece of rail welded to the channels. On the side of the anvil there is a fastener for a vice, which can, if necessary, be installed for torsion and other work. The distance between the forge and the anvil is approximately 1 m, making it convenient to work.

Testing a coal forge shows how efficient the device is. The video shows that using a small amount charcoal for testing, you can accelerate the oven to 1200 degrees.

Brief introduction:

About three years ago I decided to make a forge - I was tired of making handles and wanted to forge myself. I scoured the literature, the Internet, and asked old blacksmith friends. In general, to be honest, everything is unclear. Fans even make (!) a forge in the bathroom (!). They recommend vacuum cleaners, saucepans... But I need something small, but really “not on my knees”.

I already have experience, I make very good knives: I mainly use bearing steel, as it is cheap and accessible. Basic principles of building a forge:

As cheap as possible.
Maximum available materials.
Maximum convenience.

So, first, what is needed for a forge.

Materials.

1) Ordinary brick, either white or red - about thirty, I took from landfills and ruins
2) Metal grate. Metal pallets are best, cast iron is better. I was able to buy cast iron trays for the stove at a village store (hardware store). If desired, you can simply lay down the fittings, or weld the grate. Functionally, the coals will burn on it, so the thicker the better. The holes should be no larger than one to one and a half centimeters (otherwise the coals will fall through.
3) Anvil. Of course, a piece of rail will do. But the anvil is better. This is not only one of the most “costly” parts, but you won’t find anything. But I was lucky, I found it again in a village store. But if you sharpen for knives, then the rail is quite enough.
4) Fan. The most important thing is blowing. I bought thousands at the construction market for two and a half rubles - this is the second most expensive part, but quite affordable.
5) A sleeve made of aluminum foil - put it on the fan, and stuck a pipe from the water supply into it.
6) Water pipe, one and a half meters, diameter - about the size of a pea can.
7) A can of peas - there is a hole on one side, on the other it is cut and bent, it acts as a structure that guides and reflects the air stream - to blow into the right place.
8) Large stump for installing an anvil.

All. Total budget costs (for 2010):

Anvil – 900 rub.
Fan – 2,500 rub.
Aluminum flexible sleeve – 80 RUR
Pallets 2 pieces – 160 rub.
Bricks are free, everything else is free.
Total: we fit into 4000 rubles easily.

How the forge works.

The forge is simple.
You need to: blow air from below, through the grill onto the coals. The workpiece lies on the coals and is heated. You can poke it into the coals. The sides are covered with brick. Dot. All.
Therefore (see Photo 1.) – first we lay out a rectangle of bricks. I did NOT worry about the topic “cement, refractory clay, etc.” - just PUT the bricks. If it moves, I’ll fix it. If it bursts, I'll replace it. I don’t need to forge gates, I need blades. Quite.

You can see in the top photo two rows of bricks... then we continue to lay out
The photo shows that a rectangle is made of bricks of different colors. True, it rests on an iron box - below left - but it was just a box, I used it too. Essentially these are two walls of bricks in two rows in the shape of a “P”. Width – to accommodate pallets. You can clearly see how I stupidly burned one of the pallets - I was trying to achieve a “white glow”. I achieved it. Is it necessary?
I put larger blocks at the head - I just found these, you can just make them out of bricks. Here is a front view of where to insert the blower pipe from.

Two layers of bricks, the pallets rest on them with their edges, iron box below - don't pay attention - we think it's standing on the ground. Next we continue the walls and the end - just a few bricks up.
The pipe is a piece water pipe for blowing.
You can see how the blower pipe is inserted.

Top view: two more rows of bricks have been laid. In fact, almost everything is ready. But experience has shown that - since this is all outdoors - better than walls bring it higher so that the breeze does not cool it down. Therefore, I raised it a little higher (there is no photo, I just added two more rows of bricks. But this was this year, two years - that’s exactly what I forged in the photo).

Now - blowing.

On next photo– fan on wooden pallet(quickly put together) with an aluminum sleeve on. A fan costs money - but even if it’s an old vacuum cleaner or homemade bellows - it’s important that the air is supplied where it’s needed and conveniently. The pipe does not heat up.
Fan, purchased at the construction market.

It is important that the air supply should be from bottom to top; I placed a crushed tin can on the end of the pipe, which turns the air flow from horizontal to top - this is more than enough. Banks are free
The sleeve is put on and wrapped around the fan with wire. There is no tightness, everything is stuck, just to hold on. I'm not worried. In the next photo on Sun. case – fan output data. The crumpled end of the aluminum sleeve is clearly visible, where I put the pipe while working.
Fan output data.

As I said, next we take a tin can of peas. We put it on the pipe. The bent lid is a reflector, we point it upward and we put the pipe under the pallets. We put the pipe into an aluminum sleeve, crumple it and tie it with wire. We turn on the blower. You need a switch, step on it with your foot - turn it off and on, so that it doesn’t blow in vain when you don’t need it - your hands are busy.

Next, a stump placed in the wheel disk is covered with sand. In principle, any such foundation should not be shaken. Place an anvil on a stump (a piece of rail or more massive pieces of iron) and off you go. All. This is what anyone already has - I managed to buy an anvil - together with the fan, these are the two biggest expense items. If I didn’t have the money, I would take a thick piece of channel or rail. The main thing is that everything is working.
And so general form forges at work. If you need shelter from the wind, I add a brick wall. I need a long gauge (for example, I forged a one and a half meter spit from rebar) - I remove the bricks from the end - etc. Everything can be rebuilt in a minute.
Forge at work.

Good luck, guys! The forge is great. I forged knives for myself - the main thing is that your hands are free, and you really don’t have to lick your lips at other people’s notes - but make your own things. But that's a different story!

I forgot to add about safety: sprinkle sand around, when forging, ALWAYS have a bucket of water nearby (but do not drink during and after forging for about 20 minutes - your teeth will crack, I’m serious) - because pieces of cut off hot metal can fly far away and burn painfully. Covered clothing is a must - I'm wearing a rain jacket and an apron - glasses won't hurt either. Shoes - boots, pants outside, otherwise if a piece of metal flies in, you'll have to dance!

The forge is indispensable in workshops and forges for creating steel products by forging hot metal at temperatures up to +1200°C. There are many different models with simple designs and different types fuels with different characteristics. How not to make a mistake in choosing them and build them correctly?

Structurally, the forge consists of the following elements:

base made of non-flammable material and having high strength;
fireproof table;
fuel chamber with grate;
air chamber and drainage;
inlet air duct;
air valve for adjusting air supply;
tent-shaped chambers;
opening for feeding long workpieces;
bugle umbrella;
gas-air chamber;
baths for hardening workpieces;
chimney for removal of combustion products;
removable furnace.

Principle of operation

The operating principle of the forge is based on chemical reaction combustion of carbon, which reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, releasing heat. In addition, metal recovery occurs, which is a very important aspect for the formation of homogeneous, high-strength parts.

To maintain an optimal level of combustion and temperature, air ducts and air chambers are installed inside the fuel chamber, which forcefully pump pure oxygen. Due to this, it is possible to obtain temperatures above +1000°C, which are unattainable with conventional combustion solid fuel(coal or wood).

At the same time, using the inflation technology, the volume of air is selected so that there is always a slight lack of oxygen for the oxidation reaction to occur. In other words, it is necessary to select an operating mode to prevent metal combustion.

The residence time of the smelted part in the furnace should also be limited, since in the atmosphere carbon dioxide the metal will react with it and form a high-strength alloy with increased brittleness. These negative consequences can be avoided by introducing additional oxygen into the chamber in such an amount that carbon dioxide has time to completely react.

Purpose and uses

A DIY forge is made depending on its main application and can be configured accordingly to suit specific tasks. Therefore, it is important to understand what each of its structural parts are intended for:

a firebox with a grate, an air chamber, a valve and a pipe is used to burn fuel and heat a metal workpiece; depending on temperature requirements, it can have an open or closed design, and also not be equipped with air pressurization;
air drainage is used to regulate the supply of oxygen and prevent metal embrittlement, allows you to create optimal conditions when heating and melting the workpiece;
a tent or umbrella with a chimney is used to drain carbon monoxide and other combustion products that may be harmful to human health;
a quenching bath is necessary for rapid cooling of the metal and its acquisition of optimal plastic and strength properties;
a heat-resistant cap or crucible, used to expand the zone of uniform heating, which makes it possible to effectively melt metal (usually non-ferrous precious metals) in a crucible;
gas-air chamber, used for drying air, purifying it from impurities, as well as for introducing alloying elements, designed to obtain quality products with specified characteristics in accordance with a specific reference diagram of states and phases;
the table serves to place all the elements of the forge on it, as well as for partial cooling of the workpieces; it is a mandatory part of the design.

The forge is used for the following purposes:

heating the metal for subsequent forging or other types of processing;
melting in special forms;
heat treatment to improve certain properties.

Classification of forges

Before making a forge, you need to familiarize yourself with their classification in order to choose the most suitable option designs. Classification is carried out according to the following criteria:

by type of fuel used;
by type of construction;
according to hearth size.

Types of forges by type of fuel used

According to the type of fuel used, forges are divided into the following types:

gas;
solid fuel;
on liquid fuel.

Solid fuel forge

Gas forges have the most simple design, cheap to repair and maintain. They are characterized by minimal weight, which allows them to be made portable or compact.

Solid fuel forges are distinguished by their ability to obtain the maximum high temperatures heating, relatively low cost of building materials for construction and ease of operation. For their kindling, it is permissible to use the following types of fuel:

carbon or coke, characterized by high cost and increased efficiency (consumption is up to 5 times less than coal), it does not contain foreign impurities, ignites at temperatures above +450°C;
Coal, the most common and efficient fuel, emits coke gas when burned, so when kindling it is necessary to wait until it has completely evaporated; it is suitable for forging various decorative elements or parts of average quality;
charcoal has minimum temperature fire compared to other types of fuel, but burns out quickly and has higher consumption, so it can be effectively used for kindling.

It is permissible to use diesel fuel, fuel oil or waste oil as liquid fuel. At the same time, it is important to pre-clean it, since the presence of impurities will cause an unstable flame and release of harmful compounds into the atmosphere.

This also makes it difficult to maintain equipment due to frequent blockages.

Classification by design features

A homemade forge can be classified according to its design features as follows:

by installation method: portable or stationary;
according to the design of the combustion chamber: closed or open type;
according to the placement of the boost: with a side or central nozzle.

Types of forges by hearth size

There are different sizes of hearth forges: small, medium and large. They are determined by the operating efficiency of the installation and completely depend on the intensity of fuel consumption and operating modes of the fuel chamber. The optimal efficiency of fuel flow rate is from 1 to 1.5 m/s.

The productivity of the forge is directly proportional to the amount of tension and hearth area. In this case, the minimum tension is considered to be in the range from 100 to 150 kg/m 2 h. Values outside this range are not economically viable.

How to make a blacksmith's forge?

Before you make a forge with your own hands, you need to prepare necessary materials and tools. This will minimize time costs

Instructions for creating a solid fuel mobile forge

Before starting work, you must collect the following tools:

welding machine;
drill;
file;
set of wrenches;
putty knife;
roulette;
level;
clamp;
marker;
Bulgarian

Having prepared a drawing of a forge, you need to purchase materials for its construction:

sheet steel 2-3 mm thick (recommended 09G2S);
swivel wheels 4 pcs.;
square profile pipes with a wall thickness of at least 2 mm;
refractory cement;
air snail;
fastening elements: bolts and nuts;
stainless steel pipe along the diameter of the volute outlet;
adapter.

A mobile open-type coal forge is manufactured step by step as follows:

We take a steel sheet and mark it with a marker according to the size of the desktop.
We cut out the tabletop with a grinder and clean the edges with a file.
We mark a rectangular hole on the cut sheet for the mouth of the forge and cut it with a grinder.
We take the second steel sheet and mark the elements of the parts for the trapezoidal mouth of the forge.
We cut out the vent elements and then weld them into a single structure.
We weld the mouth to work surface table in the place of the cut hole.
We turn the structure over with the mouth down, mark the places for the location of the walls for the placement of coals.
We cut out the sides for the working surface of the table from steel.
We weld the sides so that there are no gaps at the seams, and the seam itself is strong and continuous, we accurately center the structural elements.
For the lower part of the vent, we cut out the walls from steel for supplying air ducts, and then weld them.
We make a removable bottom for the vent, designed to remove ash.
We attach the pedal to it using levers.
On the wall for supplying a pipe with air, we make a hole along the diameter of the pipe.
Made of steel profile pipes we cut out the elements and weld the frame to mount the working surface.
At the bottom of the frame we weld a bar for attaching the snail, and then fasten it with bolts.
We prepare the pipe for the air duct.
We attach the air duct to the cochlea and the vent; if necessary, we provide additional fastening to strengthen the structure.
We attach swivel wheels to the bottom of the frame with bolts.
We coat the joining seams with fireproof putty.
We form a refractory layer on the working surface of the hearth based on refractory cement mortar.

A coal forge must be tested by heating it to operating temperatures, but only after the cement layer has completely hardened.

Step-by-step instructions for making a gas forge

To make a gas forge, you need to prepare the following materials in advance:

fire brick;
sheets of heat-resistant steel with a thickness of at least 5 mm;
thin stainless steel sheets (thickness up to 2 mm) for external cladding;
steel profile pipes;
chimney pipes made of stainless steel;
fireproof putty;
standard burners used in gas boilers heating;
fan for pumping air.

You will also need the following tools:

welding machine;
Bulgarian;
drill;
file;
roulette;
marker.

A gas forge is manufactured in the following sequence:

We take refractory bricks and build the body of the forge out of them. If necessary, we process the ends with a grinder with a special attachment for concrete to ensure a tight joint.
In the front part of the structure we create a small step made of refractory bricks, designed to maintain the optimal temperature.
We make a rectangular hole in the back for ventilation.
We make a base from a thick sheet of steel to the size of the brick body of the forge.
We weld profile pipes at the end parts of the sheet so that the bricks inside them are motionless.
In the side of the combustion chamber we cut a hole for the supply gas pipe with burner installed.
We cut from thick sheet steel top part for forge
We weld the corners of the body at the bottom and top.
We drill one hole in the corners and tighten the lower and upper parts of the forge with pins.
We cut out a stand for the forge from profile pipes, and then weld all the parts in accordance with the drawing.
We install the forge on the stand.
We attach a pipe to the chamber to remove combustion products.
We place a gas burner inside the chamber and attach it to the point of entry into the chamber.
The outside of the body is sheathed with thin-sheet steel, having previously cut out parts with the right sizes. We weld all seams with a continuous seam.

Making your own forge is not only an inexpensive and relatively uncomplicated process, but also allows you to get an installation for specific needs.

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