Forge forge at home. Homemade mini horn
Hello humanity, today I will tell you how to make a forge with a temperature of up to 1100 degrees Celsius. In a forge, a forge is used to heat metal before forging, cementing and other heat treatment operations. When working with metal, it is almost always necessary. The forge will be coal, so it will be closer to nature. In addition, it is very reminiscent of the historical forge that our ancestors used. And most importantly, it will be simple, both to manufacture and to use.
We will need the following materials:
- Fire brick. The most common refractory bricks are red and fireclay. Even though I used red, I recommend taking the second one. Since it can withstand high temperatures, and red can crack and break over time. You only need 12 bricks.
- Fireclay clay. Any refractory clay will do. But fireclay is the most common. I bought a forty kg bag, but it's too much. Ten is enough. It is ideal to take twenty kg, so that if there is clay, you can cover up cracks, make injection molds, etc.
- Construction sand. If yours is not new, like mine, it needs to be sifted through a special screen.
- Iron pipe with a diameter of 25-30 mm.
You will also need some tools and consumables (a bucket, gloves, a hacksaw, etc.), I’ll tell you about them later.
Forge chamber
First, let's figure out what the forge will look like. I visually arranged all the bricks as they would be in the finished furnace.The blowing will be sideways. Oxygen will be driven into the forge chamber through an iron tube. It needs to be filed at 45 degrees on one side, although I never did. We insert it into the camera at an angle too. The photographs show how we will lay bricks together with clay.
Let's prepare the clay
I mixed it in a nine-liter bucket. Mix clay and sand in a 1:1 ratio. Next we add clean water. Knead the clay until it reaches the following condition. You need to roll a small ball, put it on one palm, and start pressing it with the other. Cracks should appear when it is squeezed halfway. In terms of consistency, it should resemble... Well, it doesn’t matter what.Next, generously lubricate with clay all the joints between the bricks, all the internal and external parts. This way the heat will remain in the chamber for a long time. Lubricate the joints between the iron pipe and the bricks well with clay. The brick that serves as the back wall can be left unattached. This way you can move it aside and work with long workpieces. Of the top bricks, I attached only the outermost one with clay. This way the forge can be used both open and closed.
The pipe can also be improved to regulate the air supply. It can be sawed in the middle and threaded on both sides. Now we screw into the part in the furnace a plumbing tee with a tap, something like this:
So, by opening the tap, we can regulate the air supply. But I gave up on that too.
A few words about the air supply itself
Of course, something must force delicious oxygen into this pipe, which will heat the coals in the chamber to hellish temperatures. You can use blacksmith bellows. The kind our ancestors used in their forges. But this is not the most the best option, you need at least a couple of bellows to get the required temperature, and it would be nice to have an assistant who will tirelessly press the bellows.It is much more productive to use electric leaf blowers. For example, a turbine for inflating mattresses. I used an old Soviet vacuum cleaner. You can even twist the hose from blowing in to blowing out, but it broke. I had to tape the bag on the side where the air is blown out.
A little about using the forge
I used it for forging and casting. It melts aluminum and other non-ferrous metals in a matter of seconds. We were able to cast some parts using foam molds in sand and clay molds. He melted aluminum cans in a special crucible. Next, the molten metal was cast into sand and plaster molds.It is well suited for forging knives or some small metal products. We will talk about making knives from files in my next article.
One of the photos shows a heated forging, however, the color rendition is not at all the same. Due to the bright sun, it is impossible to determine the temperature of the workpiece by color. That’s why the forges used to be in twilight. Here is a video of the forge in action.
Lighting the forge
Everything is very simple here. The forge runs on coals, so you just pour coals into inner part and light them like in a barbecue - using a highly flammable liquid. Next, apply air. In a few minutes the forge will heat up to 1000 degrees, and this is not the limit; the heat will also remain in it for a long time.Blacksmithing can be both an unusual hobby and a highly paid profession. Professional blacksmiths receive very good money for their hard work!
In the old days, blacksmithing was held in high esteem. Not everyone could master it, not everyone had the opportunity to acquire necessary tool and set up a workshop. Nowadays you can make a forge with your own hands without involving serious funds. Even simple design will give you the opportunity to heat the metal to the required temperature and try your hand at forging.
Forge
People with creative inclinations who are engaged in design work are often faced with the desire to use decorative metal elements self made. You can make such things using forging.
Thin sheet metal can be stamped, bent or embossed without heating. It will not be possible to process a thick workpiece without this. There is no point in trying to make a tool from carbon steel.
If you equip your blacksmith's workshop with a hearth and a massive anvil, you don't have to pay much attention to the thickness of the workpiece. When hot, it will be able to forge, bend and flatten. The main thing in this process is a properly equipped forge.
Perhaps not everyone can do it with their own hands, but for a true connoisseur of the craft who is familiar with the structure, features and operating principle of the device, it will be possible. As experienced craftsmen assure, a simple forge can be built even from six bricks.
Purpose of the forge
Before forging, the steel billet must be heated to light orange color. This will approximately correspond to a temperature of 1000-1100° C. In this state, the metal can be subject to deformation by an impact tool.
As the workpiece cools, it becomes less ductile and more difficult to forge. And if you use a heavier tool, the metal becomes brittle and susceptible to cracking. The only option is constant maintenance forging temperature. However, temperatures above 1000°C cannot be achieved in a conventional oven. To do this, you need a fireplace with forced air supply.
A hand-made forge can be used to heat metal to forging temperature. In addition, it can also be used for other jobs. It is suitable for melting metal and then pouring it into a mold, for hardening tools, and for soldering using brass and copper.
Types of designs
First you need to decide what type of fuel the metal will be heated with. Traditionally, forges used charcoal or coal (coke) for these purposes. Except solid fuel You can use natural main and liquefied gas, as well as petroleum products (gasoline, fuel oil, white spirit, etc.).
Depending on the type of fuel, the design of the working area of the forge will differ. It will also depend on the method and location of the outbreak. If this is a stationary structure, then it makes sense to make the base massive and solid, using brick and a channel for removing combustion products.
For mobile forge would be better suited lightweight, collapsible version of the hearth. It is convenient because in winter you can work indoors, and in summer, if necessary, the workshop is moved outdoors. Fresh air. This design is easy to disassemble and transport to the desired location.
Another feature is an open or closed combustion chamber. If a homemade forge has a dome or a round shape, the metal in it will heat up faster, since heat loss is noticeably reduced. On the other hand, it will be impossible to work with long or massive workpieces in a closed-type fireplace, and this must be immediately taken into account.
You should start by choosing the type of base. For a stationary hearth, a brick is suitable, for a mobile hearth - metal constructions. The base should be located on optimal height for ease of use. A fireplace for solid fuel requires the presence of a working combustion zone. It can be lined with fire bricks, lined or made of steel plate.
Another important element- grate that holds coals in the combustion zone and provides access air flow, which fans the heat from below. Injection is usually carried out through a pipeline with a flow regulator. The source of boost is a vacuum cleaner with reverse air supply, a hair dryer, a “snail” with an engine from a car heater. There are drawings blacksmith's forge, where a turbine from a manual siren or bellows is used, as was done in the old days. The hearth may have side walls and a roof with a channel for removing combustion products.
The designs of furnaces operating on liquid or gaseous fuel are distinguished by the absence of a grate. The combustible mixture and air are supplied through an opening in the housing. For these purposes, a section of thick-walled pipe or a used tank is often adapted. domestic compressor lined with fireproof material. The fireplaces are also laid out in the shape of a cube from heat-resistant bricks.
Principle of operation
Even a person with no blacksmithing experience can assemble a forge from six bricks with his own hands. The device can operate from the supercharging of a gasoline burner. Two bricks are laid flat on the ground - this will be the bottom. Two more are placed on them edge-on - these are walls. Moreover, the back of the bricks is reduced to limit heat loss. Their location can also to some extent regulate the temperature inside the working area. The last two bricks are placed on top - this will be the vault.
The grates can be made from a 4 mm steel strip. Two pieces of half-inch pipe are placed along the walls. Grate bars are placed on them. Moreover, they need to be wrapped in a “propeller” in the central part so that the air flow is captured by the planes and directed upwards, where the coal is located.
The gasoline burner is ignited and directed into the firebox. It can immediately be buried in the ground and fenced off with a sheet of asbestos from the heat of the working area. To do this, a hole is made and a stream of burning gasoline vapor is directed through it to ignite the coal. The temperature is maintained by the burner adjustment valve.
Solid fuel forge
For one-time or infrequent blacksmithing work, you can set up a hearth simply on the ground by digging a recess required size and laying it out with refractory bricks. It is most suitable for heating metal with solid fuel. Another option for table material is a thick (at least 5 mm) steel plate. You will also need to install a grate made of steel strip or cast iron. It can be replaced by steel pipe air supply. Its end is welded. In the combustion zone, the grinder cuts slots through which the escaping air will disperse the heat.
How to make a forge simple and mobile? You can weld a frame from scrap materials and install a steel tabletop on them. The design of the base from a used old one is interesting, convenient and practical. gas stove. A tabletop with a combustion zone is installed on top. The oven serves to house a vacuum cleaner or other source of airflow. At the bottom there is also a compartment for tools and accessories.
Craftsmen consider this type of hearth to be the most economical and effective. Gas is an inexpensive and accessible fuel. The design of the hearth is simpler for it, since there is no need for a grate. Adjusting the gas supply with a tap is convenient, which means achieving the required temperature in work area It will be easier. The design of the forge may consist of a minimum set of elements. It is enough to adapt a suitable base for it.
However, this also has its own characteristics. Gas is an explosive substance, so you need to work even more carefully. Adjusting the supply of the combustible mixture also requires experience and practice. Otherwise, everything is not so difficult. The brick cube is folded according to the dimensions of the planned blanks. Back wall- deaf. The hole in front is covered with bricks or a door is installed. A place is installed on top for the entrance of the pipe through which the combustible mixture is supplied. Its length is different schemes is different. There are craftsmen who make it up to 1.5 m long, and they say that mixing the combustible mixture works better this way.
Natural or liquefied gas after the reducer is supplied to this pipe through a nozzle. Air is pumped there. The combustion intensity is regulated by the gas supply and the pressurization speed. When working indoors, it is necessary to install an exhaust hood above the forge. Otherwise, designs can either become more complicated (lining, thermocouples, forced removal of combustion products, additional dampers) or, conversely, simplified.
There are no standards for the home craftsman. The main thing is to know the principle of operation, select materials, maintain the technology, obtain the required temperature and at the same time observe safety precautions.
Well, how much we love wild abstruse definitions: special heating devices for the purpose of increasing the plastic characteristics of the metal. Let's try to translate all this disgrace into human language.
A forge is essentially a stove. It is clear that with its own characteristics, varieties and technological nuances, but it’s still a stove. It is needed to heat metal parts to a temperature so that they can be forged, that is, subjected to deformation.
This is the main and general fact for all kinds of forges - from primitive country crafts on bricks to industrial furnaces with many technological features of application and purpose.
Two main and only properties are required from a forge stove: produce a very high temperature, up to 1200 - 1500°C and the ability to maintain desired temperature for a certain time. In other words, we need strong and even heat.
At what temperature do metals become forgeable, that is, begin to be ductile? This is different for all metals and alloys. Here's a visual sign that metal part heated to the required temperature, also common - this is the orange color of the part.
All metals respond to heat by changing color from dark red to piercing white. So the orange color is a signal that you can start real blacksmithing work on metal.
Drawing of a blacksmith's forge.
The only metal that behaves quite meanly and does not change its color when heated is aluminum. It is not the easiest metal to forge and weld in principle; with aluminum you need to know and apply many special requirements.
So, the absence of an orange color while it has already warmed up for forging is a significant factor that makes it difficult to work with this capricious metal and its alloys. After all, you can’t overheat. Underheating is also no good.
Classification of forges
There are several criteria by which you can classify all these stoves into neat types.
Most often, forges are divided according to the type of fuel on which they operate:
Solid fuel forges
They run on coal. Their use is becoming less and less common, since coal is a fuel that does not provide a stable and even fire, which is the most important requirement to the blacksmith's forge. Not only that, such stoves require not just coal, but high-quality coking wood coal or hard coal of the same quality.
There are lovers of such exotic things, so below we will focus on a couple of tips for arranging such a stove.
Gas forges
We will talk about this type of stove in detail: they are the most common in both home handicraft workshops and professionally equipped forging centers. The gas forge is, without a doubt, the favorite tool of domestic blacksmiths.
Liquid
Here the main type of fuel is fuel oil.
Coal forge forge.
According to the design decision, forges are divided into closed and open. In size they come in small, medium and large. That, in fact, is the entire classification of forges. A homemade forge for forging is a very real thing and, most importantly, necessary on the farm.
The main thing is to decide which kind of forge suits you. And to do this, you must clearly know what kind of blacksmithing products you are going to make, for whom and in what quantity.
Basic design of a homemade forge
The first question is: what kind of forge should I make - open or closed? The answer will depend on your plans - what are you going to do in your blacksmith shop? If this is a hobby in the form of artistic forging in small quantities exclusively for the home and gifts for relatives, then it will be quite enough for you to acquire an open forge.
It is much simpler and will cost you less in terms of money and labor costs. An open forge makes it easier to heat massive or long parts.
If you plan to work seriously with metals, for example, to earn money, then we would advise you to build a closed forge with your own hands.
These are the parts that make up a well-assembled forge:
- frame on racks for support, everything must be made of steel;
- under – bottom or Bottom part forge walls;
- slide-type damper with special holes to accelerate metal heating and save fuel;
- fan;
- smoke exhaust pipe
- linings – thermal protection of the stove in the form of fireclay bricks;
- recuperator - a special device for returning the generated heat in the form of furnace gases and, thus, effective use resources.
Building a solid fuel forge
The main disadvantage of solid fuel forges is that coal itself cannot produce the required temperature above 1000°C. Therefore, such stoves always require a feed air jet. Previously, these were bellows, now more often the air is supplied through a pipe with a welded end, also made of steel.
The easiest way is to dig such a stove directly in the ground - just line the hole with fireproof bricks. A homemade forge can be made differently: from a steel plate of decent thickness, build a table with a grate made of cast iron or steel.
Grate for the forge.
The plate for the table must be made from a blank with a thickness of at least 5 mm. If you install an open design forge outdoors, you will not need to deal with special ventilation.
Here are the main steps for building a homemade coal-fired forge:
- Build a platform for the foundation with concrete and reinforced rods.
- Fold the bricks into a rectangular base; the table surface can be of any height.
- Make a hole in any wall of the base for the blower.
- Assemble the floor from special refractory bricks onto the base.
- Install a grate with holes, which must also be made of fire-resistant material, for which a cast-iron door from an old stove is perfect.
- After installing the grate, add walls made of the same refractory brick.
- Do not forget to leave a hole in one wall for air supply; it is better to do this immediately when laying bricks.
- Install a fan into the air supply pipe.
- If you do closed design, be sure to build a chimney, which is absolutely necessary for draft.
Such a forge can be made mobile - it all depends on you. Excellent frame An old gas stove can serve as a solid fuel forge.
Building a gas forge
Before you start building a gas forge with your own hands, you need to determine the parameters of the hearth - its area.
There is a clever formula for this:
N is the productivity of the hearth, which depends on the tension H and the hearth area F. It has been calculated that the gas supply speed in the range from 1 to 1.5 m/sec is sufficient to optimally maintain the required temperature in the hearth.
Scheme gas burner for forge
You know the area of your workshop and the approximate number of forging parts in kilograms that you plan to produce. With this data you derive the hearth tension with a maximum permissible upper limit of 150 kg/m².
Necessary materials you need to get started:
- fire-resistant brick such as dinas or chamotte;
- plates with a thickness of at least 5 mm made of heat-resistant steel;
- steel profile for the racks, frame and valve of the hearth;
- chimney pipe and ventilation duct of steel;
- putty for sealing cracks between bricks with heat-resistant properties;
- sheet metal or an additional layer of refractory bricks for lining on the outside;
- burners from high-power double-circuit boilers;
- fan;
Gas forges can also be open. With it everything is much simpler; it will be enough to install grate bars with an air supply for greater heating efficiency. In this case, combustion substances are removed by a fan made of heat-resistant metal.
It is better to place the support frame close to one of the walls of your workshop. The choice of wall must be made taking into account the need for a chimney and ventilation tube, so it is better not to use adjacent walls, if any.
The most important condition is strict adherence to the rules fire safety which consists in using only fireproof and heat-resistant materials. It doesn't hurt to check what your workshop walls are made of. We treat various types of plasterboard structures with great caution.
It is better to weld the racks and the frame itself from low-alloy steel according to drawings that can be downloaded on the Internet. Low-alloy steel is strong, lightweight and, most importantly, resistant to specific high-temperature corrosion. The external lining must be thought out in advance so that holes for its fastening are immediately made in the support frame.
Now about refractory bricks and masonry. It is important to buy real certified fireclay bricks made in accordance with GOST 390-79. If you purchase a brick that does not meet the standard, you risk that ordinary bricks will begin to melt at a temperature of 1000°C.
Real fireclay bricks are cream-colored with small pores in small quantities, they are much heavier than ordinary ceramic ones, the weight of one large fireclay brick reaches 5 kg. The most suitable brands of fireclay are ShB, ShA and ShPD.
Construction of a forge.
The second type of refractory bricks is dinas. These bricks are more expensive, but more resistant to high temperatures: they can withstand temperatures of 1800°C. They are lighter than fireclay bricks due to the high proportion of silicon salts in their composition.
If you have the opportunity, it is better to line the forge with silica brick: forges made of refractory silica brick are more durable and can withstand the most severe temperature conditions.
The bricks are laid with a mortar of refractory clay with the addition of fireclay and silica powder in a precise proportion of 60:40. Treat the chimney and fan around the perimeter with metal corners.
The most important final stage is drying the entire structure. After this, you need to check how the fans for the forge work. And only then will it be possible to perform a test run.
How to make a burner for a gas forge
Besides general instructions how to make a forge, there are rules for installing a gas burner. Burner gas forge can be purchased in a store, or can be made independently.
You need to make a gas forge burner yourself, taking into account the requirements for it:
- ignition of gas should be completely safe;
- combustion must be stable;
- resistance to humidity inside the furnace;
- safety in case of changes in thrust and the risk of explosion of a flammable substance.
The burner is installed through a pre-prepared lining hole. The mouth of the burner is attached to a confuser, which is pulled through a steel gasket. Then pipes for supplying gas and air are installed.
Gas is supplied to the burner from a cylinder or network under the control of regulators. A test run of gas is carried out to check the regulators and pressure, and monitor the smell.
Forge
Portable forge design
This type of forge will be appropriate if there is a need for rare repairs, in field conditions, transfer from one place to another and the like. In most cases, portable forges are made in a collapsible version. The main disadvantage specified type The forge has low productivity, as a result of which it cannot be used for forging large products, as well as when performing large-scale work.
Portable forges are most often made by hand, as a result of which they can be completely different designs. A portable forge in most cases represents metal table, which is lined with refractory bricks. The most important part of this type of forge is the tuyere. To maintain fuel combustion, forced air supply is used, this is performed using mechanical devices in the form of hand or foot bellows, as well as using a fan, etc.
Various fuels can be used as fuel for the forge: gas mixtures, liquid fuels and solid fuels. Liquid forms are of petroleum origin: tar, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene, petroleum. Solid fuel can be in the form of peat, coal, coke, firewood and the like.
Possibility to make a forge yourself
In order to make a forge yourself at home, you can use various available materials and tools; this does not require the presence special equipment. First of all, you should decide for what purpose you need a forge. From this you can find out the temperature to which the forge will have to heat the workpiece. As a result, knowing the required temperature, you can select necessary design, as well as the fuel on which it will run.
The design of open models is more practical, but they have a certain drawback - they are not as economical as closed models. Therefore, it is worth thinking about what to choose. For an open fire, it is best to use gas fuel, while for a closed fire, solid fuel is best.
To create a closed forge using improvised means, you can use the following materials:
1. fire bricks;
2. hood;
3. injection burner;
It is necessary to form a cube from bricks with a cavity inside, as well as a hole. The cube-shaped brick structure should be carefully secured using reinforcement or a frame made of other strong material. The burner must be fixed in one of the side bricks by entering the hole. To create safety and comfort of work, the hood should be mounted at the top of the structure at a convenient distance.
To make a forge open type you should use the following materials:
1. frame made of steel or bricks;
2. grill (frying pan with holes);
3. source of air supply in the form of a fur, vacuum cleaner or fan;
4. solid fuel.
Using the frame, a table is formed on which the mesh must be laid. Using the selected device, air is supplied from the corresponding hole under the mesh. To regulate the automatic air flow, it is recommended to install a tap. In the case of mechanical regulation, the flow will have to be regulated independently.
Fuel is placed on the grate. First, wood chips and larger firewood are placed, then coke is added. It is necessary to ignite the fuel and turn on the blower, the workpiece is placed on the coke. You can also pour a little coke on top of the heated iron. As a result, a small vault is created in the thickness with a high temperature inside it. Instead of coke, it is quite possible to use ordinary wood waste. You can also use various other devices inherent in industrial installations.
A forge in artisanal conditions can produce temperatures of up to 1200 degrees, which is quite enough for forging steel. However, how difficult is it to make and what do you need to know about the fireplace requirements? How to make a simple forge with your own hands and what types of furnaces can be assembled in your workshop? More on this later in our article.
Even 100-120 years ago, the main type of fuel was coal; all major production equipment, including forges, ran on it. Today, the variety of fuels allows you to different kinds ovens, almost in a “pocket” format, but quite effective and efficient.
For example, in the presented video there is a homemade forge for forging, made from a tin can and a small gas burner.
Depending on the type of fuel used and design features, the following types of forging hearths are distinguished.
- Gas, liquid and solid fuel.
- With open and closed hearth.
- Portable and stationary.
Which of these types to choose and make will depend on the planned work and the size of the workpieces being processed.
How to make a gas forge
Despite the time-tested solid fuel types of fireplaces, gas analogues have many more advantages.
Main positive points- economical fuel consumption, uniform heating of the workpiece, sulfur does not accumulate on the heated metal, higher useful action.
How to make a gas forge with your own hands and what is needed for this?
Usually, each master makes any device for a homemade forge furnace to suit himself and his personal preferences. But the basic design concept is the same. Construction of a forge forge gas fuel consists of two parts: a stove and a gas burner.
You can assemble a good device using this video:
- For such a design you will need metal container: barrel, bucket or something similar.
- On the side, you need to use a crown to make a hole for the gas supply system to the hearth.
- The burner itself can be assembled from pipe elements and couplings.
- For the legs on which such a forge will stand, you need to drill holes in the bottom of the container and use fasteners made of long bolts and nuts.
- The lining of the hearth is made by backfilling alabaster with the addition of water and sand. In this case, you need to form the internal walls. You can use a ceramic pipe as a casing (as in the video) or form a fireplace using a bottle of a suitable size.
- When the lining is ready, you need to drill a hole for the gas supply.
The advantage of this design is its compactness, mobility, and, most importantly, you can regulate the heating temperature of the workpiece (different steels have different forging temperatures).
Also gas type the forge can be assembled from brick. To do this, you need to purchase a fireproof type of this wall material. To bind it together, it is better to use clay.
To supply gas, a hole is drilled in the brick structure for the existing burner.
Important! When using a gas forge in the workshop there must be a powerful forced ventilation to remove combustion products!
How can regular fuel be used? domestic gas, which is sold in cylinders and is relatively cheap. And most importantly, its supply can be replenished at any gas station!
This homemade forge, powered by propane, allows you to heat many grades of steel to the required temperature.
Manufacturing of solid fuel forge
The combustion of solid fuel by itself cannot produce the required temperature, so to increase it, such structures must have an additional air supply system. The design of the furnace itself will also depend on personal preferences and the size of the workpieces being processed.
In old workshops, bellows were previously used for this, pumping them to create a powerful stream of air supplied to the hearth.
How to assemble such a solid fuel forge?
The simplest design is an open top stove installed outdoors. Its advantage is that you don’t need to bother with arranging powerful ventilation.
- Initially filled concrete base, preferably with reinforcement.
- The base is initially assembled on it using ordinary wall bricks. This table can be of any convenient height. In this case, you need to leave a hole in one of the walls. The so-called blower. The result should be a square or rectangle.
- The next step is assembling the actual lower surface of the oven (under). It is assembled from refractory bricks, which are laid on bases, for example, from steel corners.
- A hole for the grate is left in the center of the future hearth. For the manufacture of this element, heat-resistant material is used. Perfect fit cast iron stove from an old stove. You need to pre-drill holes in it.
- When the grate is installed, the walls are made of the same refractory brick.
- A hole is made in one of the walls for the air supply system. It can be drilled out using a drill and a diamond bit. Or leave it in advance when laying.
- If the top is assembled, then the chimney will also have to be folded, otherwise there will be no draft in a closed stove, and even indoors.
When the work is completed, the air supply system is installed. Here you can install an electric fan in the pipe. Or construct blacksmith bellows, as shown in the video:
Such a simple device is quite suitable for forging with your own hands. Despite their primitive design, such stoves have been used for hundreds of years, although they have their drawbacks.
The main disadvantage is the difficulty in controlling the process and uneven heating of the workpieces. Also quite low efficiency compared to gas and more high consumption fuel.
Liquid devices
It is possible to equip a forge with liquid fuel, using mining, diesel fuel or fuel oil as the latter.
The difficulty lies in supplying the required amount of fuel to the combustion chamber.
When assembling such a stove, they install a fuel tank and a system for supplying it to the fireplace - a nozzle. The main problem is to ensure that the fuel is sprayed into a fine dust for the system to be effective.
For more high temperature It will also be necessary to arrange an air supply. It is best to use an electric fan.
However, a liquid fuel forging furnace is quite complex to maintain and assemble. It is much easier to assemble a gas analogue, and the fuel will cost much less, and less of it will be required. But some craftsmen assemble such furnaces and use them for their forge.
When deciding which type of forge to assemble with your own hands, you need to be guided by the needs and planned types of work. Forged knives are not required large sizes hearth and, if such small forgings are created, it is not worth assembling a large stationary structure. It's much easier to make it small portable type stoves, preferably gas.
Of course, when planning the production of more massive products, it is best to make a stationary brick forge with a powerful blower and exhaust hood.
Also important is the choice of fuel. Gas is a cheaper and simpler option, coal (wood or stone) is somewhat more difficult to use and requires a larger amount in terms of the weight of the workpiece. What to choose depends on your preference and access to fuel supplies.
To take part in the discussion of this material, go to the comments of this article. Leave your comments, supported by experience in assembly and use various designs blacksmith forges.