08-14-2015, 08:18 AM
This is something I pulled together from scrap parts laying around a few years back. A classic example of make it up as you go along, using nothing but crap that you have laying around!
The forge section is an old split rim off a Toyota Landcruiser. The base is another rim but could be anything that provides a stable platform. The air is piped through the column (which is simply a section of pipe), where a plate is welded over the centre of the bottom of the rim, covering the hub and the six stud holes.
I then welded a plate over the hub hole and blew some small holes through with the plasma cutter. I had to put some baffles over the stud holes, as turning on the air tended to shoot hot coals into the air! I also used some mesh to block other holes around the rim to stop coals dropping through. Finally I cut two sections out so I could heat longer parts without having them roll off.
Finally, I added a couple of sections of pipe to the underside, through which a couple of lengths of pipe can be slipped through and the forge moved whilst hot (if needed).
As I mentioned in the home made tools thread, I made it for annealing and melting aluminium and lead etc. As such, I use hardwood off-cuts that I get free from a friend who runs a hardwood timber flooring business. I've tried BBQ heat beads and they can get the job done but produce a lot of ash. The hardwood leaves coals behind and very little ash.
Here I am making some (rudimentary) tongs - 1. no air, 2. air (perhaps a little much), 3. the tongs taking shape and 4. the aftermath.
Here is a drill coupler that I am annealing - 1. ready to come out of the fire and 2. in the ash bucket waiting to be covered with ash and left to cool slowly.
I have tried a few different methods of air delivery from an old vacuum cleaner, a heater fan off a car and a fan from an industrial theater light. However, I cannot recall which worked the best. The vacuum had lots of air but was very noisy and I think the bearing in the heater fan crapped out. I'll have to fire it up soon and see which I want to use. I have a half shaft that could do with annealing.
The forge section is an old split rim off a Toyota Landcruiser. The base is another rim but could be anything that provides a stable platform. The air is piped through the column (which is simply a section of pipe), where a plate is welded over the centre of the bottom of the rim, covering the hub and the six stud holes.
I then welded a plate over the hub hole and blew some small holes through with the plasma cutter. I had to put some baffles over the stud holes, as turning on the air tended to shoot hot coals into the air! I also used some mesh to block other holes around the rim to stop coals dropping through. Finally I cut two sections out so I could heat longer parts without having them roll off.
Finally, I added a couple of sections of pipe to the underside, through which a couple of lengths of pipe can be slipped through and the forge moved whilst hot (if needed).
As I mentioned in the home made tools thread, I made it for annealing and melting aluminium and lead etc. As such, I use hardwood off-cuts that I get free from a friend who runs a hardwood timber flooring business. I've tried BBQ heat beads and they can get the job done but produce a lot of ash. The hardwood leaves coals behind and very little ash.
Here I am making some (rudimentary) tongs - 1. no air, 2. air (perhaps a little much), 3. the tongs taking shape and 4. the aftermath.
Here is a drill coupler that I am annealing - 1. ready to come out of the fire and 2. in the ash bucket waiting to be covered with ash and left to cool slowly.
I have tried a few different methods of air delivery from an old vacuum cleaner, a heater fan off a car and a fan from an industrial theater light. However, I cannot recall which worked the best. The vacuum had lots of air but was very noisy and I think the bearing in the heater fan crapped out. I'll have to fire it up soon and see which I want to use. I have a half shaft that could do with annealing.
Hunting American dentists since 2015.