This is my WIP for my forge. With December being such a busy month, I finished assembly but haven't fired it up to dry it out yet (I will explain later). I am planning on doing it tomorrow, and I can post some updated pics at that point. I will include various measurements and why I did what I did. Questions are welcome.
I am extremely knew to knife making. I've not built a knife yet. I have plans for everything, and tons of books, but I knew I needed equipment first before I could get going. I'd decided after being allowed to participate in smithing a few things with a friend that I would learn to forge knives. I wanted to assemble tools slowly, and I honestly felt I could build my forge cheaper than an assembled version and also one that is better suited to what I *think* my needs will be. So, with that I decided to get started on my forge.
I searched everywhere for information, and tons of plans and examples were available but most were for coal forges or used Kaowool or equivalent fiber based blanket. I'm in Florida, and coal isn't readily available, and also with neighbors, I figure the smoke might not be wise. That is why I elected to build a propane forge. I didn't like the idea of using such a potentially dangerous material as the Kaowool or equivalent. That is why I elected to use 2600 degree soft firebrick (I could have used 2300, but I prefer to overbuild!). The bricks I purchased are 9" long, 4.5" tall and 2.5" wide. I sat down to draw up a plan of how to configure the bricks to create a chamber. I knew that I wanted to keep my forge small. I'm just starting out and anything I could expect to forge would be small, plus it is more efficient to heat and also means I can get temperatures as high as I could ever want. I initially created a cube design, but didn't like it as it wasn't very deep. I also read somewhere that having a rear opening can come in immensely handy at times. Even if I some day wanted to force a blade that is 15 inches long, I can easily accomplish this despite my forging chamber being only 9 inches long, 4.5 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide. I tried a few different ones and finally settled on the one you see below (the Door views were actually added to my plan AFTER my initial rough assembly, I will explain why later). I had heard the bricks were soft so I ordered 12 though my plan only calls for 10. I thought if some were damaged in shipping I would still be able to get started or if I damaged one and couldn't use it, I'd have a back up. They came in perfect shape and it turns out the extras work out since I can carve slots in them to hold hot steel as it cools.
The bricks only create a box whose front is 9.5" Tall by 9" wide, with a depth of 13.5".
I started a rough assembly just to see if there were any kinks I hadn't anticipated. Which there were! First was the door. I almost started cutting it out square, but I realized that if I did there was the potential for it to get off center and could lodge. I didn't want to chance that, so I decided to cut the sides at an angle to form a trapezoid (top down view). I guess you could say it looks like a pyramid with the top cut off. This shape assures me it goes in the same way each and every time, it can't get lodged and it can't go in too far. Next issue, how do I cut the top of the door? It is in the middle of this brick, which is VERY fragile. You can literally cut grooves in it with your fingernail. Its at an odd angle so I can't use a drill press (at least not mine) and I don't have a mill. I'd like the door to remain as close to the size of the opening in order to minimize heat loss. Since the brick is so easily cut, I thought of a rope saw. I didn't have anything small enough, but I did have picture hanging wire. It worked amazingly well! Since it was woven it kind of added to the cutting action. Keeping it parallel was difficult, but I had drawn lines on the brick to guide me. I also just made enough room to pass the hacksaw blade in, and used that the rest of the way.
This is the front of the Forge, showing the front door opening. It doesn't quite show the door angles, but there will be some later that do.
Once I stacked the bricks together, I had to move them. I had placed them on a board I had and as I moved them, I noticed the side bricks both moved very easily. While I had decided that my frame would have side braces to prevent them from falling out, I hadn't thought of them falling inwards. The front and rear bricks which had doors had an extra 1/4 inch each extending beyond the floor and ceiling bricks. I decided to cut 1/4 inch from each interior side of the front and rear 'door' bricks. This resulted in a flush exterior and also a point of contact for the side bricks so they could not fall inwards. This can be seen in the below picture.
Top view of the rough assembly. The front door is also showing with the angles more prominent.
Side view of rough assembly, the small slivers in front are where I cut out the back sides of the bricks to prevent the inward sliding.
I cut out the rear door and put the rest of the bricks together. This is the view through the chamber and out the back.
More information to follow!
I am extremely knew to knife making. I've not built a knife yet. I have plans for everything, and tons of books, but I knew I needed equipment first before I could get going. I'd decided after being allowed to participate in smithing a few things with a friend that I would learn to forge knives. I wanted to assemble tools slowly, and I honestly felt I could build my forge cheaper than an assembled version and also one that is better suited to what I *think* my needs will be. So, with that I decided to get started on my forge.
I searched everywhere for information, and tons of plans and examples were available but most were for coal forges or used Kaowool or equivalent fiber based blanket. I'm in Florida, and coal isn't readily available, and also with neighbors, I figure the smoke might not be wise. That is why I elected to build a propane forge. I didn't like the idea of using such a potentially dangerous material as the Kaowool or equivalent. That is why I elected to use 2600 degree soft firebrick (I could have used 2300, but I prefer to overbuild!). The bricks I purchased are 9" long, 4.5" tall and 2.5" wide. I sat down to draw up a plan of how to configure the bricks to create a chamber. I knew that I wanted to keep my forge small. I'm just starting out and anything I could expect to forge would be small, plus it is more efficient to heat and also means I can get temperatures as high as I could ever want. I initially created a cube design, but didn't like it as it wasn't very deep. I also read somewhere that having a rear opening can come in immensely handy at times. Even if I some day wanted to force a blade that is 15 inches long, I can easily accomplish this despite my forging chamber being only 9 inches long, 4.5 inches tall and 4.5 inches wide. I tried a few different ones and finally settled on the one you see below (the Door views were actually added to my plan AFTER my initial rough assembly, I will explain why later). I had heard the bricks were soft so I ordered 12 though my plan only calls for 10. I thought if some were damaged in shipping I would still be able to get started or if I damaged one and couldn't use it, I'd have a back up. They came in perfect shape and it turns out the extras work out since I can carve slots in them to hold hot steel as it cools.
The bricks only create a box whose front is 9.5" Tall by 9" wide, with a depth of 13.5".
I started a rough assembly just to see if there were any kinks I hadn't anticipated. Which there were! First was the door. I almost started cutting it out square, but I realized that if I did there was the potential for it to get off center and could lodge. I didn't want to chance that, so I decided to cut the sides at an angle to form a trapezoid (top down view). I guess you could say it looks like a pyramid with the top cut off. This shape assures me it goes in the same way each and every time, it can't get lodged and it can't go in too far. Next issue, how do I cut the top of the door? It is in the middle of this brick, which is VERY fragile. You can literally cut grooves in it with your fingernail. Its at an odd angle so I can't use a drill press (at least not mine) and I don't have a mill. I'd like the door to remain as close to the size of the opening in order to minimize heat loss. Since the brick is so easily cut, I thought of a rope saw. I didn't have anything small enough, but I did have picture hanging wire. It worked amazingly well! Since it was woven it kind of added to the cutting action. Keeping it parallel was difficult, but I had drawn lines on the brick to guide me. I also just made enough room to pass the hacksaw blade in, and used that the rest of the way.
This is the front of the Forge, showing the front door opening. It doesn't quite show the door angles, but there will be some later that do.
Once I stacked the bricks together, I had to move them. I had placed them on a board I had and as I moved them, I noticed the side bricks both moved very easily. While I had decided that my frame would have side braces to prevent them from falling out, I hadn't thought of them falling inwards. The front and rear bricks which had doors had an extra 1/4 inch each extending beyond the floor and ceiling bricks. I decided to cut 1/4 inch from each interior side of the front and rear 'door' bricks. This resulted in a flush exterior and also a point of contact for the side bricks so they could not fall inwards. This can be seen in the below picture.
Top view of the rough assembly. The front door is also showing with the angles more prominent.
Side view of rough assembly, the small slivers in front are where I cut out the back sides of the bricks to prevent the inward sliding.
I cut out the rear door and put the rest of the bricks together. This is the view through the chamber and out the back.
More information to follow!