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Posted by Charly the Bastard on November 27, 2005, 6:19 pm
Please log in for more thread options charles wrote:
> Do people ever successfully use 55 gallon drums to make forges.?
> I wondering if such would have a large enough diameter for a 'newbie' to
> start with?
> I'm considering putting 2 inches of firebrick in the bottom with a rim about
> 8 inches higher, for the coal.
> Then welding on bipod legs with a wheel barrel type third support, making it
> movable. 2 slide out pipe handles. A breeze protector and a smoke cone
> would finish it. I've located a hand forge blower setup..complete with
> tuyree.
> I would sure appreciate any comments.
> . . . charlie
Okay, structural sheetmetal 101. If you cut a hole in the bottom of the barrel
to let the air in, you need to reinforce the opening with a 'doubler plate'. The
doubler plate is made from the same sheetmetal as the barrel. If the inlet is
round, then the doubler needs to be at least three times the opening diameter.
Fab this out of the top of the barrel and rivit or bolt/screw to the bottom. Two
rings of six fasteners staggered around the rim should do it. The purpose of the
doubler is to spread the load of the bricks, etc., around the opening, which
acts as a stress concentration, into the main body of the bottom. Metal moves
under heat, it gets bigger. This movement will be concentrated around the
opening, hence the need for reinforcment. I'd go with two layers of firebrick
in the bottom, so when the top layer gets fouled with flux, you can change it
out. Firebrick and refractory are considered expendable tooling. It's liable to
weigh in a fair amount, so be sure to consider where the center of balance is
when you build a stand. A forge that falls over in the middle of the job is a
Bad Thing. Make the footprint on the ground larger than the diameter of the
barrel. the higher you stand it, the wider the base needs to be, or you need to
load the base with weight to make it stable. With these thoughs in mind, go for
it. One other thing; a deep small diameter fire concentrates more heat than a
large flat fire. You're not doing burgers. Leave some room down from the lip, a
refractory bucket if you will.
Charly
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