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Forged Products have long been used in industry and in everyday life. They build beautiful fences from them, decorate room fireplaces, visors over front door. Forged flower stands find their place in the rooms of the house. All these things can be made in a home workshop with some equipment.
The forge is able to heat up to a high temperature, so its main purpose is forging decorative metal products.
For forging metal, the main thing is to heat it up to the required temperature. This is done using forge. If on suburban area there is a barn in which you can equip a home workshop with a forge, it is recommended to make a forge with your own hands. Its different designs differ only in the type of fuel used. The rest of the differences are of no fundamental importance.
Blacksmiths often use fuel in the form of coke, it gives a high temperature, emits little waste.
How to make a forge for heating metal before forging?
Before you make a forge, you need to choose the type of forge. Horn closed type has a chamber for heating the workpiece. This design is the most economical in terms of fuel costs. But the size of the blanks has limitations associated with the size of the chamber for heating.
In the blacksmith's forge open type fuel is poured from above onto the grate, air flow is supplied from below. The preheated workpiece is placed on the fuel. This makes it possible to heat large workpieces.
Holes are drilled in a steel plate grate, after which it is inserted into the center of the table.
The sequence of actions in the manufacture of a forge can be as follows:
- The basis of the forge is its table. From there, the construction begins. Its cover is made of metal 4-5 mm thick. The height of the table is 700-800 mm. Its surface is most often made in sizes ranging from 80x80 to 100x150 cm. You can weld a frame from a corner into which to lay refractory bricks and a grate. The grate is usually placed in the center of the table. Can it be made from cast iron pan or from a steel plate 8-10 mm thick, in which holes with a diameter of 10 mm are drilled.
- The grate is inserted into the hole in the table and lined with refractory bricks. The height of the table is made convenient for home master, usually to the level of his waist.
- The air blower is mounted. It can be foot operated, but it is better to use electric fan. For this purpose, it is often used old vacuum cleaner. Its power is quite enough to obtain a jet of air of the desired strength. Well, if there is a speed controller. If not, you can install an additional valve to adjust the air supply. Instead of a vacuum cleaner, some craftsmen use a manual siren drive.
- The whole structure is assembled together. You can start testing.
- Fuel is poured onto the grate. First, wood chips and larger firewood are placed, then coke is added. The blower is turned on, the billet is placed on the coke. On top of the heated iron, you can still add a little coke. Then a small dome with a huge temperature inside it is formed in its thickness. Instead of coke, the use of wood waste is quite acceptable.
Can be fitted with a variety of accessories industrial installations. Sometimes these devices cost almost nothing, but they add convenience to work.
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Compare an industrial forge with a homemade device
Image 1. Scheme of an industrial forge.
Industrial forges include (Picture 1):
- Nozzle for air supply. In our case, its functions are performed by a hose from a vacuum cleaner.
- Refractory bricks that accumulate and hold temperature. In a homemade forge, they can also be present on the desktop.
- Grids on which the fuel is held. IN homemade version they are usually also present.
- Loading slot solid fuel. This device can be equipped with a homemade forge if it is often used in the work of a home master.
- The bricks that make up the frame. In a homemade device, they are not.
- A fan that supplies air to the furnace. In a homemade version, its role is played by an old vacuum cleaner. But you can also fit a separate fan.
- Metal frame holding the desktop. It is available in a custom version.
- Air chamber. It can eventually be made for a home forge.
- Ash pan. A useful addition to a homemade forge for home use if the bugle is used frequently.
- Air duct. To start its function in a homemade forge, a vacuum cleaner hose can successfully perform.
- Casing.
Forge
Portable forge design
This type of hearth will be appropriate if there is a need for rare repairs, in field conditions moving from one place to another, etc. In most cases, portable horns are made in a collapsible version. The main disadvantage of this type of hearth is its 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 have completely different designs. A portable hearth in most cases is a metal table that has a refractory brickwork. The most important part of this type of forge is the lance. To maintain the combustion of fuel, a forced air supply is used, it 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: resin, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene, oil. The solid fuel may be in the form of peat, coal, coke, firewood, and the like.
Possibility to make a bugle yourself
In order to make a bugle yourself at home, you can use various available materials and tools; this does not require 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, one can choose necessary design, as well as the fuel on which it will work.
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 horn, it is best to use gas fuel, while for a closed rut, a hard one is best.
To create a closed forge with the help of available tools, you can use the following materials:
1. refractory 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 fixed with reinforcement or a frame made of another 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.
In order to make an open type forge, you should use the following materials:
1. frame made of steel or bricks;
2. grate (pan with holes);
3. air source in the form of fur, vacuum cleaner or fan;
4. solid fuel.
With the help of the frame, a table is formed on which it is necessary to lay the grid. Air with the help of the selected device is supplied from the corresponding hole under the grid. To regulate the supply of 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 are placed, as well as larger firewood, then coke is added. It is necessary to set fire to the fuel and turn on the blower, the billet is placed on the coke. From above, you can also sprinkle a little coke on 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.
In the old days, blacksmithing was held in high esteem. Not everyone could master it, not everyone had the opportunity to acquire essential tool and set up a workshop. Now you can make a forge with your own hands without attracting serious funds. Even simple design will give an opportunity to heat the metal to the required temperature and try your hand at forging.
Forge
People with creative inclinations involved in design work are often faced with the desire to use decorative metal elements. self made. You can make such things with the help of forging.
Thin sheet metal can be stamped, bent or minted even without heating. A thick workpiece cannot be processed without this. Making a tool out of carbon steel is all the more worth trying.
If you equip a blacksmith shop with a hearth and a massive anvil, you can not turn special attention to the thickness of the work piece. When heated, it will be able to be forged, bent and flattened. The main thing in this process is a properly equipped forge.
It may not be possible for everyone to do it with their own hands, but for a true connoisseur of the craft, familiar with the device, features and principle of operation of the device, this will be possible. As experienced craftsmen assure, a simple forge can be equipped even with six bricks.
Purpose of the bugle
The steel billet must be heated to a light orange color before forging. This will approximately correspond to a temperature of 1000-1100 ° C. In this state, the metal can be deformed by a percussion tool.
Cooling down, the workpiece becomes less ductile, it is more difficult to forge. And if you use a heavier tool, the metal becomes brittle and prone to cracking. The only option is to keep the forging temperature constant. However, over 1000°C cannot be achieved in a conventional oven. This requires a hearth with forced air supply.
A blacksmith's forge, made by one's own hands, can be used to heat the metal to the forging temperature. In addition, it can also be used for other jobs. It is suitable for melting metal and its subsequent pouring into a mold, for hardening tools, for soldering using brass and copper.
Varieties of designs
First you need to decide what type of fuel the metal will be heated. Traditionally, forges used charcoal or coal (coke) for these purposes. In addition to solid fuels, natural mains and liquefied gas, as well as petroleum products (gasoline, fuel oil, white spirit, etc.) can be used.
Depending on the type of fuel, the design of the working zone of the hearth will differ. It will also depend on the method and location of the outbreak. If this fixed structure, then it makes sense to make the base massive and solid, using bricks and a channel for removing combustion products.
For mobile forge better fit lightweight, collapsible version of the hearth. It is convenient because in winter you can work indoors, and in summer, if necessary, the workshop is taken out into the fresh air. This design is easy to disassemble and transport to the desired location.
Another feature is open or closed chamber burning. If a home-made forge has a vault or a round shape, then 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 hearth, and this must be taken into account immediately.
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 must be on optimal height for convenience. The hearth for solid fuel assumes the presence of a working combustion zone. It can be lined with refractory bricks, lined or made of steel plate.
Another important element is the grate, which keeps the coals in the combustion zone and gives access to the air flow, which inflates the heat from below. Injection is usually made through a pipeline with a flow regulator. The source of pressurization is a vacuum cleaner with reverse air supply, a hair dryer, a “snail” with an engine from a car stove. There are drawings of a forge, where a turbine is used from a hand-held siren or fur, as was done in the old days. The hearth may have side walls and a vault with a channel for the removal of combustion products.
The designs of furnaces operating on liquid or gaseous fuels are distinguished by the absence of a grate. The combustible mixture and air are supplied through an opening in the housing. For these purposes, they often adapt a piece of thick-walled pipe or a tank that has served its purpose from a household compressor, lined with refractory material. The hearths are also laid out in the form of a cube of heat-resistant bricks.
Principle of operation
Even a person who does not have blacksmithing experience can assemble a blacksmith's forge with his own hands from six bricks. The device can work from pressurization gasoline burner. Two bricks are laid flat on the ground - this will be the bottom. Two more are placed on them with an edge - these are the walls. Moreover, the back of the bricks is reduced to limit heat loss. By their arrangement it is also possible, to some extent, to regulate the temperature within the working area. The last two bricks are laid on top - this will be the vault.
Grids can be made from a 4 mm steel strip. Two pieces of a half-inch pipe are placed along the walls. They put grates on them. Moreover, they need to be wrapped in the central part with a “propeller” so that the air flow is captured by the planes and directed upwards, where the coal is located.
The gasoline burner is ignited and sent to the furnace. 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 coal. The temperature is maintained by the burner adjustment valve.
solid fuel forge
For one-time or infrequent blacksmithing, you can equip the hearth simply on the ground by digging a recess of the 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 and steel pipe air supply. Her butt is brewed. In the combustion zone, the grinder cuts slotted grooves through which the outgoing air will disperse the heat.
How to make a blacksmith's forge simple and mobile? You can weld the frame from improvised materials and install a steel countertop on them. Interesting, convenient and practical design of the base from the old gas stove. A tabletop with a combustion zone is installed on top. The oven serves to house a vacuum cleaner or other source of air. Below there is also a compartment for tools and accessories.
Craftsmen consider this version of the hearth the most economical and effective. Gas is an inexpensive and affordable 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 that you can achieve the required temperature in working area It will be easier. The hearth design may consist of a minimum set of elements. It is enough to adapt a suitable base for it.
However, it also has its own peculiarities. Gas is an explosive substance, so you need to work even more carefully. Adjusting the supply of a combustible mixture also requires experience and practice. Otherwise, everything is not so difficult. A brick cube is folded according to the size of the planned blanks. The back wall is deaf. In front, the hole is covered with bricks or equipped with a door. From above, a place is equipped for the entrance of the pipe through which combustible mixture. Its length in different schemes is different. There are masters who make it up to 1.5 m long, and they say that this way the mixing of the combustible mixture goes better.
natural or liquefied gas after the reducer is fed into this pipe through a nozzle. That's where air gets blown in. The intensity of combustion is controlled by the gas supply and the blowing speed. Above the mountain, when working indoors, it is necessary to equip the hood. Otherwise, the designs can either become more complicated (lining, thermocouples, forced removal of combustion products, additional dampers) or, conversely, be simplified.
There are no standards for a home craftsman. The main thing is to know the principle of operation, select materials, withstand technology, obtain the required temperature and at the same time observe safety precautions.
Most metalworking shops require a forge. Such equipment is indispensable when working not only with cold forging, but also with hot forging. Necessary equipment can be purchased, but its cost is very high: the minimum price is several tens of thousands of rubles. For this reason, many workshop owners decide to make gas horn with your own hands.
Stone or oil products or gas can be used as fuel for the forge. The gas forge is the best option workshop equipment due to the low cost of fuel and its availability. The efficiency of such a hearth is high, and it can be connected not only to the main gas pipeline, but also to fuel cylinders.
The purpose of the forge
Treatment metal products requires them to be heated until the color changes and acquires a light orange hue. Such changes in steel correspond to a temperature of 1000-1200 ° C. The metal brought to this state is easily subjected to deformation under the influence of percussion instruments.
The workpiece loses its plasticity as it cools, respectively, to forge and give it desired shape becomes more difficult. Applying more force leads to deformation of the metal, increases its fragility. Maintaining the forging temperature avoids the destruction of the material.
A conventional oven is not able to give a temperature of more than 1000 ° C. For such purposes, ovens with forced air flow are used.
A forge is used to heat up metal blanks and maintain the desired temperature. Such equipment is used not only for forging, but also for melting and subsequent pouring of metal into a mold, hardening of tools, soldering using copper and brass.
Advantages of a gas forge
- The design of such equipment is simpler due to the absence in it, in contrast to the same coal options;
- More convenient adjustment of fuel supply and temperature;
- Light weight allows you to move the gas forge;
- Cost price self-manufacturing small and will not affect the budget of the master;
- Gas is one of the most accessible and cheapest types of fuel.
Types of gas furnaces
The design features of the furnaces play almost no role and are chosen by the master depending on his preferences and final wishes for the efficiency of the equipment. Often even the basic rule is neglected - the creation of a base from a refractory hearth. At the same time, there are several main varieties of horns.
open
Metal structure mounted on a refractory foundation. In its role can be a concrete pad or refractory bricks. For this design, a special tray is created in which parts are placed for subsequent heating. Placed on the sides vertical racks, on which the burner for the gas furnace is attached.
With this design, the smoke is naturally drawn out during operation, and therefore, no exhaust is required. But at the same time, the gas forge is placed either in a well-ventilated room or in the open air.
The advantage of this hearth design is the possibility of heating various parts on a pallet, and their dimensions are limited only by the side racks.
Burner
It is not a separate type of forge, since it is its constituent part. Its body is most often made of of stainless steel; one end of the pipe is closed with a removable cover or welded. On the other hand, a metal mesh with a suitable diameter is installed - it depends on the desired torch.
On the side of the closed end of the pipe, a pipe is welded through which fuel mixture. It is attached to a pipe of smaller diameter, through which it comes from
The impeller is placed to enrich the fuel mixture with air.
Closed
The main difference between a gas forge of this type from the rest is the type of thrust. In this design, it is forced and carried out by means of a fan. This option is optimal, because it allows you to ventilate the entire room.
The stove is made in a cubic form from a homemade gas furnace for domestic use, usually small - its sides rarely exceed one meter in length. An umbrella is laid on top - a metal cover made of a metal sheet 4 mm thick. The internal volume must be completely sealed, otherwise the efficiency of the hearth will be low.
How to make a gas horn with your own hands
The main requirement for the design is lightness and practicality. Thanks to these qualities, the equipment can be easily moved from place to place.
To achieve the desired result, the gas hearth is made up of refractory blocks - either refractory bricks or the so-called chamotte act in their role.
The process of how to make a gas forge consists of several stages:
- Refractory blocks or bricks are being prepared.
- A forge body is created - the number of parts used may vary depending on the complexity and size of the chosen design.
- You can process the body with a hacksaw or any other tool.
- There should be no gaps between individual blocks or bricks - all elements should fit as tightly as possible to each other.
- A small threshold is created from half a brick or block in front of the structure, which allows maintaining a high temperature in the furnace.
- A small rectangular hole is cut in the back, which will serve for ventilation. In addition, such a cutout will allow you to work with long metal blanks.
- A hole is cut in the side wall according to the diameter of the gas burner.
The gas hearth after performing the described manipulations can be considered complete. It only needs to work gas-burner and testing the entire device in practice.
Gas burner for forge
The main part of the forge is - it is she who creates the temperature necessary for metal processing. Craftsmen most often make stainless steel burners, using a pipe welded at one end and covered with a metal mesh at the other.
The diameter of the hole is selected individually, depending on how strong the flame should be. An additional pipe is supplied to the burner, through which the fuel mixture is supplied. You can use the finished forge only after the burner has been adjusted.
Blacksmith forge from a bucket
You can create a forge at home from improvised materials - for example, an ordinary bucket.
Such a furnace is created quite simply: holes are made in the walls, inner surface metal is sheathed with ceramic wool, capable of withstanding temperatures over 1200 degrees. Since the bucket has a conical shape, it must be placed correctly, for which legs are installed.
A hole for the burner is created in the middle part of the hearth, and a hole is cut in the bottom air vent. having increased fire resistance, is placed on the bottom. Finished equipment is often covered with a layer of heat-resistant paint.
- cut in back wall a small hole forge will improve ventilation. In addition, such a cutout allows you to heat up metal workpieces of great length.
- The forge is placed on a special metal stand or table, which makes working with it more convenient. The height is selected by the master individually.
- If the blacksmith shop works with blanks different sizes and shapes, it is advisable to install several furnaces of different sizes at once. They are placed close to each other, and gas and air are supplied with flexible hoses. This design solution allows you to quickly reconnect the burners.
- Each pipeline must have shut-off valves. For this purpose, conventional valves are most often used - they provide smoother adjustment, unlike ball valves.
The main thing in creating a forge with your own hands is to imagine the principle of operation, to choose the right necessary materials and observe safety precautions. Such equipment is created by craftsmen based on personal preferences, wishes and requirements, which provides a wide scope for activity.
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Now many men are inflamed with a passion for blacksmithing. The beauty of red-hot metal, transforming before our eyes into a beautiful forged product, fascinates. Many of those who want to join this craft are frightened by the technical side of the issue: where to get or make a forge, what tools are needed, how to equip a forge so that a fire does not happen, etc. Here we will consider only the question of how to make a forge at home. All other issues, if there is a strong desire, can also be easily resolved.
Blacksmith craft involves the presence of a forge and is not so difficult to create even at home.
Varieties of the blacksmith's forge
The forge is special device for heating metal.
He can be the most different designs and use different kinds fuel. Lone blacksmiths prefer to use a forge that runs on coke. This type of fuel has a rather high price, but at the same time its ease of use, as well as heat combustion and a small amount of waste compensates for any costs. One of the varieties of fine coke is called "coke", most craftsmen prefer to use it, since there is no need to chop the coal yourself. Other types of coal can be used as fuel, as well as wood, but why take the worst if you want to do everything right? Petroleum products or natural gas are usually used in large plants.
The second sign by which the forge can be divided into varieties is its design feature, as openness, that is, there are open and closed types of forge.
Scheme of the device of a mobile forge of open type.
A closed horn is a little more difficult to make than an open horn. Its peculiarity is that the device has special chamber where the metal is heated. This type of forge is much more economical, but it imposes a limit on the size of the workpiece outside of its chamber.
The most common simple type of forge is the open one. It is extremely simply arranged, as it consists of a certain container. A grate is installed on top, on which coals will burn, and air is supplied from below. Such a hearth has no restrictions on the size of the workpiece; it is laid for heating directly on hot coals.
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Making a forge with your own hands
In general, this completes the creation of the forge. Now it remains only to pour coals on the grates, set them on fire, turn on the air supply and lay the workpiece on hot coals. For better heating, you can pour a little more coal on top. The second layer creates a kind of dome, under which there is even more intense heating, sufficient to melt any blanks.
