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Forged Products have long been used in industry and everyday life. They are used to build beautiful fences, decorate indoor fireplaces, canopies over front door. Forged flower stands find their place in the rooms of the house. All of these things can be made in a home workshop with some equipment.
A forge can heat up to high temperatures, so its main purpose is forging decorative metal products.
To forge metal, the main thing is to heat it to the required temperature. This is done using blacksmith's forge. If on summer cottage If you have a barn in which you can set up 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 remaining differences are not of fundamental importance.
Blacksmiths often use fuel in the form of coke; it gives a high temperature and produces little waste.
How to make a forge for heating metal before forging?
Before making 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 workpieces has limitations associated with the size of the heating chamber.
In the blacksmith's forge open type fuel is poured onto the grate from above, and an air flow is supplied from below. The heated workpiece is placed on the fuel. This makes it possible to heat large-sized workpieces.
Holes are drilled into the steel plate grid and then inserted into the center of the table.
The sequence of actions when making a forge can be as follows:
- The base of the forge is its table. This is where the construction of the structure begins. Its lid is made of metal 4-5 mm thick. The height of the table is 700-800 mm. Its surface is most often made in dimensions ranging from 80x80 to 100x150 cm. You can weld a frame from a corner into which to lay fire-resistant bricks and a grate. The grate is usually placed in the center of the table. It can be made from cast iron frying 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 handyman, usually to the level of his waist.
- The air blowing mechanism is installed. 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 produce a jet of air of the required strength. It's good if there is a speed controller. If it is not there, you can install an additional valve to regulate the air supply. Instead of a vacuum cleaner, some craftsmen use a manual siren drive.
- The whole structure comes 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 workpiece is placed on the coke. You can also add a little coke on top of the heated iron. Then a small arch with a huge temperature inside it forms in its thickness. Instead of coke, it is quite acceptable to use wood waste.
Can be supplemented with various accessories inherent industrial installations. Sometimes these devices cost practically nothing, but add convenience to work.
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Let's compare an industrial forge with a homemade device
Image 1. Diagram of an industrial forge.
Industrial forges include (Image 1):
- Air supply nozzle. In our case, its functions are performed by a hose from a vacuum cleaner.
- Fireproof bricks that accumulate and maintain temperature. In a homemade forge, they can also be present on the desktop.
- The grate bars that hold the fuel. IN homemade version they are usually present too.
- Loading slot solid fuel. This device can be equipped with a homemade forge if it is often used in the work of a home craftsman.
- The bricks that make up the frame. The homemade device does not have them.
- A fan that supplies air to the furnace. In the homemade version, its role is played by an old vacuum cleaner. But you can also install a separate fan.
- Metal frame holding the desktop. It is available in a homemade version.
- Air chamber. It can eventually be made for a home forge.
- Ash pit. A useful addition to a homemade forge for home use, if the forge is used frequently.
- Air duct. To begin with, its functions in a homemade forge can be successfully performed by a vacuum cleaner hose.
- Casing.
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 of this type of forge 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. In most cases, a portable forge is a metal table 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 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 forge it is best to use gas fuel, whereas for a closed rut, hard 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.
In order to make an open-type forge, 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 bellows, 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.
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 minted 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 attention to special 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
The steel blank 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 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 to constantly maintain the 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. In addition to solid fuel, you can use natural gas 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 stationary design, 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 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 combustion. 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 is the grate, which holds the coals in the combustion zone and gives access to the air flow, which inflates 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 of a blacksmith's forge, where a turbine from a hand siren or bellows is used, as was done in the old days. The outbreak may have side walls and a vault 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 from a household compressor, lined with fire-resistant material, is often adapted. 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 supercharging 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 horn
For one-time or infrequent blacksmithing work, you can simply set up a fireplace on the ground by digging a hole of the required size and lining it 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. The back wall is blank. 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 flammable mixture. 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 gearbox it is fed into 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, 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 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.
Most metal shops require a forge. You cannot do without such equipment when working not only with cold, 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 forge with your own hands.
Stone or petroleum products or gas can be used as fuel for the forge. The gas forge is the best option equipment for the workshop due to the low cost of fuel and its availability. The efficiency of such a forge is high, and it can be connected not only to the main gas pipeline, but also to fuel cylinders.
Purpose of the forge
Treatment metal products requires heating them until the color changes and acquires a light orange hue. Such changes in steel correspond to a temperature of 1000-1200 o C. The metal brought to this state is easily subject to deformation under the influence of impact tools.
The workpiece loses its ductility as it cools; accordingly, it must be forged and given the required form it gets more difficult. Applying more force leads to deformation of the metal and increases its fragility. Maintaining the forging temperature avoids material destruction.
A conventional oven is not capable of producing a temperature of more than 1000 o C. For such purposes, ovens with forced air flow are used.
A forge is used to heat metal blanks and maintain the required temperature. Such equipment is used not only for forging, but also for melting and then pouring metal into a mold, hardening tools, and soldering using copper and brass.
Advantages of a gas forge
- The design of such equipment is simpler due to the absence in it, unlike the same coal options;
- More convenient adjustment of fuel supply and temperature;
- Light weight allows the gas forge to be moved;
- Cost price self-made small and will not affect the master’s budget;
- Gas is one of the most accessible and cheapest types of fuel.
Types of gas forges
The design features of the forges play virtually 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 - creating a foundation from a fire-resistant hearth. However, there are several main types of forges.
Open
Metal structure installed on a fireproof foundation. Its role can be a concrete platform or fire-resistant 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 forge is attached.
With this design, the smoke is drawn out naturally during operation, and therefore there is no need to create an exhaust hood. 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 forge design is the possibility of heating different 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 represents component. Its body is most often made of of stainless steel; one end of the pipe is closed with a removable lid 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 the fuel mixture. It is attached to a pipe of smaller diameter, through which it comes from
The impeller is installed to enrich the fuel mixture with air.
Closed
The main difference between a gas forge of this type and others is the type of draft. 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 needs is usually small - its sides rarely exceed one meter in length. An umbrella is placed on top - a metal cover made of a 4 mm thick sheet of metal. The internal volume must be completely sealed, otherwise the efficiency of the forge will be low.
How to make a gas forge 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 required result, the gas furnace is made of refractory blocks - either refractory bricks or so-called fireclay bricks play their role.
The process of how to make a gas forge consists of several stages:
- Fireproof blocks or bricks are prepared.
- The body of the forge is created - the number of parts used may vary depending on the complexity and size of the chosen design.
- The body can be processed 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 at the front of the structure, allowing the forge to maintain a high temperature.
- 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 workpieces.
- A hole is cut in the side wall to the diameter of the gas burner.
The gas forge can be considered complete after completing the described manipulations. To make it work you only need gas-burner and testing the entire device in practice.
Gas burner for forge
The main part of the forge is the one that creates the temperature necessary for processing metals. Craftsmen most often make burners from stainless steel, 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 connected to the burner, through which the fuel mixture is supplied. You can use the finished forge only after the burner operation has been adjusted.
Blacksmith's forge from a bucket
You can create a forge at home from available materials - for example, an ordinary bucket.
Creating such a furnace is quite simple: holes are made in the walls, inner surface The metal is lined with ceramic wool that can withstand temperatures of more than 1200 degrees. Since the bucket has a cone shape, it must be positioned correctly, for which legs are installed.
A hole for the burner is created in the middle part of the forge, and a hole is cut in the bottom vent. possessing increased fire resistance, is placed on the bottom. Finished equipment is often coated with a layer of heat-resistant paint.
- Cutting in back wall a small hole will improve ventilation. In addition, this cutout allows you to heat long metal workpieces.
- The forge is placed on a special metal stand or table, which makes working with it more convenient. The height is selected individually by the master.
- If the blacksmith shop works with blanks different sizes and shapes, it is advisable to install several forges of different sizes at once. They are placed close to each other, and gas and air are supplied using flexible hoses. This design solution allows you to quickly reconnect the burners.
- Each gas pipeline must have shut-off valves. For this purpose, conventional valves are most often used - they provide smoother adjustment, unlike ball analogues.
The main thing in creating a forge with your own hands is to imagine the principle of operation, choose the right necessary materials and follow safety precautions. Such equipment is created by craftsmen based on personal preferences, wishes and requirements, which provides wide scope for activity.
Comments:
Nowadays, many men are inflamed with a passion for blacksmithing. The beauty of hot metal, transforming before our eyes into a beautiful forged product, is mesmerizing. 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 there is no fire, etc. Here we will only consider the question of how to make a forge at home. All other issues can also be easily resolved if you have a strong desire.
Blacksmithing requires the presence of a forge and it is not so difficult to create even at home.
Varieties of forge
The blacksmith's forge is special device for heating metal.
He might be the one different designs and use different kinds fuel. Single blacksmiths prefer to use a coke-fuelled forge. This type of fuel has a rather high price, but at the same time it is convenient to use, as well as heat combustion and a small amount of waste offsets any costs. One of the varieties of fine coke is called “koksik”; most craftsmen prefer to use it, since there is no need to chop the coal themselves. Other types of coal, as well as charcoal, can be used as fuel, but why take the worst if you want to do everything well? Petroleum products or natural gas are usually used in large plants.
The second sign by which a forge can be divided into varieties is its type design feature, as openness, that is, there are open and closed types of forge.
Scheme of the design of a mobile open-type forge.
A closed forge is a little more difficult to make than an open one. Its peculiarity is that the device has special camera, in which the metal is heated. This type of forge is much more economical, but it imposes a limitation on the size of the workpiece outside its chamber.
The most common simple type of forge is the open one. It is extremely simply designed, as it consists of a certain container. A grate is installed on top, on which the coals will burn, and air is supplied from below. Such a forge has no restrictions on the size of the workpiece; it is placed directly on hot coals for heating.
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Making a forge with your own hands
In general, this completes the creation of a forge. Now all that remains is to pour coals onto the grate, set them on fire, turn on the air supply and place the workpiece on the hot coals. For better heating, you can add a little more coal on top. The second layer creates a kind of dome, under which even more intense heating occurs, sufficient to melt any workpiece.
