quickest dirtiest forge possible

[JohnBoy]

I want to make a forge to do a very small job. never done any forging before, the job would probably be more properly done using an oxy torch, but I dont have one of those and dont want the spend.

I have a blowtorch like the pic, a shop vac, a bag of charcoal and some regular coal.

I want to roll a 1/2 inch hinge hole onto the end of 2x1/4 angle. (like the second pic, but angle. Obviously only one leg of the angle makes the hinge)


Not forge welding or anything, just need to make a piece of steel orange.

would the blowtorch and a few firebricks work? or would I be better getting a steel wheel and using the shop vac to make a blower and a real fire.

[JohnBoy]

I know I can dig a hole and do it in the ground, but I want something that I can have outside the door of the shop, not in the lawn!

This looks nifty, and I have a board of vermiculite

https://www.manmadediy.com/4628-make...lowtorch-forge

like 9 of these and the blowlamp would give me a box around 3x3x9 inches if I didnt use the vermiculite for €30

but would it get hot enough for 2 inch angle?

[digger doug]

Do you not have semi trucks with brake drums ?

Should be able to find one that's worn past spec. at a truck garage.

[JohnBoy]

we do still have some drum braked trucks I'm sure. most modern kit is on discs I think, but there's loads of em in breakers yards.

Curious whether the blowlamp and firebricks thing would work, purely because it's a nice neat solution that doesnt weigh a load, and not really gonna be any more expensive than a brake drum and some plumbing fittings.


I think I'm going to go a different road with the job anyway so won't need to form my own hinges, but I like the idea of messing with fire at some stage in the future.

[Dave Lee]

I once, made a forge in a bucket, about 30 years ago. It was based on one in Popular Science magazine. It worked great!

Go to google books and look up June 1960. It's on page 140.


Dave

[Walker]

The torch may do it. The problem you are going to have is the formng, it is a little more difficult than it appears to roll it around. Much easier to simply weld a tube to the end.

If you do decide to roll it, trim the bottom leg away, then tack the end of the piece to a round bar with several tacks. Start heating at the end and dont start bending until it is at least bright red. Then start working the heat back and follow the heat with the bend.

[LKeithR]

Originally Posted by Walker

...Start heating at the end and dont start bending until it is at least bright red. Then start working the heat back and follow the heat with the bend...

Yeah, get lots of heat into it to begin with and then make a nice uniform bend. If you're too cold or if you don't put uniform pressure on the bend you'll end up with "steps" in the bend instead of a nice round eye.

If that's a newer air-acetylene torch it's probably OK. I believe the newer torches are good for close to 3000 degrees. Easy way to find out is try some practice bends on some scrap...

[digr]

Whats wrong with a piece of pipe welded to a length of FB

[JohnBoy]

Originally Posted by digr

Whats wrong with a piece of pipe welded to a length of FB

I was thinking about making some new hinges to match existing ones, but I've decided to just go new. I'll get a pic of the existing ones, they're a nice job

[toprecycler]

That torch should do what you are looking for. Probably not yet most efficient or quickest, but will do the job. Couple years ago, my son had expressed some interest in forging for some reason, so we went out and dig up some old firebricks my dad and had saved from a couple boiler removal jobs thirty years ago, and inside of an hour had a makeshift forge set up and was heating some steel for him to pound on, so it should be doable for you when you want to play some.


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