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Making a Simple and Easy Charcoal/ Coal Forge

by acer73 on May 20, 2007

Table of Contents
Making a Simple and Easy Charcoal/ Coal Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Intro: Making a Simple and Easy Charcoal/ Coal Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Why a forge and getting started up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: What you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Building the Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Putting together the air supplie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Putting it all together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 6: Firing it up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

Author:acer73
Hmmm, I'm a Junior in highschool and am in the marching band.
I like to fiddle with stuff and find out ways to control fire.

Intro: Making a Simple and Easy Charcoal/ Coal Forge

In this instructable you will learn how to make a charcoal / coal burning forge from firebrick, a few steel plumbing parts, a steel sheet, some cinder blocks and a blower
Unfortunately I ran out of money before i could finish the forge, in total it should cost around $ 50 USD depending how fancy you want it. The plans you will see are paint
mock-ups from my actual design, i do not own a scanner so I had to make pictures.
This is what the finished forge should look like

Step 1: Why a forge and getting started up

When I first discovered wanting to take up blacksmithing as a hobby, I searched and searched for designs and a website to help me get started. Then i discovered
AnvilFire , they have some F.A.Q.'s and a whole bunch of info on starting up. They also have a help section called "Guru's Den" you ask questions and they will answer
them.
As a begainner at Blacksmithing they recommend to build a forge out of a Brake Drum I decided against it because I really didn't want to be using a rusty piece of junk to
hold 3,000 degree charcoal and white hot iron.
So i asked the guru guy a lot of questions.
And I made plans on it
Basically its fire brick in a square pillar shape stacked like a brick wall

Image Notes
1. This is the place where you can stick the metals into the heart of the fire.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

Step 2: What you need

Okay this forge will be light to medium duty work, you can make knifes in it but definitely not swords because its not long enough, daggers maybe.
_What you need_
1. Fire bricks (number varies by size of brick and size of forge)
2. A Steel plate larger then the forge
3. Plumbing parts
a. 3-1 1/2 x 4 in steel pipe nipples
b. 1 1/2 x 8 in steel pipe nipple
c. 1 1/2 in T fitting
d. 1 1/2 in elbow fitting
e. 1 1/2 in cap
f. 1 1/2 in flanger
4. Cinder blocks
5. A Blower
Fire Brick- Its very important you get fire brick, do not even look at cement or concrete bricks, they will explode when heated. Firebrick is a little more expensive then
normal brick because its a specialty item.
Steel Plumbing- Today I went to home Depot and they didn't sell fire brick or the 1 1/2 in pieces, so I would go to Loews or a similar home improvement store. Also if the
plumbing your looking at is shiny make sure it is not galvanized, I can not stress how important it is not to use it. GALVANIZED METAL GIVES OFF FATAL AND TOXIC
FUMES WHEN HEATED. Stay away from it and use the black, the electrical conduit is fine to use, but they need to thread and cut it for you.
Steel Plates- Your best shot would be to go to a junkyard and ask, your going to want a 1.5 ft x 1.5 ft steel plate for a decent size forge. Also its good to have the plate big
because then there is a less of chance knocking something down, I am a klutz. make sure the plate is steel and around a half inch thick. This way it wont melt or get too
soft.
Blower- It doesn't really matter what it is, but go to a hardware store and tell them what your doing and looking for. I have a blower but I have no idea what its called,
maybe its called a blower. It needs to put out a decent bit of air though.
Flange- This is what connects the pipe to the steel plate and supplies the air to the charcoal, you're going to need to make a grate of some sort to keep the coals from
falling down air pipe. But it needs to be big enough to let ashes fall to the ash trap. Otherwise it will clog up grate, letting in less air then needed.
Cinder Block stand- Basically its just some upturned blocks holding up the whole thing, just be sure to put fire block or another insulator between the cinder block stand
and the steel plate. Other wise the concrete blocks will explode, which is not good, because there is going to be 3,000 degree coals and fire block all over the place.
Fuel- I live in the middle of a desert so we don't have a great coal supply, mostly because it doesn't get cold enough in the winter. So I decided to use Charcoal, I was told
via Anvil Fire's Guru not to use the kind they sell at supper markets, aka pressed brickettes. This is because they are full of crap you don't need and they don't burn hot
enough. The Guru said to find a restaurant supply co. and order real charcoal, the kind that looks like real burnt wood. I really have no idea how much you need, but buy
more then you think you will need for the first time.

Step 3: Building the Forge

Okay now here is the easy part, not really.
Your going to have to drill a hole in the steel plate for the Flange to fit in, my advise would be to ask the person at the junk yard you got it from.
Oh i almost forgot, get the hole drilled about 4 inches from center, this way you can set the charcoal on the back wall.
See the picture for what i mean it says "steel sheet" on it(OMG THERE IS COLOR IN IT)
remember when i said you needed to fit it together like a wall well here is the thing in 3-D, also i have not made it yet so i can't tell you how to place the bricks, you may
need to cut some
Be sure to keep one missing in the bottom front, this way you will have good access to the heart of the fire for easier heating.
Do not attempt to put anything over the forge when it is running, it would alter the amount of air flowing out the top and have it go out the access. The result would be
3,000 degree air shooting out towards you. BAD!!!

Image Notes
1. Make sure to leave a brick missing here so that you have easy access to the
"heart" of the fire.
2. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OVER THIS AREA WHEN THE FORGE IS ON. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO COVER IT

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

Step 4: Putting together the air supplie

Okay if u look at the picture is self explanatory. If your wondering how to attach your blower to the pipe, I would us duct tape. Also you can use as big of pipe as you want,
the max being 2 inches wide.
I recommend to keep the Plumbing all attached together when not in use because its mostly flat, unlike the forge which you can just take apart when your not using it. It is
also recommended to buy a pipe cleaner and run it though the whole thing after every use to get out all the ash and clingers especially if you are using coal as a fuel.
When running the blower make sure the ash trap cap has a good seal otherwise your going to be leaking air.
DO NOT USE GALVANIZED PIPE, YOU WILL DIE OR GET SICK

Image Notes
1. This is the ash trap empty it every 10 minuets or so depending how much ash you get, a back up would be bad
2. This piece can be any length because you just need it to be stable and not hanging
3. attach this to the inside of the steel plate
4. VERY IMPORTANT

Step 5: Putting it all together

Okay use common sense and look around, does anything not look right. If it doesn't fix it.
Its going to be heavy so i suggest putting the plate on the stand of cinder blocks before you put the fire brick forge on top. Then slip the flange in and attach the plumbing.
It should look some what like this

Step 6: Firing it up
Okay its finally done.
Do not rush especially now when its done.
Were going to fill it up with charcoal about half way to the top and about to 2/3's of the way like in my picture.
Now douse it in lighter fluid and let it get going once its flames have died down a bit turn on the blower and restock the fire and make sure u don't add to much charcoal at
a time.
Now heat your metal and forge it
If you want help an how-to's on forging to go AnvilFire
A gas forge can be found Here
And several different types of tongs

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

Simple
Complex
For more projects and Ideas visit the The Forge Group
This is my first Instructable so give me feed back on its quality

Image Notes
1. Stack the charcoal sloped and about 2/3 towards the back. Make sure you only have it a maximum of half the hight of your forge high
2. Have the most amount of charcoal be above the flange

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Comments
46 comments Add Comment

dnorm says:

May 23, 2010. 3:22 AM REPLY

i guess it would be a pain to buy real coal, but how about making your own charcoal? all you need is wood, and a type of furnace (which is what a forge is)
tho im sure you dont want to use chemically treated lumber, anything that has been painted, stained or varnished, particle or flake board or plywood, panelling,
or any type of 'fake or composite'... but scrap pieces of plank or 2x4's? why not?... and it wouldnt have the 'extras' the 'consumer' charcoal does...

jon.singleton.5 says:

Jan 4, 2015. 3:50 PM REPLY

Dnorm. I am a farrier and my coal forge is no more. But you can find blacksmith grade coal at a farrier supply store. I am sure you have one close. just
google it.
Jon.

astral_mage says:

Dec 5, 2013. 10:52 PM REPLY

actually depending on where u live u can buy it in 50lb bags. to buying per 1/2 ton lots. yes its a pian to get going but it'ill heat really nice. used to heat
the house with it during the late 70 to early 80s.

astral_mage says:

Dec 5, 2013. 10:52 PM REPLY

actually depending on where u live u can buy it in 50lb bags. to buying per 1/2 ton lots. yes its a pian to get going but it'ill heat really nice. used to heat
the house with it during the late 70 to early 80s.

Dakota Joel98 says:

How would you recomend starting a Coal fire for a forge?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

Aug 11, 2014. 5:21 PM REPLY

Barricade823 says:

Apr 14, 2010. 5:38 AM REPLY

OK so i really like this instructable
the only problem I have is that it took my like four or five reads and examining of the diagram here to realize what was going on.
If you could please maybe label or color the fire bricks different from the cinder blocks used to support the forge that would be great.
And another quick question, without putting a top on the forge, wouldnt that mean that all the heat would just quickly escape?
Thanks,
Nick

astral_mage says:

Dec 5, 2013. 10:58 PM REPLY

yes but thats wat u want it to go up . not out the side that facing you.

shadus says:

Mar 14, 2012. 11:03 PM REPLY

You actually CAN use galvanized steel pipe, however you need to remove the zinc coating on the pipe prior to heating it above a couple hundred degrees.
There are two ways to do this,
1) you can throw it in another forge... make sure it goes well over the boiling point of zinc and make sure no one is close enough to breath the fumes or that
you're outdoors and stay well clear. Takes about 1000 degrees to do this. Give it a while at that temp. Keep in mind overall, unless you have lung problems,
even if you do breath it... you're likely not going to die, but you will wish you were dead. Zinc vapor is rough and it'll lay you low for a day or more.
2) alternately, you can submerse it in vinegar for a couple days (or boiling vinegar for say a day) until the zinc is completely removed, a faster process is
giving it a muriatic acid bath until it quits fizzing, but then you have to neutralize it in a soda bath or similar. In either case you need to give it a coat in
something to prevent rapid rusting.
The better option of course is using "black" plumbing which doesn't have a galvanized zinc coating... but 2" "black" plumbing is getting increasingly hard to
find... and 2" galvanized is still very common. YMMV.

astral_mage says:

Dec 5, 2013. 10:57 PM REPLY

or u can use common electic conduit an spray it using high engine temp paint let it cure complitely b4 u fire it then after the 2nd firing spray it agin.

whitlox says:

May 9, 2013. 12:44 AM REPLY

You should look at the design at WhitloxHomestead.com.

Mitten says:

May 20, 2007. 7:45 PM REPLY

i just use a coffee can with holes poked in the bottom and a hairdryer ...

acer73 says:

May 20, 2007. 8:45 PM REPLY

the coffee can would melt after a bit

Mitten says:

May 20, 2007. 8:56 PM REPLY

coffee cans are made from steel, and it gets hot enough to melt aluminum in a steel canned veggie can in the middle of the coals without melting.

Vendigroth says:

May 22, 2007. 10:57 AM REPLY

yeh, but you're subjecting the can to intense heat for a long time, the steel turns so crusty and anaemic that you can literally poke a finger through
it.

Derin says:

Jul 21, 2008. 11:04 AM REPLY

but if you poke your finger thru,u can say this: "What's in the box?Pain."

lucien237 says:

Oct 20, 2012. 8:37 PM REPLY

Dune ftw.

Digital_Anarchy says:
LOL aneamic steel, the irony.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

Jun 10, 2008. 2:41 PM REPLY

chuckr44 says:

Jun 12, 2008. 11:41 AM REPLY

Ha ha ha! I get it. "Iron"-y.

josh1324 says:

Mar 4, 2010. 4:04 PM REPLY

ROFLCOPTER! LMFAO!

Derin says:

Aug 16, 2008. 12:50 AM REPLY

rofl

hard2bme says:

Aug 23, 2011. 7:57 AM REPLY

THIS IS MY FOUNDRY IM USING COAL AND I JUST CANT SEEM TO GET IT HOT ENOUGH TO MELT COPPER AND WHEN I MELT ALUM IT TAKES
LIKE 20 MIN HOW CAN I MAKE IT HOT ENOUGH TO MELT COPPER I CANT USE GAS OR PROPANE IT HAS TO BE COAL
COULD ANYBODY HELP ME OUT PLEASEEEEEEE

jpabraham says:

Oct 17, 2012. 2:04 AM REPLY

Hi ! I'm just getting starting on Instructable and I didn't watch this one entirely.
but, I have build 2 usable blacksmith foundry.
my advices are :
don't insuflate too much air (little embers should not jump out)
put enought charcoal to keep the heat and have a hotbed big enough,
if the hotbed is directly in contact with foundry metal, it will dissipated your heat. Ensure you have ceramic or insulating layer around charcoal firebed.
If your want to melt metal, use another technique. make a foundry like that : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEWIuyeNp2k
and yes, don't use capslock please.

repear9 says:

Nov 4, 2011. 3:23 PM REPLY

First off do not use caps lock like a troll, Then i would be glad to answer your question.

bombmaker2 says:

Jun 9, 2010. 6:21 PM REPLY

You may want to check out the links you provided in Step 1. I cannot connect to them for some reason.

pj63 says:

Jan 12, 2012. 9:58 AM REPLY

i had the same problem.... However if you Google 'Anvilfire' it shows you the web site.... pj63

TheSaltyPilgrim says:

Oct 14, 2011. 7:47 PM REPLY

Hey I would just like to point out that this is a forge and not a crucible. to all of those looking to melt various components, you need to look else where for a
crucible. This forge is for forging red hot iron and steel. I'm reiterating to save you time, frustration, and false expectancy. This forge is not meant to melt
objects.

hard2bme says:

Aug 23, 2011. 5:47 AM REPLY

i just cant get it right im using a hair dryer right now but i just cant get my charcoal hot enough it takes like 20 min to melt like a pound and a half of alum how
can i make it hotter

j902771 says:

Feb 12, 2010. 9:07 AM REPLY

3 or 4 sheets of old dry news paper crumpled in to a loose ball laid in a triangle on top of the forge floor, then if you have any pine cones put a pine cone on
top of the paper balls, then put your charcoal chunks or coal up the sides and all over the paper and pine cones, just cover the whole thing up. then light the
paper with a match. slowly give this some air with your blower, then a little more air after about 30 seconds, then a little more, and so on for about 1 and
1/2 minutes then pore on the air. fire should be nice and hot. Have been doing this for about 30 years. works great.

spylock says:

Dec 20, 2009. 5:39 PM REPLY

You can make one fairly easy out of a wheelbarrow,a couple fire bricks,clay,a squirrel cage fan,and a few plumbing parts,Id say 100.00 cost max,cheaper
with and old wheelbarrow that you dont use anymore.I saw it made on a show called Forge And Anvil,I think,but Im sure you can find the disigns on the
internet.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

dciocoiu says:

May 2, 2009. 12:26 PM REPLY

Not bad for a beginner black smith , but i would strongly advice to use fire place ciment that witstends very hot temperatures and you should paint the inside
of the forge as well as the outside with the cement.

dogsoldier69 says:

Mar 23, 2009. 9:19 AM REPLY

LIGHTER FLUID to start the forge?? BAD idea, as putting ANY kind of combustible fluid in to your forge is askin for trouble. Fast, awright...but dangerous??
SURE IS. Better (& more fulfillin, for what that's worth) to start your fire with wood shavins, kindling, then the charcoal/coal , add an air flow & there y'are

acer73 says:

May 20, 2007. 8:59 PM REPLY

Well this way takes longer but looks nicer and would last longer. Eventually the can would melt

BARBARIANROCKER says:

Mar 10, 2008. 12:09 PM REPLY

folks i use a castiron cooking pot to melt stuff down. the wife may not like it but oh well.

Vendigroth says:

May 22, 2007. 11:00 AM REPLY

hey, acer73, great instructable and thanks for jioning the Forge. I'm looking forward to seeing some good stuff from you in the future, hopefully made with
this forge. M'self, i'm planning to do an instructable on a forge, different to this but roughly the same size When i make it, i'll have to make stuff with it....

James (pseudo-geek) says:

Dec 29, 2007. 2:45 AM REPLY

now here I've been wondering where that pic is from for months and now I realize its the "G-man" from Half-life 2

Vendigroth says:

Dec 29, 2007. 4:26 AM REPLY

Best. Character. EVAR.

James (pseudo-geek) says:

Dec 29, 2007. 1:08 PM REPLY

personally I hated him for what he was doing, but I LOVED how he talked, it was awesomely creepy.

Vendigroth says:

Dec 29, 2007. 2:06 PM REPLY

it takes a little thought to realise that Gman's on Gordon's side.

James (pseudo-geek) says:

Dec 29, 2007. 6:17 PM REPLY

o.O how so?

James (pseudo-geek) says:

Dec 29, 2007. 6:19 PM REPLY

heres one of my reasons, which I believe is proof. the Vortagons cannot be evil, it is grafted into their nature to be on the good side. If
they fought to stop the G-man, then he must be evil.

Vendigroth says:

Dec 30, 2007. 5:57 AM REPLY

The Vortigaunts only fought against you in HL1 becaus they'd been enslaved. After that, they came to earth as refugees to help
fight the Combine. They stopped Gman because they needed Gordon for their own tasks, like getting Alyx out of city-17.
HOWEVAR: Gman rescued the baby Alyx from black mesa...and the Vortigaunts saved her life in Ep.2...each side's playing
different games, using Gordon as the ball, so to speak.

acer73 says:

May 22, 2007. 11:21 PM REPLY

Im going on vacation this week and the week after that so i cant make it for another month. Thanks for the comment though

5George5 says:

Dec 19, 2007. 9:42 PM REPLY

good instructable any metal subjected to heat oxidizes (rusts) much more quickly. it will flake off and mix with the metal which isnt a big deal unless you're
melting gold or silver. then you need to use a graphite crucible. anyways it just gets weaker a lot quicker when it gets hot

jtobako says:

May 23, 2007. 12:55 PM REPLY

Nice. A few points. CLAY brick works, and the only firebrick that the big box hardware stores carry (around here) are the 1" thick wood stove liners. You have
to go to a ceramic supply for full size firebrick. I've heard that masons carry firebrick, but haven't had any luck there yet. How is a 1/4+ inch thick cast iron
brake drum different than your steel plate? Electrical conduit is zinc plated (just not as thick). If you are using a steel plate, just drill holes in it where the
flange comes in. A larger diameter pipe means you can drill more holes : ) My furnace blower hangs off the horizontal pipe using a floor flange-I cover up
part (most) of the intake to control air flow. If your air pipes are getting hot enough to burn zinc, SOMETHING IS WRONG. And, a small amount of zinc won't
hurt you.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/

acer73 says:

May 20, 2007. 10:18 PM REPLY

It doesn't take a lot of heat to melt aluninum, this is a medium scale forge. Were heating Steel and Iron Red Hot. You don't do that in a coffee can

FrenchCrawler says:

May 22, 2007. 12:47 AM REPLY

Aluminum melts at 1200 degrees F. I used a medium paint can as my crucible when I first started... but after the first batch of cans (about 30), the can
couldn't hold up to the heat and sprung a leak. I'm still using the store charcoal, though I'm looking into getting some coke (not the drug).
My forge/furnace consists of a large (5 gallon) paint can buried into the ground with 2 metal pipes underneath. One pipe for drainage of any water that
happens to get in and the other for the blower (I'm using a wet/dry vac). I have a round section of chicken wire in the middle of the can to hold the coal up
on the sides of the furnace and in the middle while allowing the crucible to go into the middle and letting the ash through. I then take the vac and suck the
ash out once the furnace cools down.
A simple furnace is described in the "Back to Basics" book. Instead of using the fire brick/ concrete, use a Truck Brake Drum and place a metal grate into
the bottom. Here's a site to show what I mean.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-a-Simple-and-Easy-Charcoal-Coal-Forge/