Do-it-yourself gas forge forge: how to make a mini forging device from improvised means. Do-it-yourself forge from a tin can Homemade forge from a tin can
I'm into blacksmithing and have been wanting to bring some of it to my suburban garage for a long time. After watching several thematic videos, I understood what to do, but I did not find any step-by-step instructions on this topic, so I decided to write down for you how to make a forge forge with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself mini-forge assembly time from start to finish is about an hour and a half.
Step 1: Gathering the necessary things
You will need:
- Can
- wooden block
- Pipe connector - 1.5 * 5 cm
- Two L-brackets
- Two wood screws to secure the brackets to the wood block
- A pair of small metal screws with washers and nuts to secure the jar to the brackets
- Sand
- gypsum
- Large bag for mixing plaster and sand
- Conventional propane torch with spiral gas nozzle
- Protective glasses
- Fire extinguisher - just in case
Step 2: Preparing the Jar
Drill two holes about 1.5 cm from each edge of the jar.
On the opposite side of the holes, about 2-3 cm from the back of the jar, drill a 1.5 cm hole for the pipe connector, at a slight downward angle.
Step 3: Screw the Brackets to the Wood Block
Measure the distance between the holes in the jar and screw the brackets to the tree accordingly.
Step 4: Attach the jar to the brackets
Secure the jar to the brackets using screws, washers and nuts.
Step 5: Insert a Pipe Connector into the Jar
Just screw it inside, everything should look like in the photo: link. Try to think over the position of the tube so that when the burner fire begins to flow through it, it does not rest against the walls of the vessel, but smoothly exits the tube and twists in the jar - this will increase the efficiency of the melting installation.
Step 6: Create the Heat Resistant Filler
Mix gypsum and sand in equal proportions, add enough water to achieve the consistency of wet clay. We used a 350 ml plastic mug and in our experience for a large tin we advise you to mix 3 mugs of sand and gypsum and add 1 - 1.5 mugs of water to the mixture.
You need to work very quickly, as the mixture begins to instantly set and harden.
Stuff the jar 3/4 full, and then poke a hole in the middle with a radius of about 4 cm (for example, using a spoon), leaving walls about 2 cm thick. Choose a wider cavity at the back (bottom) of the jar to create a better zone heat retention.
Use the back of a spoon or other thin object to clean the protruding pipe connector from the sand/gypsum mixture. Clean all surfaces with a damp cloth and let the mixture stand for about 30 minutes.
Later I came up with the idea that you could stuff the pipe connector with paper, and to create a hole in the can, use a toilet paper tube and stuff heat-resistant mixture around it, and then all the paper would just burn on the first roast.
Which can be called a portable forge from a tin can.
With this device, you can quickly heat up metal products with a diameter of up to 40 mm (bar, rebar, circle, strip, square, corner). In a portable hearth, you can make building brackets, other hardware, forge a small crowbar, knife, harden, temper or anneal.
You will need very few materials and tools. Chamotte clay is sold on the building materials market, where there are goods for laying furnaces (flaps, views, etc.), and, as mentioned above, a gas burner with a cylinder is needed.
Construction of a portable forge from a tin can
In an ordinary can of paint and varnish products, an insulating layer of chamotte clay is created, legs, a stand are installed, and a nozzle for the burner is mounted in the upper part.
The main advantages of this device can be called a simple device, compactness and benefits for the economy. Now you do not need to hold the burner in your hands while heating the metal, just insert it into the nozzle, and your hands will be free to work with the part.
materials
1. Tin can
2. Chamotte clay
3. Pipe sections - 22 mm (3 pcs.), 50 mm high.
4. Long bolts M-6, M-10 with nuts and washers (2 pcs.). Nuts and washers need two sets per 1 bolt
5. Board or plywood 20 - 25mm
6. Can of deodorant
7. Vaseline
Tools
Drill
Spatula narrow
Ruler
Hacksaws for wood and metal
wrenches set
Pliers
How to make a portable horn from a tin can step by step
First of all, you should prepare a place on a workbench or table for convenient and safe work, as well as all materials and tools.
1 step
We take a tin can, a board or plywood measuring 300x450x20, prepared pipe sections and two assembled bolts. We need this set of materials for the manufacture of a portable forge body. The sides under the cover should be left, they are useful for supporting fireclay clay and give the overall rigidity of the structure.
On the side of the can, it is advisable to stick to the middle as accurately as possible, at an equal distance from the edges, drill two holes and strengthen the bolts there, pulling them to the can with a washer and nut.
At the same distance, drill holes in a wooden base, on the back of which larger holes should be drilled to drown the fixing nuts.
Then, putting the pipe sections on the bolts, we fasten the entire structure to the base. The protruding ends of the bolts, then you need to saw off with a hacksaw so that the base lies flat on the surface. Or, as an option, screw small legs to the bottom of the base.
At this stage, the whole structure should look like this:
2 step
Carefully make a hole in the upper side plane of the jar to install the nozzle. The tin is cut with any tool at hand (scissors, knife), the main thing is to make an accurate markup in the center of the plane. The hole should be exactly along the outer diameter of the tube. We strengthen the tube at a slight angle, going inside the can by one and a half cm.
3 step
We dilute the clay to a homogeneous state, in terms of fluidity it is similar to tile adhesive. We install a can of deodorant or similar inside the can, exactly in the middle, lubricating it with petroleum jelly or other technical oil.
Important! The can must be in contact with the nozzle tube!
We fix it with tape. We fill all the free space with a solution of fireclay clay, constantly tapping on the jar to remove air and compact the solution.
Important! The nozzle must be plugged with improvised material!
The clay hardens for about 5 days, after which you can carefully remove the can and make a hole in the back of the can. This is necessary for working with long parts.
4 step
We insert a burner into the nozzle and gradually increasing the torch, we begin to harden the clay. At the same time, our portable horn is undergoing sea trials.
A compact and easy to manufacture forge forging metal (knives and other products) is offered by “lawyer Egorov”. You can make it from a simple tin can and gypsum with your own hands.
To work, you only need a screwdriver or drill. The blowtorch that is used in this forge is one of the cheapest. The author of the video tutorial bought it for 750 rubles. Now you need to screw the plumbing coupling into the resulting hole. To be able to use a thread, the hole in the jar must be smaller than the diameter of the thread.
You can cut a ring out of the pipe and use it as a washer. It is best to use a standard plumbing nut.
Next, you need to make a tight connection of the installed sleeve and the neck of the blowtorch. The neck of the blowtorch exactly matched the 1/2 inch copper pipe. The author had a connector for such a pipe and he pressed it into the coupling using a vise.
It remains to drill 2 more holes in the bank for two bolts - legs and fix these legs on the support.
The final stage is the application of a thermally insulating gypsum layer on the inner surface of the can. Gypsum hardens very quickly (1.5 minutes), so before preparing a gypsum mortar, it is useful to prepare all the necessary parts and tools. It is necessary to prepare a cylinder (an aerosol bottle is convenient), which will form the cavity of the furnace, a spoon, water and other details.
First you need to mix gypsum and sand in a 1: 1 ratio. After adding water, knead the solution until a homogeneous mass, like thick sour cream. Put the resulting solution in a jar and insert a cylinder inside to form the cavity of the furnace. To make it easier to remove the cylinder later, you can wrap it with wax paper.
Until the cylinder is removed and the gypsum has not hardened, it is necessary to make a channel for the flow of gas. Gypsum rises within 1.5 minutes. It remains to dry the forge and you can start working on it.
The productivity of such a hearth is small and without a brick plug, its operation will be wasteful. With it, the performance, that is, the heating rate, increases significantly.
It is better to ignite the gas not in the furnace, but in the socket of the blowtorch. That will be safer. Horn - a source of increased danger! Do not leave a burning forge unattended. Forging on such a hearth occurs at a temperature of 700 degrees, the metal does not heat up quickly.
