Compact and easy to manufacture forge for forging metal (knives and other products) is offered by “Lawyer Egorov”. You can make it from a simple tin can and plaster with your own hands.
To work, you only need a screwdriver or drill. The blowtorch 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 a plumbing coupling into the resulting hole. To use a thread, the hole in the can must be smaller than the diameter of the thread.
You can cut a ring out of a pipe and use it as a washer. It is best to use a standard plumbing nut.
Next you need to make a tight connection between the installed coupling and the neck blowtorch. The neck of the blowtorch aligned exactly with copper pipe by 1/2 inch. The author had a connector for such a pipe and pressed it into the coupling using a vice.
All that remains is to drill 2 more holes in the can for two bolts - legs and secure these legs to the support.
The final stage is the application of a thermal insulating gypsum layer to the inner surface of the jar. Gypsum hardens very quickly (1.5 minutes), so before preparing the gypsum solution, it is useful to prepare everything necessary details and tools. It is necessary to prepare a cylinder (an aerosol bottle is convenient), which will form the cavity of the firebox, a spoon, water and other parts.
First you need to mix gypsum and sand in a 1:1 ratio. After adding water, knead the solution until smooth, like thick sour cream. Place the resulting solution in a jar and insert a cylinder inside to form a firebox cavity. To make it easier to remove the cylinder later, you can wrap it in wax paper.
Until the cylinder is removed and the plaster has hardened, you need to make a channel for gas flow. The plaster sets up within 1.5 minutes. All that remains is to dry the forge and you can start working on it.
The productivity of such a forge is small and without a brick plug its operation will be wasteful. With it, productivity, that is, the heating speed, increases significantly.
It is better to ignite gas not in the firebox, but in the socket of a blowtorch. It will be safer this way. The forge is a source of increased danger! Do not leave a burning forge unattended. Forging on such a forge occurs at a temperature of 700 degrees, the metal does not heat up quickly.
Which can be called a portable forge made of tin can.
Using this device, you can quickly heat metal products with a diameter of up to 40 mm (rod, fittings, circle, strip, square, corner). In a portable forge you can make construction staples, other hardware, forge a small crowbar, knife, harden, temper or anneal.
Very few materials and tools are required. Fireclay clay is sold on the building materials market, in the same place where products for laying furnaces (dampers, views, etc.) are sold, and as mentioned above, it is necessary gas-burner with a balloon.
Design of a portable forge made from a tin can
In an ordinary can of paint and varnish products, an insulating layer is created from fireclay clay, legs and a stand are installed, and a burner nozzle is mounted in the upper part.
The main advantages of this device are its simple design, compactness and benefits for the household. Now you don’t need to hold the torch in your hands while heating the metal; you just need to insert it into the nozzle, and your hands will be free to work with the part.
Materials
1. Tin can
2. Fireclay clay
3. Pipe sections – 22 mm (3 pcs.), 50 mm high.
4. Long bolts M-6, M-10 with nuts and washers (2 pcs.). Two sets of nuts and washers are required per bolt
5. Board or plywood 20 – 25mm
6. Deodorant can
7. Vaseline
Tools
Drill
Narrow spatula
Ruler
Hacksaws for wood and metal
Wrenches set
Pliers
Step-by-step manufacturing of a portable forge from a tin can
First of all, you should prepare a place on a workbench or table for convenient and safe production works, 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 to make the body of a portable forge. The sides under the lid should be left; they are useful for supporting the fireclay clay and giving overall rigidity to 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 secure the bolts there, tightening them to the can with a washer and nut.
At the same distance, drill holes in wooden base, on the back side of which larger holes should be drilled to recess the fastening nuts.
Then, putting the pipe sections on the bolts, we screw the entire structure to the base. The protruding ends of the bolts must then be sawed 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 entire structure should look like this:
Step 2
Carefully make a hole in the upper side plane of the can to install the nozzle. Tin is cut with any available tool (scissors, knife), the main thing is to make precise markings 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, extending one and a half cm into the jar.
Step 3
Let's dilute the clay until it is homogeneous; its fluidity is similar to tile adhesive. Place a deodorant can or similar inside the jar, exactly in the middle, lubricating it with Vaseline or other technical oil.
Important! The can must be in contact with the nozzle tube!
We secure it with tape. We fill all the free space with a solution of fireclay clay, constantly tapping the jar to remove air and compact the solution.
Important! The nozzle must be plugged with available 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.
Step 4
We insert the burner into the nozzle and gradually raise the torch and begin to harden the clay. At the same time, our portable forge is undergoing “running” tests.
I am interested in blacksmithing and have already for a long time wanted to bring a piece of it into my suburban garage. After watching several topical videos, I understood what to do, but did not find any step by step instructions on this topic, so I decided to write down for you how to make a forge with your own hands.
The time to assemble a mini forge with your own hands from start to finish is about an hour and a half.
Step 1: Gathering the necessary items
You will need:
- Can
- Wood block
- Pipe connector - 1.5 * 5 cm
- Two L-shaped 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 can to the brackets
- Sand
- Plaster
- Large bag for mixing plaster and sand
- Regular propane torch with nozzle for spiral gas flow
- Protective glasses
- Fire extinguisher - just in case
Step 2: Prepare the jar
Drill two holes about 1/2 inch from each edge of the jar.
On the opposite side of the holes, about 2-3 cm from the back of the can, 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 can and screw the brackets to the tree accordingly.
Step 4: Attach the can to the brackets
Using screws with washers and nuts, securely secure the can to the brackets.
Step 5: Thread a Pipe Connector into the Can
Just screw it inside, everything should look like in the photo: link. Try to think about 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 comes out of the tube and twists into the jar - this will increase the efficiency of the melting installation.
Step 6: Create a 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, according to our experience, for a large tin can, we recommend mixing 3 mugs of sand and gypsum and adding 1 - 1.5 mugs of water to the mixture.
You need to work very quickly, as the mixture begins to set and harden instantly.
Fill the jar tightly to 3/4 of its volume, and then make a hole in the middle with a radius of about 4 cm (for example, using a spoon), leaving the walls about 2 cm thick. Select a wider cavity at the back (bottom) of the jar to create best zone heat retention.
Using the back of a spoon or other thin object, scrape the sand and plaster mixture from the exposed pipe connector. Clean all surfaces with wet wipes and let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes.
Later I came up with the idea that I could stuff the pipe connector with paper and use a tube from a bottle to create a hole in the can. toilet paper and stuff the heat-resistant mixture around it, and then all the paper will simply burn during the first ignition.
Today, many men are interested in blacksmithing. Indeed, the beauty of hot metal, which before our eyes becomes a beautiful forged product, is simply mesmerizing. A homemade forge can be either a large stationary or a compact desktop one. Craftsmen with extensive experience work with traditional designs. And among amateurs, the most popular are compact homemade forges, which are very easy to make with your own hands.
Compact and simple forge for forging metal products can be made from the most ordinary tin can and plaster. Such homemade device– this is simply an irreplaceable thing in the workshop. After all, every amateur craftsman has to heat and forge various parts and tools. A mini-forge at home will help out at any time, plus it’s not difficult to make a forge with your own hands. Assembly will require materials that are always on hand.
Equipment required for operation:
- tin can (it should have a large volume of about a liter);
- block of wood;
- steel tube (diameter from 11 to 12 mm, and length 50 mm);
- a pair of steel corners;
- several wood screws (6 or 7 cm);
- several screws and nuts small size, they are needed to fasten the can to the corners;
- sand and building plaster;
- gas-burner;
- glasses to protect the eyes;
- fire extinguisher (it is prepared for safety reasons).
Manufacturing sequence:
- A hole is made in the side wall of the tin can for the prepared steel trim. This is done at a distance of approximately 4.5 mm. WITH reverse side the cans need to be drilled two holes (they are needed for the mounting screws).
- A wooden board will serve as the base for the forge; the corners are attached to it with self-tapping screws. They are screwed in accordance with the holes made on the can. Next, taking screws and nuts, screw on the tin can.
- The next step is applying a layer of gypsum thermal insulation. This solution hardens instantly. Therefore everything necessary tools should be prepared in advance (this is a tube, spoon, water and the rest).
- A tube (approximately 4 cm in diameter) is rolled up from thick cardboard and placed in the center of the jar. A steel tube is inserted closely into it through the prepared hole. To make it easier to pull out in the future, it is recommended to wrap it in wax paper.
- Now you can start mixing the solution. Sand and gypsum are mixed in a one to one ratio. Sand must be taken clean and without impurities. By adding water, the mixture is brought to the consistency of thick sour cream.
If possible, you can add fireclay or asbestos. These fire-resistant materials are allowed to replace 1/2 of the sand used. But, if they are not there, then they can do without it.
- A gypsum-sand solution is tightly placed in the free space between the walls and the cardboard insert (you can use a plastic spoon for this). When doing this, you need to remember that this mixture sets in a matter of minutes. After the container is filled, you need to remove the solution from the hole on the side tube.
- After 30 minutes, you can remove the tube.
Calcination of the forge
To completely remove moisture from a newly manufactured device, experts recommend calcining the forge. A simple gas burner is used as a fire source; it can be easily found in any hardware store. The nozzle of the switched-on burner is inserted into a tube placed on the side and heated until the device turns red from incandescence. This drying takes no more than 10-15 minutes. It is better to ignite a gas wick in the socket of a blowtorch; it is not so dangerous.
The productivity of such equipment is not very high, and without a brick plug homemade mechanism used wastefully. And with such a plug, the heating speed of the mini-forge increases significantly.
Don't forget that homemade horn is a highly dangerous item. It should not be left unattended while it is burning.
This completes the process of creating a household mini-forge. Now it can be tested in action. Using a homemade forge for smelting metal parts and subsequent casting, for forging in home workshops, and for smelting small glass products. By carefully following the above recommendations, anyone can build such a structure. And having learned to work with such a device, you can begin to create more complex mechanisms.
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