Sometimes in the lives of people living “on earth” there are moments when you want to do something with your own hands, without putting it off. Someone is thinking about carpentry, someone is engaged in the manufacture of decorative products, and someone is literally passionate about forging. Moreover, real, i.e. - “hot.”
So, in this article:
- What is the minimum set of tools and equipment needed for forging.
- How to make an anvil from an old rail.
- What can you use to construct a portable forge?
Forge in the garage
Blacksmith is one of the oldest professions, traditionally shrouded in secrets and legends. The simplest forge can be equipped in your garage. This will not require particularly complex equipment or high costs. A home craftsman will be able to create both household items and artistic objects in it.
Forge in the garage
How to build a forging workshop with your own hands
It is recommended to locate a mini forge, built with your own hands, no closer than 10 meters from residential buildings. This is explained by the increased fire hazard of traditional forging technology.
The area required for convenient and safe placement of all necessary equipment is from 15 sq.m. The height of the ceiling above the forge and anvil should be at least 2.5 m. It is best for the building to be brick and stone.
The floor must be made of non-combustible material - concrete or laid with bricks or tiles. Clay coating is allowed, regularly moistened with water. If the walls and ceiling are wooden, they should be covered with a thick layer of lime whitewash.
Products made in a forge at home
In the garage space allocated for the forge, exhaust ventilation should be installed and good lighting should be provided. The wiring must be hidden in metal pipes or sleeves.
There is another option - the forge can be placed under a canopy attached to the wall of the garage. The problem with ventilation disappears, but it will be possible to work comfortably in such a workshop only in the warm season.
Blacksmithing technology requires placing the following basic pieces of equipment in the garage compartment allocated for the forge:
- Forge with combustion equipment (scoop, poker, etc.).
- Locker with fuel.
- Fan.
- Anvil.
- Barrel for hardening.
- Vise.
Hand tools - hammers, pliers, notches, etc. will require a shelf, or better yet, a full-fledged, durable workbench.
The forge and anvil are positioned so that they can be accessed from all sides. Lighting is best done with incandescent lamps or LED “warm light” lamps (with a color temperature of 2700 K) - they do not distort the color of the workpiece.
Setting up a forge with your own hands
If possible, the door (or gate) of the forge should be directed away from the house.
A high-quality tool in good condition will be pleasant and safe to work with. In addition, a good tool allows you to achieve high quality products.
The selection of instruments begins with percussion equipment. It includes:
- Handbrake. A small hammer weighing 500-2000 g, with a handle 35-60 cm. The handle should be made from deciduous trees and sanded smooth.
- Sledgehammer. Heavy hammer, weighing 8-16 kg. The sledgehammer’s strikers are flat; its long (up to 120 cm) handle is held with both hands and used for blows of large amplitude and weight.
- War hammer. Hammer weighing up to 10 kg, held with two hands. One striker is flat, the other is wedge-shaped, used to accelerate the workpiece along the axis.
HandbrakeSledgehammer
Long-handled pliers are designed for:
- removing the hot part from the furnace;
- holding it in the position required for forging.
The pliers must be able to hold both large and small parts, preventing them from turning under impacts. To do this, they must have elongated jaws.
Measuring tools - steel rulers, squares, measuring gauges, calipers, protractors, etc.
Ticks
The forge in the garage next to the house should also have a capacity for cooling and hardening the forged products. You can use a cut metal barrel.
Blacksmith anvil
When choosing an anvil for a garage workshop, it is important to pay attention to the condition of the working surface and especially the edges. They should not have chips or gouges. If you hit a surface with a hammer, it should ring and the hammer should bounce back.
Install the anvil on a powerful welded frame. Such a structure, if necessary, can be quickly moved from place to place by one person. If you manage to get a large stump (not rotten!), then in addition to a reliable, stable fastening you will also get a shock absorber. But it will no longer be possible to move it alone.
Blacksmith anvil
The height of the installation is calculated based on the height and length of the blacksmith’s arms so that the plane of the striker when striking with both hands is parallel to the working plane.
Forge
A forge for a forge in a garage is welded from sheet metal with a thickness of 5 mm or a gas cylinder is cut. It is mounted on a welded frame (made of 12 mm rod or reinforcement). The height of the top edge should be at the level of the master's belt.
A grate is welded to the bottom of the hearth to accommodate pieces of coal.
To prevent coal particles from spilling downwards, the grate bars should be made with small intervals.
The supply pipe from the blower fan is positioned with a slight downward slope. This is done to avoid sparks being blown upward.
Read more about how to make a homemade forge in the article “Do-it-yourself blacksmith forge.”
Forge
Hammer and old vacuum cleaner
To pressurize the forge, use a duct fan or an old but efficient vacuum cleaner. Filters should be removed from the vacuum cleaner.
When choosing a forging hammer, you need to pay attention to the quality of the metal. An old Soviet hammer made of good tool steel will last much longer than a Chinese one.
It will be enough to make a good handle, fit the hammer tightly and regularly check the fastening. The weight of the hammer is selected based on the level of physical development of the master. The weight should allow long hours of work without fatigue.
Using a vacuum cleaner to pressurize the forge
Forging vices and pliers
For a forge in the garage, it’s worth getting a chair vice. They are made from high quality tool steel and can withstand thousands of impacts. It will not be possible to split them.
Forging vices and pliers
The pliers should have long handles, which will allow you to snatch workpieces from the forge without fear of getting burned.
The tool kit should also include flares with elongated flat jaws for gripping small parts. A special ring that allows you to clamp the handles together will be of great help. This makes work easier by reducing gripping force.
Necessary equipment
Building your own forge at home requires certain knowledge. The heart of the workshop is the equipment; without it, the master cannot work. Below is a list of required equipment.
- The forge is the most important element. It is in it that the fire burns, and the metal reaches a certain temperature. Place it opposite the front door against the wall.
- Racks for metal workpieces and tools are installed on the right or left wall. Their size depends on the owner’s requirements.
- Containers in the form of metal barrels are installed next to the forge. They are designed for storing coal, slag, oils and water.
- A welding station that won't take up much space.
- A metal cutting machine is one of the main elements of the workshop.
- An anvil that is placed closer to the forge.
- A workbench with a steel vice is equipment without which it is difficult to imagine a forge.
- The molding machine is indispensable in work.
If it is possible to install a mechanical hammer, this will speed up the work process.
Fuel for the forge
The main difference between forge hearths and each other is the use of different fuels. It happens:
The most common option is solid fuel in the form of coal. Professional blacksmiths use shiny charcoal in the shape of a walnut. Charcoal is the most expensive type of fuel. It is in short supply in some areas. We recommend using pulverized coal, the temperature and duration of combustion of which are optimal for forging work.
The optimal liquid fuel, corresponding in price and quality, is fuel oil. A gas forge should be equipped only where this type of fuel has a low cost. Compliance with fire safety rules is a top priority.
How to make a forge with your own hands: forge structure
The word “forge” is usually associated with a dark room with anvils, forges, hammers and blacksmith’s tongs. However, creating a forge with your own hands is much simpler than it seems at first glance. In addition, the forge can be made quite compact without adapting special premises for it.
The forge itself is a room with equipment for blacksmithing. In the forge, metal blanks are heated and processed using hammers and other forging tools. Less commonly, melting metals and alloys for casting some elements.
In fact, the forge does not necessarily have to be located indoors. In our case, the forge is an open space (or a space under a canopy).
The forge contains a forge - a source of open fire. Small particles of coal are often blown out of it. In addition, the metal is processed hot at about 800-900ºС. Therefore, the floor in the forge should not be made of flammable materials and there should be no electrical wires in the vicinity of the forge and anvil, since hot workpieces often drop onto the floor.
Blacksmith anvil
It can be almost any one that can be found. The main thing is that the edges and working surface of the anvil are not knocked down (the edges must be smooth). When you hit a real blacksmith's anvil with a hammer, it should bounce off it, and the anvil itself should ring loudly.
The anvil can be installed either on a large wooden stump or on a frame welded from a corner. The second option is more functional; in addition, it allows you to turn the anvil and install it anywhere in the yard or room without any problems.
Installation on a stump, as a rule, secures the anvil in one place “forever”.
The height of installation of the anvil is determined by the level of extension of the blacksmith’s arm: so that when struck with a hammer, its surface is approximately parallel to the ground.
Old vacuum cleaner
Necessary for blowing air into the forge during blowing work.
Hammer
This is an ordinary hammer. But not like a locksmith's, which has one end that is thinner. A hammer is a hammer that has both ends equally flat. Unlike a sledgehammer, the hammer has a lighter weight (from 800 grams to 2 kg) and a short handle for working with one hand.
You should choose a hammer based on your own physical capabilities in order to work with it for a long time and not get tired. It is very important that the hammer is made of good steel; it is better to use an old Soviet one.
Chinese hammers can crack after several blows, and some develop grooves on the working surface during use, which indicates the low quality of the metal.
Chair forging vice
The main difference between a blacksmith's vice and a metalworker's vice is the metal from which they are made. The forging vise is made of tool steel and can be struck without fear of splitting the vise.
Blacksmith pliers with long handles
Long handles are necessary for working with small workpieces. A plus will be a locking ring that fastens the handles into a lock, which allows you to avoid squeezing them with force when working with a workpiece.
Other tools are non-specialized or ordinary plumbing tools.
Recommendations for setting up a forge
This equipment for a full-fledged forge can be placed in a corner, in an area of less than 1 square meter, since the anvil and forge can be moved.
If you plan to work indoors, then an additional hood should also be made at the place where the forge is installed.
If the forge is located in the yard or under a canopy, then an exhaust hood is not needed; during active combustion, the forge emits little smoke.
Coal for forging needs “fiery” coal. You can distinguish it by its weight. Pieces of this coal, even very large, are very light. It flares up strongly, burns quickly and gives the high temperature necessary to heat the workpieces to forging temperature. You should choose large and medium pieces. Small ones burn out quickly and do not give the desired temperature.
Basic Rules
There are many men who equipped a small room in a residential building as a forge. Most often they used the bathroom for this, which is completely wrong! A forge is a place where basic fire safety rules must be observed.
Before you start talking about how to make a forge yourself, you should determine a place for it. To do this, the following conditions must be met:
- Premises: separate, located away from a residential building.
- Room area: from 15 m2 and above, depending on the purpose of the work.
- Forge walls: built of wood or brick, covered with plaster.
- Forge floor: any non-combustible material.
- Door opening: outward.
- Additionally: good lighting with insulated electrical wiring, ventilation.
A forge located at home may interfere with the sleep of household members, which should be taken into account before constructing or allocating premises. If the work is planned to be carried out only in the warm season, you should think about equipping a canopy. All the recommendations described above are followed regardless of the type of forge.
How to make a forge at home: dream and reality
Passionate people often look for areas of activity where they can find application for their dormant talents. And some of them have the idea of trying themselves as a blacksmith.
This idea is feasible if you do not live in an apartment in a multi-storey building: no one is stopping property owners in the private sector from developing vigorous activity to set up a new workshop for an interesting hobby.
How to make a forge at home, what you need for it and what points you need to pay attention to - this is a list of questions to which we will look for answers.
Setting up a forge: particularly important points
First you need to decide what products you are going to create, because what your future workshop will look like will depend on their size. If there is no need to make fairly large “masterpieces,” then you can build a forge by spending quite modest funds.
- The premises are the first important point to stop at, because there are strict restrictions, and fire safety rules require compliance with them. The fact is that the blacksmith's workshop should be remote from both residential and commercial buildings. The required room area is at least 16 m2, and the door must open exclusively outward.
- The floor of the forge requires special attention, because flammable materials are strictly contraindicated here. If in ancient times in such workshops the role of floor covering was played by thoroughly compacted earth, now the best option will be concrete or something similar.
- Providing ventilation and soundproofing are also important. If it is simply impossible to work without the first one being forced, then the second one will make you a common enemy - both household members and neighbors.
If the necessary premises are not yet available, you can set up a forge either in the garage, or even in the open air, but in this case you will have to build a fire-resistant floor, a rain shelter and create when everyone around you has gone on business. When the question about the premises has found an appropriate answer, you can move on to a new “headache” - taking care of tools and equipment.
A “naked” forge - without a forge - is the height of indecency
To put it pompously, we can say that the forge is the heart of the forge, only there “the steel submits obediently,” turning almost into plasticine.
The device is simple: coal burns in the furnace of such a furnace, and a metal billet is placed there, which is heated to the required temperature. The smallest forge can even be built from a tin can.
And he will allow you to make forged things as successfully as his respectable “colleague” in the craft. True, their sizes will be appropriate.
The task assigned to the operation of this equipment is to provide a fairly high temperature for heating the steel. The best option would be a solid fuel fireplace that uses coal. He also has a competitor - the Kuznetsk gas forge.
Dream come true: building a forge
This working tool consists of a table, hearth, tuyere and umbrella.
The table is a reliable foundation
If you decide to make a solid stationary forge, then you need to start by building a table on which the hearth is located. Usually its height is 700-800 mm, but it depends more on the height of the master.
The dimensions of such a tabletop are determined only by the dimensions of those products that will be forged: the working surface can be either a meter by one and a half, or 1.5x2 m. The tabletop can be made of reinforced concrete, brick or steel sheet 4 mm thick.
The body is constructed from logs, brick or stone. Clay, sand or crushed stone is poured inside this “box”.
Hearth for the forge - crucible
The hearth on the table occupies a central place; it consists of a grate and a tuyere, they are responsible for supplying the air necessary for combustion. The size and shape of the hearth can be different, it all depends on its purpose: the recess can be either round or square, with sides of 200x200 or 400x400 mm, the depth being from 100 to 150 mm.
To make a grate, a frying pan with thick walls, the diameter of which should be approximately 300 mm, is suitable. In this case, you will have to cut out a number of holes (1 cm). The best option would be a steel car wheel. It is necessary that the homemade grill fits tightly into the hole cut in the surface of the table.
Forge tuyere: replacement for leather furs
The lance can be considered the main mechanism of this equipment. The choice of fan for air supply is wide - even old Soviet vacuum cleaners or car blowers can become such a device.
Air is supplied through the pipe to the tuyere body, then it penetrates into the combustion area through the grate. Its quantity is successfully regulated by a damper.
A lid must be provided at the bottom of the tuyere to “evacuate” accumulated ash.
Umbrella: forge hood
This umbrella actually looks like a pyramid hood. The material used is iron sheets, the thickness of which can reach 1.5 mm. The lower section of such a structure should be similar to the dimensions of the table.
Its lower part should be at a distance of 500-600 mm above the table surface. An iron umbrella has a disadvantage - it will quickly burn out.
If you want to avoid problems, you will have to use a structure made of refractory bricks, but it will require supports due to its impressive weight.
The anvil is the forge's faithful partner
Therefore, it should be located close to him. The best is its two-horned variety. The horizontal platform is called the “face”, so it must be protected from any flaws - only a perfectly polished surface guarantees the quality of the work.
On one side of the anvil there is a cone-shaped horn; here the rings are welded and rolled out. Not far from the base of the cone there is a round hole (15 mm), with the help of which the products are given a round shape. On the opposite side, where the “chin” of our face is located, closed rectangular parts are bent. There is also a hole here, but it is square, its dimensions are 30x30 mm.
At the bottom of the anvil there are 4 paws, which are intended for attaching it to the base. This is done with staples. This instrument also requires a special chair made of oak or birch, its diameter should be about 600 mm. In order to make something like a foundation for an anvil, the block of wood needs to be deepened into the ground by 50 mm, even deeper is better. This will avoid vibration of the tool.
Blacksmith chair vise: neighbors with an anvil
It is impossible to do without a vice in a forge, because workpieces have to be clamped in them. They must be adjacent to the anvil, so a wooden base for them is dug near it.
This must be done so that the working plane of the anvil is at the same level as the jaws of the vice.
If it is not possible to purchase a chair tool, you can temporarily replace it with ordinary ones, but you must “get it right” that ordinary cast iron is not able to withstand such hard work.
The rest of the blacksmith's assistants
Without a suitable tool, any blacksmith cannot be called such. Mandatory equipment includes:
- The war hammer can weigh up to 12 kg, so it requires both hands to operate it. The head is suitable for basic work, while the rear takes part in accelerating the steel along the axis.
- The sledgehammer is a heavyweight, its weight reaches 16 kg. Used when greater strength is needed.
- Handbrake. This is a small hammer (from 500 g to 2 kg) for basic work. Rowan is used for the handle, as this wood is able to neutralize the recoil from an impact.
- Pliers are a fascinating tool in every sense. Only with its help can you pull future products out of the forge and hold them during forging.
It is better to ask about how to make a forge at home on special forums, where they will answer you in detail and professionally. Or you can go the other way - watch the video and take action. The choice is yours.
You can see one of them here:
Equipment and tools
Any blacksmith's workshop, even a fully mechanized one, must have the main element of the craft - a forge. After all, it is when heated that steel and iron become soft and plastic, which makes them pliable when processed.
The design of a forge is quite simple - in fact, it is a furnace in which fuel burns. But to increase the combustion temperature, additional air supply must be provided. Previously, furs were used for this, which pumped oxygen into the hearth.
The simplest gas mini-forge for small forgings can even be made from a tin can. How this is done is shown in the provided video:
Such a device will allow you to produce forged items even in a garage or shed in the country.
The main condition when operating a forge is that sufficient heating temperature must be provided. It is best to have a solid fuel fireplace that burns coal. Also a good option is a gas forge.
It is important to take care of a high-quality hood that will remove fuel combustion products!
The second device for a forge is the presence of an anvil. This is the “worktable” of any blacksmith. Anvils come in various sizes and dimensions.
But for full-fledged forging, additional holes in the surface and the ability to attach additional equipment (for example, crimpers and smoothers) will be required. Also, for bending elements, there is a rounded horn on the anvil. It is used as a kind of mandrel. However, a homemade anvil made from a massive piece of metal, such as a rail, will also work.
After this, you need to take care and purchase a blacksmith tool.
Handbrake hammers are small hammers with which the master does the main work. Their weight ranges from 500 grams to two kilograms. The hammer itself is mounted on a wooden handle, usually made of rowan (smoothes out the recoil upon impact).
The sledgehammer is intended for rough work, for example, crimping large and massive workpieces. Its weight is 2-8 kilograms, the handle, like the handbrake, is wooden.
Pliers are needed to manipulate heated metal elements during forging. They must be long enough and also durable. The grip must be strong so that the part does not slip out with every blow and movement.
A vice, or a metalworker's vice, may be suitable. Quite often, a vice is mounted on an anvil for more convenient work. The main thing is that they provide reliable fastening of parts during forging.
Crimpers and ironers are special devices that are mounted on an anvil during hand forging. Their task is akin to a factory stamp - to give the desired shape to the workpiece and smooth out its front parts.
They use wrenches when it is necessary to twist metal parts, and chisels are used to cut metal. Also, for cold working, you can mount a manual machine, where it will be more convenient to twist and bend the metal.
However, in a modern workshop, chopping is completely replaced by cutting using a grinder. The same applies to various punches. They can easily be replaced with a drilling workbench or even an electric drill.
However, even the presence of a simple device can easily replace electric forging machines with your own hands.
If you plan to engage in forging at a more serious level, then you will need the appropriate equipment.
Homemade forge at home
A forge is a workshop for the manual processing of metal blanks, primarily by heating and forging. Handicraft blacksmith shops are maintained by passionate masters of simple and artistic forging, who, through their hobby, preserve the traditions of the craft.
Forges are equipped with a hearth (forge) and an anvil. A huge amount of metal processing work is carried out in the forge: smelting, pouring molten metal into molds, forging, welding, soldering copper and brass, hardening, stamping, drawing, bending, torsion, embossing and others. Ready-made melting furnaces in this store.
One of the previous articles describes a method for making a knife from a drill by a talented craftsman. Here we will look at what kind of forge this master made with his own hands for the forge. Creating a homemade forge at home, practically in the yard, he used, as one of the forums aptly put it, a “minimalist-primitivist approach.” However, it should be noted that this approach turned out to be very effective.
The basis of the forge was a portable forge made of a pipe 1 cm thick, weight approximately 60 kg, bottom 1.5 cm. Cuts were made on the bottom surface with a grinder. Under the bottom there is a hollow part, to the base of which a pipe for supplying boost air is welded. The air is supplied from the vacuum cleaner. The furnace has a door to reduce heat loss.
Products for inventors.
Chair vice
The tool is the main equipment of the forge and it is impossible to do without it. Workpieces and various devices are clamped in a vice, bending and settling occur.
Chair vices come in different sizes and are mounted on a block of wood that is dug into the floor next to the anvil.
The height of the jaws of the vice and the face of the anvil should be at the same level. If you have any difficulties purchasing chairs, then at first an ordinary vice will do - bench or machine, but remember: none of them will withstand strong impacts, since they are cast from cast iron.
How to make a forge with your own hands at home
It is possible to create a forge with your own hands. This work will take a minimum of time, money and effort. We will reveal the subtleties of manufacturing, based on different price categories.
Forging is an activity chosen by hardworking and creative men. Such a workshop can become a place of work that brings serious income. A forge with your own hands is a dream that can easily be realized, and today we will tell you how to do it.
Required materials and tools
A homemade forge is equipped with tools that are available to its owner. Gradually, the old tools are being replaced with professional ones. The list of required devices includes:
- hammer or mallet;
- sledgehammer;
- pliers with long handles;
- fan for blowing;
- cast iron grate;
- flexible aluminum sheet;
- steel rulers of three types (30, 50, 100 cm);
- poker;
- metal scoop;
- broom;
- peak.
The materials you will need are brick (preferably heat-resistant), sand, cement, a large stump, and a pallet. Now you can start construction. Let's take a mini-forge on a small budget as an example.
