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Forge

In the pictures is the forge in my shop installed in a concrete "table"

Usually the forge has a steel table, with attached blower. In my shop it is in the table made specially for the forge. The fire bowl (in which the coal burns) is in the table and all other parts (air chamber, valves and blower are under the table. Because of insufficient space, my blower is on the side of the table and it is connected by a steel pipe to the air chamber.  A lever for the air flow control is on left side and a small table for tools and coal is on the right side. The blower switch is in the front of table. I made the hood from fire proof panels in a steel frame (L profiles), but it would be easier to make it from steel sheet. In order to guide the smoke going out of hood, I added a small panel on left side (I'm adding one on right side now)I have coal in a box on right side. The first shovel I made was small (20 inches) long I use it for adding coal, cleaning the fire and the forge table.

Mistakes, I made:

The forge table is too small, If I add coal, sometimes it falls off. A better size table would be 40 X 40 inches. It is 24 X 32 inches now, and for small pieces of material it is enough. In the future I have to make a bigger one.To support material in the forge I use a brick, but I have a picture of two nice supports suitable for short and log bars. (one of them I made).

The lower part is an air chamber, which is connected to the bottom of the fire bowl. The air is going through grate from air chamber to fire bowl. The grate is used for air flow control, because it is connected to a lever. It can move up (valve is closed) and down (valve is open). In the fire bowl are two blocks (supporting and concentrating coal). It is all made from cast iron A second lever opens the valve (ash dump) on the bottom of the air chamber and ash is blown out.

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