Ultimate Guide to Making a Cheap but Effective Aluminium Forge.

Step 3 The Forge

This is kind of difficult but has few steps.


Cut a hole in the side of the big can about an inch from the bottom.

Make sure the pipe fits. (you could use a piece of rolled up paper or cardboard.)

Use a can opener on the bottom of the small coffee can and cut a mouse hole shaped hole in the lower side. (make sure the pipe fits)

Wrap the small can in cardboard. (this is to make it easily removable.) and cut out the mouse hole in the cardboard.

Mix the quickrete. We used 11 cups of quickrete and about 2.5 cups of water.

Pack the quickrete tightly in the bottom of the can and up to the bottom of the hole.

Place the pipe in the hole and the small can in the big can with the pipe in the mouse hole. Try to center the small can.

You want the pipe to go in diagonally. This will help create a spiral of flames. (see picture)

Fill up the sides with quickrete and pack tightly.

We let it set for a bit then put it in the oven and set it to 400.

After 30 minutes take it out and pull out the small can and the cardboard.

Put it back in the oven for 2 hours. This will help eliminate the moisture.

Use oven mitts and take it out of the oven. and bring it to our work area.

Lite the torch and stick it in the pipe.

I suggest wearing eye protection.

This first firing is just to eliminate moisture. You may see steam coming from the cement.

Let it fire for about half an hour then let it dry overnight.

We put the crucible in during the first fire to help burn off the paint.

Comments

[shakeval]

if you want a more even distrobution of heat, try making a cone, bout an inch or two high and wide enough you can slip it in and try it, your crucible will rest on the point and the heat will be able to whip around the bottom edge with a lot more exposed metal

[lostowl05661]

I have started this project today. I used a no. 10 Baked Bean can instead of a coffee can. I'm gonna be sick of beans for a while..... I botched the concrete. I didn't mix enough and it had too much water at the top. I tried to mix in some dry concrete, but it crumbled away when I took the can out. Still, the concrete goes pretty near the top of the can. When I finish the first fire today, I'll decide whether to patch it with more concrete, fireclay or just leave it be.

[DrMcLeland]

Dont feel it to much just finished my first attempt @ 20 coke can tabs, THEN read the rest of the instructions that says to remove the inner can after casting, ( I used mortor mix dont know how its gonna work thought that was the problem at first till I read the inner can is supposed to be removed !@##$$%%^^& and much more but I am off to try again :)

[man ray]

maybe you could repeat this step and have two burners going but it might melt crucible?

[demolitionNerd]

why shouldn't u let the quickrete dry normally instead of heating it in the oven? I was always told that u should let is set on it's own or it will crack and weaken structurally.

[pcdls]

It's always good to see the human creative spirit is alive and well in our world. Thank you for this how-to. Now, I'm gonna build me one of these!

[FleaCircusDirector]

Care is needed if making a forge from zinc coated materials because the zinc could melt and give off nasty fumes.

[bigcheeze]

a grass/weed burning torch (also called a tommy torch) would be perfect (you can get one at house of tools)

[Shark500]

I saw something like that. it melted brass. they are pretty cheap at harbor freight. I'd make a furnace for it but i'd need a bigger container. maybe a metal bucket?

[darth acexxacer]

is it possible to make a larger forge out of a garbage can like this one?

[TMonkey]

You mean like this?

http://www.abymc.com/Shop/Tzar_Foundry.html

[Shark500]

One would assume so, but you would need a proportionally bigger burner.

[Wyle_E]

There are a bunch of Web sites devoted to amateur foundry. The Association of Backyard Metalcasters, www.abymc.com, is a good place to start. If you have some pipe and a tee, it's not difficult to make a big propane burner. There's also the waste oil approach. That needs a blower, but the fuel is free and actually yields more heat per pound than propane. Some guys melt cast iron with used motor oil.