Make an Easy Blacksmith Forge

[Mark12ga]

you know how hot this gets will it melt aluminum

[thecatatnight]

this is perfect ive always wanted to get into smithing but i never had a forge!!

[epicfantasy]

@thecatatnight Go for it!

[300spartanswin]

@epicfantasy How do you start the fire?

[nothuman100]

@300spartanswin With a flame

[STREETRAT211]

you said that you could use plumbing pipe? are you talking about pvc? if so wont it melt?

[epicfantasy]

@STREETRAT211 no, pvc will melt.

[AlgarWolf]

Two questions:

1) Would it be more heat efficient and fuel efficient to build the forge into cinder-blocks, or does insulation even matter?

2) Would it be a smart idea to put a grate over the bottom of the fire pot so just the ashes fall?

[epicfantasy]

@AlgarWolf yes, the bricks would help a lot. YEs, you definitely have to put something int there to allow the ash to drop but not the coals> I use screen and replace it regularly as it disintegrates.

[destructovision]

@epicfantasy try some expanded or perforated steel, lasts a lot longer.

[TheLancebringer]

thats a disk brake, not a brake drum.

Big Rig brake drums make a perfect forge basin for simple knives

[Beno32145]

is it possible to have a fire pit made of bricks and have a hole on one side and push air thru with a fan or some sort?

[epicfantasy]

@Beno32145 yes, that is definitely possible.

[dreadlordei]

yerr i like your videos u are good but i just have 1 correction for your forge if u have it diagonal then u have no need for a hinge trap (imjustsaiyen.jpeg)

[epicfantasy]

@dreadlordei wow, great idea. Thanks!

[SuperAwesomelyChris]

Burning galvanized metal=zinc..

[300spartanswin]

When I'm a bit older and have the money I'm gonna try blacksmithing.Should be interesting.

[LegionStriker]

next year when im a teenager, im doing this

[joep45621]

Is it possible to use a BBQ for the main thing?

[epicfantasy]

@joep45621 Yes, but you really need something very heat durable right in the middle. That part gets very hot.

[pacificcloud]

That looked more like a brake disk than a drum, great vid though

[fridaysnewspaper]

Do you have to burn charcoal or can you burn wood?

[epicfantasy]

@fridaysnewspaper It has to be charcoal, wood doesn't get hot enough. Charcoal briquets are no good.

[fridaysnewspaper]

@epicfantasy What if its for simple small stuff like making a RR spike knife? im not trying to make anything big

Thanks!

[coalman1313]

@epicfantasy You may want to try real coal. Check out my profile to buy coal online.

[epicfantasy]

@coalman1313 Thanks, i have bookmarked your site.

[Takiado]

@fridaysnewspaper buy charcoal or make it by burning the wood

[Takiado]

@fridaysnewspaper or smoke the wood... or whatever. I forget what the term is..

[radioactiveroach]

I like how detailed you explain things. I'll have to try this.

[epicfantasy]

@radioactiveroach Thanks, I really try to explain things well. I sometimes even write out scripts with notes.

[PiastRzepicha]

Can i use mattress pump as a blower? Becouse i would like to do blacksmithing in wilderness and i suspect there wouldnt be electricity.

[epicfantasy]

@PiastRzepicha Yes, i think so. Depends on the air flow. Give it a try and see.

[TheGamer19991]

But i dont think that you can use bricks beacuse they will crack. And where can i buy the metal for making blades? And also what was the thing you used when you were making a sword handle , the gold looking thing? I beleve you said it was brass , and if it is , where can i buy it?

[epicfantasy]

@TheGamer19991 Get special heat bricks. I bought all the metal on amazon. The gold metal is think sheets of brass, amazon too.

[harleynog]

i would advie using something other than a hairdryer or taking out the heating element, this would mean your forge would be abel to reach higher heat as hot air carries less oxygen and cold air carries more

[tibbs4204]

cool forge.looks like you have lots of room out side fire pot area for ready to use fuel.

[noodzintheblue]

do you think I could use a 50 gallon steel drum, or would I have to insulate it?

[epicfantasy]

@noodzintheblue You can use that, but you still need the brake drum as the fire pot. That spot needs to get very hot.

[gingeeeeeeeee]

thats a brake rotor for disc brakes

[twag0735]

i found, that you can make a more traditional style forge out of rocks, and some chicken wire.

[mcnabadl1]

ummm, thats a brake disk.......

[Halofreakanoid]

The galvanized is usually zinc, as I'm told.

[gamer1171]

can i use a small charcoal grill with a pipe with a bellow attached to it?

[epicfantasy]

@gamer1171 probably

[lacttech]

Nevermind. Thanks

[lacttech]

Is the lawnmower belly attached to the brake drum? If so, how?

Thanks.

[epicfantasy]

@lacttech its welded. But there are bolt holes you can use.

[Nan0fire]

"pretty much as simple as that" hehe

cool video :)

[nicuyliapco]

hi, i was wondering if you can give a guide on making your own BELLOWS, since it is StormingTheCastle... just wondering if you took electricity out :) i can't find any guide on how to build a bellows for forge any where

[epicfantasy]

@nicuyliapco pretty good project idea but I can't see me doing one. 2 pieces of wood and some cloth. Can't be too hard.

[nicuyliapco]

@epicfantasy it seems more complicated than just two pieces of wood and cloth, please please i really wanna see how it works on a forge :) and i think it'll be pretty cool going back to medieval times

[frankmensingvideos]

do you have to have a fire pot?

by the way your videos are very helpfull andwell done

thanx

[epicfantasy]

@frankmensingvideos yes, the fire will get very hot. You need something really solid for where the fire is hottest.

[frankmensingvideos]

can you use pvc piping?

[epicfantasy]

@frankmensingvideos I don't think so.

[Ttalos]

@frankmensingvideos No you can't. It will melt and you will lose air flow into your fire pot. It also gives off some really nasty things, like phosgene, when heated.

[nadendas]

can i use thermite instead of wood

[epicfantasy]

@nadendas I don't know.

[TankEpidemic]

@nadendas Thermite burns way too hot and too fast, not to mention its much more expensive than wood or charcoal. If you were to use thermite not only will you need to buy the materials for it (which i pretty expensive), but it would melt through your forge and burns out fast. You also would not be able to get close to it.

[DarthMorbius1977]

@nadendas You're kidding right?

[nadendas]

@DarthMorbius1977 yes

[wearexiv]

@nadendas i would believe you should be able to

[Ttalos]

@nadendas Thermite burns too hot and fast. The reaction actually produces molten iron which was used for welding rail road tracks together once upon a time. It's not appropriate for this type of work. I'm a chemist so if you want more info on thermite PM me.

[KoenZyxYssel]

@nadendas No

[hotchicksandpuppies]

It gives off phosgene gase.

[JuLcrimson]

btw galvanised steel is zinc plated, not lead.

great info video! thanks

[loadedClownZ]

i have a woodfire oven in my backyard so i'll just use that for a forge. also could i use pine for the fire or do i need them charcoal stuff you have?

[epicfantasy]

@loadedClownZ The pine doesn't get hot enough, and you will need a blower or bellows.

[ihateu625]

ok im completely new to this... i know i can take a file for a knife but can i put it it the forge and hammer the file flat when its hot enough?

[epicfantasy]

@ihateu625 yes, definitely.

[xIiELiiTEIx]

can i use charcoal ?

[epicfantasy]

@xIiELiiTEIx No, it doesn't get hot enough for steel.

[Slic3R1]

@epicfantasy lol do you even know how hot charcoal gets? it gets to 2700 degrees Celsius or 4892 Fahrenheit, for example the melting point of Iron is 1538 degrees Celsius or 2800 degrees Fahrenheit

charcoal is the preferred fuel for forging all around the world and a really good blacksmith will take charcoal over coal or coke any day, the only downside to it IMO that it burns out faster than the other two but it doesn't contain any impurities like Sulfur which can contaminate your blade

[ZacharyBrunoMusic]

@epicfantasy I don't know where you're getting that from. Charcoal burns hotter than coal or coke. So it definitely burns hot enough for steel. Perhaps you tried to use wet charcoal?

Zachary

[Slic3R1]

@xIiELiiTEIx The worlds best blacksmiths use charcoal and after forging a couple of blades you will find out why

[etownandrewg]

@xIiELiiTEIx Yes you can use charcoal. I have sucessfully used both store bought charcoal and home made charcoal to may about 10 knives.

[1223339]

Why couldnt I use wood with a blower, i got a solid steel cylinder ( about 2-3 inches in diameter and five inches tall) to get cherry red with just wood, if I added the blower, and used the much thinner peices I would be using for a knife, I think it would be enough.

[OCoptimusconvoy]

Okay, i dont think i can get my hands on pipes and all that fancy stuff, but i think i have an idea:

Okay i have a fire pit. I make a fire and get a lot of coals going after a while, then ill just hold a hairdryer over it for a while, then i put in the metal and keep holding the hairdryer. do you think that will be enough?

[epicfantasy]

@OCoptimusconvoy maybe but what kind of coals? Barbecue briquets don't get hot enough.

[OCoptimusconvoy]

@epicfantasy well i mean i make a fire with normal wood, then it burns and i get a huge pile of hot coals, maybe a cubic inch maximum each, and last time i made a fire with my friend, the whole firepit was full of hot coals.

[OCoptimusconvoy]

@epicfantasy okay i did it and it worked, i got my roasting stick to a redhot temparature and i bent it a bit. it wasnt glowing like crazy though it was just red, but i only put it in for like 5 minutes, no blower.

[MightBeLethal]

@HeathsWorkShop good point haha

[MightBeLethal]

Where would I find an anvil?

[HeathsWorkShop]

@MightBeLethal Keep in mind that any flat object will work. like a rock..

[349duffman]

man cant wait to do this. i have a deal set up with a local repair shop to get any scrap metal they have.

[TheTotalreason]

Correction*^ ....---that would be a cheaper alternative to welding it all up I bet...

[TheTotalreason]

Ok bolts.. That might work. I could bolt the system all together. At would be a cheaper alt to weld g tit p I bet.

[TheTotalreason]

This is great if u have a welder... Now how do us poor guys do it? Is there a way of old to do this. How did the ancients do it when they had no welders? I need plans that are not needing 2000$ worth of welding equipment to make it. Moving on I guess,...

[epicfantasy]

@TheTotalreason Yup, bolting will work just fine. No need to weld anything. Don't give up. You will be hammering steel in no time!

[oldstock1607]

@TheTotalreasonof course the ancients used bellows instead of a hair dryer. And the fire pot was like a flat barbecue made of stone or bricks. The bellows blew air through a trough that ran through the bottom and center of the forge, which was in turn covered by an iron grate.

[djphilmore]

@TheTotalreason adapt, improvise, overcome. 3 tools that will help you with every problem. in every situation

[HeathsWorkShop]

@djphilmore I'm a weldor by trade and I live and die by those three words.

[djphilmore]

@HeathsWorkShop isn't it great? it's the motto of our US Marines and ARMY boys and girls. great motto. helped me through so much

[yellowdogger]

@TheTotalreason a lot of the time you can go to a trademens place and they will let ya use their welder.

try a auto repairs place, a lot of the time they are more than happy to help someone with their projects

[guerd87]

@TheTotalreason Get some fire bricks, or even just normal brick and build a square fire pit. 1 row of bricks with a small gap for the steel pipe to slide in. Put a grate or old BBQ grill on top of this and then 1 more layer of bricks. Build a fire on top of the grill and then turn hairdryer or fan on when fire is going good. For better performance seal up around the steel pipe inlet with some clay.

[MAGGIFUCKER]

thats zink not lead

[zach11900]

could u use pvc pipes?

[epicfantasy]

@zach11900 maybe for the horizontal parts but not a good idea for the vertical pipe because of the heat and the ash.

[sithlordrevan6661]

@epicfantasy now as far as the fire pot goes, how much would it cost for brake drums? Although what if i couldn't obtain the brake drum just for future reference, what could i use as an alternative; and how much would they cost?

[sithlordrevan6661]

@epicfantasy also where could i obtain said brake drums or alternative?

[CoreyTheWolfTWC]

would standard copper pipe be safe enough to use ?

[epicfantasy]

@CoreyTheWolfTWC I dont know

[kentzee1]

@epicfantasy me ether

[agentkapser]

@epicfantasy what about zink

[epicfantasy]

@agentkapser Zinc is unsafe. Gives off a toxic gas.

[agentkapser]

@epicfantasy ok very tanks going to use cobber pipes then =)

[blva888]

@CoreyTheWolfTWC Something tells me copper might not work.

[sociopathpsych]

@CoreyTheWolfTWC copper melts @ 1900 F.

[XtremeConditioning]

would this be ok for melting brass etc? Thanks.

[uscadre]

how did you weld it all together?

[epicfantasy]

@uscadre a welder. But you can drill holes and bolt it all together.

[mrouterrim]

thanks for the info on the coal

[mrouterrim]

were can u find coal

[epicfantasy]

@mrouterrim dunno, you have to do some local searching. or yes, you can make your own hardwood coal. I have a tutorial on my website. But you can buy bags of something called "Hardwood Lump Coal" at hardware stores. I bought a bunch at Lowes. It looks like burned pieces of wood. This works very well. About 8 bucks a bag. But briquets will not work so don't get those.

[MSCreationz]

@mrouterrim in the store....

[MrGodOfWarful]

@epicfantasy im trying to make own forge but i have the problem, i saw that you said on reply that bbq briquets wont get hot enough, so do i need to make charcoal(is it possible to buy it from somewhere hardware sore for example)?

[epicfantasy]

@MrGodOfWarful yes, you can make your own hardwood coal. I have a tutorial on my website. But you can buy bags of something called "Hardwood Lump Coal" at hardware stores. I bought a bunch at Lowes. It looks like burned pieces of wood. This works very well. About 8 bucks a bag. But briquets will not work so don't get those.

[MrGodOfWarful]

@epicfantasy cheers mate ^^

[TheWertMan1177]

would pvc pipe melt? I must sound stupid asking this question.

[epicfantasy]

@TheWertMan1177 good question. PVC would melt! Keep trying though. Never give up :)

[OCoptimusconvoy]

can you just make a plain fire?

[epicfantasy]

@OCoptimusconvoy No, it doesn't get hot enough. Not even barbeque briquets get hot enough. 

[OCoptimusconvoy]

@epicfantasy so what could i use? I can't really do this whole process, im 13 and i dont think my parents would appreciate a forge in the backyard! lol. Maybe my dad, but na. Can I just put something like charcoal or stone coal if i can get some in a fire pit and blow on it with a hairdryer?

[epicfantasy]

@OCoptimusconvoy no, it doesn't work. What you can do is ask around school. There are schools that give blacksmithing classes! Don't give up. But not a good idea to tinker around w/o parents supervision/approval!

[OCoptimusconvoy]

@epicfantasy okay thanks.

[uscadre]

will the black steel or the black iron pipe found at home depot work in this design?

wont the forge get to hot for the pipe?

[narcolepticpug]

the smoke shit that comes off galv. pipe when welded is zinc. and yes that stuff is nasty

[gear3580]

galvanized does not release lead. it puts off zinc oxide which will make you vomit for a few days.

[kiddimeister]

@gear3580 and kill you...

[epicfantasy]

@gear3580 thanks!

[Mrcaffinebean]

@gear3580 But it's important to remember it can kill you.

[nelsonlake12]

@gear3580 galvanized fumes will KILL you

[XxMullallyxX]

what is the brake drum actually sitting in??...

[epicfantasy]

@XxMullallyxX the shroud of a lawn mower!

[XxMullallyxX]

@epicfantasy VERY NICE haha i like it

[payochinito]

aproximadamente cuanto es la temperatura maxima que llega a calentar

[takura13]

Wouldn't it need to be bigger to craft something like a sword. It looks a lot different from the many instructables I have read..

[epicfantasy]

@takura13 Yes, to make a sword I will be making a bigger forge. This one is great to get started though!

[madde78273]

could you just use compressed air?

[epicfantasy]

@madde78273 I guess you could use compressed air. But, a compressor is a lot more expensive than a hair dryer or a simple fan. But worth a try I guess, Just as long as you can regulate the air flow.

[GuyThatCreepy]

Ive made on thats made out of a truck brake drum that just gose onto the compressor

[hanzithaking]

is a hair blower really enough to heat the steel to weld it ?

[epicfantasy]

@hanzithaking Yes definitely, its not so much about hot air, its more the flow of air on the charcoal so the charcoal burns much hotter. 

[hanzithaking]

@epicfantasy didnt mean hot air from the blower but if it could blow enough air into the forge i dont know how many kubik feet of air a hairblower giver out ? do you ?

[epicfantasy]

@hanzithaking oh ok, good question. It does make a difference. I ended up buying a professional air blower and havent installed it yet. I do know that the hair dryer works better on the low setting so it doesn't need that much air flow. Doesn't have to be a blast. So, a low cubic feet of air flow is sufficient. Best way is to give it a try and see if the metal gets hot enough to work.

[KarelProject]

how much ° do you must have to blacksmith iron, ?

[epicfantasy]

@KarelProject It's a pretty low temp (relatively speaking) to blacksmith plain iron but you still need something more than regular charcoal briquets. A gas forge or coal, or wood turned into coal, will still be needed. You can buy bags of lump charcoal from home improvement stores sometimes.

[KarelProject]

@epicfantasy from where does the fire come in you forge? it's like the flame comes out that pipe.

so just put coal in the bowl and burn it and than you can heat up the iron?

[epicfantasy]

@KarelProject Yes, you just put the coal in and get it lit. That's where the fire is. But, the air blower is needed to raise the temp. That air flow comes from the pipe below. it's needed! Gotta put a blower or hair dryer on it.

[KarelProject]

@epicfantasy jup, my dad told me all about it ;)

i drawed my forge, looks like you but in theat of a hair dryer, it's a old air blower i will use, (my little brother will have to blow air into it hehehehe) if u want, i will send u a picture of my forge.

but i also see on your forge you have a pipe, but it's a T form, and the end of the pipe is closed , so why u din't did a L formed pipe ?

[epicfantasy]

@KarelProject The t form is important, the bottom of the tube is where all the burnt coal and waste gets taken out. It isn't closed there is a little removable lid on it so I can open it and let the waste fall out.

[sonicthehedge1900]

If your just wanting to experiment with this do you have to have all the traps and pipes or can you just heat some coals? What kind of coals would I need and How much would it cost? I got all the tools I would need, My place has more crap then home depot

[epicfantasy]

@sonicthehedge1900 YEs, you need the pipes and some kind of setup. You have to have an air supply to raise the temperature of the coals.

[epicfantasy]

@sonicthehedge1900 Sorry for the delay in my response. You can get bags of something called "Lump Charcoal" for around ten bucks that will get you started. Check Lowe's I bought some there. It's also available on amazon.

[abradras]

if that pipe connected to the air source would be at angle you will get better result in air flow.

also burning galvanized pipes doesn't give you led but zinc oxide fumes. i know this details doesn't mater if you dead :)

[goldedrago]

will pvc pipe work?

[epicfantasy]

@goldedrago No, the heat would not be good for it. might melt or give off fumes.

[goldedrago]

@epicfantasy ok thx.

[godzilla74114]

@epicfantasy also no galvanized piping. look up paw paw wilson and metal fume fever.

[epicfantasy]

@godzilla74114 this is an excellent point. Never used galvanized pipe for this! The fumes are toxic.

[oblivionboy1]

where would i find a anvil cheep

[epicfantasy]

@oblivionboy1 Walmart?

[oblivionboy1]

@epicfantasy you sure never thought one would bethere

[oblivionboy1]

@epicfantasy u sure?

[epicfantasy]

@oblivionboy1 No, I am just teasing. You can probably find anvils on craigslist or ebay. They can be expensive though and very expensive to ship! I recommend craigs list and search only local. that way you can pick it up yourself and save on shipping.

[judge6754]

@epicfantasy Harbor Frieght

[epicfantasy]

@judge6754 Thanks! YOu are so right. I bet the anvils there are reasonably priced too!

[dalton9931]

you sound like vince vaughn.

[Ikizy68108]

I have a question and plz answer

Is this your job?Do you work for a company thats similar to ur youtube channel?

Is the youtube channel your or do you have it with other people?Where did you lerned that stuff?

and I love ur videos and I subscribed

[Highestdood]

The soun is a bit quiet

[Majoofi]

How come the forge doesn't melt?