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Need some help making a coal forge

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Ed Brooks:
I use an old Webber bbq with some fire brick in it, and an air mattress pump. You can make some bellows for primitive. 
Heck, the first knife, I hardened “saw blade, stock removal”.  I blew air through a pipe, to heat it in charcoal. Good luck! Ed

Sidmand:
mine is charcoal, but I have zero doubt I could use coal in it.  10 dollar water pan from tractor supply (on sale), lined with cat little, ashes, and some refractory cement on top of that, with a piece of metal pipe in the bottom and a hair dryer sticking in the pipe.  wroks for me, and the totla cost was way less than 50 bucks plus my time.  I can find more pics if you want.

the bucket is galvanized, but even at the highest temps the outside of that guy only gets warm to the touch.  there is about 3 inches of refractory in there to keep the heat from the outside of that thing.

Bryce:
Without electricity? You could always use a billow.

Coal forges are more difficult to get even and consistent heat. Be prepared to get frustrated

TacticalFate:
Here was my original setup with a single-action bucket bellows- Cost me exactly $0, everything was scavenged (got the clay for the lining from a nearby park), and no electricity needed. However I found running coal needed a whole lot more airflow than running charcoal, so I usually ran it mixed to save my energy for hammering. all seals are old bike inner tubes.



The top of the bag had two straight pieces of wood so I could pull up to fill the bag with air, close the top, and push down to force the air through the cardboard valve and into the forge bottom.



The cardboard valve to prevent accidental backflow (there's a flap there)



Actually made this for an appropriate technology class

KHalverson:

--- Quote from: Sidmand on September 03, 2019, 11:00:23 am ---mine is charcoal, but I have zero doubt I could use coal in it.  10 dollar water pan from tractor supply (on sale), lined with cat little, ashes, and some refractory cement on top of that, with a piece of metal pipe in the bottom and a hair dryer sticking in the pipe.  wroks for me, and the totla cost was way less than 50 bucks plus my time.  I can find more pics if you want.

the bucket is galvanized, but even at the highest temps the outside of that guy only gets warm to the touch.  there is about 3 inches of refractory in there to keep the heat from the outside of that thing.

--- End quote ---


my 1st working coal forge was very similar.
I forge welded many wrapped eye tomahawks in it.
once ya figure it out its no so bad.

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