Blacksmithing - Why Side Blast Forges Are The Best #1
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- Опубліковано 22 лют 2016
- Watch Joshua De lisle AWCB walk you through the creation process with his hand forged works of art.
This episode will explain all you need to know about a blacksmiths side blast or side draft forge and use of coke. Also Joshua will answe why he thinks they are the best when it comes to forge welding and quality finish compared to other types of forges and coal.
Please comment any questions or other perspectives!
Website: www.joshuadelisle.com
Facebook: / delisledesignerblacksmith
Probably the best video on how to properly construct a coal forge...
Thank you so much. Cheers J
Fascinating, thank you. I was wondering about that all myself. (As a beginner). Good folks like you sharing this material is keeping that craft alive and well. Thank you.
Thank you for watching! J
I did some green coal classes years ago. I astonished the instructor with repeated fluxless fire welds. I had an inkling of why I was able to, but now I know for sure. Probably because your explanation of the fire doesn't include jargon like reducing flame etc.
Thanks for a great, helpful video. I'm researching diy forges for home and this has given me loads of information on how I might build one.
Thabk you Justin I'm glad it helped!
Loved the video mate,really easily explained. I've always wondered how to maintain a coke forge and now I know thanks again!
Thank you Ian for watching! Take care. J
great video! I've been wanting to build a side blast for sometime now. This video is a great inspiration to get started, I just have to get stocked up on coal/coke again.
Thank you. Any advice let me know.
Superb instructions. You Sir are the motivation for me constructing a side blast Forge.
Thanks buddy! i've been busy doing lots of welding and egineering but hope to forge more soon. take care and I hope it goes well!
Thank you so much for sharing such a crucial part of the forge! I really appreciate the level of detail that you provide. I will use your blueprints and make my own sideblast forge. Currently I have a cheap upblast forge but I also use coke which does in seem superior to coal. Thanks a bunch!
+Johan Holmberg Not a problem Johan, thank you very much for your kind words, any advice you need just ask :)
Holy hell, that klinker ring is massiv! I've never had anithing this big in my small forge I'm using! Even after a full day of heavy work!
you proberbly have better quallity coke than I did. also I did alot of forge welding back then. cheers J
Great video. Only criticism is I would of liked you to explain, why a side blast forge is better than others. I can come to the conclusion of why a side blast is better than blasting air up from underneath. Air coming directly up will force oxygen into the where you want to work the steel. VS with side blast, it makes sense that you are forcing the oxygen to stay under the working area.
Thank you. Another reason it's better than a bottom blast is it keeps clean all day without blowing slag onto the work. A bottom blast need regular clearing of clinker otherwise it clogs up while a side blasts clinker drops below and around the air inlet so you can carry on working without problems.
This video is amazingly clarifying for anyone who is making a solid fuel forge. Might I know how thick the sheets on your forge's construction is? I'm guessing that it shouldn't every really get that hot near the sides or bottom, but I like to worry.
EDIT: nevermind, that question is answered the second part. Love this channel!
What a wonderful informative video. Thank you for your explanations. It helps penetrate the fog.
Thank you, cheers J
Just discovered your channel and watched some of your treasure-filled vids. Sooo cool :)
Thank you Martin. Got lots more to come. Cheers J
This has been really helpful. Thank you 👍
Thank you cheers J
Just getting into blacksmithing. Think this is the way I want to go.
thank you so much for all your videos.helps me out alot
Thank you for watching. Do let me know if there is anything else you would like to see. Cheers J
If you took a dissipation ring with many holes and large rings then you could hi pressure the air flow through it that forces air through a larger area giving you many more points to heat from. I discovered that one of the outdoor fire burners that chefs use for large quantity cooking works the best
Very coool vid! I run a very similar fire but use charcoal. Side blast, side draft. No bosh, no jacket, just a 1 1/4" blackpipe. I just shove it in as the end burns off. lol. The "firepot" is just like yours and I get welding heat easily! I like your forge, do have the plans on youtube? Keep hammerin'!
Thank you, sounds great! I would like to use more charcoal, I like the idea that it is a sustainable resource. I'll post the plans soon and keep you updated!
I made my ducks nest from 3/8" Inconel at work. It's heavy as shit but it'll still be going 500 years from now. I've used it for 15 years already and it looks just like it did after the first fire.
Nice one! J
interesting. i like the water cooled air noozle. will have to incorporate that into the design
Thank you. Cheers J
How the hell do I thumb this video up again. I just found your channel today, bud. You are very informative, I haven't even seen what you're capable of forging. I cannot wait to watch more.
Thank you so much, I recomend my stag bookend video series. cheers J
I will build one and try it. Thank you
Thank you Davey. Cheers J
Thanks for the Vid, I'm just starting out and using a 55 Side Blast forge and my first firing was just me burning 15 lbs of charcoal and trying to keep the Temp up.
Thanks for watching. you will use alot of fuel using charcoal compared to coke, I beleive the key with charcoal is to only have a little fuel on the fire at any one time while often topping it up rather than a pile like I would with coke. the best charcoal forges I've seen have two walls or large bricks ether side of the air hole very much like what a japanese sword smith would use. its insulating and therefore more fuel efficient.
My issue was lack of insulation. instead of dumping my ash from the last fire, i left it and grabbed a bunch of the slab limestone we dug out of our yard. I now have a smaller space for the fire. I knew I would use more fuel. but, when you're just learning and have limited moneys, a 20lb bag of lump charcoal from walmart every couple weeks is not bad to start with. If i keep with Charcoal I'll build a retort and start making my own.
I'm trying to figure out how to keep my air intake cool. for the short term. going to build a water box but that's going to take time and i still wanna smith while i design and gather mats.
I would love to make my own charcoal on a larger scale. I've made some in my larger BBQ by lighting a pile of wood on it, then when its got going enough I then close the lid and and vents, if its done right there should be enough heat to turn it into coals with out oxygen that will burn it away. A thick iron pipe will do the job for a short while but for longevity a water cooled unit cant go wrong, if you have a welding machine it wont take long to knock something out, I fully recomend getting good at mechanical welding, I love traditional forging but welding is the way to make money, even if its just to make your own tools and jigs for the blacksmithing side, it makes life alot easyer.
I have two Fuel drums in the shed, a 30 and a 55 gal. when I'm not being lazy I'll be filling them with water to dillute what's left of the fuel in them so i can cut the tops. Fill the 30 gal with wood, put the 55 over it and flip it so the 30 gal is upside down inside the 55 gal. fill the space with wood. light the wood in the 55, you can cap it with a lid that has a chimney or just let it burn. once the fire just goes out abruptly you'll have charcoal in the 30 gal. Simple Charcoal Retort. if you're not on iforgeiron.com i recommend it. lots of vets with great info. that's where i learned about that retort from.
MY brother has a stick welder in the garage. he is pretty dumb with welding. but I intend on learning. It's part of the design and gatheirng of mats for the liquid cooled part of my build. currently i have a fairly thick pipe but the tip just melted once i got the temps up last time. I took that part off the pipe and it's got enought interior diameter that i could run a smaller pipe through. just need a smaller pipe. as well was thinking or just taking part of the pipe off and finding some kind of metal bucket or container putting a slit in the bottom big enough to weld to the pipe slot i would cut off and then i would need caps for both ends and it would be a quick and dirty water cooled system while i plan/build my second forge.
Very good eksplayning. I liked it.
+Sigmund Solberg Thank you! I'm starting another video on the subject this week as i'm building new forges for teaching. Is there anything that you are interested in seeing more of in my next video?
Great informative video... thanks for sharing!!
Thank you for watching! ;) Happy forging!
your video was great I really liked the drawing on the hood. it helped everything make sense.
Thank you Kevin! I hope to do more teaching so feed back on my explanations is very much appreciated!
+Joshua De Lisle good I plan to watch many more of your videos and the only thing I would criticize is I wish you would have showed more about the demo forge. I'm not really understanding what all is incomplete with is you said there will be a metal shelf added? right?
+Kevin Coatney (Bean14) Thanks Kevin. I'm actually planning on making more videos on the forge soon as I'm building some for private lessons in my workshop. keep in touch as I'll run through the making and further details of the mechanics. Take care. J
The forge looks great
Thank you. Cheers J
I've only ever cast aluminium once whilst at school. I'm now 44years of age . I've collected scrap metal since childhood, recently I have been determined to build myself a forge to reform scrap into ingots therefore I find myself viewing as much information as possible. But I must confess I almost pissed myself laughing when you mentioned clinkers, as all my life that word was a reference to the poop on your bottom that escapes being wiped. I'm sorry for being so childish,I also have an interest in etymology , and must assume that clinkers originated from blacksmiths yards. So thankyou for 2 levels of education..... And for the coffee stain down the front of my top well done and good luck
Ha ha! I'm glad your liking the videos. I have a load of aluminum too that I saved to do casting. Just not sure what to build. Maybe toys for my kids... Cheers for the kind comments. J
very informative thanks
great video.
hello dear, I have a question, did you kept your blower permanently on during the entire process of your working time. And how you manage to remove clinker from your forge during the working period or it did not bother the fire while you are working. Thanks
Yes for coke fuel bit needs constant air. Removing the clinker is simply done using a poker and levering it out. As long as air is blasted at the coals it will stay lit and you can carry on working. Cheers J
nice design very informative.
Thanks Gary. I didn't go indepth on water cooling and how easy it is to remove the clincker while still in use. but let me know if you would like anymore explanation. take care. j
+Joshua De Lisle Yes I need more info, you showed cold water in hot water out is there a tank you attach to these ports. I would like to see a blow apart of the Tue or a video of you making one. Also the ball cock valve is used to reduce you air flow ?I saw where the bounce house fan blows 254 cfm, does coke require the same as coal on air flow 80 cfm?. Sorry for all the questions but I am trying to calculate the cost for the build, see how much I can find salvage. I'm on a fixed income and am usually financially embarrassed.I just found a supplier for coke, its cheaper than coal. Another question, does the mound automatically supply the fuel as the spent coke collapses into the crap trap? What about longer pieces of material that you may want to heat the center of?
+Gary Busby thanks Gary good questions might do another video to explain all that. quickly small coke beans are good for fire welding as a larger surface area uses up the oxygen and produces more heat. coke doesn't do that weird glupy way and stick together like coal so yes it auto feeds down and you just rake more on top. having the air on full will Increase the size of the fire then you can use the rake to push the coals and sand even to change the structure to get longer or wider heats. the small bouncy castle blower that you see is fine sometimes I would like a bit more power but 90% of the time it is turned right down because it's well insulted. centrifugal fans can be easily regulated by restricting the air flow. my main forge I use a slide gate that I made which is just a plate with a hole and anther plate the slides accross to cover the hole. the cold water is more heavy than hot water so if you have a tank sitting higher or level with your cold port on the forge and the hot water piped to the top of the tank as the water heats in the Tue the cold water in the tank will push the hot water out back into the tank and continue to circulate... or you can pump it with a water pump and heat up a hot tub! better to visually explaine. stay tuned!
Yay for the bouncy castle blower! I just got one for £9.50.
Nice one! let me know how you get on
Another great video, thank you. A couple of quick questions; is it necessary to water cool the Tue iron? And if you don't water cool it what sort of steel should you use?
I've been blacksmithing for 4 weeks and only have access to a forge once a week so I'm really keen to build my own so I can practice more
Hi Joe. on a side blast if you don't water cool, the air inlet pipe (tuyere) will corrode alot faster and slag (silica and impurities) will stick like glue to it. older versions where made from sacrifical clay but needed to be regulary maintained. a bottom blast doesn't require water cooling but have problems with clogging air inlets and efficientcy.
water cooling isn't a big job if you can weld, you can get a 160amp stick welder far less than £100 which will be good practice and will save you money on kit you can now make with one for example, stands, tables, tuyère, clamps, forge etc. if you using just a pipe a cast iron one as thick as you can get it will be best, if your using a bottom blast cast iron or just very thick steel with 9 small 8mm holes will be fine but if you use a side blast I use 2mm stainless but you can use 6-8mm mild steel for the wall thickness with at least a 25mm air inlet hole.
Joshua De Lisle thanks for the detailed response mate. I am going to make a side blast like your bbq build.
Hello Joshua, I am very interested to find out where you get that orange blower that you've used in your vid, I've ended up buying a £25 800 watt garden leaf blower with an adjustable trigger no less, to try out and see what thats like with my small forge. I have a big old cast iron blower with it as well but it seems to take ages to really get any heat going and seems cools down in no time. So I'm trying some other alternatives and your blower looks a good alternative. Great vid by the way and look forward to seeing more of your tut's. Regards Paul
Thanks paul! it is a second hand bouncy castle blower, I found these just quick on ebay that will do. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/172548002111?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=40208335658&rlsatarget=pla-279567482291&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=1006940&device=c&campaignid=738217568&crdt=0
I've been debating on buying a forge or just getting off my butt and make me own. Don't like the hassle or fiddling with klinkers during forging. Cleaning out after use is understandable. That side mounted air box with running water to keep it kool. 👍🏻 I been think on a T that fits my drain hole/breather hole on bottom, that's removable during clean up. Still undecided. But you gave me a lot to think about. Thanks for share
Thank you! I've found side blasts need far less maintenance than the bottom blast, a bottom blast clogs up very quick. You can use a straight up pipe (stainless steel even better) instead of a water cooled system but they will corrode quickly after heavy use but fine for small things. I made a another forge like that and was very happy with its performance and simplicity. A water cooled one is going to last a lifetime if made well. Cheers J
A forge with a forge drawn on it ..... kind of deep!
Seriously though a great explanation (as usual). Easy when you know type of stuff!
Thank you. I'll do a build video at some point. Cheers J
Joshua, have you been able to make a build video? Thank you for the awesome videos.
@@shane_fryd_rice I haven't but I will. cheers J
Looking forward to it Sir.
Thank you for the very informative video! You said the blowers where commonly available at a low price. Got a link?
iCanHazTwentyLetters Thank you! unfortunately I don't have any available at the moment but will be sure to post a new video on them when I do. take care. j
Thanks, this is very useful.
I'm wondering about the sand in the bottom. I guess it performs a function similar to a fire pot, helping determine the shape of the fire. Do you ever dig out different shapes depending on the shape of the work you re heating? Can you make a really long fire if you want to put in a bunch of pieces side-by-side?
+Colin Davies yes I do mention that in the video, I dont very often but would if needed. the best thing about the sand is it acts as insulation to improve the efficiency of the fire and nothing sticks to it so the clinker can be removed easilly even while the fire is still going.
I experiment with lots of different types of forges, I think the side blast originated with the Japanese, I know lots f smiths who prefer the side blast. Check out Crossed Heart Forge, he uses one with a hand bellows. I prefer my straight up and down types at the moment, but your one looks amazing.
Great vid, subbed.
Thank you very much!
Im not exactly sure that's correct. The Viking forge is a side blast, the vast majority of Asian forges on UA-cam are sideblast as well. They could have been influenced by the Japanese but probably not the Vikings. I want to make a side blast. It seems better suited to my wants. I do want to make a Japanese push pull blower for it.
Which granted, most asian style blowers follow that style.
@@OKBushcraft I could be wrong I'm no expert in the history of forges. The info I based my guess from were earliest dated finds based n geographical locations around the world and then guessing which culture brought it to the next one. It's possible they could have been independently invented though multiple times. From what I've read the Earliest side blast furnace originates from China. possibly they were using it as early as 500 BC as they have cast iron at that point. But we have forge finds for 100% certain from 100 ad. A Chinese engineer called Du Shi further developed the blast forge in 31 ad to incorporate water wheels and pistons to the already working blast forge model. I believe that blast forges spread from China to Japan as most technology did in the East. I have done some research on early European blast furnaces, but the data I read suggests that blast furnaces were not used pre migration period on the continent. I got this quote from Wikipedia on the subject. "The oldest known blast furnaces in the West were built in Dürstel in Switzerland, the Märkische Sauerland in Germany, and at Lapphyttan in Sweden, where the complex was active between 1205 and 1300"
How true that quote is I'm not sure.
@@londiniumarmoury7037 im not professing expertise by any means just observations. It is possible that the blast forge spread west to the Rus and the Vikings from the east.
I will be very interested in researching this further. Thanks for the info. Looks like a fun read.
@@OKBushcraft No probs, thanks to you as well, this discussion prompted me to do a little more reading up on the subject. It will probably encourage others who read our convo to read up on it as well, so win win for all.
Great ......................Thanks
+thornwarbler anytime!
Very clear vids, well done and explained.
Using coal in a side blast fire is a bit of a lost art, coal takes more managing than coke. Use correct blacksmithing coal, small washed pieces. Build a mound of coal, light the fire and wet the outsides, pat it down tight to make a sort of "oven". The air does not blast through and produces a neat fire with the coal changing to coke as it burns. Open a hole in the side and slide your work in. replace the coal as it burns from the sides. Years ago the "slack tub" on the front of the forge contained wet coal ready to be used. When I built my tue iron I ran some beads of hard facing rod round the air hole and edges, never burns!
Just a question - do the bouncy castle blowers run on variable speed?
Thanks Chris, good to know, I'll do another Video on using different types of fuel, I think that would be interesting!.. bouncy castle blowers are designed to go against presure sop I just use a regulator for the air just because its simple and it work instantly. a variable speed i'm guessing will be more economic on electric?...
I mainly use a variable speed motor to keep the noise down, don't have to have the fan running full blast all the time, I also have an air regulator fitted as well. I've been looking for a cheaper alternative blower for my students who may want to build their own forges, regular smithy blowers run about £400.
bouncy castle blowers are good. blenty if air. not too noisy. about £50 but can get very cheap second hand ones. got mine for a £10. has lasted me 6 years and no problems
Joshua, can you adjust the air flow from the bouncy castly blower by putting a simple valve on the air line from it? Would this affect the blower do you think?
Hi yes if you watch from 14:44 you'll see that I have attached a ball valve on my demo forge. the main forge has a slide hate valve that i made my self.
thank you for the video, one question where does all the hot watter go to do you keep it continuosly fed with water or do you periodicaly replenish the watter inside
HI, thank you, it goes to a tank called a bosch. there it cools before cycling back through. I do replenish it like you say. there is a second part to this video which explains it further. cheers j
Awesome video I am newer to smithing and have only used a gas forge until now and im contemplating building a forge like yours but before I do will it work as well with coal as coal is easy to get where I'm at and is inexpensive I can get coke but at a much higher cost and also about how much coke would you say you go through in a session I'm a hobbyist and won't do production work but is a long drive to get coke and want to make sure it would be worth it
Hi Nathan thank you! you can use coal thats not a problem. It will depend on how much air is used and what stock your using , typically I would use 12kg in a day full time forging light stock and mabye 20kg ( full bag) if doing heavy work or forge welding. a two hour session would use maybe 5-7kg of coke. Coal I'm not too sure about its full effientcy but It is alot more work. you need to wet the out side coals on the forge to stop the whole lot becoming ablaze and alot of gasses are released before it 'Cokes' meaning its most efficient burning stage and turning into coke. Coal isn't as clean as coke and is harder to control which may make it harder to use for a beginner. I should do a comparrison video on the same forge using coke, coal, charcoal and hard wood...
Thank you for the vid, was thinking of making a portable coal forge, and was wondering about the sideblast, or bottom blast, and configurations of its' construction that would give more versatility for whatever purpose. thank you. Subscribed.
Thanks Greg! Do check out episode 2. It answers a few common questions. Cheers. J
Great vid as always.
Can you recommend a specific blower as some are obviously noisier than others but I really need a quiet one if poss. Currently I'm using a hand cranked side-blast (Alldays & Onions) but my fire-management is crap and think (most definitely) that I need to have a bit more of a constant air feed. (Living in France now, but UK easily accessible). Thanks in advance.
Thank you. I use a cheap bouncy castle blower on my current forge but I'm upgrading to a Venturi version run off my compressor. It's much quieter and potentially more economical to run. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle Thanks shipmate! Could I ask for a few more details such as recommended airflow cfm, motor power/wattage, noise level db etc. How do you control airflow, do you use a speed controller or mechanical means.Sorry for being a pain, but I'm getting snowblinded by all the different fans out there. Take care.
@@kevg3320 I just use a 1.5" ball valve to regulate the airflow depending on my needs. The blower I think is 350w but I'll need to check. They're designed for constant use and back pressure as they are a centrifuge design. So they work more efficiently under load basically. No other regulator. My new Venturi blower looks and acts exactly like a gas burner but just air. The Venturi effect increases the volume coming out the nozzle by 10. I regulate it with a needle valve and watch how the fire behaves. Input is 120psi but output is variable. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle Thanks again for the reply, very muchly (?) appreciated. 😀
Hi, Great forge and very nice explained :) ....Do you think it would work with charcoal, and could it work without water cooling system because of lower burning temperature of charcoal?
Hey Matko. Charcoal is best suited with a larger pipe so it has more volume of air and less pressure but the overall design will work the same. You can use waterless regular steel pipe but will corrode quicker and needs replacing after several uses. I'm using a waterless stainless pipe in our demo forge and it is corroding but still works well. Charcoal can still reach the high temperatures enough to forge weld but you'll use a larger quantity compared to coke and coal to achieve the same results. I hope that is helpful. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle Thank you very much for your help and advices, Cheers
Anytime thank you for watching!
Just love this. Just one little dimension that I can't fathom though. What is the length of the tue iron? Should the end of the tue iron land in the middle of the box. It looks that way to me.
Hi. It depends on your preference, if you would like the fire to be dead center, then if you measure a fist size bowl diameter in the centre first, the Tue iron will end at the edge of that bowl. I will be doing a series of videos about using charcoal soon as I now use home made made sustainable charcoal instead of coal and coke. The forge itself however has remained the same. All the very best. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle thanks. It is as I expected. I can’t wait for the charcoal videos. I collect the nights left overs from our woodheater every morning and have quite a stash. Coke is getting beyond my budget these days.
All the best
Doug
@@dougtarrant2031 same it's gone up too much. Originally blacksmiths used charcoal from sustainable coppice wood and only transitioned to coal and coke because it was cheaper at the time to produce. I now volunteer at a coppice and gain as much wood as I like to turn into charcoal. Cheers J
I cant upload a picture but they are called large wok burners. Mount a stainless wire screen over it or something of the like for to keep the coke off the burner.if needed
After watching this I decided I wanted to use coke in my forge. I didn't know where to buy any so I placed an ad in my local news paper.
COKE SUPPLIER WANTED
I'm need to buy a LOT of coke, If you have coke or know where to buy it, please call (my phone number).
I still haven't found any coke for my forge, but I keep getting phone calls from someone named Pablo Escobar.
Ha! that was very funny!
I bought loads of coke, but I find it goes flat when you start to warm it? Or, if you try to keep it fizzy & don't open the cans, they explode.
Assuming your just clowning, use anthracite. Doesn't really need Coking.
And i am pretty sure you can attached a rheostat controller to the blower for more precise air control.
You can get them on eBay for under $20.00 USD.
Dont need it with this type of blower, a large ball valve or a home made slide gate is all thats needed for adequate control.
Absolutely brilliant thank you for this video, I've been researching black smithing for a few weeks now, and this side forge you have shown is perfect for what I want, so I'm going to make a start with the forge and dimensions you have shown, what mm plate steel would you recommend for the build please?
Ah never mind the plate thickness, just read the other comments and found the a answer you posted :-)
+Dean Parvin Thank you Dean I'm realy glad this video helps! I'm starting some more soon as Im building more forges for teaching and I will show the process. keep in touch and thank you for your feedback!
+Joshua De Lisle I certainly will, and thank you! I've watched all your videos, a few of them a couple of times for the info to sink in hehe. I shall eagerly await those videos, money is constricting me at the moment so I've got everything down on paper for the build of the side forge with the dimensions shown in your video.
I don't have a large area to work with so that demo forge you made is ideal for me at the moment. So that's the planning for that done, after researching anvils and such and checking prices there tricky to get hold of, at least the steel ones,...cast iron a plenty but a no no for them.
I have checked out making my own anvil from as big a block of steel as I can find, either that or a train track piece probably about 14 inches of length minimum at least for now till I can afford a new or used anvil that comes up that is 50kg and over. As you can tell after 3 weeks of watching countless videos and reading material I am very excited to get started :-)
Good one, go for it, practice practice practice! I'm getting several lengths of Rail way track to cut up for Anvils, I have one my self they are great although slighlty noisy. I'll do demos on how to use one withth out a bick or hardy hole and still punch holes and make scrolls....
+Joshua De Lisle ah excellent! lots videos to look forward to :-) from your recommendation from your videos I dropped the idea of building forges out-of barrels or barbecues, and seeing that side forge I won't settle for less on that aspect even if I have to wait longer :-).
Hi Joshua, I love the time you took to go into your side blast forge. I'm in Canada, the land of metric measurements and US bottom blast forges ;) I have had bottom blasts in the past, and the last one I made was a bottom blast with an aggressive clinker breaker and side draft hood. It was a good setup but wasted part of the fire every time the clinker breaker had to be operated. I sold it and I've always wanted to try a side blast. Have you tried running one on coal? I've read that it works but the fire characteristics are somewhat different than on coke. Coal / coke here is hard to get, we have big mines and they are 100% export. Usually the smallest quantity available for purchase is a rail box car, unless you can find a special arrangement with a kind-hearted coal terminal manager. Anyways, I've still got a couple tonnes of met. coal and obviously would like to stick with it, or at least use it up. So, I don't want to build a side blast if it won't work well with coal. Any advice on this?
Thank you Stephen! I have used coal before but prefferd coke, mainly because of its efficiency, ease of use for fire welding and less hazerdous smoke. The priciple is the same no matter what type of forge or which fuel you use, you need to have suffient control of the air in ratio whith the fuel. my side blast design makes removing the clinker easy even while in use and generally takes longer to 'clog up' compared to bottom blast designs. The sand fild bed is also great for adjusting the depth and space of the core of the fire for diffents size heats which with a solid steel brake drum I can only guess is limited. personnally I would love to use only sustainable sourced charcoal but that's just too expensive and inefficient for me in comparrison to coke. If solid fuels are hard to get hold of but you have industries near you would it be better to use a gas forge and buy local propane tanks instead?
+Joshua De Lisle Thanks Joshua. Gas would probably be more practical but coal is so cheap to run and honestly, I've been using high grade coal for over 10 years now and really am fond of it. Couldn't give you a scientific reason other than I've grown attached to it. It's predictable, retains heat when the blower is shut off for more than a few minutes, and smells good ;) I agree about the benefits of charcoal and I'm putting together a 200 litre charcoal making tort. Not sure if it will be effective to run, in terms of labour time, but I'm going to try and see. I started on charcoal for the first year of forging and enjoyed it except for welding.
On the back of your demo forge it has 2 water jacket pipes coming out the back of the tuyere. Are those necessary or could I just have the back of the tuyere open to a 50 litre water tank.
Yes i'm going to do another video soon on the forge to explain just that. my main forge has a 'back bosh forge' if you type that into google. It will work just as fine with coal but I would say coke is more suited for a side blast than a bottom blast. I would love to see your Charcoal making as it is something that I also would love to do. I'll subscribe. Thank you for the feed back and talking about it its great to hear others perspectives! J
+Joshua De Lisle That's great, thank you for the back bosh terminology. I look forward to your video "forge part 2". I have a solid 6 weeks of booked work ahead of me and then will start on the charcoal tort and will post videos of the process. By then our rainy season should be about done. Thanks again!
I look forward to it. Have a good one Stephen and catch up soon! J
Hey i've watched this video a few times and i've only just noticed your tue-iron is a diamond. What's the benefit of having it like that rather than just a square?
The idea was to help help the heated water flow out better and less surface area heated by the fire. I'm not sure if made much difference.
Hello Joshua
I came back to watch this video again thinking it explained the thermo cycle cooling system…. I thought wrong😳
I’m running my tuyere cooling through a raised 60lt barrel. Cutting this story short , I had to replace the barrel recently but do you think the hot water inlet into the barrel needs to be submerged as to keep the line clear of air??
The only thing I did different was to raise the inlet higher than before but seem to be getting a lot of shooting hot water?
Cheers
Chris
Hi. Yes all pipes should be purged with water so no air pockets. There is a second part to this video which uses a barrel. All the very best. Cheers J
Thank you for your input.
Go well !
Cheers
I use anthracite from tractor supply.
here's a thought, make a steel ball mill and pulverize the clinkers into grains of sand to replace the sand lost do to cleaning out the forge.
not necessary, ash builds up and replaces the sand and insluates the fire better as well as doesn't turn to glass decreasing the size of the clinkers.
Great video! I appreciate you sharing the designs. As a newbie with metals, is there a particular type of steel sheeting to get for the forge body-hot vs. cold rolled, thickness, etc? Thanks.
Thanks Scott. I used 3mm thick normal mild steel however it comes to build the harth. I used 8mm thick plate to build the tue iron. I hope that helps. let me know how you get on!
Awesome. Thanks for the info!
I hope it works out for you, take care!
+Joshua De Lisle wow great informative vid thanks for sharing i am tryng to gather all the bits to set up a small forge the village blacksmith in history was the most important man in the village because he made everyone's tools and even kitchen utensils everyone went to him to solve there problems great to see you a young man like you Joshua carrying on the great tradition good luck in all your ventures
+Joshua De Lisle wow great informative vid thanks for sharing i am tryng to gather all the bits to set up a small forge the village blacksmith in history was the most important man in the village because he made everyone's tools and even kitchen utensils everyone went to him to solve there problems great to see you a young man like you Joshua carrying on the great tradition good luck in all your ventures
I too made my own firepit from quarter plate about 3 years ago worling well .but im buggered if i can get a good draught up my chimney
I've found it a challenge too, my new forge works well, the hood is far closer with a 3m stack. I've heard a lot of good of super side drafts hoods. They are like a box with certain dimensions that produce a good draw.
@@joshuadelisle mines working well at the moment with a few fettles on it i found a rivet had come out towards the back of the forge letting air in etc all ive got is an old hairdryer with a flex tube on the end and holes drilled in the firepit i made supopose i could make an ash dump but as its working well leave well alone just tap the inlet pipe to let the ash out
One thing that affects draw on all chimneys exiting a wall or roof is the mouth of the chimney should be at minimum 24” or 60cm above the ridge line on a gable roof, no matter how far away from it the chimney exit hole is. Or, on a flat or shed roof, 24/60 above the facia line. Back eddies from outside air movement around the roof/wall geometry play havoc with draught.
Can you use a hand crank fan
Every video of yours that I've seen has inspired me to do more! I have a question: Are you water cooling the air port just to make it last longer, or is there another reason? And do you just let convection move the water through it, or is there a water pump? Would it benefit from having a radiator?
Thank you so much. Yes it's to makes it last longer so oxidation from the heat of the fire doesn't corrode it, also heavy forge welding use will melt most pipe work if it's not water jacketed. The one in the video is by convection and is explained further in the follow up video no 2. My current forge uses a 12v hot water pump just like the one in my BBQ forge video and I use the tank as a quench tank also that you can see in the 30s nail video, it cools its self fast enough to remain lukewarm with heavy use. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle I watched your next video, and it answered all of my questions!
Thanks for getting back!
@@montecraig1149 thank you. All the very best. Cheers J
Side blast forges are the best! Buy i prefer a clay tuyere and not a pipe with water (is more simply and works the same). I prefer bellows or piston bellows (fuibo), really better than electric forges. Coke is amazing, i love use coke but in Argentina is really expensive so i use charcoal (20 times cheap) and works great, less impurities.
Brilliant! I like the sustainable low inviromental impact of your system. I would like to do that more in my workshop. Cheers J
At the end of the day how do you shutdown your forge, so it can be brought inside?
Hey steve, my fixed position forge as seen, I simply turn off the fan and let the fire go out, nothing flamable about so I just leave it. my portable forge I give about 30mins to cool down and is propped on box section in my van to transport home making sure nothing flamable is near it and has a metal cover on the top.
Hmmm, was wondering how a tuyere and cooling blast piece would last made of 316 stainless. Probably, shoot, I would guess 20yr But that watere cooled sleeve tuyere of steel at ten year about, darn good.
The BBQ forge video I made is a stainless tuyere. Works well and yes should last a long time.
Your explanations were perfectly clear, but I didn't get one point: why does water cooling is so important?
+Lou Bett Thanks Lou, your right I should have said, the coke will burn far hotter than the melting temperature of the steel so if it is not cooled then it will melt. you can have whats call a back bosh wich is a tank full of water that your tue iron (water cooled pipe) pertudes out of or like my demo forge you can have a tank which gravity feeds the water or is pumped through, I had an idea that I could pump it through to heat my house but not tried it yet. being made of steel and being cooled also stops things sticking to it while if you just used bricks you'll find it hard to clean it every day. I hope that helps.
+Joshua De Lisle Yes, thank you !
Your very welcome take care. J
Where does all the hot water go once it exits the forge in your current design?
Do check out episode 2 or even my video on the BBQ forge build to get a better understanding. basicly it cools and recirculates and eventually evaporates.
What is the material that your mother sews for the engine?
what kind of fan is that? @ 16:18
Its a small bouncy castle blower, Aldi had new ones for £40 including the castle recently. I got mine for £10 second hand. They are good as they are designed to work against back pressure and for long periods so you can regulate it simply with an air valve and not a potentiometer. Cheers J
you siad that coal burns on its own. not from my experience.
from my experience it needs a constant air flow, or else the fire will bie out.
but maybe it's just the type of coal i'm using.
edit: although it dose seem very similar to what you're using, so i don't know....
Different coals require more or less air than others. Coke definitely needs constant strong air flow. Charcoal will burn away with out extra air feed. Steam coal requires far less air as coke. House coal will remain burning without an air feed. Cheers J
Anthracite is so pure it typically doesn't need to be coked.
How do you like it compared to propane
Not all places are that easy to get choke where as propane is
Sub'd . I'd give a limb for access to a workshop like that.
Thanks Peter. It used to be mine but I hit a tough point in my business and needed to give it up. I now fabricate by day and forge in my home shop at night when the wife and kids let me....
What about a blast from the top?
only if it's a gas forge... ;)
Lol Steele for the win!
Whats the dimensions of your forge Josh? looking to build something similar
14:33 should give you enough to work with from there. I must get a propper full working drawing made for everyone....
Thanks!
+Bryden J (Brokkr Forge) Anytime!
Could you please measure in inches,not in mil.?
How could I make the iron crater instead of sand?
Cast iron or water jacket can work but sand is cheaper. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle but instead of sand I can't make the iron crater like a modern forge?
@@marioamor5982 a bottom blast forge has an iron grate that is cooled by the flow of air. A side blast is different and you get excessive corrosion over time if you just use iron. Sand is cheap and works very well.
@@joshuadelisle How deep and diameter of the nozzle is it? and the measurements of the stove? a greeting
@@marioamor5982 hi. I recommend 32mm diameter pipe that is water jacketed. A depth of 50mm bellow hearth level. Ball valve control
Before any one says its a TUE not a FLU......
Wel after i have watched this ,i know now i dont need to buy the right sement and all that is left is to find coke
Fantastic. Hope bit goes well. Cheers J
hallo, bloody hell, i am bussy to make a forge and the problem was , where i must let my air presion coming in , and i think i have find the solution , thanks sir
Thank you Robert. Cheers J
Ello Lad in me UA-cam!
How to forge bellows?
Hi Mario. What would you like to know specifically?
@@joshuadelisle
Is no nozzle necessary for the slag? and the side nozzle will not burn? Thank you
No nozzel needed on the side blast and if its water cooled it will last far longer than a bottom blast. Cheers J
@@joshuadelisle Thank you
that,s been a backblast forge for the last few century,s not sure why its a side blast all of a sudden.
Thank you, It was always reffered to me as a side blast at the national school of blacksmiths in England, I guess it depends on where you are from but there are a frew differnt names including side draft and side blast, I've not heard of the term back blast but it still makes sense. I will add that term to the tags anyway, Thanks again
i went to Hereford three years ago and it was always called a back blast all the diagrams and all the books i still have from that time still refer to is at a back blast, i guess it depends on where you stand but Vaughan,s Glendale and a dozen other manufacturers like AWB and Gray stone all refer to them as a back blast.
PPS those dear you make have been referred to me on a few occasions asking , "can you make these" nice to finally know where they came from , the answer was always no i thinks its all done on a power hammer :-)
If you type in any of those phrases in google you get the same results and all lead to vaughans.... Thanks for saying no them,i don't know why they dont just ask me..
he didnt make this from scratch i just seen another video where these forges were being mass produced
Hi Nathan. You would have seen similar forges being produced as it is a standard design but I made every part of this forge. At college all the students built one as a fabrication project to learn all the processes. Ask anyone who did the traditional blacksmithing and metal work course In Hereford UK. Cheers K
Are you a robot you just stick your hand right in the fire and pull out the hot steel right out of the forge
Ha ha no you should use tongs. But yes my hands are more heat resistant than most peoples.....
Wow I still manage to get burns when I use tongs.
I the episode were you made a forge out of a grill you touched the side and said it was cool it was probably super hot lol
More burns make for tougher hands... ;)
Well with how many burns I have I guess I'll be able to pull yellow how steel right out of the forge
Also the forge I the video works great with wood or charcoal that's what I use just don't use sand
den smack that's great! All the best J
Not natural gas town gas or coal gas
What a gigantic mess. Bottom draft on my fire pot. I like to heat steel evenly, not just one side like a side draft does. Forge welding is difficult with a side draft. Not everyone has 1000 sq ft to dedicate to a bathtub size forge. Cant get coal in California, I found this out after I built a coal forge. Then I built a forced induction propane forge. Best of both worlds.
Forge On!!!
great video.
Lindsey Zacek thank you!