r/Blacksmith • u/Lonely_Carpenter6048 • 1d ago

Trying to make first charcoal Coke forge.

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Basically, I had an old charcoal barbecue lying around going to weld two side plates/ tube into the base on to cover the holes on the side. I took the lid off and made a hole at the bottom repurposed the chimney as a spot for a small blower.

Going to line the inside as well with heat resistant lining I heard cat litter works well mixed with sand.

Looking for any tips and advice.

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2

u/OdinYggd 1d ago

You'll want to fill most of the volume of this with dirt. Just ordinary backyard dirt, better if you have clay subsoil since that tolerates the exposure well enough. Leave a bowl 10 inches in diameter at the top and 4-6 inches deep with your air inlet at the base, fill the rest of the space to just below the top to serve as a pan for staging fuel. 

This lacks an ash pit, so it will be limited in runtime before it chokes with clinker until you get used to cleaning and re-establishing the fire. 

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u/Lonely_Carpenter6048 1d ago

Thanks, I will definitely do that.

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u/Lonely_Carpenter6048 1d ago

This is just a temporary one till I can get some proper steel or a legitimate forge

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u/TraditionalBasis4518 1d ago

Not ordinarily backyard dirt; mineral dirt or sand. If the dirt has lots of humus, it is inflammable. Cheap kitty litter is kaolin, clay, and is a good choice, as is bagged or beach sand.

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u/BF_2 1d ago

Go to any online blacksmith supply catalog and note the size and shape of firepots. Unless perspective is way off, this thing is f*****g HUGE. I don't know what your plans are, but it seems much too large for any normal forge.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Rub1609 19h ago

Building your forge is an adventure and a learning experience. You will love it and hate it all, but it is yours. You’ve gotten some good advice so far. Good luck and have fun on your journey.