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Brake Drum Forge

by Straklin
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About This Instructable

20,140 views
391 favorites

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Straklin
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More by Straklin

My brother (Bigdaddycole) and I have been talking about building a forge for
some time. We finally found some time over the last few weekends and put this
together. We used a lot of stuff we had in house, so it was a cheap build.
Please comment if you have suggestions or improvements. We have also
entered this in the "On a Budget" contest, so if you like it please vote. We hope
you like this build!
DISCLAIMER: When using an angle grinder, make sure you use eye protection
and gloves. Also make sure you are working in an area free from combustible
material. It throws off a lot of sparks and hot metal. Know how to use your
tools safely! Be safe, and have fun!

Tags: metal metalworking forge steel

fire tool making

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Forge

Step 1: Parts List and Tools

by macniven

See More

Show All 7 Items

Tools:
Power Drill
Angle Grinder
Socket Set w/ Ratchet
Metal Sheers

Pliers
Gloves
Safety Glasses
Parts List:
Queen Size Bed Frame Parts
Brake Drum
Hair Dryer
Assorted 1 1/2 in. Black Pipe
1ea 1 1/2 in. Black Pipe T Joint
1ea 1 1/2 in. Black Pipe End Cap
1ea 1 1/2 in. Black Pipe Floor Flange
4ea Stainless Steal Bolts w/ Nuts
1ea stainless Steal Kitchen Sink Drain Catch
We got the Brake Drum from a junk yard ($14) only to find out later we could
have gotten it for free from the local tire repair shop. I had a bed frame in the
garage saved for just this sort of project. I also had a metal frame stand left
over from my table saw which I had mounted to a more stable structure.
We got the hair dryer and the kitchen sink screen from Family Dollar. The hair
dryer was $10, and donated by a friend, John, so he could come over and use
the forge when he wanted. As it turns out, this Conair 1875 hair dryer fits
perfectly on the 1 1/2 in. black pipe. The sink screen was $1.
The black pipe was all purchased at the Menard's, and cost about $20.
Total out of pocket cost: $45.00 US (We could have saved $14 by going to the
tire repair shop for the break drum. Hind sight is 20/20!)

Step 2: Build The Frame

Show All 10 Items

To build the frame we started with the old saw stand I had. This just bolted
together. We then cut two pieces of the bed frame with an angle grinder long
enough to fit across the top of the saw stand. We measured and drilled holes
to bolt these in place on top of the stand. We made them far enough apart to
hold the brake drum flat across the top and be stable.

Step 3: The Forge

Show All 10 Items

To build the forge, we started by placing the floor flange in the center of the
brake drum and marking the holes we needed to drill. None of the holes lined
up with the holes in the drum, so we had to drill all new ones. We used a little
drop of oil on each mark, but really had no problem drilling the holes.

Next we cut the sink screen to fit over the hole. I removed the plastic piece
from the center and used the metal sheers to make four cuts. We flattened it
out and screwed it into place with the floor flange. We just widened the holes
that were already on the strainer. We used four stainless steel bolts to hold it
all in place. The order of the pieces is as follows: brake drum on the bottom,
floor flange (threads pointing down) resting in the hole of the brake drum,and
the sink screen on top of the flange.

Step 4: The Bellows

Show All 7 Items

The next step is to build the bellows. The black pipe is used in houses for
running natural gas I believe. It's great for all kinds of projects. Here we have
three lengths of pipe. Two are long, one is short. Depending on how tall your
stand is, you may need different lengths of pipe. We used one long connected
to the bottom of the forge by the floor flange. Then we connected the T joint.
The short pipe is used as an ash collector, and should be directly below the
first long pipe. The end cap is screwed on the other end of the short pipe, and
can be unscrewed to remove any ash build up. The other long pipe goes into
the T joint, extending out long enough to connect the hair dryer. The hair dryer
supplies oxygen to the forge, increasing the heat.

Step 5: Place the Forge on the Stand, and light er up!

Show All 7 Items

The forge and bellows sits on top of the stand, BUT IS NOT CONNECTED! It
rests securely on the two braces we put on top of the stand. The weight of the
brake drum and black pipe hold it in place. This makes it easy to move around
and store. We tested it with some charcoal, and scrap pieces of wood. We
started with the hair dryer on low. Once it was burning good, we put it on high,
and it got real hot, real fast! Hopefully we will be using it soon to make other
instructables!
Please comment below, and let us know what you think, and if you liked it,
please vote for us. We are new to this, and are willing to learn. Thanks to
Bigdadycole and John for their help.

We have a be nice comment policy.

Please be positive and constructive.

I Made it!

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chapman491

4 hours ago

Reply

Great job. Wanted to make me one for sometime now. Keep up the
great work.

Fikjast Scott

2 days ago

Reply

3 days ago

Reply

great job and gives me motivation.

luani

hi, how did you solve the problem with overheating of hair dryer. I
made my own forge but still didnt find a good solution for that.

Straklin (author)

luani

2 days ago

Reply

So far we haven't had a problem with this. We have been using

it outside, and its been cold here in Chicago. I would think,
however, that a longer pipe might help if its getting hot from
being to close to the forge. If its from the hair dryer itself, from
running for long periods of time, it may be time to upgrade your
bellows. I have a squirrel cage fan and motor I scavenged from
an exhaust vent over a kitchen stove. I plan on incorporating
this eventually into the design once I find a permanent home for
it. It will take a bit of fabrication to pull off, but that's what its all
about! What items have you made on your forge? Good luck,
let me know if you come up with another fix. B-)

Straklin (author)

Straklin

2 days ago

Reply

I just looked up your forge and I love the simplicity of your

design! Is the new hair dryer working when the hot air is turned
off and it just blows cold air? Is it melting your plastic parts? Let
me know and ill try to help.

Devilkill4

5 days ago

a waffle compressor can be found on harborfreight.com for between

50-100$ that should be more than enough for this good ible

Reply

fred3655

7 days ago

Reply

I think this is pretty cool, pretty much because I like anything that
involves fire! What's it used for? Annealing? Casting? I'm new to
metalworking, although not new to fire :D

bigdaddycole fred3655

7 days ago

Reply

This is a small smithing forge. You would use it to make small

tools and knives. It is possible to heat treat and harden small
objects, as well, but there are other ways to do that which may
be easier or more efficient. YouTube has tons of videos
showing what you can do! We want to try making some small
smithing tongs, and maybe modify some hammers. If we get
good, we may try making some small knives, and decorative
metalwork. Thanks for checking out the instructable!

fred3655 bigdaddycole

5 days ago

Reply

Thanks. I am learning old 1700's technology clock making &

wanted to make my own gears. I wanted to create some
copper alloy or (not sure what) something workable with home
workshop tools yet reasonably durable.

bigdaddycole fred3655

5 days ago

Reply

You should check out the foundry instructable by The king of

random - http://m.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-TheMini-Metal-Foundry/
Not sure if you can use it for copper without modding it , but if
you are going to cast parts it's a step in the right direction.

Mindmapper1

6 days ago

Reply

I have made something like this and found that you need to cut two
slots in the drum sides opposite each other to allow longer pieces to
be heated easily. It works really well and great fun. I have made all
sorts of stuff with mine. On another note I have connected mine to my
compressor so that I can easily control the amount of air and thus the
temperature.

Straklin (author)

Mindmapper1

6 days ago

Thanks for the suggestions! A slot in the side is a great idea.

We don't have an air compressor, but if we get one, we can

Reply

modify it in the future. ?

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