How to Build a Coal Burning Forge Plans

Have the hankering to make your own fireplace poker? Curtain rods? Interesting ornaments or scrollwork? Build a coal burning shop forge!

Most of our projects take something scrapped and turn it into something useful. The coal forge is no exception — an old cast-iron sink is transformed into a forge with a novel design — an integrated quench tank.

Assembled entirely from discarded materials, this forge consists essentially of an old vacuum-cleaner motor and blower, and a cast-iron sink.

Of course, the dimensions given may be altered to suit the material at hand.

The air for the coal forge is divided at the blower. Half of the air is diverted up the stack to keep the shop clear of smoke, and the rest for the coal.

The original strainer in the sink serves as the tuyere iron, and a 1 in. street elbow connects the sink with the draft pipe.

The sink hood itself is made from a single piece of sheet metal.

The addition of brackets and a "douse" tank completes the forge.

It is a good idea to line the inside of the sink with fire clay, fire bricks, or some other refractory material

With this great little shop forge you'll spend more time forging, and less time playing with the fire due to the electric blower, and you'll surely enjoy the ease of quenching.

How to Build a Shop Forge [500K PDF]