Alright, let’s jaw about this here fire brick forge thing, you know, the kind them blacksmith fellers use. I ain’t no fancy expert or nothin’, but I’ve seen a thing or two, and I reckon I can tell ya what’s what.
First off, you gotta get yourself some of them fire bricks. Now, don’t go thinkin’ any old brick will do. You need the real McCoy, the ones that can stand the heat. I heard tell some folks call ’em refractory bricks, sounds mighty highfalutin to me. Anyways, these bricks, they’re tough. They can take a beatin’ and keep on keepin’ on, even when things get hotter than a pepper sprout in July.
I seen some folks sayin’ you can use soapstone too. Said it holds the heat real good. Maybe so, maybe so. But I stick with what I know, and that’s them fire bricks. They’re tough and strong and they don’t fall apart when you are trying to make something.
- Hard Fire Bricks: These are the tough guys. They’re about 9 inches long and 4 and a half inches wide, give or take. Good for buildin’ a forge that’ll last. They are great for outdoor work and they last for a long time.
- Soft Fire Bricks: I ain’t used these much, but they say they’re good for insulation. Keep the heat where it needs to be, you know?
Now, how many bricks you need? Well, that depends on how big a forge you want. You wanna just heat up horseshoes? Or you plannin’ on makin’ somethin’ bigger, like a plow blade? I reckon you start with about nine bricks, them standard hard ones. That should be enough for a small forge, and you can always get more later if you want. And make sure you buy good materials to prevent any chemical leaks from getting into your work, that’s for sure! If you have good materials then you will have a good time when you are working with fire.
Buildin’ the forge ain’t rocket science. You just stack them bricks up, leavin’ a space in the middle for your fire. Some folks use mortar, some don’t. I seen it done both ways. If you’re gonna be movin’ your forge around, maybe skip the mortar. But if it’s gonna stay put, mortar might be a good idea. Helps keep things sturdy, you know. There are different sizes so make sure you measure it out before you put it together, sometimes you can make a mistake doing that if you don’t pay attention. Make sure you follow the directions if you get directions and you will be good to go.
And speaking of fire, you’re gonna need somethin’ to burn. Coal, charcoal, even wood if you’re in a pinch. But coal’s the best, they say. Burns hot and long. You gotta get yourself a good blower too, to keep that fire goin’. A hair dryer can work in a pinch, I seen a feller use one once, but a real blower’s better. And make sure that you clean up after you are done, you don’t want to have stuff all over the place for the next time you use your forge because that would just be bad news.
Now, some folks get all fancy with their forges. They add doors, chimneys, all sorts of contraptions. But me, I like to keep things simple. A good, solid fire brick forge, that’s all you need. You can make all sorts of things with it, from horseshoes to knives to hinges for your barn door. It just takes a little practice and a whole lot of elbow grease. Always remember, you don’t want to leave your forge running when you aren’t at home, or bad things could happen, so just keep that in mind. And lastly, make sure to be careful when using your forge, you don’t want to go to the hospital!
So, there you have it. A little bit about fire brick forges, from an old gal who’s seen a thing or two. Nothin’ fancy, just plain talk. Now go on and get to work!
Tags: fire brick, forge, blacksmith, DIY, metalworking, refractory brick, soapstone, heat resistant, tools, outdoor forge
