How to Build a Forge Fire Pot

An early blacksmith's forge was nothing more than a pit in the ground with a smaller hole dug near the pit and extending to the bottom of it. The pit held burning coal or charcoal to heat the metal. The smaller hole, called a truyere, permitted air to reach the bottom of the fire pit. Over time, forges moved up out of the ground and onto benches or stands. This made working easier in that it required less bending. However, the basic technology never changed. The central element of a modern forge is the fire pot, a metal pot that replaces the old fire pit. A pipe, the truyere, still ensures that oxygen gets to the bottom of the fire.

Brake drum from a truck, approximately 6 inches deep and at least 12 inches across, with a 2-inch-wide axle hole
2-inch close nipple
2-inch flange
2-by-2-by-3-inch reducing T
2-inch nipple, 6 inches long
3-inch nipple, 6 inches long
2-inch cap
3 steel conduits or lawn furniture tubes, about 3 feet long each
Hammer
Iron or steel disc wider than 2 inches and narrower than the brake drum
Drill

Instructions

- 1
  Insert the close nipple into the axle hole of the brake drum. A nipple is a straight pipe that has threads cut into the outside of either end. Screw the flange onto the end of the nipple that protrudes up into the brake drum.
- 2
  Screw the reducing T onto the bottom of the close nipple. Screw the 2-inch-by-6-inch nipple to the bottom of the T.
- 3
  Screw the 3-inch nipple into the remaining hole on the T. This will serve as the truyere. Insert the bellows or pump into this pipe to provide the fire pot with air.
- 4
  Screw the cap onto the lower nipple. This cap serves as an ash trap. Ash from the fire pot overhead will fall into this tube and be collected by the cap. After the forging is finished, unscrew the cap and release the ashes. Some designs use a swivel trap or a hinged trap, but they require more engineering.
- 5
  Hammer a few inches of one end of each steel tube flat. Drill a hole the same size as your bolts through the flattened ends. Bend the flat ends out to about 135 degrees. Bolt them to the bolt holes of the brake drum so that they serve as legs for the fire pot.
- 6
  Drill holes spaced closely together in the center of the iron disc. Cover the center 2 inches of the disc with these holes. Put this disc over the axle hole in the brake drum. This serves as a screen to keep the coals from falling into the ash trap.

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