Coffee Can Forge

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The picture above is of a small gas forge that I built using a 2 pound Maxwell House coffee can for the forge body.   It is lined with 2 inches of 8# Durablanket that has been coated with Unifax QF-180.  I used some 1" x 1/8" flat bar to make the legs for the forge body, but you can use whatever you have on hand in your shop. The legs are fasten to the forge body using 10-32 machine screws.   The burner used in this forge is the new Micro Side Arm Burner that I recently designed. I make a lot of candle holders and this little forge is great to heat up candle pans and dish them out, I would say that the largest stock that you could effectively heat up to forging temperatures would be 3/8" round stock.  The original idea for building this forge came Donnie Fulwood's web site that had drawings of a the Bean Can Forge built by Ed Halligan.

The picture above is of the coffee can forge with the micro side arm burner running at 25 psi after about 15 minutes.   Inside of the forge, the temperature was
2000 º F.  I measured the temperature inside the forge using an Omega HH300 Series Digital Thermometer.  Building the coffee can forges, I have used a micro tube burner and I have also used the Bernz O Matic model # JTH7 torch like the one used in the mini forge  for the burner.  The outcome of both were a great success.   I used a conduit hub to hold the burner assembly in place in the first coffee can forge that I built.  But now I am just using a couple of conduit lock rings and pipe nipple of the appropriate length and diameter for the burner that I am making.    It is the same set up that I used for the burner holder on the simple gas forge. 
Thermadyne has recently introduce a new line of torchs called Turbo Torch that show a lot of promise as a good source for a ready to go burner for the coffee can forges.  I will be getting some of them in the future and trying them out, I will post the information about the turbo torches as I test them.

Update November 28, 2008:  The picture above is of a new Coffee Can Forge that I just finished building for a customer.  It has an adjustable stock rest  that was made from 1/4" round stock and two pieces of 1/8" pipe.  The burner holder was made for a 3/4" pipe nipple and was installed into the forge body using (2) 3/4" conduit locking rings and (2) 3/4" x 1" reducing washer to help strengthen the burner holder.  I also drilled (3) 3/8" holes in the burner holder to help draw in some secondary air for the burner.

The pictures above are of the Turbo Torch kit LP-1 LP CONTRACTORS KIT and of the coffee can forge running with the T-6 tip.

Update November 31, 2008:  I recently purchased a Turbo Torch outfit LP-1 LP CONTRACTORS KIT which cost around $175.00.  I know that may sound like a lot of money, but the kit includes two tips: a T-4 and T-6 that are stainless steel, a LP regulator with POL and a 12 foot LP hose.  So you do not need to buy anything else to get you going. This outfit is set up to run off a 20# Propane cylinder.   I put the smaller tip (the T-4) in a coffee can forge and it got it up to 2100 º F.n   Then, I put the T-6 tip on it and put it in the coffee can forge and it went up to 2400 º F + in no time flat.  I am going to purchase a T-5 five tip and see how it works out, because I think that the T-6 is a little too big for the coffee can forge and the T-4 is a little too small.  I will probably be building a larger forge in the future for the T-6.  I must say that this is really an impressive torch outfit.

Feedback
  Below, You will find e-mails which include feedback from various blacksmiths and Bladesmiths who have built a Coffee Can Forge.