Brake drum forge.

[stormin]

Brake drum forge, tube bender.
Soon brake drums will be competing with the famous propane cylinder for recyclability and mulitple uses.

 

[metalspanner]

Before someone came up with the idea of making them out of old baked bean cans, cant really call it 'steel' that horrible lightweight tube that always bends and kinks when trying to assemble it.
I used to make freestanding workshop lights with old brake drums and a bit of angle iron with a 500watt halogen lamp bolted on, I have used tractor and wagon drums as 'axle stands' in the past they are versatile and durable.
When I have finished disposing of these darned trees, sheds and got some field work out of the way I will be in the workshop as plenty of projects and repairs are piling up in the intray,and will be posting some of my work instead of just talking about it.

 

[Howburn]

I have some brake drums from Lorries. Free to anyone who can collect.

 

[Alec.S]

Your off to a good start!

alec

 

[Shedendman]

my forge

I knocked this up last year,never got round to using it,i did ask but she wouldn't let me use the hair dryer after i told her what i wanted it for,as you can see another use for a gas bottle.
I was going to rig it up with a car heater blower hence the battery,now reading the main thread looks like it'll have to be done

 

[fluxcored]

stalwart_hmc, your setup is very close to mine, except I use a discarded hot water tank.

I use wood as a fuel because I can get it for next to nothing.

I was quite surprised that I'm able to melt aluminium succesfully - I did'nt think it would be possible as I know that my setup must be terribly inefficient.

I recently collected some firebrick and an industrial lawnmower deck and plan to build a proper gas fuelled foundry/forge. Just another item on a long list of things to do.

I still need an anvil though!! Anybody has a bright idea what to use as a substitute anvil?? Do'nt even mention railroad track - it's as scarce as chicken teeth around here.

 

[Shedendman]

God i'd love to have an anvil to.............................but thinking about it i have a company near me that does serviceing to forklift trucks now the last time i was there they had a skip full of stuff and i did notice they broke a old one up,some of the truck was 20mm thick,if i remember rightly the forks were in there to,surly they can be used to make some sort of anvil up seeing as they're harden steel unless i'm wrong?

 

[Blackjack]

If you go to a steel stockholder who deals with bar stock (stuff you machine as opposed to stuff you weld) and does sawn lengths, you ought to be able to get a chunk of something.

I've got some 6" diameter bar I had left over from making some spacers for a car modding guy. I just have trouble carrying it, so I used that smaller billet in the video...

 

[bigbadbugga]

stalwart_hmc, your setup is very close to mine, except I use a discarded hot water tank.

I use wood as a fuel because I can get it for next to nothing.

I was quite surprised that I'm able to melt aluminium succesfully - I did'nt think it would be possible as I know that my setup must be terribly inefficient.

I recently collected some firebrick and an industrial lawnmower deck and plan to build a proper gas fuelled foundry/forge. Just another item on a long list of things to do.

I still need an anvil though!! Anybody has a bright idea what to use as a substitute anvil?? Do'nt even mention railroad track - it's as scarce as chicken teeth around here.

Where is that then RSA?

I have some here, a 2' and a 4' and can get hold of more as my mate works for network rail as a track layer

 

[MarkMG]

republic of south africa

 

[bigbadbugga]

republic of south africa

ah, might be a little far to post them then

 

[fluxcored]

Yeah, thanx bigbadbugga - really appreciate your offer.

Wonder what the shipping + import duties would cost!