Ammo Can Forge

*Ammo Can Forge Pictures*

DO NOT USE GALVANIZED PIPE

*Ron Reil Burner Plans*(scratch build your burner) ( ellis and ZBurners are safer designs in my opinion)

*Ellis Knife works (they sell refractory and burners)*

Z Burner (they sell a good burner kit)

Rabenwald Metalsmithing (an open forge sponsor)

The ammo can forge is something I came up with over five ago after being frustrated about how almost all the plans online needed a fairly intensive workshop to be made.

I boiled it down to a jigsaw and a drill. (hacksaw and snips are optional)

I remembered that around 350 cubic inches was good for ONE Ron Reil burner.

5x6x11 inner volume of this forge = 330 cubic inches

The size of the ammo can is important.

Most are too tall or too thin for a decent forge.The best one we found is 12 inches long, 7 inches wide, and 8 5/8 inches high.

You take 1 & 1/3 fire brick for the floor

Cut a small door in the back and a larger door in the front

But the bolt feet on if you want em ( I don't bother anymore)

wrap the kaowool all the way around one loop under the brick(this is 2 square feet of kaowool)

Add a bit more kaowool to protect the back wall.

Fill in the space under the lid.

Mount a 1 1/2 inch diameter pipe flange to the lid (I use a little kaowool as a gasket)

make a hole in the top of the kaowool inside that matches the pipe flange.

Spread a layer of fireclay on the inside of the kaowool.

Let it dry for a day or two.

Put a pipe nipple that mounts the pipe flange and cut it so your burner rests 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the edge of the kaowool. I found a 9 inch nipple works fine or you can buy a 10-12 inch and cut it down to size.Drop the burner in and fire it up.

I get welding heats off one burner.

PART LIST

Ammo Can 12 inches long, 7 inches wide, and 8 5/8 inches high. This is commonly called a SAW Fat 50 Cal ammo can PA108

Pipe mount 1 1/2 inches wide internal diameter

Pipe Nipple 1 1/2 inch diameter 9-12 inches long

4 1 inch long bolts that will fit through the pipe mount with corresponding nuts, washers and lockwashers

OPTIONAL: Feet for the forge ( i don't put these in anymore)

4 2 inch long 1/2 inch wide bolts that are threaded up to the head

4 1/2 inch lock washers

8 1/2 inch washers

4 1/2 inch nuts

Refractory:

A half pint of itc100 (optional)

5 pounds of satanite/ or other hot top castable refractory (guess)

2 linear feet of inswool

1 and 1/3 1" Thick Hard Fire Brick*

*This firebrick often called a "split" has become harder to find and many people are casting their own floor out of refractory using a wooden frame. If you cannot find the "perfect" ammo can you can custom size the firebrinch for the floor this way. A slightly smaller can will limit what you can do but will probably do welding a little easier.