Ammo Can Forge
*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.