Saw a custom forge setup at the county fair in Springfield that used a repurposed truck brake drum

The guy running it said he gets a more even heat for shaping shoes than with his old propane rig, and it only cost him about $30 in scrap parts to build.

3 comments

3 Comments

hollym122mo ago

That Springfield fair always has the best DIY stuff. My uncle tried a brake drum forge years ago and said the same thing about the heat. Makes me want to try building one myself.

perez.elliot2mo ago

Just watch out for the toxic fumes.

baker.phoenix17d ago

Wait, has anyone actually tested the air quality around those brake drum forges with like a cheap monitor? I'm curious if the toxic fumes are from the zinc coating or the brake dust itself (those old drums can have some nasty stuff baked into them). Seems like a shop vac with a hose pointed outside would be a cheap way to pull the fumes away while you work, even if it's not as fancy as a proper welding hood.