My homemade forge welder cracked clean through after 4 years of use

Was mid weld on a gate project yesterday when I heard a pop and saw a 3 inch crack running down the side of my forge body. Had to stop everything and patch it with refractory cement has anyone else dealt with their forge shell giving out like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

milessmith1mo ago

Honestly that's just how it goes with stuff you use hard. Four years of constant heating and cooling cycles is like a dog year in forge time. I see the same thing happen with all kinds of tools and equipment people push to the limit, not just forges. Your car's radiator finally cracks, your favorite hammer handle splits, the frame on your truck starts getting weak spots. It's always the same story, metal gets tired and gives out. That patch is fine for now but you're right to keep an eye on it, it's just buying you time till you get a replacement lined up.

jessica_robinson231mo ago

Gotta say I'm a little skeptical here, I've seen forges held together with way worse patches than refractory cement that kept going for years after. @the_alice is probably right about the pop being a bad sign but I don't think you need to run out for a whole new forge right this second. Slap a metal band around the crack and weld it from the outside maybe, I've done that on an old body of mine and it held up for another two years easy. Just keep an eye on it and don't push the heat too high for a while.

the_alice1mo ago

Four years is actually pretty good for a forge that's been worked hard, most cheap shells crack way sooner than that. That pop sound is never good, I've had that happen on two different forges over the years and it always means the metal finally gave out from all the heating and cooling cycles. The refractory patch is a temporary fix at best, you'll want to start looking for a proper replacement shell or a new forge entirely. If you keep welding on it patched up, that crack is just gonna spread like a spiderweb sooner or later.