I thought using a coffee can forge was a total joke until last weekend

For years I heard people talk about making a small forge from a steel coffee can, some plaster, and sand, and I always wrote it off as a silly internet thing that couldn't possibly get hot enough. Well, my main forge went down last Saturday, and I was desperate to finish a small knife handle. I followed a guide I found, using a 1-pound coffee can, a basic propane torch, and a mix of plaster of Paris and play sand from the hardware store. I let it dry for two full days. I fired it up, and I'll be honest, I was shocked. It got my piece of 1084 steel to a nice bright orange, enough for some decent forging and a solid heat treat. It's not for big work, but for small projects or as a backup, it's legit. Has anyone else tried one of these for small jobs and been surprised?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor33625d ago

Honestly that's a cool hack for a pinch, but it seems like a temporary fix at best. The materials probably won't hold up for long with repeated use. Tbh I'd still just fix the proper forge.

nancy82015h ago

So what's the actual failure point on your forge that makes a hack seem like the better option right now? Is it a burner issue, or did the lining finally give out? Sometimes the "real fix" feels huge if you don't know where to start.

the_abby25d ago

Yeah exactly... it's one of those things that gets you through a weekend project but you can't count on it. The heat cycles will just wreck anything not meant for it, and then you're back to square one but with a bigger mess to clean up. Honestly putting that effort into a real fix saves so much headache later.