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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?
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victor3367mo 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.
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nancy8206mo 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.
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the_abby7mo 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.
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