Induction Forge

Induction Forge

The concept of an induction forge intrigued me after seeing Derek Melton's induction forge on his Youtube videos and Instagram posts. Once I saw how fast metal could get to forge temperature I knew I would have to get one in the future. Well.... after the first few weeks of a summer in Texas with 95+ degree days I accelerated that acquisition. My son and I were looking for anyway we could find to be able to heat metal without making the shop 10 degrees hotter inside than it was outside.

I knew next to nothing about induction forges so I began to research how they worked, the size needed etc.. I found Derek's web page which was a wealth of information with a detailed description and photos of his forge. Check out his induction forge at this link - Derek Melton Induction Forge

If you are interested in induction forges I highly recommend visiting Derek's website and checking out his videos and the other assorted sources of information available.

We made our forge mobile to be able to use the capabilities of the forge in different parts of the shop. Need to heat a bearing with no flame, easy. Need to heat a rusty bolt near the gas tank of a automotive project, the induction forge can do it with hose extensions. Need to quickly and evenly solder/sweat a joint in copper pipe... easy with the induction forge, We have just begun to tap into the capabilities of the forge.

If your interested in any or the items or parts used in the build of the induction forge project please see our Amazon Links page.

Induction Heater

The forge is officially listed on many sites including Amazon as a 15kw 30-100khz high frequency induction heater furnace This picture shows how the forge looked when it arrived to my shop. The plain white had to go so a little of my custom "Arrest Me Red" or if you want similar off the shelf it would be Krylon Banner Red or Rustoleum Sunrise Red which are close proxies.

Adjustable Platens

The base has two adjustable platens that can be used to hold or rest a piece of metal for heating. This eases the ability to heat longer pieces or to be able to heat the middle of a larger piece without the fatigue of trying to hold it in the middle of the coils. It also is nice having a spot to set a piece down while you reposition a set of tongs to work the metal.

Wiring & Water Filtration

The forge came with a hinged lid that you would flip up to wire the required 220V input. This was not really designed for safety and I saw where Derek had installed an electrical box in an effort to improve the safety and security of the connections and the cord. I used an RV electrical enclosure that is typically used in RV, Campers etc.. I also relocated the ground wire to the inside of the case.

In researching the units I found in some of the user forums a tendency to suffer from issues that resemble

"galvanic corrosion" which can clog the pipes and tubes inside the machine. While I can't stop the effect, I was hoping to slow it down by adding a replaceable water filter to catch debris down as small as 5 microns.

I also added a pressure gauge to help spot when potential corrosion had built up enough to impact the water pressure running through the machine or when the filter had reached its capacity.

Convenience Switches

Although its not difficult to flip on the power buttons for the induction forge and the water cooler, it was an easy task to wire up two switches right next to each other to be able to quickly turn the power on and off. This became very handy when I first tested the plumbing and quickly found I had forgotten to tighten up a hose clamp!

Adjustable Hold Downs.

The forge while not light (coming in around 60lbs,) it is somewhat top heavy due to its shape. Just to be on the safe side I added some nylon straps using adjustable Stainless lifting eyes to cinch down the forge to the cart. This will help reduce the risk of being knocked over and yet still allows easy removal for maintenance.

How does it work?

On the standard coil that came with the machine as seen here, it can throw sparks on a solid 7/8" inch mild steel rod in under thirty seconds. You can get it a litte faster using a coil more approximately sized to the diameter of the metal being used. Check out the links below to Terry Cash's - Cluaran Forge for unique coils for the induction forge.