Tried making a forge from an old brake drum and it cracked on the third heat

I picked up a cast iron brake drum from a junkyard last month and spent a weekend turning it into a forge. Got it all welded up with a pipe for the air supply, but after heating three pieces of rebar the drum split right down the side. Anyone know if there's a way to prevent cast iron from cracking like that, or should I just stick to using a steel drum instead?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy_foster7917d ago

Ugh same thing happened to my setup, so frustrating.

kim69317d ago

Did you figure out what actually caused it or are you still guessing at the problem?

keith_rodriguez15d ago

Nah, still just guessing honestly...