Glenn

What are you trying to forge weld, the type and shape of the metal. What have you been doing so far in order to make the forge weld? Type of forge?

The members of IForgeIron are some are the best people in the world and conduct themselves as ladies and gentlemen. Basically the site rules of no fussing, no cussing, no personal attacks, and please stay away from religion and politics are in place to keep things running smoothly. Your wife can read over your shoulder and your daughter / grand daughter can sit on your knee and read the site. The members often provide a gentle reminder long before the mods or admins get involved. A gentle reminder from a mod or admin is not personal but simply taking care of the business of the site. Pack a lunch and a cold drink when you visit the site. We want you to succeed, so relax and enjoy learning about blacksmithing.

Use google's search engine to do the work for you. Type in search for "xxxxxxxxxxx" and let it do it's thing. If you want to narrow things down type in search for "xxxxxxxxxxx on iforgeiron.com" and google will search that site for "xxxxxxxxxxx". That just opens the door. Read several of the hits and then narrow the search using specific words or phrases you have found and do another search. This will narrow the information down even more. Repeat as needed until you get the information you seek.

Build more forges out of mud. Make the holes different sizes and different configurations, that is round, square, rectangular, different angles on the side slopes, etc. Use them enough to see which you like best. You can speed this up by looking at the ash when you finished forging. Make the forge to that shape and size the next time. This is a brake rotor to hold the fire. You can see the way the fire likes the angle from the twyere to the top of the rotor, and then from the top of the rotor to the edge of the fire. The bricks are there to make the fire deeper for the project I was working on. One thing that helps is to design the forge so the sweet spot of the fire ball is at the top of the forge table. That way when you put the metal on the top of the table, it automatically hits the sweet spot of the fire.

John, send me a PM to let me know what you want and get the process started. Include your address, zip code, and phone number so shipping can be estimated, and you can be contacted in case there are any questions.

Depending on how far you want to chase the internet information, there are many parts from many places that can be used. For instance elk, deer, and kangaroo hided have been recommended as good for the leathers on bellows. Just because the information does not fall into your lap just means you have not been digging deep enough. For a square bellows, look into a camera bellows or bellows for camera extension tubes. For round bellows look into a concertina bellows. May need scaled up for your purposes but it is the concept that matters. The following are bits and pieces that may help. Tear drop style Plans to build a Bellows If the leather is brittle and/or stiff you can try a home brew leather treatment which works a treat. Size of bellows chambers BP0141 Building a Bellows Round Bellows

Thomas, will this work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=220&v=YmrpWw8nThA

The large issue is keeping the electrical contacts clean. The parts being cleaned may need attention to remove any loose junk. The rebar or other parts will need cleaned as needed. They can be eroded or coated with crud. A quick wash off and scrub is all that is necessary.

Looks like a load going out and a power hammer coming back. (grin)

When was the last time you updated your resume? You should have at least two or three current resumes. One as a general work history, one for the ideal job you would like, and one for that "out there" job you want. Keep a crisp copy of each in an envelope in the glove box of the car. Have a set of business cards with your name and phone number printed up and put one inside each envelope, a supply of cards in the car, and a couple of the cards in your wallet. When the opportunity makes itself available you want to be ready and leave your contact information with an interested party. Much better than saying "hold that thought, I will be back in a couple of weeks with my information". Think of it as real time TPAAAT.

Forges 101 has a lot of information contained in the discussion. Do not forget the kiln wash or reflective coating on the inside of the hard refractory.

Gas Forge Refractories and Supplies

There are several topics that the site responds to quickly, such as safety, copyright, trademarks, illegal activities, to name a few.

You may want to review Gas Forge Refractories and Supplies and Gas Forges

The seller wants as much as possible for the product. The buyer wants to pay as little as possible for the same product. They usually meet somewhere in the middle. If the seller or the buyer is uninformed or under informed, then the price can get skewed. For instance, an anvil and an anvil shaped object are not the same. The asking price and the selling price on ebay, craigslist, etc can be a good distance apart. Just because they want $10 per pound does not mean it is worth $10 a pound or they are going to get $10 a pound when/if it is sold.