mtforge

I've never welded on a plate but did weld on a new face. I had bought a 170 pound mousehole early in my learning and suspect someone had ground the entire top plate off. It was flat and soft. I debated for a long time welding a plate on but ended up welding it up with Hardalloy 118. It's my favorite anvil now.

I would suggest trying it out for a while before closing it up. See what it needs first. Adjust as needed. I put refractory in my brake drum not to protect it but to give it a more efficient shape. Try it out and play with shapes to see if you need anything. Overall I think it looks good.

Hasn't slowed down. After the end of my season in November I was able to get a little hunting in but haven't caught up with the orders yet. The next season started this weekend. Sleep is over rated.

I have one I bought but have modified. Does that count?

I agree with the rubber band idea. I've told people to do this to balance out their muscles. We spend a lot of time gripping and it makes our elbow out of balance. Exercising the fingers out balances this out.

The following is what I've found works for me. My opinion only.

As far as the profile and size of the handle I like an oval that fits my hand when closed on it.  My fingers almost touch my palm (1/8" to 1/4" away). If I squeeze tight I can just touch my palm. I modify all my handles to this size and use them all day long. When I'm hammering I use a loose grip and you should be (theoretically) able to take the hammer from my hand. Just like a tennis player I don't want to have a death grip on the handle.

Thanks. When I'm at a show I'm a magnet for wannabe blacksmiths. Which is how I was when I started so I know what its like. I show them it doesn't take much to get started and steer them to whatever local group there is.

On my brake drum firepot I put a cast iron drain in the bottom then put in castable refractory from the edge of the grate to the rim. Like an upside down cone. The drain grate needs to be removable as it will burn out eventually. This makes it more efficient in burning fuel. 

My hydraulic press is basically a vertical log splitter with better guides. I love it.

I made my first gas forges with kaowool but it was too delicate. I would snag it with items I was making and tear bits out. I went with castable for the durability.

 

Do either of those have smoke shelves in the chimney?

Mine is just an open box inside.

In the Congo. First is what they had already. Second is what we packed on the plane to show how to make another style forge and blower.

I built my shop with a high peak to let the heat rise away from me. Then put a large squirrel cage fan at the top to pull out the heat. We also have a lot of windows to replace the air and can put small fans on us. Drink a lot of water and take breaks before they have to pick you up off the ground.

I use a side draft at my shows. I put on wind screens/side shields to block the wind as needed. They're on hinges and can be pulled around to make a almost enclosed fire or swung back if not needed.

We missed you. We just had a hammer-in over by Middletown IN today. We had a lot of new people hammering.

I am a full time blacksmith (10 years now) and have employees also. I am a high school drop out. I started blacksmithing part time going to reenactments/rendezvous/fairs. When my kids were out of high school and I was out of debt I went full time. I was making very good money as an industrial maintenance manager but there is more to life than money. I know a lot of people who went to college and are not using their degree and/or are working alongside non-degreed people.  If my bills are paid and my wife is happy (which can be harder than paying the bills) I'm happy. I get to tend the garden and orchard, cut the firewood, hunt deer after the shows are over, etc.. Last year I went to over 20 shows and was too busy. This year we're cutting way back because I can't keep up. People want to give me money for bent iron and I want to help them.  B)

The business side is easy to think about but hard to do. Make more money than you spend. The problem is the details. You need to know taxes, regulations and other things governments throws in our way to slow us down. But there are groups to help with this. Software and books also. And it never ends. But if you want to do this full time its part of the deal.

I would suggest before you do anything find your local group. You'll have one. Go to their meetings and ask a LOT of questions. Use their equipment, forges, metal, etc.. You will need to find what you like to make. Railings? High dollar sculpture. S-hooks? You'll need to learn how to work efficiently and effectively. Start out part time while working someplace else while you learn. When you start making your name and money (you'll need both) you can decide when it's time to go full time(if you do).

All this is my opinion and should be taken as such. But it's what I have learned. Your mileage will vary.

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Here's what I've used for 16 years. Wood is packing crates. Deck is scrap metal. Firepot is a brake drum. And Post vise was $5 at a yard sale. Last year I went to about 17 outdoor shows with it. It comes apart because early on all I had was a small trailer and had to load it by hand. Easier in smaller pieces.

Hi guys I was wondering what the fastest and easiest way to light a coal forge.

If I'm at a show the easiest way is to borrow some fire from the neighbors campfire. Otherwise two to three balled up sheets of newspaper, lit and placed in the bootom. Apply air slowly and make sure the paper is burning then add coal or leftover coke if available. On damp days I may have trouble getting paper to burn. At the shop I'll do the newspaper thing or use an old rag that has been used to wipe down utensils seasoned with vegetable oil. Ball the rag up, put in the forge and light with a propane torch and slowly add air.

The 1780 traveling forge is from A Treatise of Artillery 1780 by John Muller. It also gives dimensions and notes about the forge.

I would see if you have a good flow at the bellows and how fast it drops down. At the end of the season I check my bellows by plugging the pipe at the bellows outlet and pumping it up. How fast it drops this tells me if I have leaks in the leather, valves or just overall. Sometimes the valves aren't sealing and the air just goes back and forth.

This has some interesting articles

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/work

Or you can make an adapter/holder to fit brake press dies and buy different lengths, sizes and angles from ebay.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRESS-BRAKE-TOOLING-IRON-WORKER-90-PUNCH-1-64-NOSE-7-LONG-/120792804430?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1fcfec4e

That was a great video. Your work seemed to flow.

This is what I want to be at his age. Tired but not retired.

I still need to complete the grate to keep the coal from just falling down the piping and I need to make a stand of some sort bu I'm feeling pretty good about what I've put together so far.

I use a cast iron drain grate from Mcmaster-Carr for a grate. It's cheap thick and ash falls through it. I still need to fish out a clinker once in a while but it's not a problem.
2413K2 Light Duty Cast Iron Round Drain Grate 5" Diameter http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/2115/=jrp7bt