jonathan king

yes keep it simple it's not rocket science.... heat and Hit !

stash all i can say is that my bottom blast forge grate/plate has been in seven years in regular daily use and there is no sign of it burning away plus it will only cost me about £4 to replace. so i wouldn't spend all your money until you try out a few other options. all the best.

Hi Stash
John b is spot on with what he says about the solid sideblast tue iron you should have a look at his bottom blown forge, john sent me some plans its a great forge and is very simular to my bottom blown forge which i use daily as im a full time blacksmith but with a limited space. I would recomend only a water cooled tue iron or a bottom blown forge.
It means you don't have to keep spending money on cast tue irons which are not cheap.

Yeap it works great im a full time blacksmith in the uk and use anthrasite bean its cheaper than smithy coke and the welsh anthrasite burns well and dose not produce much clinker.

Tig is very good if you are looking for a clean weld with clean metal and little distortion. but its an expensive process to do eg the consumables. It is a longer process to learn and master.
Mig welding is a faster process and some would say a semi skilled process but for genral welding it is great for joining steel ali and stainless.
But both have their merits and pitfalls.
all the best john

HI Farrer nice looking forge , I make my own bottom blast forges like John b.
I use 1 inch thick plate for the grate which is in daily use and has not burn't through in three years use and has not lossed any thickness , I control the air flow using a light dimmer switch I find there is no need for an air gate, but i know each forge has its own unique way of working.

Hi farrer, i use anthrasite coal beans mined in south wales about

i built my forge on the design of the forges at finch foundry - oakhampton in devon (uk) they are all bottom blast forges and they are hearths that were constructed in about 1814 so we use both types in the uk. ive used side blast forges but have found bottom blast easier to make and maintain.

i used to weld up broken casting using oxy acetylene we veed out the crack and pre heated the casting and used a cast iron filler rod with a flux coating once welded the casting was post heated to prevent fast cooling which would cause a fracture and then we linished the casting to smarten it up . all the best

hi philip i would recomend an oil cooled unit .its a proper unit that can be used for hours on end and ive used one for many years plus in most industial workshops you will find them in use . we have a make in the uk called oxford which makes a very good unit.

hi chris always have plenty of ventolation when welding, arc rods contain celulose which is not great to breath in. i know when you are welding using mig or tig i think its known as tag in the states you dont want a heavy breeze blowing the gas sheild away but you should still use a suction feed ventolation system. when i worked in industry welding stainless steel tanks we wore a full face masks this was to prevent suffocation and to protect us from the vapours off the welded material.
so stay safe and have fun. john

hi john had the christmas sales to finish maybe next year.
J King Blacksmith

I use bees wax clear or dark wax i heat the metal up to straw or blue heat and apply the wax with a brush. I then cool the job then polish it up. but their are 101 finishes out their.

have a practice with some scrap material which you dont mind being burnt up you will soon get used to the amount of time it takes to heat it basicaly play around and you will get a natural feel for the heating times of diffrent thickness of material.

I light my coal forge with a propain torch give it 2or3 minutes of heat and you are able to introduce a small blast of air and away you go.

hi arron at least you wont need a power source . i use a earlex shop blower with a light dimmer switch the whole set up cost just over

hi hammer and tongs im also in bedfordshire england im not a blade smith but i use anthrosite in my forge i get some clinkering over the grate but it stays fairly clean try some smithy breeze or good charcoal thats another option.

hi dave great to see new folks coming into a great craft

hi dave good to see new folks coming a great craft.

i would recomend supporting your countrys tool industry as it keeps people in jobs and the u.s tools are of a good standard.
Most of the tool production has gone to china ,and in the u.k all we can now get are cheaply made eastern imports which i refuse to buy as they are made of bendy steel.

i always use a propane torch. i know its cheating but it only takes 2 or 3 minutes before their is enough heat in the coals to introduce the air flow and it makes for a fast heat up time.

Being an experienced welder i would always advise wearing proper overalls . I herd of a chap who used to weld all the time wearing a t shirt sadley he got a cancerous growth under his arm. As a result he died as it was not descoverd until it had spread around his body. so always stay safe!

hi john i also live in the uk.
I have built a number of forges and have found that if you build a side blast forge you will need ideally a water cooled tueyer i would sugest building a bottom blown forge and making a steel grate out of 12 to 16mm rod . you will find it more economical to maintain in the future. also if you make the base out of fire brick it should hold up to most of the heat exposed to the table.

when it comes to anvils if you are buying a new one always get the best you can afford . its the old saying you get what you pay for, and you dont get anything free ,unless you are fortunate to stumble apon a good second hand anvil. but that,s is just plain luck.