utaholdiron

@ jeremy k............Probably not, I think it will end up being a decorative item in someones shop. I still have to "jazz up" the blower that goes with this forge.

I finished the outside of the forge pan today. The trickiest part was painting the "No 401" sign. I wanted to have the background of the sign red and the letters and numbers painted black, so it would really stand out. When the sign had dried for two day, after being painted red, I covered it with blue masking tape, the kind that doesn't stick super hard and is easy to remove. I pushed it around all the raised parts of the sign as close as I could. Next I traced around all those same raised parts with a ball point pen. This forced the tape even closer and tighter and provided an ink line to follow. Then, using a utility knife with a new blade, I carefully cut around all the raised parts. When the cut out sections were removed, I was ready to paint over the sign in black.

I got this old #401 forge the other day. I cleaned it up and primed it and painted it black. I should have stopped there, but instead wondered how it would look with certain parts painted red. After carefully masking the areas I didn't want red, I grabbed the red spray paint can and went to work. Only when I was done did I realize I'd grabbed the high gloss red instead of the low gloss. To continue the foolishness, I'm going to also paint red the rivet heads and the little sign that says "No 401" on the outside of the forge pan. The finishing touch will be to paint the letters and numbers in the sign black, so it really stands out. About now many of you are thinking, "This guy has way too much time on his hands!" Which is true, but it was a learning experience. The masking off took HOURS and was a big mistake! When I do the outside, instead of all that masking off, and then spray painting, I'm planning on limited masking and using a painters brush. This should be quicker and there's no overspray.

I recently acquired a badly rusted Champion #401 forge pan, with the leg assembly, but minus the forge blower. After attacking the rust with vinegar, wires brushing and finally a circular wire brush attachment that fits into a drill, the forge pan cleaned up quite nicely. Then I got to thinking it would be nice to paint the forge pan flat back, the tuyere plate red, the outer circular upright also flat black and the little #401 tag red. I really just want the unit to stand out. Now I'm thinking it's not so great of an idea because the heat produced in the forge pan would cause the painted surfaces to smoke, blister, catch on fire, etc. I know they make a high temperature (1200 degrees) spray paint. If I used a rust inhibiting primer, then the high temp paint over that, would that work? Any guidance or suggestions would be appreciated. I don't want to make the forge unusable just for the sake of giving it some bling.

I have a forge/blower similar to yours, but mine came with a broken drive belt. I'd be interested in seeing some pix of the blower and gearing on yours. Also, if you "resize" your pix before posting them they will be much easier for others to view. Here is a link to a website that lets you resize photos for free. http://www.resize2mail.com/

Thanks for the input. I like your idea. My problem is I can't find a socket wrench deep enough to take off the backing nut that is behind the blower housing. The "deep socket" wrenches at all the major outlets are 3" in length, and I need one that's another 1/2" deeper. I'm thinking of cutting a deep socket off with a chop saw, so it will fit onto the nut and then using a pipe wrench on the other end of it to loosen the nut.

Master Curmudgeon, of course you are right. I'm still figuring out how to post on this site. My initial post had no text with it, so I added some today. I always enjoy your comments. Alan

A very old forge and blower. The gearing mechanism is long gone. It was housed beneath the blower and consisted of gears that drove a belt connected to the blower blades. A long, wooden handle operated up and down powered the gears. I got this unit quite cheap because it was not complete. I basically just wanted the blower. All the fastening nuts and bolts were badly rusted, I ended up using a cold chisel and hammer on some of them. Both blower and forge are cast iron so I had to be careful not to break anything. Cast iron being easily shattered. I finally got the blower removed from underneath the forge pan. The blade housing consists of two sides held together by 4 or 5 bolts and nuts. Again, these were also badly rusted. I tried "liquid wrench" repeatedly to no avail. As a last resort, I cut through the bolts with a hacksaw. There was minimal damage to the housing halves and it would be hidden when everything was put back together. The blower blades are all one piece of cast iron, and pretty heavy. I think it would take quite alot of force to get these blades moving fast enough to do any good.

Josh, nice looking anvils, but impossible to get a GOOD look at them because when I click on them the resulting pictures are too large (in megabites)! I use "photobucket.com" to resize pictures and from that site it's easy to post them in this forum.

I'm totally against perfectly good blacksmithing equipment put on display in someones yard! I hate to think that could become a trend, but I could see it happening. People like you who are using the vintage equipment are keeping the art of blacksmithing alive. In this age of Harbor Freight junk it's refreshing to see machinery that has survived for so long and is still functional.

DD, I agree. The legs remind me of a table I saw once on Antiques Roadshow. This table had four legs that swept out in the same manner as the stand. I believe it was a type of card table where the top could pivot down so it didn't take up as much room when not in use. Thanks for the input, Alan.

Tell me more, and are we by chance both residents of "the beehive state"?

Frank, I'd say your friend got the better of the deal. I'm more of a collector than a smither so can you tell me what the mandrels are used for? I see them on eBay and they always fetch a nice price. Thanks for your input, Alan.

Actually, the anvil I referred to was obtained through a trade and the fellow had it outside his garage on a brick wall. He didn't know anything about anvils (and I'm far from an expert) and he'll probably end up selling it.

While buying some beat up blacksmithing items from a fellow here in Salt Lake City, he related his experience with selling a large blacksmith "cone mandrel" on eBay. He said he got a good price for it, but all the blacksmiths bidding on it were ultimately outbid by an artist in New York City. The artist said it would be "displayed" as artwork in his gallery. Another fellow I know has a very high end "petroliana" collection worth several hundred-thousand dollars. He has a 150# Hay Budden, farrier's anvil on a brick pedestal on his grounds. He said he just likes the look of it. I was taking some pictures of a Champion #40 forge blower yesterday and was struck by the beauty of its pipe-legged stand. I'm not the artsy-fartsy type, but the pure simplicity and functionality of that stand really caught my eye. Of course, the blower is the perfect complement to the stand. Together they really are a work of art. xxxx, I wish I had the phone number of that artist in New York City.

Highlander, I tried to pm you but was told you could receive no new messages. That is a generous offer, but I would feel better paying you something for your trouble. I'll see if I can get the gear out and try to pm you tomorrow. Thanks again for the offer. Alan

Thanks, Alan

Jack, I think you are spot on about "applying force backwards"! The info about RPMs in a gear system is very helpful and enlightening, thanks for the input, Alan.

Thanks for the input. I have a Champion 400 blower that needs some adjusting, your info will help. Alan

Bob, thanks for the input. I like your optimism and advice about working around cast iron. For me, taking that gear out will be a last resort. I'm thinking of using a metal "backer" on the concave side of the bend and clinching it with a large C-clamp. That should allow me to use gradual force and not end up bending it too far. A magnet is not attracted to the gear. I appreciate the advice, Alan.

Clinton, the blower turned smoothly and worked fine. I took the blower cover off to clean the blade housing which was covered with a thick layer of old grease. I wanted to remove the blade assembly to make it easier to do this. I'm not an obsessive type that needs to tear something apart just for the sake of doing it. Had I used an impact wrench to remove that nut, nothing would have been damaged. I plead quilty to being mechanically challenged. Thanks for your input and info about cleaning blower gears, etc. Alan

Thomas, your "senior moment member" made me chuckle! Also, it's nice to meet a master curmudgeon; I qualify as a journeyman in that department. I'm familiar with adobe, and have access to some adobe bricks, but what exactly is a bloomery? Alan

Keith, thanks for the input and you are right, I will definitely try to straighten it! I'm thinking of using a strong piece of metal as a "backer" on the concave side of the bend and clinching it with a large C-clamp. That way the pressure exerted can be gradual and somewhat controlled. I should be able to do that without removing the gear. I wish I had a pair of sheet metal crimpers, the small, hand-held variety. They might prove very handy for what I'm trying to do.

If, by chance, anyone out there has this size gear, I'd we willing to buy it. Is there anyplace on the internet that has miscellaneous parts for forge blowers? I have several other Champion blowers but they aren't the same size as this one.

Worst case scenario, I'm definitely in the market for another circular gear! I can always go down to Blacksmithzone and see about getting one ( wouldn't that be nice ).