mojavedesertrat

Ah, Thanks for the info, i'll go check it out.

I'm currently thinking about building one of those 2 firebrick forges, where you chisel a half circle into the firebrick, etc., etc...Then i got to thinking, I like to work with RR spikes, I was wondering with the Bernzomatic BZ8250HT trigger-start torch, will one of those type forges be able to heat a RR spike without taking a month and 3 20lb propane tanks?

It looks nice, and I think the dremel finish gives it a bit more character than all these mirror finished knives on here.

Hah, if I find a place like that, i'll be sure to forge them a couple knives and make leather sheaths for the knives

Ah, I got 'cha, I should go look around for metal supply places around here, i've only ever used the one near my house and they've been increasing the prices quite a bit

Yeah, I know, It survived about 6 hours of hardwood charcoal at full blower so far with no damage, but i'm thinking about just making a washtub forge, i'm really starting the like the trough design though. As for the poker, I turned it and bent it 90* down so it acts like a rake, but I need to forge the handle into a thick bar instead because the triangle shape is very awkward.

Ah yeah, but this spring steel I have is a bit strange, its a bit more on the low carbon side instead of being more on the high carbon side, though some time when i go down to pickup some metal i'll be sure to get some mild steel for it. And out here its more like $6 for 4 feet of square mild.

Ah, yes, I had to use an internet archive to view the page since it was missing for some reason. It is very nice to be able to use the dirt for building forges.

Ah, I got ya know. I had my terminology all mixed up. but i'm probably going to end up forging a grate out of pieces of 1/4 inch spring steel, since that's the only heavy duty stuff I have around.

Well, here are my two forges, the pit was the first, the trough is new and needs to be fired up for the first time. It's made out of cinder blocks, scrounged pieces of concrete, and mud. The interesting thing is, the soil on my property acts exactly like refractory cement for some reason. Here is a close-up of the trough forge. And a closeup of the intake for the pit forge And here is my smithy as it stands waiting for me to get charcoal, the trailer holds my anvil and my tools, and it also hauls my motorcycles, go and try that with your wood stumps and tell me just how well it works out

Expanded metal? The chicken wire stuff they sell at like lowes?...if so I have a ton of that stuff laying around

Ah thanks for the info

Well, I finally got some forge time, since I have yet to find all the components for my brake rotor forge so I had to dig a hole in the ground and run an air supply into it. Yes that is my foot in the bottom of the frame, and no I did not forge the handle...it came that way. This is kinda my take on a coal poker, though I don't particularly have a use for it yet, since i'm not burning coal. And here is a proper shot of the end with a tape measure reading correctly. Any comments are welcome, nice...or otherwise

True, very true, i'm most likely going to go the route of the cast iron drain grate instead. Thanks for the enlightenment, i'll see what I can put together

Yes I will be making a a grate out of some steel flat bar I having laying around, though I might just cut it into a few strips and lay it in the bottom of the forge