Dave M

I looks like the impurities in the coal that you are burning are being converted to a gas form that is then condensing when it comes in contact with your cold chimmeny. I use to have this problem when I use to burn hard coal, now I only burn soft coal. 1 trick that I learned is to start a very hot wood or paper fire first, this will preheat your cimmeny and it will also help with the draft of the chimmey.

Both electric and air jackhammers are very coarse in thier adjustment. The piston that drives the point often starts and finishes out of sync, also the point has to start with it being pressed down on the work otherwise the hammer misfires. On a much smaller scale an automotive air hammer is the same principle and I did build a air planishing hammer out of one but it is for working sheet metal cold. Ok before I finished this post I ran down to the shop to see if it would work with hot steel. An automotive airhammer discharges blowby air out of the base of the pistol grip so it did not cool down the work but the slack in the hammer gave very poor control. just my 2cents

I have used the ends that I have cut off of old compressor air tanks that I have found inthe dump.

Has any body used or is using the new body fluid dissolvable ceramic liner, (people friendly) and how did or does it preform? Also what is every one using for coating or as a ridgedizer for your ceramic liners? I am building 1 new propane forge and relining 1 of my old ones and I would like to stay on top of what might be being used now. I used the ITC 100 I think in the past but things change. Any and all help and or oppinoins would be greatly appreciated.

I have a bunch of different gasser forge bodies. The first 1 I bought at the auto parts store or wally world it is 1 of those red spare air tanks 10 gal. $19.95 worked great and is still in use after 4 years. The rest I got at the dump, a bunch of different sized portable air compressor tanks and for small forges I picked empty party store disposable heluim tanks. On some of the bigger compressor tanks I have cut the dished ends off and used each end to make 2 coal forges and then used the main body of the tank for propane forge or to make fire pits for camping. Heck I pick up as much as I can from the dump, my ride on mower & walk behind mower & 2 snow blowers & table saw & tiller + chain saws and weed wackers. I have only had to buy new plugs then clean out and put fresh gas in all of these, oh who ever owned the table saw put the blade on backwards.:o

I thought I would post photos of me building my new shop in my photo gallery. I also explain the process I used to get there. I am not done yet but I am getting there, in another 30 years I should have it just the way I want it. sorry can't figure how to link my photo gallery to here.

Harbor freight has a 1 hp. 914 cfm. dust collector for $ 84.00 and it made agreat blower. I added a flow gate I made, very easy because outlet is round and an electric speed control. I have used also squirrel cage type blowers I have salvaged from vent hoods and circulator fans.

Thanks to all responses, they gave me both the pros & cons of having a swedge block and that was what I was looking for. If the price the price is right I think I might buy it. The person who owns it was using it as a counter weight for a hoist and I just happened to see it in a picture. It looks like I will have until spring to make up my mind because it is lost some place in his yard under 2 feet of snow. I could use a metal detector but then he would know I really want it and I am sure the price would go up:o

I am thinking about getting a swedge block but I am not sure if it is a must have ( ok I know nothing is a must have). So I thought I would ask smiths who have them, how often do you use them and are they worth the cost. For smiths that don't have 1 if you found 1 would you buy it. It is not cheap but the price maybe right. But money spent on it is money that could be spent elsewhere in the shop. I am on the fence:confused: thankful for all input

I do a ton of demolition cutting and heavy equipment repair. The torches and gauges I use are both Victor or Harris. There are many different size torches for different jobs, then there are many tips and heads ( rose buds, cutting, brazing and specailty tips ). So you need to think how much cutting, how thick is the stock being worked on because that will let you know what size torches gauges and tanks you will need. If you plan on using them alot then don,t cheap out, make sure to get 2 stage gauges. I lease my tanks for $125.00 for 3 years this allows me to switch out to what ever size tanks I need + plus if I switch to a job in witch I need to cut with propane or polypropane ( both of which I hate to use because they dont have the same heat as acetylene+ you need a special cutting tip). The other reason I lease my tanks is because in most parts of the country where I have worked most gas/air suppliers just swap tanks, so my nice shiney new argon and nitrogen tanks that I spent big bucks buying got swaped with tanks that have been used in a factory or rolled around in the back of some sevice truck or because of where I live they are from the shipyard.:mad:

I have seen 2 forges out of wood but both had stone dust and fire bricks on top of the wood and 1 with fire clay or such morter joints. The wood was not plywood but ruf-cut 2" by 6". The 1 with just stone dust & firebricks allowed bricks to be removed and then the stone dust put in buckets now forge is light and easy to move. hope this helpd some.

That looks like big a clinker of impurities. trains, ship, foundries and large boilers use to burn large coal of any grade. My grandfather was a steamship captain so he would always point out stuff to me that had to do with steam power plants. I have also found those on train tracks and when I have done excavation around old houses that had old coal boilers and all around in the ground at the site of an old factory blacksmith shop that I was running underground utilities to. It should almost break glass like when hit with a hammer. Thermite track welding slage tends to not break with a hammer.

Wow:). Thanks for all of the help. Do to our fire codes I will have to have 2 chimneys, 1 for wood stove & 1 for coal forge :mad: oh well. For the propane forge, welder and plasma cutter I will use a direct vent fan inducted hood. Hofi's system looks so straight forward that I will use that design. Don't know if I can come up with the extra money for the stainless but I am going to price it out because it would be a one time purchase. As always you are all just a vast wealth of knowledge, and save me time and again from reinventing the wheel so to speak. THANKS

Boy, this got me thinking. Some I beam to make a swinging jib crane in the shop and to build a trolly type crane the would stick out above my shop doors for unloading and loading heavy stuff into and out of the shop. Then the jib crane would need an electric winch & trolly and the trolly crane would also need a trolly + a good chain fall. If I buy the I beam from scrapyard and the parts from HF. I would have just enough money to get an H&V metal cutting band saw.:D