dswi

Picked up 80# of coal today...and can't wait to burn it.... Also talked to a guy (friend of a friend of a friend of a google search by me)...He is going to let me use an anvil and some tools that he is currently not using...How cool is that?? I also am entertaining ideas of a cooling fan (about 1' x 1') instead of a hair dryer....either, I will have to hide and "silence". I put a dimmer switch so I can control the amount of air that comes out.

The holes are about 1/4" each...or so and they go all the way around the pipe inside in no particular pattern. btw, I worked some 1/4" flat bar the other night...heated it to cherry red, bent it, and twisted it....With wood...how cool is that.

Thanks for the clay idea. I am in the process of getting (borrowing) an anvil. You actually won't see the forge as it sits there. There will be stacked sttone or something of that nature covering the air inlet pipe and the base....it will appear that the fire is built in the stone or brick. I also will have a foot petal for the hair dryer and it will be about 10 feet away (foot petal operated as people "pump" the bellows). I am considering bellow options. Yes, you are correct, it will be an optical illusion that the bellows is making the fire bigger when actually the hair dryer will be...but I am not sure I can build a bellows that actually works. I have access to enough rubber (3/16 or so) to get a pretty large bellows, but I am not sure how to make it work.

OK...Here is a link to the facebook pictures of the forge...fabrication and working. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2087145300192.2106234.1291968670&l=775e6ab47e&type=1 Let me know if ya'll can't see them. Thanks Darrin

Well, I thought the air receiver tank was larger than it was...but, it still worked great...any suggestions, recommendations, or comments... I can't figure out how to put the pics in this post though...Any help from anyone???

Thank you all for all of the info...I have one more dumb question...bear in mind that I have never done this before... I can get coal locally for $9 for a 40 pound bag...How many bags will I need...or how much will I use? I know that this is kinda like the question "How long is a piece of string?" It probably depends on how hot I make the fire and several other factors. I will make sure to take pictures along as I go so ya'll can let me know what you think. Would I ever get hot enough with wood to redden metal?

You are indeed correct...I have absolutely no smithing experience. I have access to the air receiver tank..it was one that somebody traded in on a new one. It would only go to the metal yard anyway. I have learned a lot already by looking through posts on here. I also would like the forge to look as authentic as I can. I will probably have the fire/forge about 2 feet off of the ground with rocks/stacked stone built up to look like it is burning in the stones. You probably won't even see the reciever tank when I am done....But I have a lot more reading/research to do. Will I need to have the fire/coal enclosed acting as an oven of sorts or can it just be open to the air at the top? Any advice would be appreciated.

Yes to both...I am planning to make some nails and stuff...possibly play around with some swords/knives (for the roman gaurds)...I would love to actually be bending/making red hot metal though...

Hello all I have been put in charge of building a blacksmith shop for our "Journey To Bethlehem" at church...We turn the whole front parking lot into a first century Bethlehem market (that has/or will have a blacksmith shop). pretty low budget! I have never done anything with blacksmithing but am a mechanic (air compressor) for a living and am very mechanically inclined. I was thinking of taking a 250 gallon air receiver tank and cutting about 1-2 feet from the end (about 24" in diameter or so). using that for my fire. It already has a bung in the end so I can screw a pipe in it to support it and have a tee right next to the ground for my blower (hair dryer) to feed air. I have found some coal to burn...and about...well, until December to test it!! I realize that I will only be using it for 4-5 hours per night for 2 nights (so not long term)...What are some thing that I have to think about?? If anyone knows anyone in Greenville, SC...I would love some help/advice. Thanks Darrin