Trip

From everything I've read so far it sounds like you have a load of poor coal Trip. Sure it may be bituminus or maybe sub-bituminus which is pretty poor. Regardless it may be from a coal shale seam, good for boiler or power plant use and nothing but clinker stock in a forge. I have a big old batch of shale coal I dug at a local mine a few years ago and from a seam of otherwise superb metallurgical coal. Stuff fooled me like a chump but I got over it, it still looks prime.
You've built one good forge so I doubt strongly you've made a significant mistake on this one. Sure there are details where improvement can be made but I'd be surprised as Santa and Mommy that Christmas eve if you'd done something fundamentally wrong.
So, before you start rebuilding your forge try picking up some bona fide blacksmithing coal and see how it works. I'm betting you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Frosty The Lucky.

Looks like you are burning anthracite and it looks like you have a lot of ash mixed in with it. You will be better off when you get some bituminous coal.
You know there is sometimes too much air blast. If you are blasting more air then can be consumed by the fire what is left over will actually cool you steel.

any one got any idea how much gas a 2 burner will use in a 10 hour day???? trying to figure if it is cheaper than making the 125+ mile trip for coal.

thanks
Trip

can you burn your steel in it? if you can burn your steel you are past welding heat. if it clinkers up fast, and with the size of clinker you are talking about you are burning up a lot of iron, have dirty coal (lot of ash and moisture) or are not getting a good coking before you weld. are you coking up your coal into a coke cave? it works better with some coals and forges.

Hi trip,
To quote you, "what's funny is that I could weld pretty good in my old brake drum forge, "
Was that the same fuel you are using now?
if so the fuel is fine, so it must be something wrong in your setup.

The pic seems to show a square hole, 2" x11/2" seems to me to be small. if you neck down your air supply if will increase the pressure a bit and that may lower the volume you use. I still wonder about your coal and stick with my suggestion that you visit another smith.
We know wot you are doing is not working. That is not likely to change unless you find the problem and know wot you need to change. Even if you remake the fire box, redo the plumbing and or change coal It is still a guess as to wot the forge will do at each step.
Step by step go over wot you have created and compare with forge designs on this site that work. Proven designs are the ones to copy. You mentioned buying a cast firebox. Wot are its dimensions? all of them? Wot its made from has to do with longevity. Steel plate or cast should work if they are made right.

Pics

I have used 3 differnt types of air suppliers. An electric blower, a10" "Tiger" hand blower, and a 16" Champion 400 blower. The "air hole" in the bottom of the fire pot is a 2"X1.5" hole. I have tried setting the metal across the fire pot, down in the fire, and above it, and 7 other way's from sunday, it just won't get hot!!!
I am trying to weld mild steel. I am wanting to get my forge welding skills up so that I can take a class next spring on hand forging wood working tools (axes, chisels, draw knives, adzes, spoke shaves, ect) what's funny is that I could weld pretty good in my old brake drum forge, but with this thing, it just won't get hot enough....
I have read a lot of the threads about fire pots, and have tried some of the idea's presented in them, but no luck..... If I had the $$$ I would just get a cast fire pot and be done with it, but at this time, that's not an option. :(

I will got out to the shop and get a pic of the fire pot so yall can see what i'm talkin about.

thanks
Trip

Hey yall,

well I have tinkered with this fire pot so much that it's got me pullin out my hair, and about to start building a gas forge!!!! LOL

My fire pot just will not get to forge welding heat, no matter how much air it gets. At first I thought it was to deep (5 inches) so I rebuilt it to where it was 3.75 inches deep. It is 10"X12", and has a 3" air pipe to it, and a clinker breaker.

So unless I a missing some thing on the fire pot build, I am starting to think that its my coal, but I don't think thats the issue.

Any idea's on what's going on here????

Thanks,
Trip

Are you sure you need to bolt your anvil to the floor? Neither of mine, one on wood one on steel stands dance around on me. I do however move them as necessary and can'timagine sticking either down for hand work.
Have you used your anvil and stand? You might want to see if it's necessary before making your anvil a part of the building.
Frosty The Lucky.

Hey yall,

I just built a new steel anvil stand, but I need to bolt it down to my shop floor, which is concrete that was poored 25-30 years ago. So what is the best type of anch to use???

Thanks,
Trip

I am wanting to start making tools like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPgESIYOVGI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

So I would like to have a belt grinder and a polishing wheel. Where do I find the pulley's for a belt grinder???

OH well, at least it was only $20 and not $120!!! LOL

could it be used as a motor for a belt grinder???

Hey yall,


As most of yall know, I am trying to build a #50 tire hammer. Well today, I bought a motor for it, it is a 1/2 HP 1725 RPM, BUT the plans call for a 1 HP 1725 RPM. So did I just waist my $$$

I sure hope I didn't since I just bought a log house kit, and have to make every $$$ count.

Thanks,
Trip

You would be able to use the same pump with an electric moter. The alighnment may change due to the difference in mounting placement and height.
If you have a 5 hp gas moter you can go to a 3 hp electric.

hmmmmm ok

Just got back from the big city, (population 1,200) and at the hardware store they had a all purpose out door, propane torch for sale. Would that work for a burner?

Well I think it is bituminous, but I HATE it!!!!!! It won't form a clinker, but the it will become a white ash that won't burn, go though the grate, or "blow" out. So if I start using it at 7:00 Am, then at lunch (11:00) I got to put out my whole fire, and rake out all the ash, then after lunch restart my fire.

Thankfully though, I found some better coal, that was free!!!!!! :)

It's fuel is electricity, it heats just the part in the coil *FAST* as in seconds!. and if you have to ask then No building one yourself is not as good idea. However once you own the machine making different coils for it is pretty simple.

They are not cheap but as fumeless as you can get and still be forging.

It's fuel is electricity, it heats just the part in the coil *FAST* as in seconds!. and if you have to ask then No building one yourself is not as good idea. However once you own the machine making different coils for it is pretty simple.

They are not cheap but as fumeless as you can get and still be forging.

we

Clay spernce's book on the power hammer has a list of all the parts and where you can get them on offence but it sounds like you are trying to recreate the wheel.

A gas forge is just running a salamander type heater inside the smithy. Puts out much more heat into the general area.

If you really need to keep the smithy cool an induction forge will allow you to close all the doors and install air conditioning!

OK I got a problem..... i think.

I am trying to find the spring that goes in between the...... toggles??. you know that moving part on the head of a tire hammer. I can't find the spring needed.. where do yall get them, or do any of yall have any that you would like to sell??

Trip

Was any of the information in the many threads in this part of the forum of any value? Building a gasser has really been covered alot.
As for heat,,If you compare a one brick gasser to a large coal forge there is a huge difference. If you have a four or more burner gasser and a little coal forge the same thing. In any case if you have anything that produces heat enough to forge weld steel it will be hot. Tha takes a similiar number of btus no matter wot the fuel.

put out a pan of Coke-a-cola!!!! they can't burp, so they will just....uhhhhh...... explode from the inside out.

well I don't know ANY thing about gas forges. so what is a brick pile forge.

I want to make some thing professional since I do blacksmithing for a living.

I have an old "Hoffi" style forge hood that I had used in my last shop. Would that work for a gas forge body??? it is 14" square, has 1/4" thick walls, and has a "church window" opening at one end.