Mike BR

If you can afford it -- a big if -- look at a Lincoln Invertec V-155 or a Miller Maxstar 150. Either of those will plug into a 120V outlet and give you enough amps and duty cycle for light to medium work. If and when you get access to 240, the same welder will plug into that and give you enough power for about anything you're likely to do. Unless you decide to build a battleship. Both machines are also DC TIG capable.

If you search on "poor boy propane gas forge" on ebay, you'll find $200 forges. I "know" the maker from his posts on another forum and have heard good things about his products. He doesn't claim they're equal in quality to a commercial forge, but you're not likely to find cheaper unless you build you own (and maybe not even then).

One of my favorite things about blacksmiths is that they aren't tool snobs. This thread is a perfect example of folks giving honest opinions about both cheap and expensive tools based on their personal experience. Not like auto mechanics, who may not talk to you if you buy Mac tools instead of Snap-On.

I have a Victor torch set up to burn propane. For the heck of it, I bought an adapter from ebay so I can connect the torch to a little disposable bottle of Mapp gas. I was able to weld with the Mapp flame. (That's saying a lot, because I was barely able to weld with an O/A flame the one time I've tried). Don't know if you could burn Mapp with the Allstates torch (or any really good reason to try), but it might be possible.

I saw a jig demonstrated once (unfortunately, I can't remember by whom) that had hinged sections alternating on each side. You'd start by bending the piece to (we'll say) the right around a fixed section, with all the other sections folded out of the way. Then you'd flip the first section down on the left, and bend around that, then the next section on the right, and so on. That way you could make all the bends at one go, without the rest of the jig interfering. This might be the way to go if freehand isn't a good option (because, fo example, you need a large number of identical parts). But as metalliferous points out, you'd need a steel jig, and you'd likely want to work your piece hot.

You've got to be careful with those 4-1/2" grinders. One is plenty, but four isn't nearly enough . I recently bought a pair of Ryobis from Home Depot for $40 (last I checked they still had them). I haven't really put them to the test yet, but they seem to run smoother than the Chicago Electric (HF) ones.

Worst I've had to do is pull a wire from a wire wheel out of my leg. I can't be the only one that's happened to.

Mtforge -- Jay-Cee's definitely not as convenient as McMaster-Carr (I think they have a minimum order, too). But they're supposed to be hard to beat on price and selection. Let us know what you find.

Across the street, they recommend using a compression fitting to grip the outside of the MIG tip. I tried it, and it worked well for me.

I've ordered from McMaster too. Folks I know who use lots of them swear by Jay-Cee Rivets (rivetsinstock.com).

I've seen exercise bikes that had paddles/blades mounted in the rear spokes for air resistance. It looked like you'd be able to add a housing around the wheel and have a pretty powerful blower. Actually, it might be easier to get the clearances right if you used your own blades on a standard wheel.

When I've applied ITC 100, I just took a small amount and added water until I could spread it with a brush. I don't think there's any specific ratio; if it's thin enough that you can get it spread on the kaowool, it's thin enough. Looking back over the thread, I'm not positive you caught what Frosty said about the MIG tip being too deep in the throat on your old burner. The tip should end something like halfway down the reducing bell. From the pictures, it looks like you had yours almost in the burner tube itself. I'm pointing this out largely because you can have the same problem with the EZ burner if you use a MIG tip instead of a drilled orifice. I'm not sure how other folks have solved it. On mine, I threaded a (very) short nipple into the top of the reducer, and mounted the cross tube in notches cut in that.

Those "SAW" cans are bothering me. I saw them online too, but I always thought the SAW (M249) was 5.56mm. Why the big cans?

Justin, I hadn't noticed the missing pages. If you search on "smiths work" (no apostrophe) in Google Books, you'll find the American version of the book. This version seems to be identical to the British one I linked, except that the copyright date is 1904 instead of 1902. And it has pages 64 -69.

The book available here: Smith's Work: With Numerous (Smiths' Work by Paul Hasluck on Google Books) has plans for a portable forge with a circular bellows. The plans begin at page 131. I built one last Fall and might be able to answer questions if you decide to go that way.

Since no one's answered you're question about melting steel down and separating the good from the bad, I will: No. Although there are some elements that don't belong in steel at all (plutonium, for example), "bad" steel is generally "bad" because it has either too much or too little of certain components for a specific use. In theory, you can melt steel, add alloys, and remove other elements by burning them out with oxygen, causing them to combine with the slag, or adding other elements that combine with them and render them harmless. But just melting steel without burning it up entirely is pretty tough on a small scale. And the worst modern steel mill is 1000 times better than the best hobbist when it comes to controlling chemistry. If your goal is quality, find or buy steel with the right properties for whatever it is you're making. If you want really high quality, start by buying the best steel you can find, finish by sending the forged part to the best heat treater you can find, and do your best not to mess up the steel in between.

The last (and really first) coal forge I made used 3/4" pipe. But that was a portable side-blast forge with a circular bellows, and 3/4" is what the plans called for. So far as I know, there is no such thing as 1-3/4" pipe. 1-1/2" pipe has just over half the cross section of 2"; if you're departing from a proven design you find might find that you're not happy with the reduced flow. Much as I hate to pay shipping, I'd probably order 2" parts before using 1-1/2" and maybe having to do it twice.

I have seen "No Smelting" signs before. I have a sneaking feeling, though, that they had more to do with little fish than iron ore :)

Mill's post made me think -- if you had a bandsaw blade welder (or were good with silver solder) maybe you could cut the corners out with a portaband.

One possibility is to place the piece on the anvil with the shank end extending off the near side, then forge the arm portion down to maybe half-thickness on the anvil, leaving a crisp step where the sections join. Bend the section you've set down 90 degrees away from the step. You should end up with a round shank, a rectangular arm, and a nice sharp bend in between. Of course, without seeing the picture you're looking at, I can't tell if this might have been the technique used.

If all else fails, mcmaster.com or mscdirect.com should have what you need -- you'll just have to pay shipping. Come to think of it, if you're an ABANA member, you could also try out the member discount they negotiated with grainger.com.

Looks great. Don't worry about the wool being too thick -- there's no such thing as too much insulation. If anything, the interior volume may still be a little big for one burner (depending on the burner). Are you going to stack bricks at the back of the forge as well? You'll need to close it up somehow to get a decent heat.

I've been told that the first rule of dumpster diving is *never* take a bucket that has the lid on it.

I'd be tempted to punch two pieces of C channel and then weld them together. At least I would if I had an ironworker to punch them with :)

One of the *many* advantages I've found to joining my local guild is that many members are *much* better scroungers than I am, and frequently let good stuff go free or cheap to a good home.