Dale M.

I think you may be letting the fact you have minimal tools to work with get in the way of your creativity.... IN some countries they do no even have what you have and they can machine out really creative things like guns and engines and pumps.... Dale

I think major problem is alloy of materials you are working with..... To much heat and not cleaning (brushing) surfaces often enough... Think the AK barrel should be consigned to wall art or yard art and you should use a more malleable material for your spoon.... Dale

Awesome... Dale

OOPS!... Misspelled it meant to use word.tuyere tu·yère[twee-yair, too-, tweer; French ty-yer] Show IPA noun, plural tu·yères [twee-yairz, too-, tweerz; French ty-yer] Show IPA . Metallurgy . an opening through which the blast of air enters a blast furnace, cupola, forge, or the like, to facilitate combustion. Also, tu·yer [twee-yair, too-, tweer] Show IPA . Origin: 1665–75; < French, derivative of tuyau pipe < Germanic Sorry for any confusion.... Dale

I sort of think like this.... Hand held hammer 100 strokes.... Power hammer 10 strokes.... For big projects hand held might really cause pain and fatigue in arm and be very time consuming just to move the metal to preliminary shape... No I done have power hammer, but can see the utility of it.... Dale

Also I need to know if the phrase "tue iron" is synonymous (?) with "tuyree".... Forgive me, I'm still learning.... Dale

If using a metal stand go big... I mean use heavy wall tubing (1/4 inch) or more.... I used about 1/8 wall tubing on steel stand I made and there was a resilience or bounce to the light tubing that made the stand actually walk or vibrate across the floor.... Have since gone to a wood stand (for trial) made up of crossed 2x4 laid in "cribbing" manner with screws and glue and it does not walk ( sort of a artificial stump) ..... Not sure about any bounce or resilience to hammer blows on anvil.... At least I'm not chasing anvil across cement floor.... Dale

I pretty much agree the legs are to close to center and its going to be unstable when you try to work at it.... Move legs further out would make it safer... Lots of cantilever weight with top so much wider that "stance".... Dale

Brake Drum Forge Yeah or Nay. While going through the internet trying to understand fire and heat to get my work hot enough to work successfully I came across this site…. http://www.beautifuliron.com/usingthe.htm As I read along I was really impressed with what the gentleman has to say about fire and heat and found most of the knowledge and wisdom enlightening…. As I work my way along his site, I find this tidbit of information….. http://www.beautifuliron.com/forge.htm With the sub link to…. http://www.beautifuliron.com/forge_brakedrum.htm As I read along, I was somewhat taken aback by the negativity this gentleman has to say about “brake drum” forges…… As I read along I realized my brake drum forge was everything that by his theory and design was not supposed to be….. He makes statements like “one has to spend large amount of money to buy tools to create a “brake drum forge”” and “there is no hearth on most brake drum forges” and “one should spend at least $300 to get a proper cast iron fire pot” and “pipe fittings are not proper tuyere for forge” and a “hair dryer is very bad for a air source”… Well my brake drum forge is on a stand, has a 18 x 24inch hearth (shelf) around it with side approximate 2.5 inches tall to contain small pieces coal and coke to build or break down fire, and other misc stuff that seems to find its way to forge hearth and a rim I can hang tools on….. As for the blower, It’s a 12 volt dc blower I got for free and powered by a modified Malibu outdoor mood lighting power supply... And has blast gate to regulate air flow... So to recap his $ 300 investment in machine tools and parts to make brake drum forge vs $300 for cast iron fire pot with clinker breaker vs brake drum forges… Old BBQ wheeled stand for base –Free ¾ ton truck rear brake drum – Free Blower for air supply - Free Power supply for blower $2 (yard sale item) 2 inch pipe parts to create tuyree – About $45 Steel plate for hearth - $15 Steel for rail around hearth -$10 Misc nut and bolts and odds and ends maybe $10 Most tools and welder purchased over last 50 years and depreciated…. He also goes on to rant that most people who advocate making and using a brake drum forge do not in real life even use one but use propane gas fired forges instead and they will just not admit to this according to him… No where on the “net” can I find any real truth to this statement… Maybe its just a few people in his back yard … Funny thing here I was really intent on starting out making a propane forge and was somewhat slowed down when it came to the burner design and finding object for casing of gas forge and logistic of getting refractory materials .... What I have come to realize is he is such a traditionalist he can not see anything innovative and new that will deviate from a main stream traditional forge…. And he there for has nothing good to say about brake drum forges…. What he sights as gospel truth is just people who do not understand hearth/forge design and are willing to sacrifice that for the very simplistic and cost effective (to them) way to heat metal…. In my mind he gives a brake drum forge a bum rap, but it’s due to his interpretation of others willing to cut corners and be satisfied with mediocre product, not what a brake drum forge can be… What say you…. Dale Linkage to my Brake Drum forge build: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/31104-first-time-forge-build/

ACK....... What a way to start monday morning..... Dale

Look at the brake drum forge concept.... Use hair dryer as blower..... "Generic" brake drums are cheap at salvage yards and hair dryers are a dime apiece at yard sales or resale shops..... See concepts here, or on Youtube, search "brake drum forge"... Dale

I'm liking it so far..... Updates us with more details as work progresses.... Dale

If its a good steel "radio flyer", I would restore it not demolish it..... Dale

OOPS!... Dale

Yes it will give you hotter fire, yes it will heat your metal faster, yes it oxidize (burn) your metal faster, will it make setting up forge and fire more complex, probably.... Is it practical, probably not, is it worth the hassles, probably not.... IF you need more heat try coal instead of charcoal or build a bigger fire.... Sort of like in the Jaws movie when the actor said "think we're going to need a bigger boat".... Dale

Well happy to say, Clausing is the manufacturer, and they were nice enough to send me a manual (PDF file) and I have new friction band on saw, new blade, got "O" rings for hydraulic dampener rebuild... Oiled up all the bearing and shafts, cleaned wasps out of motor (now it runs proper - not like motor full of dirt) and did some tinkering and adjusting and new electrical cord and switch..... Have about a total of $100 into the beast and am very happy with it.... Still ahead of the game over purchasing some cheap Chinese junk.... And yes it has a "open drive" arrangement (exposed "V" belt) but does not seem to be issue... Dale

Not the very best of quality (Chinese) but workable if use properly.... Dale

One thing I did not seem mentioned, is emphasis on procedure.... After locating hole with center punch, first drill a pilot hole of about 1/8 inch or less... Then step up to larger size drills (maybe 2-3 sizes) till you reach desired size.... The point of any drill in not really a point but a sort of chisel shape and if its to broad it will not penetrate and actual cutting edges of bits will not be able to remove metal.... Result will be a "cooked" drill bit.... A drill bit with proper pressure applies should produce spiral shavings... A drill bit with not enough pressure will just over heat drill bit point.... And small drill bits need high speeds to drill properly, and larger drill bits need slower speeds to cut properly.... So as hole sizes increases reduce drill motors speed.... A dull drill bit is not your friend.... Once you have takes cutting edges off bit or damaged point (over heating) its next to useless..... A drill sharpening tool can be your best friend... Dale

Old gas BBQ stands with a piece of plate across top to support fire pot makes great forge/stand... Dale

Piece of 1/8 (11 gauge) would be sufficient for tray.... No need to be thick... Fire pot is only place where mass counts,,,, I use a piece of 1/8 for forge top with brake drum set into it and it seems plenty strong ... Dale

Not to the uninitiated..... Dale

All the above.... Great faux anvil for hand or power hammer.... Dale

Something like this will give it that finished look.... Or use a bit of imagination.... Dale

Kind of have to agree.... Needs more attention to end.... Sort of looks only half done... Other wise the taper and twist and bend look good..... Dale

A tray is a place for extra coal, to lay tongs, to place for "extra things", to keep fire from falling out/off.... I would think a tray would be a asset.... But then I do have a tray and use it for whatever I may need it for, can not imagine not having one.... Dale