arkie

I am currently using a brake drum forge. For my tuyere I have had several arrangements; rods tack welded across the opening, cast iron drain plates, 1/4" steel discs with holes, etc. but none have been satisfactory. The cast iron drain plates worked pretty good, but most times when I dug out the clinkers, they would stick to the plate and the whole thing would come out!! Kill fire, clean out drum, clean out plate, replace, rebuild fire....arghhh. I was considering cutting out a disc of steel plate, 1/2" thick to cover the entire drum bottom, with holes for air flow. Has anyone used a thick plate like that on their drum forges, and did it last very long? I know some of you have made firepots of 1/2" steel and they seem to be holding up for you.

Hannes, I am assuming from your description in your original post of it being "cast", that the firepot is cast iron. If so, hop over to www.weldingweb.com and sign up for that forum. They have some very experienced welders over there that may help you weld it up. First, explain your situation clearly, including any work you have previously done, and your objective (patching the crack). Several members on the forum have experience welding cast iron exhaust manifolds on cars/trucks, which do indeed get red hot sometimes, probably similar to some firepot areas. It would include grinding out the rusty areas, drilling holes in the ends of the cracks to prevent them spreading further, pre- and post- heating of the part and using certain stick welding rods. Be sure to post pictures like you did here...they LOVE pictures and they best show what your problem is and helps determine the best solution. You might even be able to find welders where you live who repair cracked cast iron parts which are exposed to high temperatures.

If one has no other method of removing metal coatings (such as chrome, zinc, etc.) on steel items except burning them off in a forge, you can set up a box fan blowing across your forge and away from the area in which you are working. The concern there is, of course, air pollution with heavy metals :(. Since working with strong acids is problematic, I have removed the coating on chrome plated wrenches with success in my outside forge with the fan blowing over it. Also, I don't linger around the forge except to do a quick check on the heating process.

Tip for nails... When using nails on oak, it is best to have a dull point, like square, instead of a sharp point.. Oak doesn't part well and the blunt edge shears the wood fibers making nail entry easier. Softer woods take a sharp pointed nail just fine. Some old timer carpenters, when nailing up oak boards, would take a bunch of nails and hit the sharp points with their hammers, dulling the tip. I've tried it and it works.

Good idea! Spectators think we work magic anyway.... :rolleyes: Frosty, I had posed a question back in July regarding the presence or absence of beeswax in toilet bowl rings after seeing an old post of yours back in 2010. I recently contacted a major manufacturer of toilet bowl rings and inquired about the composition of their rings. Bear in mind this is just one mfg., but probably many others are similar. Looks like no beeswax in their bowl rings. This is the reply I received: "I’m sorry but our wax seals are a synthetic product and the majority of the materials used in the manufacturing process is petroleum based."

Rub some flour or chalk on the far side with horn on your left. Dust it off and you might make out some lettering.

I don't have a scrap pile....I have a "resource pile"... :) :D

I don't think Ser Menalak got off to a very good start on this forum...'jus sayin' Kinda like the fella who walked into a lion's cage wearing a pork chop suit!!!

Frosty, dug up this old thread.... I recently bought a wax toilet ring (after being told they were beeswax by some smiths) since they are cheaper than actual beeswax blocks. Is there a way to check to see if the wax toilet ring is beeswax or the parafin + silicone? Once, I left my block of beeswax out on the workbench and I quickly had several bees in the shop...maybe that's a valid test. :)

Jim, my anvil stand/block is exactly like your 4x4 one in the shop pictures. Great minds run in the same rut.... :) Thing I like about the block stand is that anytime I need to move the anvil, just slip a two-wheel dolly under it and away I go! Doesn't roll like a stump.

A 1907 HB would have 6 digits in the S/N. I have one.

Two 45's total 90 deg. Gotta be less restriction or turbulence than two 90's. Someone else on the forum must have had the same problem and probably will chime in with some suggestions or actual experience. I know that some wood stove mfg. don't recommend 90 deg. bends if avoidable to insure proper draw where vertical stacks can't be used and sometimes recommend 45's.

Link doesn't work...404 error If you type "Claydon Knot" in the search box, it comes up in diff. place.

Can you angle the pipe at a gentler angle, say 45 deg. to make the flow better than if it exhausts at 90 deg.?

Rogue, Being in NM, go to one of the local museums and look over the arrowheads and spear points on display. That way you can get a look at the texture, colors (many), fracture and spalling patterns/appearance. Those are mostly flint and chert and the other varieties that Vaughn mentioned. His suggestion was very good. Most flint/chert rocks will break with a curved and sharp-edged surface (conchoidal fracture). Colors can range from white to black. Also search for flintknappers in your area. They will know where the flints and cherts are most common.

smith, The August 9 meeting in Mountain View (Ozark Folk Center) will be that month's location for the normal monthly meeting for NW. Anyone is welcome! The group is always open to volunteers to host meetings at their forge when possible. Check out the webpage, http://blacksmithsofarkansas.org, and look at "Upcoming Events". BOA also has a facebook page, search "Blacksmith Organization of Arkansas".

If you use epoxy, read the label closely. Some cure clear, while others cure to a light yellow or something along those lines. Try to stick with the clear for a neater appearance, of course.

No hijack on your part. Just jaw-boning about blacksmith meetings, broken legs and forges. :) I bet your rock forge is nice. Of course, pictures are always welcome if not mandatory!!! BTW, are you in the NW or NE or Central Chapter?

smith, glad to hear you are a BOA member...sorry you couldn't make the BOA meeting and the Rusty Wheels show. Good turnout at the show and same for the meeting. Had quite a few show up. Hope that leg heals quickly. :)

John, you are right on. Blacksmith Organization of Arkansas (BOA) will have a demo tent, forge, anvil, sale items etc. set up at Rusty Wheels this coming weekend, June 13-14. We usually set up on the south end near the old blacksmith shop. Plan is to set up noon Friday and be there all day Saturday. Drop by for a visit.

Spanky, My anvil is outside and the stand (made of 4x4's criss-crossed) is similar to yours. To cover your anvil, get a large plastic trash can or one of those very large flexible plastic storage containers and just lay it over the anvil. Works great. Just measure the largest horizontal distance over your anvil and head for the store. Try to use the heavy, flexible plastic since the hard stuff will crack more easily.

You can flame straighten it, but you need to read up on it a bit. It is/was common on straightening steel plate in ship construction, where the plates were fairly thick. Also, done in bridge construction. Most used a rosebud with O/A. I had several links on the subject bookmarked, but can't find them all. I ran across one, here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/steel/02.cfm Same basic principle with plate. You can google "heat straightening" and there is a lot of info out there. Also, post messages on welding sites like weldingweb.com. The link above did have some info on the patterns to heat and the size and type of rosebuds to use. Basically, the area and side you heat will shrink when the metal cools.

Jeff, you scored a jewel there. Excellent shape, crisp edges and most H-B's it's difficult to make out the serial number sometimes. It's a beaut. :)

Looks like new! Great find! Now put that baby to work :)

Mark, X2 on what John said... Check the retaining nut's position. Some even stamp the proper orientation on the nut. Also, a quality mfg. cutoff will be less prone to fail than the cheap ones. You said you know how to use the grinder, not putting you down on that item, but sometimes we (myself included more often than not) get impatient and push the cutoff disk a bit too hard. That will chew up and destroy a wheel pretty quickly.