Charles R. Stevens

I wouldn't go any bigger that 3/4", as thats about what a bag of redymix has. You might consider a loosely rolled peice of old fence. kind of ferro cement. Cement wouldn't be my first choice either. But let us know how it works out for you. As far as hitting a hammer on a hammer, two observations. Even tho it's not recommended, note that the best anvils and hammers have hardened faces, and the new hammers you buy at the big box stores aren't very hard.

Aluminum melts at about 1200 deg. But it reflects 98-99% of the radiant heat and conducts heat much better than steel. I wouldn't touch the fire pot directly with it but it may very well work. Standard 8" pipe will be a bit small tho. The normal recomandation is 12".

You did good, if it was half that big I'd recommend carving 3 of the edges with different profiles for swages, but it's a tad hevy to be wrestling around.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Depression-Refractory-Mix-For-The-Backyard-Foundry.&id=85797 Try this link. The problem with cement (yes I know a lot of Peaple use it and recommend it) is that it's made by decomposing limestone and clay in hight temp furnaces, the resulting material is ground to a powder. When ond adds water it undergoes a chemical reaction making concrete. One one heats it up to high temp, it begins to decompose turning back to cement.

That's the nice thing about cast iron cook ware. You can rinse it free o food particles, and by heating it to cooking temp it is rendered more or less steril. As long as the base metal is food safe, the oxides formed in the forge should also. Have you tried picketing the peice in viniger? It will resolve some of the scale, and darken the peice.

Maple makes an exeptable handle, but I bet their is something local that is better. The Brits like ash, it's local, in the us we like hickory, but it's not the only exeptable wood. What you want is a wood that has a fiberous nature. That is when you split it it dost split clean but has a stringy look to it. Typically this type of wood is flexible and split resistant. Around here (Oklihoma USA) we have hickory, ash, pecan, mulberry, bodark (Osage orange).

There is a small amount of plating on almost all nuts and bolts that you buy at the hardware store, not shure what it is but is keeps them shiny for a little wile, and it dose burn of when you weld on them. But as I said, I don't think the small amount of whatever they plate it with is a great consern.

It's all steel. It's just old normanclature, they haven't made pipe out of iron in a long time.

In the context I don't think there is a problem, as long as it dosnt degenerat in to a "creationism Vs. evolution" debate. But it's so tempting ;-D

Well put Neil. Standard hardware verity nuts and bolts will be fine (grade 0, as grade 5&8 will lose theirs additional strength when heated anyway), the small amount of platting wouldn't cause you any difficulties. If you want to be double sure you can some them in vintager overnight. As to "black iron pile" the steel schedule 40 stuff at the plumbing supply is what every one is talking about, cast iron has very limited use in sewage lines. Stainless fasteners might alow you to disassemble the forge, but if it is so far gone it needs to be torn down to replace the drum, just cut the fasteners. The price difference will buy you a new set. As to chromium in stainless, I don't imagine burning it up in the forge would be to good, but there is enough nasty stuff in green coal to discourage you breathing the fumes anyway. By all means stay away from the galvy, hevy metal poisoning is a real concern.

I tend to be belts and suspenders. As a minimum I'd plan on double wall. Even if its a bit of 16" threw a 20" hole. You'll sleep better. Aluminum is ideal for the second skin, as it will reflect 98%+ of the radiant heat. Wood heaters in marine applications use aluminum at 2" from the heater and 1" from the cabin wall. Code might have other ideas. Another bennifit of double wall in colder climents is the stack won't cool as fast and efect draw.

LoL, yes sir, that will certainly show the young'ns how to do it. Now scrounge a hammer, a file and anvil ( lump of steel) and your off to the races. Forge a punch, forge a set of tongs ( all possible with out the first set of tongs) and your on your way.

One can also use the (15 gallon?) grease drums. Double wall is just an inch of cool wool between the layers ( use stainless for the inside or plan on periodic replacement). You still need a 2" stand off from the wood of your roof (none if its all steel roof) 12" pipe moves a lot of air, so the pipe is actually warm, not hot so unless something goes absolutely wrong there is a lot of fudge. Any sheet steel will work, even cutting the side out of a 55 gallon drum and resizing it ( your truck and drive way make short work of the ribs) it is certainly easyer if your going threw the ridge line to seal up such a big hole.

Our ram keeps knocking his off, he rubs and hits on things.

All to true. Glenn and TH. may I commend you look at an Aldays and Onions portable forge? An older moddle, the still make the same basic forge with a blower to this day. One of the smiths I know uses one of these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0058DI2VS/ref=redir_mdp_mobile) for the fire pot in his demo forge. Where he came up with it affordable I have no idea, but the oil and gas industry uses a lot of odd fittings.

Bingo. If your going with a drum that would be my suggestion. After trying to convince you to build a 55 side draft forge. No pipe flange, no holes to drill , five nifty holes to bolt legs to, after you forge a punch and drift to make the holes. Seeing that you don't have a drill. And as Glenn has suggested, an exhaust shop can build you a tweer out of 2" exhaust tubing (cheaper than black pipe fittings) ad an exhaust stack rain cap, with a counterweight riveted to it, and your off to the races. There are a lot of ways to build a forge. If I wanted to be a Internet scum I'd sell you a beginners kit. One hand trowel, one 4x4" chunk of A36, a cheep 2# hammer, a foot of 1" black pipe, a cheep hair drier (other ways but hey, I'm a good guy) a cheep punch and drift, and instructions how to make a set of tongs . You'd be set. Just 3 easy payments of....

I agree, for what you get, a break drum or rotor is a lot of work and expense. But even if you buy the popcorn bucket, you get to eat the popcorn (I believe it was Thommas that pointed this out) a cheep hair dryer (Linda threatens me with hidalgo harm if I took hers to the shop for this picture) a foot of 1" black pipe and 1 1/2 cubic foot or subsoil from a cut bank or behind the shed. Poke the pipe in 8" from the top for charcoal, or 6" for coal, cup up a coke can and duct tape it to the hair drier (I open them up and disconnect the heating element, but some folks like the hot blast) fill the bucket with dirt, packing it down every 4" or so. Dig out a bowl 8" arose and slopping down to an inch or two below the tweer, walla. I bet I can hit good will, Wallmart and home depo and beat $30, and if I ask around I bet I can do it for free, with a stand. And that's not using my junk pile. TH I like the way you think, your good people. Besides you make me put up or shut up.

Ok, I forgot about the lip, but it's only 3/8" on a mobile home drum And the 85 jeep has a deeper drum, but look at the work and materials to plug the hole.

I don't fallow you TW, how is cutting a 1/4" plate and drilling holes in it easier, less expensive than the trailer drum? Now I have has a torch and a 1/2" drill forever, but a Lott of the young smiths don't. More do they have cash to buy 2" black fittings for the "no weld" twere. Now, I'm not a fan of the drum/disk fire pot anyway, but it has started, and works well for a lot of smiths. It seems we have several collage and high school students starting up. Little or no tools, cash or experience. How can we help them? Lots of "how to" books points you to the break drum. So that's what they ask after.

Thanks Rich for pointing that out, I was referring to small punches, chisels and tongs, in use. You are right when heat treating you can quench in water. (Wouldn't be so bold as to argue the point with you any way, you have just a fees more hours at the forge than I do)

TH, you had the wrong type of drum ;-) most of the ones that have intrical hubs are flat on the inside, wile those with pressed hubs have a pilot. But like aiutomotive there are different types. With an electric breaking axle, the face of the drum is thick and machined. It's where the electromagnetic "puck" rides. I think they're better than automotive ones, but I think you'd be setter off with a popcorn tin, a peice of pipe and some dirt in the first place.

You guys are making me home sick. Bent iron in Cave Creek, you in Phonixe, Rich Hall over in Glendale...

Truck to haul all your nifty finds home in.

I use golf balls for my smaller files. But I buy rasp handles for my larger ones. The ones I get from the farrier supply have thredded steel inserts, and with a bid of oiling last indeffinantly. The ones from the welding supply just wedge on and I haven't had great luck reusing them. Making handles is no harder than hammer handles. A salvaged shovel or sledge handle makes a good handle, but I usually use choke cherry limbs. Widdle one end down to fit a coller ( ring of copper pipe or conduit work well) drill a hole in the end under sized, cut to length and widdle and sand the back to a nice big round nobb. Drop it in a jar of turpentine or paint thinner half and half with linseed oil. Let it some a day or three, take it out and left I'd dry. The same and drive it on.

There are plenty of posts concerning "improvised" anvils, knife makes anvils ant "y1k" anvils. But let me see what I can do to guid you to a usable piece of steel. A 20# slege hammer head will work, mount it with one face up, any peice of 2+ inch peice of solid stock, 4x4 being my preference set on end. Heavy gage rail works, again set it on end. Large forklift tines. There is a member with rock crusher parts I think you get the idea. Things I'd avoid, I beam, steel plate (unless its 2+ inch thick then set it on end) cast iron anything. If you do resort to stone I recommend a hard if jus stone (granite or basalt) and of large size (the cast ASO might look good at that point) As Thomas Powers will no doubly point out a 4" square block of iron was an anvil for most of the history of iron. And that little block has a few advantages as well, if you radius each edge differently you have built in fullers, each face can also be modified to be swage. As for needing a horn, any piece of large round can be used as a bick, and as you get the skills you can forge it out to form a traditional bick. So, with the above examples in mind, look for a large piece of steel, Be it a large shaft, block, or even a large drop from cutting a large round plate out of a square piece of stock. So, for lift repair shops, tractor repaoir shops, earthmoving equipment shops, tractor/trailer (over the road trucks) shops, train repair shops, train track repair yards, industrial fabrication shops (welding shops making big stuff) or the scrap yards the sell to are all places to ask for help. If your very polite and explains what your trying to do most Peaple will help, if not be polite and walk away. As was pointed out by another member, old farts like us like to see a young guy with a hobbie that keeps him of the street. Keep reading and keep asking. As Glenn said to me "I have learned enough to work my way up to ignorant" some of the old guard have answers the same questions a thousand times, and might be a bit testy if you catch them on a bad day. But one of us that are moving up in skill will step up and help.