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Thanks for ideas. I was just thinking about the rust before I went to work this morning. I thought it might be something that might not be worth asking. Tonight I turned on the computer and checked to see if someone might have had an idea. I had no idea there would be this many replies. They all sound good. I might have to try them all. Thanks again for all the help you guys give Billy

I've made a couple of tools for the grill. I cleaned them up good and put ingest-able mineral oil on them. They looked good for awhile but now have started to rust some. Is there anything to do to them. Probably could have done a search but thought i'd just ask! Thank You Billy

Thanks for this thread men. I'm fairly new at this and am trying to figure out some tools I need and how to make them. This is just what I have been wanting to hear. Making a blueprint is a good idea. The only problem is I have not been able to see any new blueprints. It would be nice if it could also be posted in this thread so everyone will be able to see it. I hope you will do that. Thanks Billy

What is a good burn gel. I heard a doctor talking about a good one the other day. I remember it started with a T, but as usual that all I remember. Anybody have any ideas. Thanks

When I was very young, my uncle. More recently Don Dillon. This site and everybody involved with it. Thanks everyone

You might try www.cotton-woodforge.com

Thanks all for the advice, hadn't thought about diesel fuel. Everyone here makes not knowing much blacksmithing not such a bad thing! Thanks Again Billy

I've had a few post in here about my blower. So here goes another. I've put to heavy of a grease in the grease caps and probably to heavy of an oil for winter use. I would like to clean the inside without trying to take it apart. Seems as though I've read this in here somewhere, so if so I apologize for asking again. I'm thinking kerosene. Is this right or wrong. I've thought about filling the tank with it and cranking till it all runs out. Maybe do this a couple of times. Then start over with the right lubrication for cold weather. Thanks for all advice Billy

Thanks for the replies. Oldiron I did the search and read part of the thread you suggested. I should have read it all. Thanks for getting me to read the rest of it. Thanks to you all, Billy

I'm still mostly making round stuff out of square and square stuff out of round. But I have made a couple of hooks and a horse shoe heart. They are starting to rust some. So heres my question. How is the best way to use bees wax. I've got a couple of 1 lb. blocks. Got them from Rudy's Honey. Their honey's real good too. Thanks Billy

Adirondacker, interesting stories. Thanks for telling us.

Thanks jayco I've also noticed when it's colder I don't get nearly as much charcoal. Many times there isn't enough to try to save. Thats one reason I remembered the expanded metal shovel. Thanks again

On the 2nd page of this thread jayco mentioned a sifting shovel made out of expanded metal. He said there was a blueprint for one of these. I'm just wondering if anyone has seen it. I figure I could make one but I had much rather see the blueprint first. Other people usually have better ideas than mine. I think this would work very good getting the hot cools from my furnace. Seems like there are a lot of blueprints I can't get.

A very good point Frosty. Thanks for the word of caution. Billy

Thanks again jayco I started to get some 1/4 inch wire. I like the idea of the expanded metal scoop. I think I have some laying around here somewhere. Now just to find it. The sparks do concern me. I try not to crank to hard and always try to keep a eye on the sparks. I thought about trying to fix a hood and chimney. Don't think it would help much. The shop is only about 10'x10'. A hood would take up room but it would help from burning the shop down it would be worth a try. Thanks again for all the advice Billy You mentioned blueprints, a lot of the ones people here talk about I can find. The search part does not work for me.

jayco I've been saving charcoal from my furnace. At first I was just going thru it by hand. Not to good! You mentioned sifting yours. So I made a sifter with 1/2 inch rat wire ( I had seen somewhere in here where someone used 1/2 to sift through coke and left over coal). It works real good except there was a good amount of 1/2 inch size charcoal that falls through with the ash. What size sifter (or what do you use for sifting) do you use? I imagine the 1/2 inch size stuff would burn very quick, maybe not worth saving. I also have some big pieces. Should they be broken up to work any better. Now that I've started saving it, I would not have thought I could have saved as much as I have in a weeks time. Thanks for the thread, I don't think I would have ever thought about the charcoal from the furnace. Thank You

Well, I tried some charcoal. It worked real good. The only thing I was a little worried about was the sparks when I cranked the blower. My forge is in a small log building that my great grandfather and my grandfather used as a blacksmith shop. I need to get me a fire extinguisher in there. It did burn up fast but so far I have not been able to spend very much time at the forge at a time. Thanks jayco

I have an outside wood furnace that I use to heat my house. A lot of times when I clean it out there will be a good amount of hot coals that I take out. I use 2 large metal trash cans to store the ashes in until they are cold so I can dump them. I've noticed there is usually right much charcoal in them when I empty the cans. After reading these post it seems like I might have a supply of fuel. I'm new at this and used coal a few times ( not counting the course I took). Does charcoal start the same way coal does and how long does it burn compared to coal. I have a forge I made myself with a champion 400 blower.

I have finished my forge and have fired it up a couple of times to see how it works. For my first forge I think it works pretty good. I have been putting oil in the oil port each time I've used it but had not greased it. Yesterday I put grease in the two grease caps that have bearings ( one on the end opposite the fan and one opposite the crank ). Now it turns much harder (it turned easy before). Did I put to much grease? I filled the caps up. There wasn't any grease in them at all so I thought filling them up would work. I guess I need to clean the grease out. How much should I put if any? When I took the caps off there seemed to oil on them from the oil I had been putting in the oil port. Is that enough for the bearings? Any suggestions and advice will be much appreciated Thank You Billy

It has been awhile since I checked this post. Thanks for all the replies. This has been a good learning experience for me (and they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks). To make a long story shorter, I found the grease cap a few weeks latter hooked to the magnet of the trouble light I was using that evening. I had been in contact with Sam Dembitsky of Cottonwood forge and he was looking for the cap for me. I had also seen on ebay where someone was selling parts for a 400. I had won the bid that morning and found the cap that evening. And I thought there were ghost ( I still do ) in the barn. I found out real quick from every one that the 400 is suppose to leak. So Thanks everyone for for all the help Billy

This is my first post and already asking for help and advice. I have just got a Champion 400 blower. It looked like it hadn't been taken apart (at least in a long time). It is leaking oil around the fan shaft. I was taking it apart and had one of the screw on bearing covers to disappear ( I really just can't find it, it's a mystery). Does anyone have any idea where I might find one. And also is there a fix for the oil leak. Thanks Billy

Good Morning, I've been very interested in Blacksmithing all my life. Now that it's almost to late I'm taking a class at the local community college. I live on the family farm that my great grandfather started. There is a log building that was used as a blacksmith shop. After thirty years of living here I've cleaned out the junk and am in the process of making it a blacksmith shop again.