LawnJockey

You have to move the image so the extreme left side shows to see the latch.

Thanks. Sheep wagons were invented by blacksmiths in Wyoming for sheepherders in the days of the open range. They would be out for months at a time moving from location to location depending on the quality of the grass available. Every week or so a camp tender would come out with supplies and help move the wagon. The original wagons were made on old horse drawn wagons. Then they were built on old pick up truck frames. The founder of Airstream Trailers had actually spent time working as a herder and he took the sheep wagon concept and applied aviation metal working methods and the Airstream was born. I built this as a two wheel trailer rather than a wagon so it would tow better at highway speeds. I purchased a boat trailer off Craigslist with title and registration for $200. I took it apart and welded it back together in the proper size, also eliminating the dipping cross pieces used on boat trailers. I just got back a couple of weeks ago from six weeks on the road with it. I travelled from California to Washington DC and back stopping at my off the grid place in New Mexico and a few days in Santa Fe too. It handles well off road. I am going to try to attach a pdf that shows the latch I need to make. This is the best picture I have found and I believe it is a bit misleading because it looks like the stop that stops the lever didn't stop it thus the latch is hanging in a way that it never would if it was properly functioning. sheep wagon latch 2.pdf

Recently I built a sheep wagon but I still need to make a proper latch for the lower Dutch door. The proper latch uses leverage to tension the latch closed and thus counter act the tendency toward weakness created by the door cut out. It works much like a levered loop latch on a fence or a highfield lever on a running backstay on a sailboat. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel I figured I would ask if any of you have experience making these latches. Here is the sheep wagon.

Just tacked together.

Don't worry Frosty, I am not fretting. The forge is tacked up so no more questions. I am the kind of guy that prefers to learn from other's mistakes and not repeat them myself if possible, thus the questions. Thanks all.

That pitting on the barrel would have me concerned. All those stamped in marks have meanings, they are called proof marks and a lot can be learned by researching them.

That is a very good idea except that it requires that I have the knowledge and experience to design it at this time. From my reading I believe I will need a 10" or maybe 12" flue. So the top of the "hood" should allow for a 12" flue, thus 12 inches plus. I think I would like it a bit deeper than 12 inches, maybe up to 15 which would give me lots of design flexibility. Since the angle rim of the table takes up 2" that would mean the face of the "hood" would be 17" in from the side. Assuming the edge of the fire pot is flush with the face of the "hood" that would put the fire pot dead center on the table which seems wasteful of space. Although a little more work making the "hood" flush with the side edge would give me an extra two inches which I probably would not regret. So it comes down to the 15" allowance for depth, is that excessive?

Thank you for the responses. I was thinking of not centering on the long side but with my inexperience I was hesitant considering the future side draft chimney.

First off, I am new and I am located in Livermore California so if any of you are near by I would love to hear from you. Now the project, I am going to be putting a brake drum forge together in the next day or so. I have a piece of 3/16" steel plate 3'X4' for the deck. The edge will be 2x2x 3/16 angle. The drum is off an F250 and the O.D. of the lip is 14". I plan to burn a 13" D. hole in the deck. Then use the cut out to make an 8" disk that will be bolted to the bottom of the fire fire pot using the existing drum bolt holes. I will be using 2" square tube for the tuyere and ash dump (cuz I have a bunch of it). The blower is going to be the discharge side of a shop vac until the noise drives me crazy. I plan to make a side draft chimney for it at a later date. So, with the above in mind, where would you locate the center of the drum cut out and why? Thanks

Thank you. I noticed several antique tractors on trailers west bound on I 40 late last week. There were also some north bound on I 5 and 99 so there must have been a show in the Valley too. I have been looking at the resources on the CBA site.

I think blacksmithing has always been a destination for me, I just didn't know it. My first job was at an old WWII shipyard doing layout work in the plate and angle shop. That was back in the early 70s. I quit that job after I got a mild chemical burn in my eyes. That injury opened my eyes, I realized all my co-workers were either limping, missing fingers or an eye, or otherwise disfigured. I quit soon thereafter. After that I spent many years in various building trades and working on boats. I love figuring out how to do or make something with what is on hand. I am a firm believer that often the most valuable tool is the "thinking chair". I have a pretty big shop behind my place where I do all sorts of wood and metal fabrication for my personal needs. Recently I build a sheep wagon. I started by purchasing a boat trailer off of CL (the easiest way to get title and registration) then I took it apart and welded it back up to the proper dimensions. I built the sheep wagon upon this. I just finished a six week road trip with the sheep wagon. I had a lot of time to think about how some of the store bought hardware was lacking for the purpose. During the trip I stopped at every Ag museum I came across so I saw lots of blacksmithing shops. I have always been a sucker for such places. Being a slow learner the thought of doing my own smithing didn't pop up right away. When it did it seemed so obvious. I am already set up of basic metal fab but I don't have blacksmithing specific tools other than a large selection of hammers. As the idea of blacksmithing festered in my mind I realized that I have just about everything needed to make a brake drum forge in my scrap rack. There is the large brake drum off an old F250 that I have had sitting under the bench for years. I had been thinking it would make a nice base for a grinder pedestal but now I know better. I have a couple of RR Tie anvils around so there is something to pound on. My main interest is in making hardware and also wood stoves. In the past I have made several small wood stoves for my own use. Hardware for them has always been a problem. I would be very interested in connecting with others in my area to learn skills and I am always on the look out for tooling.