eriktlupus

I remember the same discussions when I was brewing beer regularly. As in how do you consider the costs of your time to brew the beer versus what you would otherwise be doing? The answer was usually since it was a hobby for most of us(just as it is here) the time 8s not taken into account when telling that it costs you this much per beer. The start up costs to do beer are actually greater than blacksmithing.

Thomas That is just cruel. Hilarious but cruel.

My money is on Herman.

The one I use is 6ft of 1inch stock. Upset into a mushroom cap for the hand end and a squared chisel tip on the business end.

We've used such weights a drag anchor to slow the boat down when fishing the river. Tie a short length of chain to the anchor line and the use a carabiner to attach the sash weight. Keeps the rope from being worn by the stones and rocks.

Heck just put blacksmith classes into the search bar. I found 15 different places on the 1st page. Now granted they might not be local to me(or you) but they are out there. I went thru tillers international since they are local to me. $200 for the weekend class ( 2 days lunch provided). Took it with my dad also.

When I was brewing beer I would have the tanks freezing up while doing the boil on a banjo burner(sounds like a jet engine when running full bore). The solution for us was to take the spent grains (@140f) and bag em in a garbage bag and set the tank on the bag during the boil.

Another source of the problem might be mixing in commercial briquettes. The binders they use when forming will inhibit forge welding iirc.

I'm a factory rat (we make radiators and evaporators) temps in the shop regularly reach well into the 100's with a very high humidity (Michigan). One of my coworkers this past summer went down with heat stroke from not drinking enough, took 4 iv's in the hospital and 4wks before he was able to return to work. The company I work for supplies Gatorade and extra breaks when the temps inside reach a feels like of 90.

Killbox, love the twin pic. Makes me want to go out get another retriever. Probably gonna wait a few more years till my lowrider lab passes. Hmm can't find a pic on the new phone.

Not truly in my shop, have a few whitetail does that forage in the raspberry plot that is next to it. Did have a herd of turkeys that would hang around the same area but haven't seen them the last couple years since the coyote population picked up.

So looking like a 2:1 ratio of water and silica. Thank you. I read the entire forges 101 thread and either didnt see it or was just so flooded with info i forgot it

I have been going thru the the forges 101 thread and using search ( rigidizer formula+iforge iron) but i cannot seem to find a ratio of water to powder to use when spaying the blanket down. Is this a hard science or is it just an experience type thing? Any help is greatly appreciated. Erik

The car blower works fine. Just need to have a way to reduce volume. Either by rheostat, gate valve or a gap between the blower and the tuyere. Dont forget an on/off switch. I use an old deep cycle battery for a trolling motor that will last an easy 10hrs before i need to recharge it. A newer one will likely last much longer since the blowers draw is much less than a trolling motor.

Frosty. I was under the impression you still do lick rocks. Definitely check out youtube for smelts, tatara (japanese) and bloomery(european)