Glenn Lyford

Another way to check for leaded steel is to try and drill it. If it drills like butter... Also, I think the color might be slightly darker than mild...?

I think its a matter of the heat from the fire is hottest at the center of the door, and all around the edges is a little cooler. Since the cooler metal is not expanding as much as the hot center, that center still needs some place to push out, so eventually it bends to give it somewhere to go. The sides of the stove don't bend because they're not held on by a hinge only on one side, they're welded down to their neighbor all the way around. If you run the stove enough, you may eventually notice that the middle of the panels will start to show a bow or sag in spots, especially if it gets up to a dull red there when you're running it. A bunch of the stoves I've seen have cast iron doors, which I suspect don't bend and warp as much as the red iron. I've seen some stove doors that are actually double, both to act as a baffle to direct the air from the air controls down low to the fire, and so that the inner layer acts as a heat shield so the outer layer doesn't see as much heat. Do you think you can straighten out your existing door again, maybe in a press? How about adding a sheet of heavy stainless (16 ga or so, maybe) to the inside surface with maybe a 1/2" to 1" gap using bolts or some similar kind of stand off. If that sheet then decides to bend, or even bend enough to bend the mounting bolts/posts then it still shouldn't be noticable on the outside or affect the seal. You'll lose a little length in your firebox (and I know that can be an issue if all your wood is cut to just fit what it is now). When it gets too mangled (more than likely from trying to slam the door on a slightly too long piece of wood) just replace it and keep going. Stainless bolts would have a better chance of coming apart again later for these repairs (it works on mufflers up here in the land of winter salt, anyway).

My Dad growing up had an airtight woodstove, which made it too easy to run a cold, smoldering fire that didn't burn very hot but lasted all day or all night. His solution was to make a hot fire at least once a day, hot enough to get the stack warm and expand a little and get all the previous day's creosote to flake off and tumble into the stove. It seemed to help control the level of build-up, but he would still brush it out every year. The worst thing you can do is to run little smoldering fires day after day--or burn pine. If you can't bear to be in the room with the stove when it's burning properly and not shut way down, you bought too much stove...

It looks to me right now that you have both of the black wires twisted together under one screw, and both of the white wires twisted together under the other screw. What's happening is this: with the switch off, it is acting like a terminal strip running straight from your cord to the motor. With the switch on, it is shorting straight from the supply (black) to the return (white) and popping the breaker. In all cases the power to your motor is live. Only switch ONE color of wire. Black. Both of your white wires should be twisted together and held with a wire nut twisted on far enough so you only see insulation. Tape it too if it makes you feel better. The white wires should not get connected to the switch at all. One end of each black wire should end up under each screw. The black wires should not touch--the switch will make them touch inside. The switch basically "breaks" the black wire to stop the current. You can leave both the green wires twisted together under the green screw.

The last time I heard about someone trying this, it backfired, big-time, everyone ganged up on the poor guy and forbade him from persuing his hobby. My personal take on it is quietly go about your hobby, and only address it if there are complaints. By warning them ahead of time that you are about to undertake something they might find offensive, you've already prejudiced them to dislike it, even if they never actually have a problem.

Something like these what you had in mind? MAKE YOUR OWN ANVIL DETAILS ON MAKING ANVILS

Flammability isn't the only issue. You want something that won't crumble and fall out in the heat, or turn to steam and start spalling (spitting hot chunks of mortar at you). Furnace cement is cheap and the right tool for the job...

So it sounds like you think a vent hood is a good idea for a gas forge, even when it's semi-open. Can you point me to anything on what good design parameters are for a vent hood? Will it be basically be the same size as a smoke hood for a coal forge (10 to 12" flue), or can it be smaller, like a 6 or 8" flue? This would be for a single 3/4" atmospheric burner. Any tricks to keeping it from becoming yellowjacket central, besides switching to a coal forge and smoking them out?

In the early planning stages of a small shop building, to include a stacked brick type gas forge. I'm limitted to 10x12 but can have overhangs, and would like to use some of this space for storing a snowblower and the like as well. Bouncing between pole shed and stick built, insulated and sheetrocked to keep the sparks off the structure, or some variation using steel siding and sheetmetal studs. Probably end up with a gable roof to fit in with other nearby structures. My original plan was for the forge back in one corner, with a hood over it. For a coal forge, I see vent diameters listed between 10 and 12", but I've not seen any specs for recommended flue size for a vent hood over a gas forge, other than a vague recommendation that there simply be one. My next thought was to short-circuit the whole vent issue completely and stick the forge just outside a 5' sliding door at one end, with the post vise and anvil just inside (so I wouldn't have to move them to lock up at night) with an eave overhang (maybe 2-1/2') over the forge. If I go this route, would I still want some sort of hood over the forge, or would I be mostly okay by being open on 3 sides? Would I be asking for heat damage to a metal roof (r-panel or similar) about 5' above the forge? Big advantage with this layout is that I'd be working in the doorway, and wouldn't have to tie up as much storage space for working room inside. Does this sound too crazy? Am I better off just sucking it up and using the inside space?