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I Forge Iron

Adirondacker

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Everything posted by Adirondacker

  1. I will need to exhaust my shop also, fumes from welding , the forge both coal and gas, plus cleaners and paints and at times engine exhausts. I will have to determine how many cubic feet in the shop and what the recommended air exchange for my shop, and what I'm doing in there, this will tell me how many C.F.M. I would need. Then I can get the right size exhaust fan. Adirondacker
  2. I just checked out Jet on line and am leaning towards the portable model as would suit my needs at present. There several dealers close to me so after Christmas will check them out. Was reading specs. but did not see anything on arbor size or tpi? would be interested if other blade manufactures would fit this model or if only Jet brands would work? Gary
  3. Thanks for replies, I know they can be pricey, but figure quality tools for quality work, cheap never works for me. did not realize Grizzly tools made in China?? gary
  4. I'm interested in adding a low rpm cutoff saw to my welding/ blacksmith shop, but have been unable to find any reviews on this. I had to place a order at Grizzly yesterday, so asked if they had any reviews on the saw they sell, they did not. I have looked on ytube, but its hard to tell how well they work or don't? Mostly I cut mild steel for different projects and am not happy with the band saw cuts, Anyone have any insight or experience with these miter saws for steel ? Thanks Gary
  5. Wondering if anyone knows if there is a distributors in the New York, New England area that carries Chili forges (two burner)? I'm trying to avoid the high shipping cost from Texas to New York? Or maybe someone who has one they would like to sell. Thanks in advance Adirondacker
  6. Joshua, By getting mad and fighting you have allowed someone else control your reactions, there are times when one has to fight but that should be controlled by you. I'm not here to lecture but to this point out. I promise you that these same guys will one day be appoaching you and asking "hey Joshua can you fix this for me?" And of course you can because you have been building a skill base they don't have, in addition to your formal education, plus they will glady pay you to fix it. Have seen this over and over in my life, just keep following your interests and keep learning. you'll see that what I tell you is true. Best regards Adirondacker
  7. This post was a good one, liked the answers as well as the question. I believe that knowledge isn't knowledge unless its shared. Skill is something akin to wisdom, this you get on your own. The observation by Steve Sells about teaching our kids for the test is spot on. Learning something and mastering it is plain hardwork, if it were easy, well everyone one would be doing it. Adiondacker
  8. Here in the Adirondacks in the late 1800's leather was shipped in from all over the world to be tanned. This was to be close to the hemlock forests. Lumber men would go into the woods in late spring and fell thousands and thousands of hemlocks leaving the tree still attached to the stump, then using spuds would peeled and stacked the hemlock bark to be drawn out the next winter with horses. They had to get out enough bark to last a whole year( short period to peel) . The bark was ground up to produce tanic acid used in the tanning process. As for the trees they were left to rot in the woods, when the supply was finally exhausted the tanning mills closed. As a young boy I boiled my traps in a big pot using Hemlock boughs and they turned black. Had forgotten about doing that thanks for the memory. Adirondacker
  9. Some funny comments, thanks for the laugh. Adirondacker
  10. I was at the local junk yard shopping for odds and ends, when I found lenghts of 8" pipe 10 ft long. I was thinking these would work for culverts in some of my woods roads, so I bought 4 or 5 at scrape price, Wish now I had bought all of them. These were water pipes used to make snow at a ski area, they are heavy walled so you can weld to them without burning thru. Never did use them for culverts, instead used two of them to extend flue pipe on outdoor furnace. Think someone here already hinted you towards scrape yard. I have seen old sign poles from business used for flues, I would check the junk yards and ask them to keep a look out for what you want, just a thought. Adirondacker
  11. Bad Roger is right they are for sticking joints for brick or block, some are made for joints in stone work, and are called strickers and seal the mortar tightly around the brick, block or stone. Adirondacker
  12. Thank you for offer to check out your web site, and to answer question I WILL have when I start this. Adirondacker
  13. Hello Beau, I'm Gary (Adirondacker) I live in Thurman N.Y. and run a sawmill business and tree farm, I have for a number years been slowly building a welding, blacksmith shop. I wish I was better at taking pictures. I'm to the point of installing ceiling, picked up used 4x8 of 2" foam board, it has a paper facing so will use white barn paint and install with fender washers and 3" screws. Next will be the lights and modine heater, then maybe I can finally build a fire in the forge. I work at this project when its to nasty out to be in the woods or sawing. I mostly read on here, and for the most part find this forum friendly, but very informative. Check out Martin's Lumber thur the Town of Thurman web page, We host a open house in June and have different talented folks come and demonstate their crafts and skills, just lined up a friend of mine who restores old barns and will teach basic timber framing and Id different jointery. Its my hope to have the smith operational by them and enough skill to demonstate, we will see? We firmly believe in sharing information and passing on skills, as well picking up some business along the way. Kids are the best as they will ask a question an adult is dying to ask but is to shy, is a good icebreaker. I have shop work this morning so better get at. Adirondacker
  14. Very nice job on screens, like the combination of Iron and stone, after looking at your work I got to thinking about a set of doors for my own fireplace. We don't use it much, but would like to. I did a search on this forumn last night on fireplace doors but came up with nothing? I want to build mine with glass fronts and have some ideas kicking around in my head, but seeing other works helps to focus my ideas. I sure someone here has done a project like this, I maybe using the wrong search statement? Adirondacker
  15. Since you do need a permit to build, ask if an Alaskan pour would work? developed to build on perma frost? so it floats when you get frost heaves. Would not attach shop to any other building as you shop will move and the other won't causing damage, just a thought. Adirondacker
  16. Splitting wood by hand is at the very best good exercise and big waste of time, hyd is the only way to go, 1/3 the time so you gain 2/3 to work at your forge. My father, brother inlaw and I when in together thirty years ago and bought a used splitter, I still have it and use it. I have in that time split thousands of cords of wood, and will likley past this splitter to my grandsons. Heres what I want, splitter bed about waist high, you can modify in your shop, hyd cyclinders you can rebuild, engines, hoses , spiders, pumps, ect that you can if need be get parts for. I'm fussy about keeping equipment covered up or put in shed, sun light destroys hyd lines, treat the gas when not in use. One last thought, you can and will get hurt if you are tired and in a hurry, swinging a 16 lb splitting hammer at any age will wear on you, save it for the forge. Adirondacker
  17. Wayne, Most equipment such as bulldozers use fine thread on nuts and bolts, can be a real bugger to take a part. I have used all of the above except your home brews, Kroil comes in different grades, but have also used marvel mystery oil, one trick taught to me by an old mechanic when all else fails is to heat the nut & bolt red hot then cool quickly to the touch then repeat process, sometimes requires a third heat but seldom. Of course there are time when cutting or drilling out is required and replacing. This has worked for me over the years, I own as well operated some old equipment so repairs are the norm. Adirondacker
  18. Lots of good advice, so will throw my 2 cents in, for mice peanutbutter or honey and a trap, works good for me, don't like poison as the mice crawl off and die, one little mouse can make a big stink. Mice crap is nasty and should be cleaned up carefully. Red squirrel a different story they can burn your house down as noted by a post above about chewing wires. 22 rifle does the trick, takes a pretty good cat to catch one, we have a rat terrier, jack russell cross that gets one once in a while as does the cat . We had a run on chipmonks this summer, they can climb and chew also, but are easier to catch than red squirrels. Adirondacker
  19. Frosty, Wow, right to the point and step by step of how to proceed, I have pretty nice bank run sand that I use for concrete work, so will fine screed some for this job. We have a saying around here "Ain't got time to do it right but have time to do it over" I like things done right. Will sent a picture after I clayed this forge. Have been working on the shop and have it close to being done, lack the ceiling, installing lights and hooking up heat. I try and work at it when its nasty out. Thanks for sharing, nothing beats experience. Adirondacker
  20. Matto, Thank you for information, I had purchased from local concrete co. fire clay used between chimney flues. There is one farrier here I could ask, plus a folk school that offers blacksmith courses, so can try there also. Did find some information outside this forumn, and was a 50/ 50 split on claying. Will try this and if it goes south will try something else. Adirondacker
  21. Sam, I just checked my profile and it was there? Yes its coal fired, and just want to know how thick should clay be, on this forge, on bottom of fire pan is a warning to clay forge before using, so I will clay the forge rather than risk burning thru the bottom. Adirondacker
  22. Anyone clayed a forge?, if so how thick should it be? also around the draft tube and grate how close to get? Thanks Adirondacker
  23. I found yesterday a Champion forge with blower, although one leg is broken it can be repaired, upon cleaning and looking over I found writing on bottom of forge pan (cast iron) it says and I quote "before using clay forge." I can see no other markings to suggest how thick the clay should be? I assume fire clay would work? There was an anvil and a few tools along with some old iron that I purchased. Ant help on claying a forge pan would be helpful, haven't had a chance to look over anvil yet Adirondacker
  24. David, Every year men are killed skidding logs with farm tractors, usually the result of the log being skidded snubs onto something causing the tractor to flip over backwards. I think somebody already mentioned using the draw bar and getting the log up off the ground. This will do three things for you, lifting the log up gives a huge mechanical advantage in skidding vs skidding with log flat on the ground , its a safer way to move logs less chance of snubbing against something causing the tractor to flip, and by skidding with log up off the ground keeps your log cleaner of dirt and rocks all which will make sawing better for chainsaw or mill. One last thought if where your skidding is in the woods be very careful of the overhead your log bumping into trees can cause dead snags to dislodge and fall on you (also know as widow makers). Don't mean to lecture but I have many years of working in the woods and have seen how thing can go wrong in a heart beat . Adirondacker
  25. Steve, Thanks for replying, these keepsakes are hung on the wall indoors, they are cut from mild steel plate (3/8" thickness) and polished down with 400 grit paper. I will post a picture at first opportunity . Adirondacker
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