pauldude000

Thank you all for your kind words, and I am glad everyone enjoyed the build. The adobe is a sand/clay mix which I rammed in wet, and let dry. I expect it to spall due to the fact that I used bentonite clay, which doesn't bond quite as well as kaolin or fireclay, and has a high shrinkage value. That is why it cracked on the ends in drying. The saving grace is that bentonite is a high temp clay and is extremely cheap in the form of some kitty litters. For anyone wanting to try using kitty litter, make sure it is 100% clay. This is the super cheap unscented kitty litter, which is clumping and is not "dust free". Check the bag, and if in doubt leave it on the shelf. I call it adobe, but it is actually a homemade refractory mix. If I remember correctly, my mix is 2 parts sand, 2 parts clay, 1 part perlite. (Don't use vermiculite. Both are high temp volcanic materials, but Vermiculite is porous like foam rubber and readily absorbs and retains water, while perlite is like closed cell foam beads.)

I just wanted to share the pics of my homemade adobe lined charcoal forge. I had a wild hair last fall, so put it together then, after becoming disgusted with the cost of propane for my regular dual burner beast. Since I was making one anyway, I could design it to handle longer pieces as I principally forge blades. This unit is handmade, including the hand cranked blower unit. Yes, I just used what was laying around... :D :ph34r: The forge unit is made from an old electric roaster pan, and two steel tv trays which I chopped a side off and set in a 'V' shape and lined with adobe. I know the adobe will crack and flake, but it is easily patched or replaced. No biggie. The tuyere is 1" black pipe, and the air inlet is a 1 1/2" nipple. I designed it so that I can remove the end pipe cap easily for cleaning. Truthfully, if I had to I could line this sucker with ordinary dirt due to my design. Here is my hand cranked blower. As you can see, it is 'V' belt driven with the main drive pulley being an old bicycle rim. I brazed nuts to the rim to attach a handle, and the handle is a bolt covered with loose fitting hard rubber. Believe it or not this unit is all ball bearing construction, as I sunk two bearing races into the wood support for the blower driveshaft. Sitting on the end is a quicky steel reducer cone I made as an adapter from the blower output to the tuyere inlet pipe. I believe the fan itself came from a dryer, but don't quote me on this. I happened to have it on a shelf. The cage is made from an old large popcorn tin I cut down. This unit actually works great, and develops quite a bit of air output for very little cranking effort. I just thought you guys might enjoy this redneck project I threw together.

Truthfully speaking, a frsnel lense is no joking matter. A good large one (4' x 4' or 3' x 5') can reach temperatures up to an in excess of 5000 degrees F. These lenses do not just provide a tiny pinprick of light either. You are talking a quarter inch to quarter size spot of that temp. You can quite easily smelt brass with one. Theyt are just expensive as all get out, and you have to keep them clean and relatively unscratched. (They are not made of glass, but if I remember correctly are a polycarbonate plastic.) For forge work though... I doubt it. Not enough watts to provide enough heat over a big enough area. A bladesmith could use a fresnel lense on a frame to smelt his bolsters etc.. though.

Rob & Frosty, thanks for the welcome. Hopefully I will be more than just wasted space here. Frosty, the corn is something I have never heard of using! I am wanting to get into damascus, will it generate enough heat for proper welding? Paul Andrulis

Mean Coyote Your motor is more than big enough. You could technically run a home generator with that puppy! Someone mentioned that steady amperage is what is necessary, and that is absolutely true. Also, like they said, hard to accomplish. Your voltage and amperage will change with load (before/after arc initiation), and also with engine speed. Ideally, a movable core isolation transformer would be useful here for this. However, you might as well buy a stick welder for the cost of one which will handle those amps. (or get one from a stick welder. :cool: ) I would get a couple of high amperage 400amp bridge rectifiers, and get rid of the factory diode pack. DC arcs tend to give a better weld than A.C. anyway. If you want to try your hand at the electronics aspect of amperage regulation, I can attempt to either find or create a schematic if you desire. Paul Andrulis

A VERY cheap source for strong neodymium. (I have bought from them, and they are both reliable and fast.) eBay Store - magnets: wind turbine, flexible magnets windmill blades, rare earth magnet Neos (Neodymium rare earth) are really good, as a small fifty pound pull sucker (1" diameter by 1/2" grade N50 ) can be used at a distance to tell if steel has gone non-magnetic, without the hot steel being close enough to really damage the magnet. Just don't try to touch the steel to the magnet..... even with cold steel. These are POWERFULL. No, I have no connection other than being a happy customer of theirs.... Paul Andrulis

I have been in bladesmithing for awhile, and have made a few knives, some forge work must mostly ground, and have a MULTITUDE of other hobbies. (Everything from woodwork to metal work, and a little of everything in between. Metal casting to bladesmith, electronics to cabinetry. Jack of all trades so to speak.) I am going to straight forge work though for my knives. I am a dog having to learn a new path to hunt though, as coal is simply not cheap or easy to get here. Charcoal is what I will have to work with, unless I want to drive out of state, or pay horrendous shipping charges. Ouch. However, I do not know diddly about how charcoal acts on iron or the forge specifics about charcoal. This dog may be gettin' old, but he ain't to old to check out a new trail. Any advice about forging or forge welding, in general or especially using charcoal is welcome. Feel free to converse either here or through e-mail. Paul Andrulis

I have been in bladesmithing for awhile, and have made a few knives, some forge work must mostly ground, and have a MULTITUDE of other hobbies. (Everything from woodwork to metal work, and a little of everything in between. Metal casting to bladesmith, electronics to cabinetry. Jack of all trades so to speak.) I am going to straight forge work though for my knives. I am a dog having to learn a new path to hunt though, as coal is simply not cheap or easy to get here. Charcoal is what I will have to work with, unless I want to drive out of state, or pay horrendous shipping charges. Ouch. However, I do not know diddly about how charcoal acts on iron or the forge specifics about charcoal. This dog may be gettin' old, but he ain't to old to check out a new trail. Any advice about forging or forge welding, in general or especially using charcoal is welcome. Feel free to converse either here or through e-mail. Paul Andrulis

I have a variety of hobbies, which also include in their number metal casting. I have used a product called "durabond 90" which is a chemical set drywall compound to cast aluminum, and know those whom have used it successfully to cast small brass. I refer to the "hard sand" brown bag variety, NOT the easy sand white bag stuff. This stuff might work great for a refractory liner for a washtub, or other style, charcoal forge. I thought you all might be interested. Paul Andrulis