Cardinal Knife

13 minutes ago, Culver Creek Hunt Club said:

The respirator is reusable. The canisters have a life as you indicated. 

yes, thanks

Just now, natenaaron said:

Get out of that shop.  If you have a weakened respiratory system why take the chance.  I love my respirator.  I buy a new one every summer whether I need it or not.

I'm sure you already know this but if not, those respirators, once unsealed, are only good for an average of a few hours to a few days depending on what your using them for.

They still work for dust of course.

22 minutes ago, JHCC said:

And don't try to burn off any chrome or zinc plating!!!

yah, been reading about that too.  I would weld anything when I was younger, surprised I made it through.

On 2/3/2016 at 7:42 AM, Quench. said:

I read the whole thread. ....  Spray though the windows, maybe.

Good luck.

Quench- Thanks for the advice.I'm on day four and my symptoms are beginning to subside.  I'm gonna give a bit of background.  My respiratory system seems to be hypersensitive in comparison to others.  At my workplace we use some nasty stuff once in a while including, glass primers, fiberglass resins, spray epoxies and gelcoats among carbon fiber manufacturing.  I had a bout with a category 4 gelcoat while spraying a carbon fiber mold about 6 months ago.  My respirator had been open and unsealed a few times prior to this job, and deep down I knew I should wait till the following day for a new respirator, but my Dad was eager to get going, so I ventured on.   Well sure as $h!t I could smell the fumes and was in the spray booth for about an hour. The symptoms I acquired were the exact same as I have now, burning chest, that turned into runny nose, sneezing, post nasal drip that turned into a cold (or what feels like a cold).  If I use rattle can of spray paint for a couple minutes I can literally feel my nasal passages restrict a bit, nothing horrible, I'm usually fine within 10-20 minutes, but it conveys the message that I am hypersensitive.   Since that episode with the gelcoat I ordered myself, and the others here at work, higher end 3m masks with replaceable organic vapor cartridges, which now are available at the ready.

As far as sitting in there for even 30 minutes- yikes!  I've been reading on this bird dust crap and it scares the hell out of me.  I think I may move the forge to my other garage that has never housed animals , work for just 20 minutes, and see if I have the same reaction.  I may just doomed to wear a respirator either way for the rest of my life.  Like I said, they bother other people to have on their face, but I can wear one for hours.  It feels like a nice security blanket to me.

On 2/2/2016 at 0:08 PM, Scrambler82 said:

To me, if there can be a problem it will pop up when you least want it to.

Wash everything, spray with a 50/50 mix of bleach and water, paint the walls and ceiling (roof) white and the floor leave it as is after cleaning.

I lived with Pigeons all my life, never like it in the Coop, but my father would sit there for hours watching them and sneaking a cigarette or two, maybe just wanted to get away from the wife, I always felt my lung feeling funny so I would leave.  

Dont take any chances, it looks like a great shop area, good size and well lighted, clean it up and paint it up.

Medical alert.... 50/50 is dangerously too strong....

maybe I should take up smoking while I'm in there, lol

31 minutes ago, Scrambler82 said:

Was that a Chicken Coop ?

Why, because chicken and rat/mouse XXXX is very toxic to the human body, maybe you were breathing in some of it.

Just guessing here, kind of looks like a Chicken Coop.

If you go in the Coop again, and feel funny, get out and call the doctor, do the test...  Then think about cleaning out the Coop.

 

yes it was a chicken coop at one time way before we acquired the property.  I have spent time in there on a few occasions but it never bothered me until I ran the forge.  We hosed it down at one time, but looking back I doubt it did much good, as one other poster pointed out, I did not do the walls or roof, basically just hosed the floor with water and no antibacterial whatsoever.

This pic was taken 4 years ago before we built our house.  House now sits where the photo is taken from.  

This whole mess has me sketched out so I'm thinking of moving the operation to another building.  The unrestored chix coop sits on the left, garage barn far right will work good but the doors are difficult to open in the winter.  The corn crib center rear would also work, lot of wood in there though, and if it goes up in flames it's gonna take my large horse barn with it.  The little well house in the foreground center is now gone.  The carriage type building far right rear has some friends boats and stuff in it.

Thanks for the advice Frosty.  

26 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

I built my forge stand from an old propane grill stand---it has wheels and a place to store the bottle. I yanked the grill out and bolted a piece of sheetmetal across where it used to go and then bolted the propane forge onto the sheet metal.

Thanks Thomas

49 minutes ago, JHCC said:

By the way, a coupe is a car, a coup is a revolution, and a coop is a building for chickens.

Good catch

51 minutes ago, JHCC said:

 

>ausfire- Had to google "chook" - def. Aussie slang for chicken.

I was skeptical at first that this was allergy related because I have spent time in there before with no issues, but am starting to think Glenn and the rest of you may be correct that the propane fumes and stirring of air may be kicking up some unwanted airbornes.

I don't know what to do at this point other than wear a respirator and move the forge outside.  I have two active children and a 45 hour/week job so it's not like I do this daily.  I wear vapor/gas respirators at work all the time and wouldn't have a problem wearing one for couple hours straight need be.  

Is there a sticky somewhere here on IFI in regards to forge safety, I checked the gas forge forum and didn't see anything.   I really dropped the ball on researching this upon purchasing my forge.  I was so excited when I got it home I just fired it up with total disregard to my safety.  At my age I should know better by now.

I have a metal two level shop cart ( like automotive snap-on style).  What's your guys thoughts on putting the forge on top and the tank on the bottom so I could wheel the assembly out the door?  Safe- Unsafe??

1 hour ago, Jim Coke said:

Greetings Cardinal,

Glenn.. Steve ,Charles , myself and others just want to see your 3017th post on IFI just to compare it to your first to check your progress..  We rag on ya cause we care. Be safe. 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

Tough love- thanks Jim!

26 minutes ago, LawnJockey said:

You might want to soap the gas line and connectors just to make sure there are no leaks.

Thanks, I did do this first thing when I got it home.

4 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

just trying to keep  you alive a bit longer brother....

much appreciated

59 minutes ago, beammeupscotty said:

Keep in mind that you can run a propane cooktop or range indoors with little or no ventilation at all.  Your lung problem likely has nothing at all to do with the forge and everything to do with the building.  

My oven doesn't sound like a rocketship and heat up my kitchen 20 degrees in a matter of 15 minutes.  It also is rated for indoor use and has more precision burners designed not to asphyxiate you.

33 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

Since you dont seem to understand why the tank is a problem, think about if that propane tank vents, where is the escaping gas going?  Right now its going to the forge and boom.... get the idea?

Thank you.

7 hours ago, Nick O said:

I would go with what Glenn said this is something you want to address immediately before its to late and also how far away are you from a working electrical outlet? 

Sorry, I get what u mean now, my house is only about fifty feet away.

3 hours ago, Charlotte said:

Hmm,  Should not have bothered you with that kind of opening.  What was in shed before?     Have a doctor check you out and have fasting blood test.  Sounds like there is more going on.   Is this a new forge?  Is there any zinc or coated sheet metal in your forge?     Worries me!

Just the galvanized roof, is that bad???  The coupe's been pretty much empty for years. I'm sure it had chickens decades ago but we hosed it out when we acquired the property.  All that's in there now is some scrap lumber and some gardening stuff.  I don't want to come off as dismissive and I do appreciate your concerns about my well being, but I could feel it getting stuffy in there after about fifteen minutes.  Even with the three windows open there wasn't much air flow. No wind here today and no opposing windows for a cross draft.  As far as health goes. I exercise 6 days a week and haven't even had cold in years.  

13 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Get the gas tank a safe distance AWAY from the forge even if you have to buy a longer supply hose.

Move the forge OUTSIDE and move the anvil just inside the door.

Listen to your body and make changes.

 

Is this a typo? 5 each one inch holes are not enough to let rain into the building during a hurricane, much less smoke or gasses out.

Hey Glenn, what is considered a safe distance for the tank.  The small holes in the ridge were put in a long time ago, probably for the chickens or something.  I was thinking of putting the forge on a sliding table that would slide out the window but not sure if all the moving is safe for the hose.  For now I'll do as u recommend and move it outside.

10 minutes ago, Nick O said:

I would go with what Glenn said this is something you want to address immediately before its to late and also how far away are you from a working electrical outlet? 

No electrical in there yet.

Hey guys, I was out in my coupe for about an hour and my lungs are bothering me.  I'm using a propane forge with a couple windows open and a set of five 1" holes near the ridge on both sides (there from when it was built)  I obviously need to get more air moving thru, but until I get electricity out there I would like some advice on how best to accomplish this.  Would a couple roof vents along with the windows open work for now?  I understand co2 is heavier so bit skeptical the roof vents will pull the co2 out without some form of forced air.  Thanks Chris

57 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

Forgive Steve, he is brutally honest and as he works on multi phase systems hot he is a bit touchy about safty. Screwing up a run to the "chicken coup" is a shock or a fire, wile screwing up where he works not only kills you it kills the guys standing around you. 

 

I understand, and I've done my fair share of homeowner hacks in my youth.  Enough to know when to say when and hire a pro.  I just don't want to get off on the wrong foot here as I will soon have many smithing questions and don't have anyone I know to ask these things.

27 minutes ago, LawnJockey said:

First off welcome, most of us are friendly.  Personally I don't mess with wiring but I can recommend a good book that has been around for ever:  Wiring Simplified.  I think it is in its 44th edition now.  We are getting ready to build a shop here and a guest house so I am dealing with many of the same issues regarding supplying power to the two new structures.  In our case the designer and electrician are talking about increasing the service to 600 amps.  Our incoming service is as far from the shop location as it can be on the property.  Here it will run from one end of the house to the far end and then underground for about 100ft, then across a bridge and then another 40ft to the shop.

Thanks lawn jockey, I actually have the book, lol

36 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

It appears he already decided he knows best.    As a real electrician, I cant stand by and watch this stupidity anymore. his so called expert has no idea what to get so he asked faceless names on the internet,  LOL if it weren't so serious this could be funny. 

You may wish to contact your home owners insurance about what they think....

Steve, I don't know how you concluded I have made up my mind on anything.  I have already stated I have contacted the electrician that wired our entire house (to code), and may wait till spring to go underground, at which time my electrician will most likely then run everything.  Per my other responses- I was simply trying to offer polite responses to people's suggestions.  I never stated- "gee huck, I reckon I'll be okay runnin' an extension cord for my 3 phase bridgeport".  I also didn't want to begin my experience here on IFI in this tone.  Let's just drop this discussion and move on.

35 minutes ago, oilboy328 said:

you could also buy a nice small generator, make some pretty quiet ones 

 

Thanks oilboy.  I could use a gen for the house anyway!

..well I understand what you guys are saying about the overhead being a pita, but I already have about 100ft of overhead that feeds my big barn so what's another 50-60'?  That being said, it does look messy and add some maintenance so maybe I should wait till spring and ditch witch it in.  Thanks again for all the advice.

Thanks Scrambler

Yes sir Charles

Not condescending at all, no worries, thanks for all the info

El chicken coupe