bigb

whoops forgot the pic

Fired it up again tonight, blocked one end and about 1/2 of the other (I need more fire bricks). I changed the gauge from a 1-60 to a 1-15. Buzzkill what you say about pressure makes total sense, without knowing what is at the other end it doesn't mean a whole lot. In my case just under one PSI seems to work fine. I was definitely using way too much fuel on the first run, just like when I first used my coal forge I wasted fuel with too big a fire, This time I had no dragons breath, the forge was completely approachable and I heated a piece of 5/8" rebar orange in about 1.5 minutes. How does the color of my flame look?

Thanks for all the great advice to all. I will experiment when I return from a trip to NM. Can't wait.

Thomas, I pass through Socorro about twice a year. We like the family diner and eat there whenever we can. Will be passing through next Thursday-Friday on our way North to a reunion in Trementina which is an abandoned settlement about 60 miles East of Las Vegas that one of my ancestors founded. My second great grandfather also lived there till his death in 1933, and his brother (my second great uncle) was a blacksmith first in the Galinas river valley below Las Vegas then later moved up into Las Vegas. Will be staying in Santa Rosa though, no rooms in Las Vegas due to the big Memorial Day biker run and blues festival.

Thanks I'll check it out, I have that book too. Been saving ash for a while, mostly from the charcoal grill.

Have you ever tried to harden & temper an anvil surface? I read about it I believe in Forge-Practice and Heat Treatment of Steel by John Lord Bacon. Looking for the chapter now. I was thinking about trying it with a piece of rail to practice.

OK thanks. Will have to fiddle around with it some more when I have time. Too many irons in the fire right now! I wanted to try closing off one end with fire brick but not sure if that would be OK

for the first time. I got the regulator that was suggested and a pressure gauge from Mcmaster Carr. Just fiddling around with it it seems that 5 PSI is plenty, it gets really hot. I noticed it belched "dragons breath" out of one side only but I could change that by rotating the blower in the tube. Did some searching and read that I should first set the propane PSI then adjust the air till it is the loudest, does that make sense? On my maiden run it got really hot at 5 PSI and was difficult to approach with the work piece. I could actually get the work piece to forging temp by just laying it on a fire brick in the dragons breath.I also read about a needle valve for the propane but not sure what kind and how to fit it. Also, how much can I block off with the fire brick? Do I need to leave some opening on either end?. And where exactly is the "sweet spot"? I noticed a cylinder of blue flame about 1.5-2" and the width of the forge (about 4-5"). I want to see if this forge will serve me while I rebuild my coal forge. Funny a couple years ago I didn't even have a forge now I have to have a backup!

Put an email notification in on Craigslist for "Anvil". I did that about a year ago and thought I would never get a good deal. Then it happened. I got a 118 lb Mouse Hole Forge anvil for $150 plus a blown propane forge thrown in. Sure the anvil is beat, but for roughly $1 per lb? I could barely sleep the first night thinking about that anvil sitting out there in the garage! Just be ready to jump on it when a deal pops up.

I ordered the regulator that Latticino recommended, looking for the 1/4" NPT gauge. I am looking for a simple pressure gauge that is rated for propane correct? as opposed to a flow gauge.

Not sure if there is a jet, I'll have to take a look. Would it be a mig tip like the NA burners use? The PO said "These fire up with a bang". Guess maybe because he didn't have a regulator? I am used to the "POP" when I light an OA torch, is that what I should get?

Got her cleaned up a bit, there was a lot of caked on grease mixed with dirt like you find on an old engine. She has definitely been used hard over the years. I am still amazed though that I got her for what amounts to less than $1 per pound, real hard to find anvils around here that are not gold plated.

When I saw the propane bottle hookup I thought the same, they must have used it without a regulator. Wasn't thinking of how much gas it will use. I am slowly acquiring the knowledge to build a NA propane forge with a Kao wool lining but when this one popped up for $50 I thought I'd grab it. Glad that I did because I got the Mouse Hole anvil in my other thread and this forge all for $150. So the reason this could be a gas hog is because the refractory material will have bigger heat losses than a wool lining? The PO was using the fire bricks for doors, will that help? He did say it got hot enough to weld in no time flat. He was using a 50 lb propane bottle. I could also remove the blower and put a NA burner in the pipe and rotate the forge around so the pipe is more on top. I am at a standstill presently with my build as I fear I bought too big of a pipe at 12.5" diameter 3/16" wall. I may start over with a freon cylinder that I have kicking around. Latticino no worries, have done plenty of gas piping. Worked as a plumber for a while before becoming a sparky. I did find that regulator in 1-30 PSI and 1-60 PSI, thinking 1-30 would be good? Frosty there is no speed control on the 3000 RPM squirrel cage blower. The PO used duct tape to reduce the intake. I will make an adjustable sheet metal gate like I did on my coal forge blower to limit air flow at the intake.

I just picked it up off Craigslist. I have everything cept the regular. Any suggestions on what to get for a regulator?

After cleaning with a soft brass brush it is a bit easier to see. I don't see a mouse though, unless it is that shape to the right of "MOUSE". Would the mouse be raised or stamped? That shape to the right is raised.

Thanks, I just found the calculator on Anvilfire, looks like it is 118! That makes it exactly twice the weight of my 59 lb Swedish anvil. So now I got Small & Medium just need large! Actually 118 lbs should be fine for what I do.

I will just use it then. Wasn't looking forward to attempting a re-surface anyway. Does the I . 0 . 6 designate the weight? Might be a "u" or a worn "0" By the way I went to look at his blown propane forge and ended up getting that and the anvil for $150

I just picked up this used and abused Armitage anvil, any ideas as to age, etc? It feels 100 poundish. Also, how will I go about resurfacing it? It has a pretty good grinder scar about 1/8" deep. I could just use it as is. It has several holes going thru it besides the pritchell and hardie, is it by chance a Mouse Hole?

Very interesting information. That is actually one of the hypothesis regarding the Hindenburg disaster.

Success! I knew this piece of scrap I got at the yard would come in handy someday. And a nice piece of varnished Arizona Mesquite off one of my own trees for the grip, with a little curve for comfort. I wanted to do rivets but after an hour or so practicing on scrap with limited resources and no real rivet tools I decided that this would be bolted. The bucket tooth welded to the 1/2" plate is my home made bottom tool. I used it to split the lengthwise cut open. I use it to open my split crosses as well, works great. This time I drilled a 1/4 inch hole at the ends of the split. I also heated more of the piece at once with a larger fire. No splitting. Neil, I don't think it is exhaust tubing. Exhaust tubing is 16 gauge, this is 10 gauge CRS. I can tell you that the finished product is rigid and strong, it does not flex with a full load of gravel.

We have a great yard here in Tucson that has a section for resale open to anyone and two Saturdays per month they let you into the main yard between 6-8 AM before they begin operations. In the main yard there are some large, round bins full of various sizes of mill balls. Lots of shaker screens too, and dozer tracks,pipe, all kinds of tubing and angle sorted on racks. A separate area for aluminum and another for stainless. Indoors they have a big stash of brass including some giant ornate hotel serving platters and very old vases and containers I go there about once a month to sell my barrel of Romex trimmings then I usually end up giving them back the money for steel..

Thanks for all the replies. I'll post up what I come up with, although it may be a while as my forge time is limited with running a business, family and home chores that always seem to pile up on me. Sometimes my workbench gets piled up with items needing repair and I just have to stop and fix them. Last weekend it was a wooden cow skull with a broken horn, a 12 volt impact driver that needed brushes, a Bosch multi-tool that needed a new cord and a steering stabilizer on my F-350. All this after the yard work and tree trimming and roof repair.

I think I understand. Weld a piece of flat stock onto the end of my tubing and bend it up into a "U" to hold the grip? I know it's probably tiring explaining things to all the newbies that come through but just so you know I really do appreciate your help.

That might work but in looking at some older, original D handles (before they all went to plastic) they look to be made from pipe/tubing. I am mainly doing this for fun and experience and wanted to make an original looking handle with a piece of hard wood for the grip. I suppose the steel handles were probably stamped in the last 60 years or so? I have access to all kinds of tubing and rigid pipe, Do you think it is a futile endeavor? What about rigid pipe? I also thought about starting with two pieces of flat stock and shape them then thru bolt them to the handle. I am bound and determined to spend 3 days fixing a $17 shovel! I like that idea

Neil, This is a scoop shovel. A straight handle would be very awkward and difficult to keep balanced when loaded.