Jackdawg

Saw an episode of the Milwaukee one on U tube yesterday. Didnt look to bad, better than the only other thing on offer at the moment, "Iron and Fire", which is more about about shooting muskets and good 'ol boy livin' than showing much black smithing actually going on. It still holds my attention though. We have only just had Forged in Fire series 2 finish, so no doubt will be a while before we get a look at this new season 3 you blokes are discussing. But it sure makes a nice change from the Wife's endless property "do em up and flog em" shows which showcases the dodgy elements within the building industry.

Looks nice. My first effort at tongs is sitting half completed waiting for some fine weather to fie up the forge, and mine looks no where near as neat as yours!

Sounds like one would need to counts ones fingers after shaking your hand! I've also use a small length of rubber fuel hose as a file handle, but mostly they come with a turned wooden handle that does the job.

I have more hammers than you can poke a stick at, 40 odd years of handyman carpentry and welding activities to thank for that - but as I only started playing with a forge a little while ago, of course I had to buy new hammers for working hot metal, truly, not much use for peined hammers in my other endeavours . (I did have a couple of ball peins, but they were not the right sort - or so I told the wife.... ). I have more hammers than you can poke a stick at, 40 odd years of handyman carpentry and welding activities to thank for that - but as I only started playing with a forge a little while ago, of course I had to buy new hammers for working hot metal, truly, not much use for peined hammers in my other endeavours . (I did have a couple of ball peins, but they were not the right sort - or so I told the wife.... ).

Some yuppie would pay good money for it even not working. very "retro"

You can buy hardwood chip / bark mix here for about $8 a cubic metre, but it is still quite green. thinking about trying some out. Would have to let it dry for a while thought I would think - Tried wood in my forge and it works well.

That will do the job!

So rethinking the use as a twisting wrench?

Progressives are the way to go. I have no issues with them. Although I will admit my reading script is the lowest you can get, I need coke bottles to see distance.

very nice!

Assuming you have checked all the cable connections are tight and clean (no corrosion), it sounds like it might be time to retire the old girl.

I used to hunt pigs on foot with a dog and a big pig sticker when I was young and dumb (and fit). Nothing quite like running a paddock in the dark, nothing but a full moon for light, chasing big pigs behind a dog to get the blood pumping. Reason you want the stickers long is to stick them in at the base of the throat, stick knife straight down, turn it over (not that you would have to with the one) and run it back up the spine. The major blood vessels in a pig that go to the head cross under the spine and you cut them both doing that. If your good you also can lance the heart. Either way Pig bleeds out quickly and internally killing it cleanly and humanely.

You've lost me I'm afraid rockstar.

Ive used molasses for stuff I dont want any aggressive stripping on. I find usually a month is more than long enough. Last thing I used it for was a pile of boat roller mounts I pulled off an old trailer I was using as a donor. The galvo caused a few issues, but sure strips rust away quite well.

Be really nice if you et the old boy's forge going again. Gives you a link to the past and shows respect!

My firepot was similar with the drop down, I built it so it is a certain depth one way, then when I turn it 90 degrees in the frame it drops down and the frame covers the end gaps making for a deeper pot. After using it a bit, I decided I like it deeper, but also like the easier access, so I ended up with a piece of angle iron across one opening, and using the other opening as the side I add the steel from. Very early days for me, but it is working ok for me! First picture is with fire pot across the frame, shallower depth, second picture dropped in to the frame for the deeper depth (frame acting as back of fire pot) . Last photo is with a bit of steel welded across the back and the front left open as described. With the steel welded in I dont have to worry about it moving away from the frame and possibly letting the back of my fire fall out!

Well after a successful run playing with the forge the other day using charcoal as the fuel, I decided to have another go this morning using wood. Drilled 4 x 15mm holes in the end cap on the T piece as a quick way to reduce the air flow and it made it much better, ran the fire with the flap about half open and it went well. My son had scrounged the wood from an old fence his girl friends family had replaced.for use in his metal melting setup, but left it sitting in the yard for 6 months or so. So I decided to cut some of the hard wood palings off it and see how it went for fuel in the forge. Ended up using about half a bucket, would have been less if I had religiously remembered to turn off the blower when I took the metal out of the fire! Pretty good really. Made myself a little fire scraper / rake I had seen Andy McKenzie make on U Tube, went pretty well. Made it out of some 12mm reinforcing bar I had scrounged second hand for $5 per 6m length specifically to have a play with my forge with. Certainly happy enough with the result of my endeavours. Must say all the pen pushing in recent years instead of physical work has not helped in the stamina area, an hour of hammering and I was knackered.

What a disgusting example of litter. I hoped you cleaned it up.

yeah that'd move a bit of metal!

Kalithir, I to fired my forge up for the first time over the weekend, reading your post was like reading a history of my own day Had all those issues, went through a tonne of fuel (charcoal in my case), burnt the first inch off the bit of bar I stuck in the fire, but had a ball doing it.! I did appreciate the tongs I had though, when I ordered 2 pair from an Australian supplier they rang me up as one set was out of stock, and after speaking to me suggested another set. The other set they suggested were made specifically to hold flat stock and they were brilliant!

cheers Frosty. Think a reducer might be the first thing I investigate. Don't want to restrict inflow side, as the air does cool the motor by the look of it.

clever idea! and looks very nice !

Well it is certainly plenty of air, actually seemed to run about right with the air bleed fully open, started it with it closed and the forge looked like the rear end of a jet fighter. Will look to put a rheostat in the 12 volt supply I think, make it more adjustable.

Well I did indeed go with the boat bilge blower, hit the hardware shop for the extra bits, put it all on the bench, had a think about it for a day or two, then put it together. Specs - The bilge blower as it came, 90cfm rated. 12 volt, rated for continuous operation, draws 3 amps, 75mm outlet. So using one of my smaller deep cycle batteries will give me a good day of blow before I have to worry about recharging. Use - Feeding my charcoal fire pot through a 75mm rhs bottom feed inlet. You will note the fire pot is designed to drop in to the frame of one of my steel cut off benches. Glued a 90mm T piece onto the blower, as the only flexi ducting pipe I could get at the local hardware was 100mm, (blower has a 75mm outlet). With the threaded end on the T piece, its external diameter makes it a near snug fit in the end of the flexi pipe. Just loose fitting the end plug in to the T piece at the moment. Also got a 100mm metal rain gutter fitting to act as the inlet for the bottom of the forge so the flexi pipe can connect it to and pretty much done. Used silastic to glue the various bits together, strong, takes good heat, flexible. Everything is pretty lose around the connections etc, including my air adjusting flap on the bottom of the forge, but when I fire up the blower there is plenty of air coming through the forge despite the leaks, so I reckon I will try it out just as it is. If I have to many leaks I will break out the duct tape, but if I can avoid using the tape, it will be much easier to assemble and take apart for storage. A few photo's.