WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith

Check out the attachments at the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com. There are two attachments and you can see how I like to build a gas forge. Let me know if I can help you.

That would probably be Jimmy Hyde from Ellenwood, Ga. a suburb just outside Atlanta. Jimmy died early this year. He was a near and dear friend. He was active in the Alex Bealer Blacksmith Association, OBG, Alabama Forge Council and always attended and sometimes demonstrated at Bowie Claiborne's Hammer-in in Knoxville.

Tom was a champion Motor Cross rider, Bulls Eye marksman and won just about every forging contest he ever entered. There were probably other contests that he entered that I don't know about. Tom was just a born competitor but never a gambler..

OK, how many of you remember Tom Clark, Ozark School of Blacksmithing? In this video from the old TV show, "That's Amazing" Tom, with his axe, was pitted against two big old boys and a hydraulic log splitter. There was another video but I could not find it. In the other video Tom split the cord of wood with his axe before the other two guys got their cord split. The guys complained and claimed that it was a trick, maybe easy to split wood and they go harder to split wood. Tom said, "Do you want to do it again, right now? You pick the cord you want and pick the cord for me." Then the little, maybe 140# Tom Clark split this cord and beat them again. Then just to show off he stood a penny match on a log and did a full swing. The match was gone and the guys were saying that he had just knocked it off and it flew off somewhere. Tom said, "Come look at this" and Tom picked his axe up from where it was laying on the stump and there was 1/2 of the penny match, split exactly in half lengthwise. The guys tucked their tails and left without another word. It did not matter what contest Tom entered, Log Splitting, Motor cross, Bulls Eye pistol shooting, blacksmithing he always won. The only contest that he ever did not win was bladder cancer,,,,but he sure did try. Xxxx I miss that guy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95Z2UXEFUIw

In Alabama the cops had to quit putting 911 on the patrol cars. They kept getting stolen, thieves thinking that they were Porsches.

I just posted this in answer to your post over on www.Bladesmithsforum.com. Check out the attachments on the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com. The Build a Gas Forge attachment will show you how I like to build a good, long lasting efficient forge. I wrote this when I was using a venturi burner but now I use a Ribbon Burner. If you want to use a venturi burner Frosty's T Burner is probably the simpilest to build and the materials are easy to get. You can find lots of posts about this on www.IForgeIron.com. Go there and just do a search. Let me know if I can help you.

As to building one check out the attachments on the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com. The Build a Gas Forge I wrote when I was still using venturi burners. Then I moved to a Ribbon Burner (the second attachment). I built the forge the same way but installed the Ribbon Burner straight down from the top. With the Ribbon Burner you don't have to worry about the hot spot because in a 20# Propane Bottle Forge the burner is 6" long and is actually about 27 individual burners. I forge weld Damascus billets in my forge with 1/2 pound of Propane pressure and I don't use flux. I do use a Pyrometer at 2315 degrees. Let me know if I can help you.

You need to move the ball valve and hose further away from the forge. A length of copper tubing or black steel pipe long enough to get the ball valve several inches beyond the side of the forge. It would also help to paint the interior with an infrared reflective product, such as Metrikote or Plistix. Let me know if I can help you.

I was taught in my first class, Hot metal goes on the floor. I thought that was dumb. If you have a forge (we were using coal) with a fire in it why not put it on the forge. Then I found out, unfortunately, it is easy to pick up a hot piece lying on the forge. Of course what Nate was talking about was a piece that he was still working on. Don't worry, it will heal.

Well, I actually saw one that was worse yesterday at the "Highway 127 Worlds Longest Yard Sale". It looked to be about 50# and had a price tag of $269.50. I also saw a decent swage about 100# for $900.00. They sure were proud of their stuff. I didn't buy either one!

"Abby was one of the dogs responsible for saving my life when the birch got me. She hasn't had good experiences with ambulances. Anyway, she's taking it easy in her own bed and..." I had to read that twice. I thought, "Abby is sleeping in her own bed? Had she been crowding Frosty out of his?" Good news, Buddy.

Huh?

I don't think that I have ever seen an anvil in worse shape.

If you are using less pressure isn't that less gas? I have seen some information about non blown ribbon burners but no detail. I think that you need the blower to get the gas and enough air through the many holes and aid the disbursal. Let me know what you find out.

You do not gain that much more insolating value for the smaller interior size. 1" of blanket and about 1/2" of Kast-0-Lite and a coat of infrared reflective product (Plistix or Metrikote) will provide a long lasting, efficient forge. If you use a 20# Propane tank with 1" of blanket and 1/2" of Kast-0-Lite you will have a 7 1/2" chamber. You can then block up the openings as needed. I run my Ribbon Burner forge with about 1/2# of pressure at the regulator. Before, with a venture burner I ran from 5 to 7# pressure.

Check out the attachments at the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com. Let me know if I can help you.

Many US blacksmiths will not do the wiring on lighting fixtures because of UL certification and insurance issues. You may be better off shipping it without wiring. Especially with it being an import.

You are starting way to big. Check out the attachments on the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com for instructions on how I like to build a forge. Let me know if I can help you.

Probably not damage, a modification for a specific purpose. Like forging specific tapers consistently. Of course, the chip out of the side is damage. Often smiths would modify their anvils to be more useful. In this case it was probably used in an industrial shop and those tapers were about the only thing that anvil was used for.

To get a Freon tank just go to the local HVAC guy. They use tons of them and can't get rid of them. They can't recycle them. Be careful when you go ask for one, if you don't watch closely they will fill up the back of your pick up. The same is true of auto repair shops that do AC work. Let me know if I can help you.

When I first got interested in Ribbon Burners I cut a bunch of 3/8s diameter round rod and wrapped them with painter's tape. The ends stuck out enough that I could grab them with vice grips and work them out. I also used painter's tape for a release on the form. I thought at the time that I would be making the burners and selling them and wanted to avoid buying a big box of crayons every time that I was going to cast a burner. Again I found out that I would rather figure out the process but after making a few I wanted to move on to something else. Same with building forges and Moe's belt grinder. I do better at selling the supplies needed by blacksmiths and bladesmiths than building the grinders, forges, burners, knives or other items.

Frosty, the information on the crayons is in John's tutorial on my web site: but drill them out. You do not want the mess of a bunch of melted crayons in either your gas or coal forge. Let me know if I can help you.

No I didn't heat or put the burner into a forge to "set" it. That might be the trick. The two castables I use work well right out of the form though. I feel that it is better to go with the tougher stuff JIC. It sure is disappointing to spend the time and crayons, and castable only to have it break apart. Thanks for passing the info along.

Frosty, I was talking about the Kast-0-Lite 30 as being to weak for the Ribbon Burner. The first one that I cast broke apart when I was first trying to install it. Had I gotten it into the bracket that first time it probably would have been ok.

Frosty, I have had up to 5 teen age boys taking classes and using my forge and the only time there was any damage was when one was making a rasp asp and got it in the forge but then was trying to force it out and broke off a little corner before I caught him and explained, gently, "If you got it in easily it will come out easily!" Latticino, no the Kast-0-Lite 30 is not as strong as Mizzou or Greancast 94 but it is plenty strong enough for casting the interior of a forge. It is not strong enough for the Ribbon Burner though, that is why I sell them for the Ribbon Burners. According to your insolating comments 1/2" of Kast-0-Lite and 1" of blanket would be equivalent of 1 1/2" of blanket. I can have my forge running all day and at the end reach up and touch the outside. Now, I don't grab it or hug it. I credit this to the blanket and Kast-0-Lite and the Metrikote that I paint over the casting. It reflects the heat back into the forge where it is needed. Let me know if I can help you.