Irondragon Forge ClayWorks

Decided to return the burner tube back to it's original angle. Welded it in yesterday. Now to insulate it with Kaowool. Spent today cannibalizing a BBQ that someone dumped on our road for the cart. It's coming along. 

I am at the point of installing 2 1 inch layers of Kaowool. Planning to use Frosty's rigidizer  of 30 % Kaolin/ 70% kiln wash. My question is are the measurements by weight or volume?

Not a myth, but my wife's rule of thumb "In the Blacksmith shop if it ain't hot, it's sharp".

2 hours ago, EnglishDave said:

 Looks like I need to make stuff before I can make stuff this morning 

Welcome to the world of Blacksmithing, gotta make stuff (tools) to make other stuff.

If it were in my shop, it would be mildly dead. I hate big snakes, I hate little snakes, I hate sticks that look like snakes.

Great story Frosty. A friend of mine once found a wild turkey hung up in a hog wire fence. He thought it was dead so he put it in the cab of his truck and headed home. After going a short distance the turkey revived and proceeded to beat the living daylights out of him with it's wings and feet. Hearing Bill (nicknamed Kong) tell about it was so funny, I sure miss that guy and his turkey hunting stories.

Do a google search like this ("iforgeiron" stainless) without the parentheses, you will be surprised at the number of threads about it.

Made this bottom fuller from a cut off end of a drill (sucker) rod, can be used with anvil or vise.

Among those already mentioned is the metal chop saw. I have had more "close calls" with it than any other, including the power hammer. One of our club members who has decades of experience had his chop saw bite him and a trip to the ER and orthopedic surgeon was in order to sew his finger back on. Fortunately the outcome looks positive as he will be able to use that finger again after it's healed. He still can't figure out how it happened.

Talking about visitors, my father worked at a defense factory during WWII running a lathe making aircraft bearings. One day there were visiting Congress Men and my father was showing them how the stock was chucked up in the pneumatic chuck. As he was taking the stock out of the chuck one of the visitors leaned over to get a better look. He leaned against the lever and closed the chuck on my fathers fingers. They sewed his fingers back on but his index finger although healed was stiff because the knuckles were crushed.

Always be aware of where visitors are and what they are doing.

Good to know we can venture into alternative burners for forges. I am planning to try a Gaco MR-750 kiln burner that I have on hand. It's fairly large for a forge but it idles down to a soft flame at 2 psi and really cooks at 15 psi. I'm thinking at 2 psi it should heat my 20 lb propane tank forge economically.

The best way to get stock is go to the source, before it reaches the scrap yard.

Just some of the places are auto-truck repair shops for all kinds like axles, tie rods, sway bars, torsion rods, springs. Body shops for sheet metal and frame parts etc. most will save stuff and give it away. I made friends with the mechanics at our school bus garage and they saved me all the leaf springs they replaced for a lifetime supply.

My front property line runs along the middle of a long abandoned 1800s railroad line. The line is a county road and every time they would grade it a dozen or so spikes would surface and we picked them up to avoid flat tires. The county paved the road 15 years ago ending our spike collecting.

Thanks Dave, interesting read. With the Gaco-MR750 kiln burner I can idle it down to 2psi and get a soft flame at 76,880 btu or crank it up for 243,140 btu at 20psi. It may prove out to be too much burner though.

I did change the burner tube entry angle and with the burner I'm planning to use the flame is much larger in diameter than the home made burners. All the forges I have seen in use, the flame does contact the work but with the flame swirling I thought scale may be limited.

Thanks Wayne

Dropped the burner tube to nearly horizontal. Think that will work? I haven't attached the legs, so I can rotate the body if necessary. Also, with the six set screws I have some adjustment of the burner angle.

Yes I did read the attachment, was planning to put shelves at each end for the D opening. I don't think the picture angle shows the opening correctly, there is a 2 1/2 lip all around. We did use the collar as a template but cut the hole as a circle. The orifice is replaceable so I was going to wait on getting a .035-.040 to see if I can tune it with the .0625 that's in it.

The main thing I am concerned with is the angle of the burner tube, which I have changed. The picture shows the new angle.

Just getting started on our propane forge, made from an old outdated 20 pound tank.  Cut out the ends and opening for the burner holder so far. In the picture is the angle I think will work for the burner, a straight edge is in it to show the angle. Have not welded the holder in yet, waiting to see if all agree with the angle.

Also shown is the GACO-750 burner that has a 1 ¾ inch opening and a .0625 orifice.
When taking out the tank shutoff valve I had to make a tool out of 2 inch square stock using the metal cutting band saw. The real challenge was holding the tank to keep it from turning, finally had to strap it to a tree with ratchet strap’s and use a 5 foot pry bar (really tested the tensile strength of the straps). Cutting the tank with the plasma cutter was no problem. Filled it with water then added 1 cup of chlorine bleach, let it sit over night. Dumped out the water and no smell so the oil was washed out. Not even a “woof” when cutting.

The next step will be welding on legs then lining with 2 - 1 inch layers of  Kaowool &  ridgidize them. We plan on using kiln shelf for the floor and Satanite. Comments and suggestions are very welcome.

On 3/25/2017 at 2:21 AM, StumpingIron said:

Thanks for letting me know and it is going to be used as a sort of scribe for wood and also other things like a box cutter but the scribe is the main use and for the steel I have no idea I just picked a massive bar of it out of my friends backyard but it is very flexible but it is not hardened also the metal is 5mm thick thanks again.

For that use, I would forge it with a pineapple twist and ball for the pommel.

The website was discussed at the last NW chapter meeting in Siloam Springs, looking for a new web master. Hope we can find one, I'm technology declined (just barely able to navigate forums)  or I would take a shot at it.

My thought is it belongs in my shop, great looking anvil for sure.

48 minutes ago, 1776 said:

Aye. It is also important in the leather working world. What type of smoke pole do you have?

At last count I have 36 total. My favorites are the flintlocks and an original German Jaeger percussion in 58 caliber.

On 3/21/2017 at 10:00 PM, Jay.bro said:

Thank you I'm not sure what gave me the idea I just remember seeing something similar in an image search but it may have been a homemade propane forge but I just wondered about the appropriateness of the idea for solid fuel and thanks again man I have been reading several forums in here and I've already answered a few questions I had.

 

I thought I had put it on my profile before but it may not have saved. I'd love some hands on training I just thought I'd do my research before diving head first plus I know brake drum forges are portable so it's a possibility to forge side by side if the teacher only has a single forge if I find someone to teach me. Again thank you for your knowledge and opinion on the ideas I was curious about.

You might look into the Blacksmith Organization of Arkansas. There is a central chapter and river valley chapter with members all around you.

http://blacksmithsofarkansas.org/

Looking good.

Is that the one in Cambridge listed for $420.00? I wouldn't pay anywhere near that, maybe $125.00 if I saw it run.

Here is mine, been in service for 25+ years. The only cost was for the pipe and electricity + welding rods for the welder.

The blower was donated by a friend who owned Hanby Lumber & Milling that had a blacksmith shop in the early 1900s.

The body is cut down from a semi-trailer wheel with a 22 inch manhole ring as the table. The legs are a split grader blade. Everything scrounged from various sources.