Pat Roy

100 CFM should be good for the purpose. There are several ways to control the air flow: a plate to partially block the inlet, a slide gate to block the discharge or a rheostat to control the speed of the motor. I have all three in service, but then I bought way to much blower capacity. I used the rheostat to control the speed and keep the noise down. I use the slide gate on the discharge as a shutoff.

I bought a blower from a blacksmith supplier, don't remember which. Didn't know what size to buy, got the biggest, 400 cfm. That was a mistake, too much air. The blower had an inlet damper and I got a slide gate for the outlet. With this configuration I could control the flow, however the blower was always going full speed ahead and the noise was awful. I put a dimmer on it and it worked but I was afraid the motor would burn out. I put an expensive reostat on it and it has been running that way for a couple years. If it ever burns out I will replace it with a small model or just use one of the hand cranks I already have in reserve.

Great tree Dan,

My daughter wanted something like that for Christmas but I ran out of time.

I like the texture tool idea. I have some flame cut steel laying about. I have made a variety of trees and have not been happy with the texture I could give them(but no one complained). It would be easy to cut half rounds of various sizes with a torch.

I have been attaching branches with an O/A torch and have thought about using a TIG. I need the torch practice.

two sixes do not make a twelve, just a little more than an eight.

Kate, I really like it. Nice design.

I need to try incoporating some glass in my work. That's an inspiration. I'm with Frosty on the glass request.

How tall is this gate?

PS: I suspected all along you were a girl.

I started out with a blower and slide gate for control. I bought too much blower. Although I could control the flow with the slide gate, I could not stand the noise of the blower. First I put a light dimmer on it and it worked but I worried about burning out the motor and replaced it with a proper control. Works fine and now I can hear the music playing.

I made my fire box and tuyere out of carbon steel plate, pipe and mechanical tubing. It has been operating with no ill effects for about 4 years. I worked with plans in McDaniels book(I don't remember the title of the book or McDaniels full name). If I did something right it was probably an accident.

Just to add my two cents on what has already been said.

I already have to wear glasses just to see so adding some form of safety glasses over them was a pain. I now use prescription safety glasses with side shields. But for some activities that isn't enough. One day when grinding I felt some debris hitting my forehead. I didn't feel anything in my eyes but some material was going over the top of my glasses. When I looked into the mirror I wondered what those spots were. The eye doctor knew and I spent some time in his chair as he pulled particles out of my eye. I would rather go to the dentist. No I wear the safety glasses and a face shield.

Also: usually a dust mask, sometimes hearing protection and one or more gloves.

I can't help you here. But they are good enough to be heat treatable.

Zinc, Chrome, Cadmium, etc., lots of the coatings on metals are "heavy metals." You can ingest them in dust form or metal fumes. They accumulate in your organs and never leave. Milk and Milk of Magnesia are probably old wives tales and won't do anything for you because you got the metal in through your lungs, not your stomach. Grinding indoors will leave the dust all over your shop and clothes, then you can share it with your wife and kids. Sound good so far?

I guess I got lucky the first time around. I built a fire pot with steel plate. The bottom has two slots like described in the post by HWoolbridge and no clinker breaker. I reach in periodically and pull out any clinkers. I attached a centrifugal blower(way to much capacity) with a slide gate. I could control the flow with the slide gate but couldn't stand the noise of the blower running full out all the time. So I bought a speed control for the blower and now can tune it down to a quiet level and still get plenty of air. I concocted a tuyere out of scrap pipe & square tube lying around and the whole thing is working out well. I haven'e put any kind of liner in the fire pot and after 4 years of weekend use it shows no sign of burning up.

There are two other tools I'm never without; my cell phone and my AAA card. Those two have got me out of many a pinch over the years.

I wonder what I look like in my shop. I wear a dust mask, safety glasses or face shield and hearing protection.

I converted my yard implement shed into my shop. It's a 12 X 20 wood frame structure with wood floor and not insulated. Double doors open up to 10 X 7 on one end and there is a passage door at the other end. I put up sheetrock on the walls and cement board on the floor to reduce the fire danger. I have my coal forge, welding machines, work bench, leg vise and various other items in there. In winter I heat with a kerosene heater. I buy a lot of my material from the local steel supplier and some I pick up at the transfer station for free. Most of the bought material comes in 20 foot lengths, so I bring tools and cut it in half so I can carry it in my truck. I've been wanting to build a power hammer but the wood frame floor won't take it and that might be crowding my space a bit. Until I had put up the smoke pipe, I had wheels on the forge and would roll it outside to work. That was okay until it rained or winter rolled in.

After reading the Paw Paw Wilson tragedy, I went into my shop and removed and discarded any iron with zinc or shiny coating on it; like cadmium coated bolts and nuts etc. I don't want to weld, grind burn or forge anything like that. A lot of painted metal isn't great for you either. I also wear a dust mask to keep the soot and dust out of my breathing apparatus. I want to enjoy my grandchildren for as long as possible.

I once applied boiled linseed oil right out of the can direct to a project. It took weeks to get past the tacky stage. And that included putting it into a warm oven for a while to try and cure it. Should I be thinning it and if so with what?

I turned my shed into my shop. It's a wood frame structure with a wood floor. Since I also use a torch and a couple welders in the shop, I protected the floor with 1/2" concrete board I got at Home Depot. After about a year it is holding up pretty well.

Archie,
See if you can find the old hand crank type blower. There are many around. Most of my blacksmithing friends use them. I could not find one in the time frame I was searching, so ended up with an electric blower. I think I would prefer the hand crank type. They have quite a bit of inertia and once you get them turning, they will keep turning for a little while. You don't have to crank constantly, just when you need air.
Also get the electricity fixed, you need it for light, grinder, electric drill, etc.

I bought some plans from Appalachain Power Hammers, but haven't dared to build one yet. I am working in a wood frame building and would destroy the place with a power hammer. A friend told me he set one up in his garage and quickly pounded a hole through the 4 inch thick concrete floor. I need to design a good foundation first.

I took a length of chain and attached an old horshoe to one end. I lag bolted the free end of the chain to my anvil stump and throw the chain over the anvil and step on the horshoe to add tension. Now I've bought a larger anvil and will have to make a length adjustment, but no big deal.

Hi all.

I'm new to the forum although I've poked around the various blacksmithing sites for a couple years. I have been blacksmithing for a few years and built my forge in my shed and moved all the yard tools to the garage. I find the work satisfying but need to work on my skills. I'm sure to learn a lot from you.