Lee188

How much lighting is too much what's probably not enough? Not a fan of a real dark shop as it's harder to see tools, forging in the sunlight also not fun as colors look weird. So what does everyone else do? Do you use any lighting? What level of brightness do you like?

From what I have found all the old stone and brick forges where jbod forges. Colonial Williamsburg uses brick but it's just a box,I believe they are filled with ash. If you're plan was to use the blocks to make a jbod then you can use just about whatever you want as the fire is far enough away from the block. If you are wanting to build something small or have the fire right on the block listen to the other guys, no sense hurting yourself or others with spalls blowing off or doing all that work and have it not look how you plan answer a couple months.

Hello all, I hope I all parting this in the right place. I have been wanting to make a set of great bellows for a while to reduce the number of power cords around the forge. I can find all kinds of info on length and width, I have seen info that says the top should be twice the size of the bottom and some saying the bottom should be twice the size of the top.... What I can see to find is how much they should open. I'm looking to make them 3'-4' wide and roughly 5' long. But how wide should they open? Any help and info would be greatly appreciated.

Your best bet on information if you are still looking is to search online for the code book for your location, you will be looking for residential code not out building or forge or anything else since we are a anomaly within the system, if you adhere to the residential code and permit it so one has a right to complain if you just adhere to the residential code you should be safe then take the advice of these other gentlemen and increase size accordingly to make it work right. If you lived in my area I could help more with code especially over lunch, also the local library should carry building code books, they are hard to read and find the right info so good luck

Long story short, the wife doesn't like my 10x10 workspace on the side of the house and wants me to get rid of the forge set up ( not happening) or move it indoors. My indoor space I get is a 10x12 shed with only 3' walls before the barn roof starts sloping, oh and a wood floor. Due to a lack of storage space in general this space gets to include, forge, anvil and a post vice....... And 3 saddles+ tack, table saw, chop saw, and a good amount of handheld tools, a dozen fishing poles and archery equipment. I am going to try to get rid of everything else in the shed if that's where I have to move my work area. Building another shed is out of the question at the moment. If course I am going to try to talk her out of it, putting a 2000° fire, and hot metal in a wooden building that small right next to another wooden building full of the family stuff is in my opinion a really bad idea but I do have to live with her. ( Debating that one) I need to rebuild my forge, currently a large wooden jbod thinking of making another jbod from a semi brake drum and a sheet metal table as the current one is too big for the space, and sitting out in the weather has caused some deterioration in the structural integrity of the forge. Ventilation isn't much of a problem, that I can do for little or no cost, everything else has to be done an a budget of about $10. Average material size to be worked is ⅜ with the occasional ¾ up to 2" for tooling.Any other suggestions, ideas, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thankfully I don't get frustrated to easily and tend to work on a problem until I win. I figured it will be a bit of a chore to make a set but not nearly as bad as trying to make hardi tools out of 2" tool steel, at least I don't imagine they would use mild steel to as pump motor shaft. I picked up some ¾" cold rolled today would that be thick enough or I have some coil spring about that size as well if you think it would be better.

Thinking of trying to make some hardi tools with some 1 15/16 in motor shaft what kind of tongs would you all recommend so I can make those first.

I was looking at that earlier and wondered if I should grind down any questionable areas and repair the whole edge

Wile at work a couple weeks ago I came across a very generous individual who sent me home with an anvil and stand. Hopefully I can get out and use it today, if I can get my forge rebuilt.

Is there a reason the coal won't burn? I know the people who owned the home passed away recently so the place was sold kinda as is. The new owner doesn't want to burn the coal in the furnace and plans on just using the fireplace instead. I may install a grate at the bottom of a large tube and insert something like a asphalt tamper in there too keep things contained and maybe let it fall into a bucket from there. Just looking for ideas

Growing old is mandatory Growing up is an option. Grandma

It looks great! You installing those for others for free;)

Read a few pages here yesterday and thought I take some advice from you guys. Saw a yard sale at a old barn getting set up thought I would stop and check if there was anything they didn't want to move, I'm looking for another forge something better than railroad rail for an anvil and I need a good vice none of that unfortunately but I did find a pile of coal for $35 and she wants to pay me to reinstall a fireplace in the barn so it should work out to free or I get a few bucks to haul off the coal. The lady buys up estate sales regularly and said she'll keep a look out for the other stuff as she just sold the 120lb anvil for under a buck a lb

Just found a nice deal, roughly 1000 lbs of coal for $35 some of it is usable as is some pieces are bigger than my head. Most of the coal I have been able to buy is fist size and I have been breaking it all up with a hammer in a bucket. Any ideas on a better method? I normally can buy it 100lbs for $15 so I want to use all I can.

Newbielike if I read things correctly it's taken you some time to gather materials to make this forge and it's going to be one of if not your first forge? If this is the case may I suggest making it from wood or something cheap first according to your design. The jbod seems to be a great and inexpensive method, then you could move the pot and fences around as well as play with sizes of pot and work area over the course of a couple weeks. Then you could essentially test your plan and tweak it accordingly before you commit the material you saved so long for to something you may or may not be totally happy with. Just a suggestion as I am myself working on forge number 6 as of tonight. Good luck.