Ted Ewert

That was a blister well earned. Nice work. 

The only blisters I get these days are from burns. Those seem to dissappear within a day or so, not as deep. 

I don't see any swedge blocks for sale out here on the west coast. There weren't nearly the number of smithies out here since it was settled so much later.

It was more like cursing a blue lake.

Thanks Frosty. I'll give it a try on your say so. 

I started cleaning off my main workbench yesterday, which bled into today. I also decided to sharpen my drill bits, just the round ones, with my little drill doctor. I must have nearly 100 bits. I think they invite their friends over when I turn the lights off.

Anyway, I had one 7/16" bit that wouldn't cut even though the edge was sharp. I put some diechem on the face to see what the problem was. In the process I managed to tip the bottle over. Then I tried to catch it before it fell off the bench. 

Suddenly I was in a world of blue. Salty language poured forth as I frantically tried to find something to soak it up with. Rags were everywhere a few hours before, but not when I needed one most. 

The faster I tried to get things out of the path of a rapidly spreading pool, the more I splashed it everywhere else. The blue plague engulfed everything.

Luckily I have a spray can of brake cleaner on the bench. It's one of those steel bottles you can refill then put compressed air in. That kept the diechem from drying immediately, which made it easier to spread even more.

If I had the forge lit the whole place would have gone up in flames just from the fumes.

I'm typing this now with blue fingers, and my blue jeans got much darker. I don't know what ever happened to the drill bit.  

I've been here off and on since then. 

These small swedge blocks are good for shaping all kinds of things. It's far easier pound metal into a swedge than around a form.

It's pretty much the same as the day I built it. Mind you I'm not using a sledge hammer on it, but for regular hammer work it's fine. There's a couple of hairline cracks in the concrete on one side, but no spalling at all. The cracks might be from when it fell off the bench. 

I used concrete because it's cheap, strong, easy to use and withstands heat. It's certainly not the only filler

It's a decent alternative to solid steel, and easy to make. I use it a lot more than I thought I would. 

Sorry I didn't get back to you guys sooner. I'm using a propane forge and I try and keep the flame neutral, but things change as it gets hotter.

I think Frosty's idea is probably close if not right. I have never seen scale rust. I've collected magnetite (fe3O4) on the beach. After a storm all the white sand washes away and the beach is nothing but black sand. If salt water won't rust it...

This stuff appears more as a deposit than a reaction. Now that I think of it, it accumulates mostly on the parts of the steel which are exposed to the flame. It's also most prevalent when the forge is heating up.

I'll keep an eye on it to more accurately note the conditions. 

Ordered some, thanks for the suggestion. 

Looks good, an Area 51 bottle opener. Nice depiction of a gray. You might even want to make a big oval eye punch.

Looking good. Twisting 1.5" cold is some serious torque. I'd have to get it to welding heat just to budge it. 

The blue looks nice with the white. Never seen that combo on a machine before but you made it work.

It's a clean machine. 

I'll try your suggestions next time. I may try and salvage this build with some of that plistex you mentioned. The other stuff I used just flaked off.

Beautiful urn JHCC. What a nice way to honor your father. 

Bigdoc, I just drilled regular holes in the hooks, don't have any of those fancy oval bits. 

Lots of ways to do the twist. I made a twsting rod with two holes the same distance apart as those in the hooks. That way it was easy to slid the hook on and set it in place. I roughly estimated the distance between the hooks and made a punch mark where they should be. I used the bending jig from my last project to make the arc.

I did make an attempt at an oval in the middle of the mounting plate. All I can think of when I look at it now is the eye of Sauron. I kind of like the ice cream cone finials though. 

I have Chubby Checkers in my head now singing "Let's do the twist".

Here's an article that takes a little of the fiction out of Sci-fi.

https://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/09/25/nasa-bring-scientists-theologians-together-to-prepare-world-for-extraterrestrial-contact/

As I said, I used a mold and mixed the refractory according to the manufacturers instructions. I led it sit in the mold for a few days before removing it. The mold is a tube shape, and to add a floor to the mold causes problems getting it apart after curing. This, among other reasons, is why I chose to add the floor afterwards. 

I have used this method in the past with no problems. I also use my forge daily which causes a lot of wear and tear, not to mention thermal cycling. The cracking is not a big concern because the tube is supported by the insulation. In fact, the cracking may be due to the tube being packed too tightly, not allowing for adequate expansion. Nevertheless, the edge of the floor is starting to wear away where the flame stream hits it. I can only attribute that to a material failure / design flaw.

The only other thing I can think of is that this Kast-o-lite is not brand new. Its been in a tightly sealed container for a little over a year. This may be part of the problem.

On the other hand, the doors are holding up just fine. Those were also cast out of the same material.

I only used the Kast o lite because I already had it, and I knew I could drill out the holes for the gas tubes. Next time I'll cast the holes in, and possibly the floor, and I'm going to use some reinforcement.

Kast o lite is generally a good refractory material, but it has its limitations. Obviously I have exceeded those limitations and will have to account for them if I used it again.

One last note. I have casted  many similar tubes in the past using portland cement as a base adhesive. This was for another experimental project I was undertaking, but it caused me to become quite familiar with the mixing, casting and curing process of mortars. I can't rule out pilot error, but this is not new to me either. 

I have to agree with everything Mikey has shared in this thread. Pig headed individuals like myself generally learn the hard way, but I've come to the same conclusions so wisely laid forth here. 

I've built a number of gas forges and each one is smaller than the last. My latest is a 5 tube ribbon type design and I have already removed one of the tubes. My fuel consumption is probably 80 percent less than that of my original designes, and I can easily get to welding temp.

"Forge" is a bit of a misnomer. High temperature gas oven is a closer description. Heat retention is everything. I have 2" of wool and an inch of kast o lite. The doors are 2" kast o lite. 

Note on kast o lite. I recently recasted the lining of my oven. It's already falling apart. I did not use the stainless needles this time and I think that's the cause. It has cracked lengthwise in two places and the floor is crumbling. I tried using a liner this time and it all fell off.

Structurally kast o lite is garbage. It needs some reinforcement to stay together. I'm going to try putting some course stainless screen inside the tube and the floor next time. 

I cast the tube (liner) in a mold I made. I then insert it into the preinsulated shell and pack any gaps with wool. Then I poor a level floor. 

Before I insert the tube I install a few stainless quarter inch bolts where the floor is going to be, to anchor the floor. Kast o lite will not stick to cured kast o lite. Kast o lite can be drilled with a masonry bit, but don't use a hammer drill. Go slow and gentle and it works fine. Oh, and make sure your piece is well supported before drilling. I made a wooden cradle to support the tube.

One last thing... take heed of Mikey's wisdom. 

Love the rake idea. I may use that. Thanks!

Thanks, weaving those hooks in and trying to keep it straight was a bit tricky. Sometimes I wish I had a coal forge because stuff like this won't fit into my little gas oven. Lots of torch work. 

I heard he got transferred to the turbo encabulator plant. 

New twist in tool hanger design. 

Mechanic to customer: Bad news ma'am, your hydraulic lines leading to the trunion boss are spalted. 

Whatever that forklift tine is made from is good tough material. Nice haul.

I only turn to alternative sources when I smell fish, which is quite often these days. The Kennedy assassination, 911, the current covid vaccine, etc. Call me a kook if you want, but I'm tired of being lied to by the government and the press.

I worked for ABC TV in a technical capacity for over 30 years. I saw firsthand how the news went from mostly objective journalism to blatant propaganda. This coincided with ownership rules being relaxed where now you have 6 major corporations owning 90 percent of the mainstream press.

I saw the raw footage compared to the end result. What you see on TV is often highly manipulated to convey the message they want you to hear, not what actually happened. 

Consequently, I don't believe a word they say. That's why I get my information elsewhere. 

I put a coat of clear satin paint on it. I use that finish on a lot of the stuff I make. I like to see the steel. 

On the next piece I'm going to try not bending the mount and instead come out of the ends with a sharp bend into the twist. I think it will look similar enough to live on an opposite wall. 

Hi Frosty, I'd be happy to go into more detail for you, but it's been quite a few years since I read the book so I'll have to refresh my memory. 

As a note, alternative science is generally not well received by established science. There are few rigorous protocols employed  because the topics being studied rarely lend themselves to it. Many times it's just a collection of observations and an opinion. 

That doesn't bother me, and frankly, I don't see anything wrong with it. I know it's not cold hard fact but it's interesting nonetheless. 

I use 4140 for my power hammer dies. It works great in that application, but it doesn't develop much of a surface hardness. Like others have said, it's a tough steel but I wouldn't personally use it for any edged tools.