Alcueso

Yup.

Going from 30 lb of railroad track to Vulcan 1944 100# for $200. I thought It was a good deal. Any feedback? I assume a lot of people will say “heat and beat” but do I need to do anything to it? Was thinking of wire cup / wheel and maybe some black paint or linseed oil for the base. Anything for the edges? Face has no sway, but some cuts. I’m basically feeling that to dont do anything besides the wire wheels.

Thanks for the tips!

Starting to get my forge going and a buddy offered me some metal he found in his dad's garage. Before I take it and do anything, I wanted to confirm that theses are plated with Zinc or galavnized and therefore don't use em, or grind it off first. My instinct says yes The ends have rust but not along the shaft. So I wanted to be sure. If I could use them , I would just heat up the metal and pound on it to learn more about how to move metal.

Recently acquired a coal forge. Came with a working blower that seems in good condition. Nothing seized and cranking it seems very smooth. I would like to clean it a bit, service it, and maybe paint it. Before I go opening it up, can anyone help me ID it? It's says Champion but no model. On the top of the gear box assembly is a little flip cap, presumably for adding oil into the gears.

If i can get this cheaply, would this work? http://alsey.com/assets/pdf/product_data_sheets/Hi-Cast_45_Hi-Cast_60_Refractory_Castable_05252018.pdf

I have seen these concerns about using Portland. If the clay i linked isn't the right one, which is the right "fire clay"? and what would be the ratio between the sand and clay?

The plan for now was charcoal. Trying to keep costs low. I know a lot of people try to get into blacksmith and just fizzle out. regarding the refactory, is the concern about the cement that I won't bake it out at increasing temps before I try to get it up to forge temps? what ratio do you suggest between sand and clay? I assume it's also enough water to get it moist and clumpy but not slurry likeAnd just to make sure - this is the fire clay I mean to use. Hawthorn Bond Fire Clay 35 M 50 pound bag I've had a lot of trouble figuring out what this is.

I am planning on building my first forge out of an old kettle style bbq grill. The grill is 22.5 inches round. The plan is to seal up the bottom vent and Macguyver up a way to connect the tuyere through the bottom, probably black pipe and a flange at the top My big concern is how to line the forge with refactory. The mix will be 3:3:4:4 Portland Cement: Perlite : Sand : fire clay. I have made a janky sketch of what i think the liner should look like. I want to ensure enough refactory, but I don't want to be be super heavy either. Was gonna go for a two inches on the bottom, at least an inch around all the sides, and maybe making a bowl / pit near the air pipe. Will this be sufficient? Can I get some feedback on this plan.

Thanks for the tips everyone. Looks like the answer is leave it alone, forge the rust off and be able to mount the rail in different orientations. Next comes the forge itself =)

Greetings all. I am working on getting the components for my forge together and I had a question on getting my lenght of railroad track prepped. One choice to is grind off the rust. But the head of the track appears pretty smooth with little pitting. I want to avoid the risks of my inexperienced grinding causing a less flat surface for hammering. I understand that working the grinder carefully is probably a better learning experience though. Alternatively, I could use a vinegar bath, followed by a baking soda / water rinse, followed by some oil/wd-40 to help avoid insta-rust. Is this a better alternative? Perhaps followed by a light grinding? id post in the anvil forum but I can't create anew topic Thanks