MishlessFeat

Thanks everyone. You have no idea how helpful your responses have been.

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm sorry I think I used the wrong terminology with regards to the clinker breaker. The only ones that I have seen in person had a bar under the table to wiggle the breaker. That bar is what I meant. But as I look at the 3rd picture I think I see the back end of that bar at the junction of the pot and tuyere and the working end must just be sticking out the other side and not pictured.

I don't know if this is the same company but there is a Libert Machine still in Green Bay. You could contact them and they may be able to give you some information based on the serial number (or whatever that number is - A1598 1236) at the bottom of the label plate. 324 N Roosevelt St, Green Bay, WI 54301 (920) 432-2408

Hello to all who don't have me on their ignore list. A reasonably local forge, meaning within a decent drive that is doable, that is for sale has come to my attention and I wanted to ask for some help with pricing. The table is 30x30" and 27" high with a Centaur forge pot, a Champion #40 blower, the connecting pipe. Asking price is $600. All I have to compare it to is a new table set up from Centaur Forge, Blacksmith's Depot, or Pieh and JABOD. Fair price? What questions should I ask beyond "Is it working?" (which reportedly it is and reportedly has been well cared for. Seller is well respected by everyone I have spoken to as well). I'm not sure I see a clinker breaker handle or ash dump handle but have to defer to knowledgeable eyes. Any thoughts and/or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Sounds like you may have melted some sand into glass, which would be expected, to go along with your clinker. By "tank" I assume you mean the bosh. The water certainly does get hot in the bosh as it transfers heat away from the tuyere. If by "tank" you mean a metal bucket, move it further from the fire

It depends on the manufacturer, the wheel and typically the grit. I have CBN wheels in my woodshop to sharpen my HSS lathe tools and would never try to grind on the sides as mine are not designed with any CBN material on the side to speak of. Optigrind does have CBN wheels that they say are ok. "All of our standard grit 170/200 wheels come with the CBN coating on the side to enable side grinding. We do also supply our wheels in other grits. A coarser grit wheel may be used for reshaping. Most of our customers would not use the side grind for reshaping. For that reason and to maintain the consistent prices of our wheels, coarser grit wheels do not come with the CBN coating on the side." Source: http://www.optigrind.com/ http://www.optigrind.com/page_2538178.html

Been busy reading the site for a few weeks, joined my local blacksmith association, and decided it is time to sign up here. Entirely new to the craft but have been drawn to it along with my two youngest kids who also want to learn. Actually my son has joined ABANA as he was too young to join our local group. I don't know if he is the youngest ABANA member but at 7 years old he may be close. We will eventually get both a simple side blast forge (thanks Charles, et al) and a fuigo (having spent several years of my life in Japan, I feel a little connection there) built and at least an ASO so we can start the lifelong process of practicing. Although my extremely-supportive-of-all-of-my-hobbies wife just last week said, "You have told me for so many years, no matter what I needed to buy, that it is better to 'buy once, cry once.' You never stop doing any fabricating or creative hobbies once you start them. You keep all of your tools forever and don't buy junk. So, why don't you get a new Refflinghaus that you can just keep forever and pass down to the kids or grandkids when you die?" So that ASO may just never happen. I had to look up Refflinghaus after she asked me as I hadn't gotten as far as anvils in my research yet. Yeah, she's that supportive. Plan on getting Mark Aspery's books as the first additions to the library. Big thank you to all who have shared their knowledge here to keep the craft alive. Any advice when we seem to be going off in the wrong direction would be greatly appreciated. Any good or even stupid questions asked from this account will definitely be from one of my children. The really stupid questions will all be mine.