ohowson

Although I'm considering a gas forge at the moment in other thoughts, I really like the idea of a coal forge in my dream relatively-traditional-ish off-grid building. They smell of Yorkshire! But I do want a gas forge so I'm going to look into venturi burners. What I'm struggling to see is how long a gas bottle will actually last, they're not particularly cheap over here!

No but they’re electric free. As in free electric (ok I put the wrong title on)

You can definitely lump them together. A voltage regulator will sort out variations of course. If there was one which ran at 100c most effectively then the easiest thing would be a water boiler. I do like the idea of a steam engine running off it as well!

not enough wind - our garden is quite sheltered (mainly due to the 40' trees!). Ditto solar.

We're not allowed guns over here but any birds that try to eat my pears are getting a lump of iron in the face.

With issue 1, I'm trying to figure out how hot the peltier units can take (and I'm not sure how hot forges would get inside a chimney etc as I don't have a chimney at the moment) and the cooling aspect. If we can get things just-so it would probably be possible to use the water bucket as the cooling. I need to do some maths, may be a car battery could be used as a power source and then peltier units used in conjunction with others to charge it up. That way could include lighting and the like.

Ok, let's get one thing out there: I'm not looking at a hand-blower! I don't mind physical labour but that feels like "exercise" which does not appeal to me. BUT I was thinking; we have these great first that take just a little bit of air, and let's face it, most of the heat goes straight up the chimney. So I was thinking, has anybody tried (or thought about): 1. Using peltier heat exchangers to power the blower. Mine currently runs at 3-12v and less than 1A - not a lot! Once the fire is lit it should swiftly produce enough heat to generate that much. 2. Using a heat exchanger to warm a working area. I've not had my forge long enough yet but I forge outside under a shelter (no sides bar the rear wall) with the forge further out so as not to melt the roof or the overhanging pear tree. As we know, heat goes up, could we surround a chimney with heat-exchange pipe and throw it through a car radiator/heat exchanger with another fan to warm the area? I'm thinking this partly because I like the idea, partly because one day when I can find someone daft enough to sell me a tiny bit of land I want to build a little off-grid forge. Somewhere in Buckinghamshire, between Banbury and Milton Keynes, preferably.

I like the idea but not a member of the group. Do I need to google you?

Any examples of ordinary bench vices being mounted to stands? I don't really have a workbench as such so I need to build something for the rusty pile of rubbish I'm picking up this evening!

No sparks; next time I fire the forge up I'll do some experimenting. And yes - 2nd degree on four fingers. forgot I'd flipped a bar around, had *just* lost colour (I wasn't paying attention - was forging whilst 'working from home'). Life lesson, hasn't put me off and I got some nice meds from A&E

Yes, that’s what I said. I was using other steel at the same time - both thicker and thinner - that didn’t burn like that. As you say - mystery metal - it’s no biggy I have lots of steel to play with.

Odd that only that metal burns wouldn’t you say though? Nothing else I have done - including much thinner stuff - has done that.

That's what (some) people on reddit suggested. Didn't get it hot enough to burn it. I'll leave it in the scrap bin for now and either trade it in or work it when I get more experience. Was hoping to make some wrist cuffs from it but possibly not experienced enough to roll hinges yet!

I like reusing old steel - partly because new steel is hard to buy cheaply here but mainly because it feels like the right thing to do. Plus you never know what you’re going to get. I picked up a bunch of steel the other day - probably an inch wide by I dunno, 1/16? 1/8? I’m not so good with imperial a looks about 3-4mm whenever I try to work it it’s just splitting - totally unusable. Is this something I’m doing wrong or is it more likely the steel is so overworked it’s broken down? I’m amateur status - did have a good look through but couldn’t see any useful posts on this.

I’ll give it a go when I get chance and report back.

| | \/ ======= ====== Like this? Then push it through? And I'd have to hit in the angle? I think that may be a bit beyond my skills at the moment but I'm willing to give it a go! Thinking more before anyone gets chance to respond: Is the hole *narrower* than the hasp and I hammer on the top of the U of the hasp to drive it down and weld it? That would be MAD clever!

I'm very much a novice, but I have a few relatively basic projects in my mind. One thing I want to do is to forge weld a hoop or hasp end-on to a bit of flat bar. Let's see if I can ASCII-art this one.... Ok so that looks dodgier than I intended - but hopefully makes sense - with the hasp standing up from the flat bar and the two ends (marked by Xs) forge welded. ____ / \ /===|====|========================/ / | | / / X X / / / /=================================/ Am I flogging a dead horse with this? Should I just arc weld them (I don't have a MIG) and then do some heating and battering to make sure they look forged?