Cross Pein

Well, I am getting a lot out of this. First and foremost a good fire pot - Roger Lorance's are very highly regarded. I found a phone number on the internet - but it was disconnected :mad: - But a search on this site had a different number (309 475-9012 - Thanks Brian). I will try that one next Friday - I have that day off. I did find one of his fire pots for sale at a website - but why not go right to the source. They seem less expensive than some I have looked at. I have read about sprinkling the coal with water when making coke- If I crack a brake drum I can recover - but a $400. fire pot / Tuyere - that has me thinking twice about any water anywhere near the casting. Is this a false concern or is there a way to prevent any possible damage? Also I need a large enough table - I won't have room for 4' X 4' like Richard Thibeau's, but 30" X 36" might be possible. I need to leave a pass-thru on the sides for longer pieces. I won't be doing any real long pieces for a long while - I expect making my tools is going to keep me busy for a good long time, but decorative iron work - railings and gates - may be in the future. By the way Richard, there is some stunning work on your website - I am in awe. I love the spider web gate. Divermike's Quench tray has me wondering - is that an advantage over a bucket on the ground? Also Brian's set-up is intriguing. I see the hand tools on one side and the handled tools on the other but I don't see the tools that I would expect to see the most hanging on his forge. Brian, where do you keep the tongs? Also Brian, Do you use a hood or windscreen of any kind? To answer ThomasPowers questions - and mind you that I was not very specific in my original post intentionally - I did not want a great idea to not come up because I had limited the possibilities. The forge I build will probably be rolled out of my barn or my shed until I make a permanent home for it. I would like it to be small enough for the first and strudy enough to be acceptable for the second. I figure the real trick will be moving the anvil around - I don't want to leave that exposed to the elements. My barn would be a great place for the smithy except for the wooden floor - no way it will be in there without some major reconfiguration. The 10'x12' shed is on the small side - especially given the 7' ceiling height. Thanks for all the help - and keep it coming. Bill

This thread was inspired by Glenn's Show Me Your Forge thread. Specifically Frosty's comment to Welder19 that many forges don't have enough table space. Since I plan to build my forge soon, and I want it to be my only forge for a while, I was wondering if those of you with the experience can share your thoughts on forge design. I am interested in a coal burning forge. It will probably be metal framed, but I am not ruling out masonry. What features would you find necessary to include in the design. Either something you really appreciate in your current forge or something you miss from a forge in your past. From the gotta have its to the dream features. Also what pitfalls should be avoided - features that have really annoyed you in a forge. From things that are a pain - to things that compromise safety or usefulness. I look forward to learning even more from your experiences. Thanks, Bill

Jimaudio is an engineer. He might not have a degree but he's an engineer all right. That looks great - when I can I am going to build me one of those! Bill

I have never seen such universal praise for a book - by people involved in the craft. I had looked at this book in the past on Amazon. Today I bought it. Thank you Billp for bringing this thread back to life. Bill

Mike, You can perform a search from any (i believe) of the forum pages. Just look at the green bar at the top of the screen. The search is right next to New Posts (which is also a very handy tool.) Bill

Were bellows still in common use in the late 1800's? By then the hand crank blower may have been more common.:confused:

I just deleted a big long ranting about my (Massachusetts) representatives in Washington, Nuclear Power, and food additives from China! Why? Because this is a Blacksmith forum! (Sorry, I don't have squat to say about coal.) Who wants to talk about religion?

I have never been self-employed. I have worked in lots of factories and always dreaded going to work. I also always went to school evenings. It took me over twenty years, but I finally got my degree

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the forge that I need to build/buy this spring. I recently visited Steve Sell's website (beautiful work by the way) and noticed that he has an outdoor setup. I just read the post from Black Maple Forge with the pictures of the chimney he is building and it reminded me of a brick outdoor fireplace that a neighbor of mine at a previous address had. This fireplace had a roof around it, but no walls. I put all this together and wondered if it would be possible to create a roofed structure for a smithy with a forge that could do double duty as a fireplace for ambiance and cooking. These functions would not have to take place in the same firebox or flue even, but be housed by the same masonry. Since I am a newbee and I am not sure how much of a mess the coal will make, I thought I would ask if this idea is even worth developing. I am thinking along the lines of forge on the side away from the house and cooking/fireplace on the other. Is this crazy? Has anyone tried something like this? I have lots of room, but very high property taxes - hence the desire to create a less than permanent building. Bill

Ha, that is something that I had not even considered. My wife's last name before we were married was Naismith (as in not a smith). She might be difficult to turn. I'm gonna have to wait until I make something real nice before I show her! Bill

Cuda, Is that a new twist - I never pictured the brake drum facing down! I have the same blower. Those things can sure move some air. I read somewhere that the bearings in them are steel and can rust. I suspect that this is why you were advised not to put the wrench to it. I also read that they can be replaced with modern stainless bearings. Mine was free so I can't confirm this. Mine doesn't hold oil past the lowest shaft - my plan is to give it a squirt every time I plan to use it and let the gears distribute it up. I will need to place a drip cup under it. Can't wait to get the forge and put this plan into action! Bill

Any chance we could see a picture? It might help Mike sell a lot of them. I need to buy/make a forge and I would love to see what you got. Thanks, Bill

The dog house would also be a good name for my 10X12 shed, but I call it Rome cause Ive been building it for 2 1/2 years now! It is 98% done now. The first problem was that the spot my wife picked out for it. we didn't know, but it turned out to be the family dump. The first clue to this was the old car rims, fenders, dashboard, front axle, and Steering column. (Ford Model T we reckon) There were also innumerable old bottles and shoes a busted up cast iron stove and the one thing we never got out completely - an intricate brass tubing bed sort of thing. Up here in Massachusetts I figured I needed 2 feet deep for the footing. Spent 1 summer just putting in the foundation. The floor is dirt. But I really wanted to ask about the flue! Does the flue have to go straight up? I would like to go out the end and avoid the hole in the roof. Sorry guys- just answered my own question. BP1048 shows Hofi's flues - exactly what I was wondering. Bill

OK Rock, what'd ya find? Bill

Lenaghan reminded me of something that I have been meaning to ask with his rebar tongs. Rather than hijack his thread. How good is rebar for forging? I don't have much steel lying around - yet. But I do have a lot of rebar. And on a related subject, where do most of you weekend smiths get your steel? Bill

I hope my first project comes out as good Lenaghan.

I'm joking. My wife has never flat out refused to allow me to make a purchase and I have never refused her. We talk it out and half the time, like the ebay forge in Connecticut that ended last night, I decide against it by myself. That said, I am the one who drags his sorry xxx out of bed at 5:00 am to go to work every day - and is gone til 6:00 pm. So I have earned a toy or two once in a while! - And she spends too. Bill

Glenn, What is dirt? When I think of clay I think extremely fine sand. When I think dirt I think loam. Wouldn't that just burn off to whatever was in it for sand and clay and rocks? Am I missing something here? Maybe it depends on where you are geographically. What do you mean by dirt? Bill

I'm curious now, I figured that it was some kind of field, and obviously running a high current in loops will create a magnetic field. But how does this boil water or melt copper or have an effect on other non-ferrous material?

HOFI that is great - Life is a risk and we all lose in the end! Archiphile - I never expected to find someone else from Walpole here. I am impressed with the questions you are asking - you are light years ahead of me! (e.g what is A-36?) I need a mentor - if you ever need any help at the forge and don't mind a bumbling fat old man hanging around! (I should clarify that I do work during the week.) I do have one constructive thing to add to this thread- Did they have H13 150 years ago? They made some beautiful iron work back then. The fact is that we all work with what we have and what we can afford. The trick, I would think is to keep learning, keep trying new things, and not get hurt. Brian - The Blue Print is a great idea. I don't care how many are there on these subjects. There is always something new to learn. Different people do things different ways and have different set-ups. I look forward to seeing yours. Bill

100# Peter Wright $125. Last Year (+shipping about $50.) Great shape, clean edges, great ring Bill Archiphile, Where are you in Walpole? I live on Old Post Road, off Common St. behind the old Sharon Inn. Small world.

That is great, the next time I'm looking at lathes on ebay and the wife says " So you get this lathe and then what are you going to do with it?" Instead of my usual "I can think of a ton of things." answer - I'm coming back to this post. Back in the 1980's I worked in a machine shop running a Jones and Lamson turret lathe - wanted one ever since - so many tools so little time! Bill

Hi I just discovered this site yesterday. I am in heaven. I have wanted to get my feet wet (fingers burned?) in Blacksmithing for all of my adult life. After about 30 years, I finally have the resources and room to try my hand at it. I have bought a small (100 pound) anvil, a post vice, and an old Champion blower. I figure that I will probably make my own coal forge. I have built a small shed to work in (near?). I need to find good coal and steel sources and I am off. This place looks excellent and I have already learned a lot here from the forums and Blueprints. Whoever is responsible for this site - Thank you - it looks like an excellent place. Bill