bluerooster

Frosty, I'm pretty sure that It's gotten hotter than I wanted from time to time. Using the same cast iron grate that I've been using since the start of my forging "career". And this is the first time I had the tuyre burn off. I did have burning coke get caught in the air inlet once, because I'd installed it level, and it had a bit of weld inside on the bottom. once one piece got caught, it just backed up from there. That's why all my air inlets are angled down from then on. On my two previous firepots, the tuyre never even got warm enough to discolor, except the time the air inlet filled up with burning coke.

And FCC allows me to run 1.5KW.

Got a little forge time in today. Started a basket twist. Got 4 rods cut and one end welded. The other end I got set, and put it back in the forge for another heat. as I was waiting, I noticed a spark fly out from under the table. "That's not good" sez I. I looked and saw a crack where the tuyer meets the firepot. So, I pulled the steel from the fire, and went to open the ash dump, the whole tuyer came off in my hand. I guess exhaust pipe is only good for about two or three years as a tuyer. I need to find some cheep sch 40 pipe.

It's a Champion. 140 (I think). By my term "Lateral" movement, is lateral (sideways) in relation to the shaft. Bushings are worn allowing the shafts to move sideways. The longitudinal adjustment screw on the output shaft did nothing to help the problem I was having, as the shaft had enough movement to allow the blades to contact the blower housing. Being a helical (for want of a better term) ground gear, it would thrust outward, or inward d3pending of direction of movement, and the blades would contact the housing. Once I had it apart, I found that I could set the fan deeper on the shaft, and gain the needed clearance, then adjust the screw to remove the end play. Got it all cleaned up, and back together. I'll replace all the bushings next summer while it's too hot to do much forging. I just don't want to ruin the gears in the between time. The blower in question:

It had been working fine for the past few years. But the bushings are quite worn. All the shafts have a bit of lateral movement. And I'm afraid it will cause undue wear on the gears.

Brakes on the Volvo, done. Start the overhaul of the forge blower by getting it apart and finding out what it needs, started. Found that I need a big flathead screwdriver to remove the gear box from the blower housing. First thought was; "I can run out to the forge and make a tool to do that with right quick." Then it dawned on me, that I've got no blower at the moment. So, I've got to run to town and get a large screwdriver. That can wait until tomorrow. I've got the whole thing soaking in diesel right now. As to the gears I need to remove the shafts in order to get the gears out. The gear on the input shaft looks to be held to the shaft with a set screw, and the shaft looks to be held in the gearbox by a pin. I may need to drill the pin out. The cluster gear doesn't seem to have any thing that secures it to the shaft, and can't tell how it's held in. The gear that the fan attaches to, I can't tell anything about until I get the others out.

I've found that (nowadays) machine shops aren't really interested in machinists anymore. They want computer programmers that can toss a chunk of stock in a box, close the door, insert a CD, or whatever the CAD file is on, and hit the "go" button. But these guys have no clue how to chuck up a piece of steel, and cut a thread on it, or how to grind a tool bit, or even how to set the bit, They'd be totally lost running a manually operated machine.

As to the heat treatment of metals, The Machinery Handbook is a very good resource. Especially an older copy that still has blacksmith info in it. Those candle holders are pretty neat , I'm gonna have to try my hand at that. But first I guess I'll have to overhaul the old Champion #140. I think it may need a thrust washer, or new bearings. When I crank it, the fan moves out and the blades tink on the housing. And it's been leaking oil pretty bad too. May tear into it this weekend and see what is up with it. The gears that I can see with the top removed, appear to be in good shape.

Got the barrel off, and my iteration of a "super sucker" built and installed. I guess the barrel has served well for 3 years.

Good work Ya'll! I like the handle on the fire rake. I managed to get my anvil moved yesterday, Now I need to get a new spot for the vise. It was fastened to a stump of Poplar split longways, and set in the ground. Worked pretty well, but has gotten a bit wobbly of late. Found it to have rot starting on it where it was set in the ground. I have another Poplar that was cut down a couple of weeks ago. I can get a stump from it, that's about 3 feet across, and plenty long enough to attach my vise to. (About 38") I think it would be heavy enough to set it on some scrap PT lumber and be good to go.

Now, I'll have to find out how it performs on a windy day.

Got the hood installed and hooked up to the flue. Had to move the forge over some to get it to line up with the flue pipe. So now I need to move the anvil, and vise. I took it for a test drive, and it seems to draw pretty good. Fired it with green coal so I could see how it does with lots of smoke and little fire. Then had to heat some steel, and bang on it for a minute.

Spent the day working on a new hood for my forge. I couldn't find any scrap plate steel, my Helium tank is still full of Helium, but I had this water heater tank that I had cut a piece from length ways. So, I decided to try that and see what happens. The part that I cut from it was used as a long charcoal forge that I needed to heat a long piece of stock. Ain't been used since for anything but a scrap receptacle works well for that. Anyway, I have the rest of it, with a section cut out of the middle for some reason or other, so, I put the two "halves" together to form a half round, with one end being dished. The dished end will be facing the fire pot with a hole cut in it to draw the smoke from the fire. The open side will be the bottom. I have a bottom cut from an old kitchen sink to use as the bottom. Yes stainless, and carbon steel can be welded together. I didn't weld the entire seam around the bottom, just an inch or so in several places, then sealed the crack with furnace putty. There is a hole where the relief valve went, that I'll stick a pipe plug in to seal it. We'll see how it works in a day or two. The cutout for the "smoke hole" at the forge hasn't been cut yet, but I've outlined it with soapstone. Not exactly what I was after, but it only cost me a little bit of argon, a couple of welding rods, some tungsten (I keep dipping it), and some time. Oh, and a little oxygen, and acetylene.

I just happen to have one of those helium tanks. Problem is that it's still fulla helium. I guess I need to get to blowing up balloons. Got out there today, and removed what's left of the barrel hood. Cleaned out the forge, and just scooped it all into the slack tub. Then scooped out what was floating. Dumped the rest. I'm sure there was good coal in there, but also so much rust flakes, not worth the trouble to try to seperate it.

There's a diagram on here somewhere, But I need to source the flat steel first. I may just fabricate one out of sheet metal so I can get back to the forge. I've got an old hood from the Pontiac, that would provide all the sheet needed. But being thin, I suspect it won't last much longer than the barrel did. Yep, that's a project for sure. But it's come a long way since I started. But a long way to go yet.

I can see inverted on one end, but inverted on both ends? How to weld the other end inside the basket without ruining the piece. Now I could probably cheat, and weld one end, then bend the "pencils" over, and weld, then heat, and drive that end inverted. But bending over, and under, then welding inside the basket is way above my head. But looks way cool! Mabe this: bend them over and under, then weld one at a time, keeping them all laid over to one side until all are welded, then spread them out straight, then heat and twist. Mabe. But I gotta get the forge fixed first.

I've not been on here in a while, but it looks like everyone is doing OK and making nice things. I've not been at the forge since late spring when the weather started to heat up. Weather is cooling now, and time to fire up the forge. But first I need to replace the barrel hood. It's rusted out, and drops flakes of rust into the fire. (can we say clinker from ....) Anyway, today I went to the local scrapyard to find some steel plate to make a "super sucker" for the forge. They told me that no one is allowed in, and they will no longer sell to the public. They will still buy from you though, just once you cross the scales, you are not allowed out of your vehicle. They will unload you. This was my go to place for all manner of good stuff. Not any more. I guess someone stumped their toe, and sued. Thus ruining it for the rest of us. Oh, here's what I've been working on for the past several months.

Foxfire. I read them all about 46 year ago. My favorite was the first book.

I've never used a loop hoof knife, I've used the hook knife. As to picks, I've used many, and also used what ever was handy, a stick, nail, pocket knife, etc. We quit using shoes on horses about 20 or more years ago. They stayed barefoot all the time. Then we found the horse boots, Those things are the cat daddy. (made working their feet much easier) Jennifer I like the fork and spoon, they are works of art, and the hoof knife with the thumb part is cool too. JHCC Way cool pitch bowl.

I've done nothing at the forge since December of last year. When the hood on the forge started causing more trouble than it was worth, I put forging on pause until I can get another hood built. Then the "Honey Dews" started, then the weather got warm, and projects around the house. And now replacing the engine in "Ol' Blue", an old '85 Pontiac Parisienne with about 400,000 miles on it. Got the engine out today, got it all cleaned up in the engine bay, and cleaned up a few of the parts that need to be transferred to the new (to me) engine. Billy, Those torches look great! I'd had an idea along those lines, but it never came to fruition. Alexandr, You sir, do some exceptional work. I really enjoy looking at your pictures. The only metal work I've done lately has been in the custom car shop. And as I pretty much do the same thing day in day out, I fail to take pics of some of the panels that I've had to fabricate and install. I'm thinking very seriously about building a forge for use at the shop. Many is the time I wish I had one on hand. I could set it up on wheels, roll it out, fire it up, make my part, rake out the fire, roll it back in.

Sometimes I'll wear one welding glove on my holding hand. I pick my welding gloves to fit well, and come completely off with a single shake of my hand. I seldom wear tight fitting gloves.

Been quite busy here for the past several months, coupled with my inability to post anyway, so I haven't been on. Just did a major system upgrade, so I'll be on more now. I sure missed ya'll. Thanx shorty

We used to raise gamefowl. I came up with a strain of blues that were mostly Hatch, but showed blue. They were un beatable.

Thanx for the information. I suspected something like that. The "saber effect" was what I was after. But the hook to the right (warp) took me by surprise. I put it back in the heat and got the warp out of it, and left it in the normalized state. I'm afraid to re harden it, as I don't want to curve it any more than it is now. I guess I'll hang it on the "wall of shame" and start over.

Pics of the blade. The second pic shows where the bend was.