Daniel95

Sure, Ill have to keep my eyes peeled. I am assuming TPAAAT references " Thomas Powers Applied Anvil Acquisition Technique?"

That is actually what I am leaning towards also, because I wouldnt have to get the extension cord out. Only problem is some of the hand cranks go for 100 plus, and i dont trust my wood working skills enough to make bellows. Do you know where I could get either of these cheaply (<$30)? I could find some hand cranks for 10 to 20 bucks, but I dont know if they would be garbage or not. Sorry for all the questions, Dan

Thanks Frosty, Always open to constructive criticism. I'll make sure to keep that in mind, becuase I dont want to damage the tool. I am a youngster so I know I will continue to make plenty of mistakes. It is people like you who prevent me from doing more damage. Thanks again! Happy forging, Dan

While we are talking about fuel, I have a quick question. I currenly still use a charcoal side blast forge. After reading about Anthracite I heard that charcoal is actually a bit better, so I am still thinking about anthracite, but for now charcoal is just peachy. Anway, my question is about my blower setup. Currently I use a standard cicular cage fan (for cooling off humans). It works but it doesnt quite get the charcoal hot enough. Would you guys recomend a hiar dryer or a hand crank would work better? I know with charcoal there is a fine line of too much air and not enough air, so some input would be helpful. Ps. If you want pictures let me know, I just dont know how to change the bandwidth of the pictures, dont want to anger mods or users. God Bless, Daniel

Wow, that is interesting! I checked out that website (NJ Baron), and it isnt too bad. I could get roughly 3 feet of 1075 or 1084 for around $25. Thanks for recommending that!

Thanks for the help Thomas. Forgive me for misusing more terminology . lve got plenty to learn. Anyway, I think buying online is a grand idea, because I dont think I can afford a ton of steel. Thanks for recommending that, it makes lots of sense. Happy forging! Daniel

Sorry Frosty for my poor terminology, I have done plenty of research on metallurgy, but I can see how "carbon steel" is too broad of a term (I guess anything from mild steel to cast iron is technically carbon steel) Thanks for pointing that out. God bless, Daniel

That is a bummer but its ok. Ill check the thing you posted Irondragon. Thanks for the help guys.

Sure, I like cheap too!

Thanks GaurdedDig! I am curious, do you know if West Side Steel carries any decent carbon steels? I am planning to make some blades eventually but don't know where to get the steel (cant really use mystery steel for knives). Thanks! Blessings, Daniel

Wow! I might switch to coal if I can get it for that price (I have used coal at a class, I think it worked quite good). Thanks for the info, Ill have to check that out. Blessings, Daniel

Thanks for your input guys. Fuel has really been a large impediment to forging for me. Frosty, thanks for the detailed insrtuctions. If I can get my hands on a 55 gallon drum I might try that out. I would like to clarify, something you said earlier: Are you talking about charcoal and coal? I thought coal was ideal, not charcoal, but I could be wrong. In Fargo my I think my only options are charcoal, propane, and corn (I have googled but coal is really expensive to ship here. I also couldnt find any pickups). I have used propane but it is just a little too much money for me to maintain. So really my only options are corn and charcoal (unless I could find coal) So I think I will cook up some charcoal to save for short sessions and start a yard fire for longer ones (I like that idea Thomas). I might try some corn one day. Thanks for your help, and if you have any more nuggets of wisdom to share I am open to them.

Thanks for replying Thomas! After hearing how you make charcoal, I think I must be doing it wrong. What I do is spend a few hours cutting up dead trees in my backyard until I have a sizable pile of firewood. Then I cram a 30 gallon galvanized trashcan full of 2 by 4s. I set that horizontally onto a yard fire and let the can "cook" for 7-10 hours (Disclaimer: I am aware of the dangers of zinc poisoning, so I always make sure to be careful). Throughout the day I have to actively add more wood so that there is a fire burning all day. Then after this is all said and done, I have a decent amount of charcoal that will last for a few hours. Then I will have to rinse and repeat... So if I have this clear, you just start a fire and take the coals that form? Where do you store the coals, because in my experience charcoal without forced air can burn for a while. Thanks for the help, because less time making fuel means more time in the forge God Bless, Daniel

This article piqued my curiosity. I read the whole article, and I think I would like to switch to corn. Coal is unavailable in my area (that I know of), so I have been making charcoal. However, for how much energy it takes to make charcoal it is hardly worth it. I could buy 150 lbs of corn for $22, so I am curious, about how many hours would that last (in your standard JABOD)? God Bless, Daniel

I agree, very useful.