ralphy

As you know the smoke can make you ill, if in doubt, use carbon steel;)

I'd say that as long as it's not in direct heat or flame it should be ok, just make sure no smoke comes from it.

I have used 1/4" rod, and carriage head bolts just grind or machine the square shoulder down and you already have a nice head to start with! plus them bolts are normally a mild steel. I have also heard of using welding rods a pins and rivits.

wow! 4 pairs of tongs in 2 hours, please show us! I can't make 1 set if i worked all day. some photos will be apprecaited! maybe you could do a blueprint.

It look's gavanized to me also, I'd put it back on the trash can. May we ask why you want to heat it?

Welcome! glad to have you with us! I look forward to seeing your work when you get set up.

Welcome Jay, there is some good designs in the "blueprints", my gas burner was adpted from these plans. good luck ! and be careful.

Welcome Junksmith, I don't really know what an Avatar is, but we all are here to teach and learn new things from each other.

Welcome to the site! Jay, alot of good people & good info. So don't hesitate to ask we all will help any way we can.

Welcome Ike2, If you are not a member of BAM, contact them and join, I met some of them in Hannibal while I was on a job there, fine group of folks.

Well I have many hobbies, custom and metal, with blacksmithing in my heart. As for income I work for many companies as a Millwright, the pays good, the location changes, and I can scrounge metal!

CLW, Welcome to IFI, We all want to know, Do you want to melt metal?, or heat and shape it?I have plans from an old popular mechanics book, that shows how to make a smelting furnace, two air forced gas nozzles, crucible, in a fire brick lined steel can. but it's a good way to get blown up! since you weld, I hope you have a good source of metal or a place to scrounge metal, A solid fuel or gasforge could be easily be made to heat and shape steel, keep us posted on your progress, good luck and happy forging!

Cute opener A-man! I really like the cube twist! Would like to try one myself , and you can still find Coke in bottles down here to break it in on. I think it would make a great stocking stuffer.

I got about a 30 year old a/c welder, and burn 6011, 6013. and a few 7018's I run .030 gassless wire in a 110 volt sears wire welder. It doesn't weld as good as a shielded gas welder, but it gets the job done on light steel I don't know a lot about fancy welding, I just done a lot on construction job sites. I do a little oxy/fuel welding ( coat hanger! ) , and want to try TIG, smoeday. Good luck to you and your studies! Ralphy.

hhmmm, 1 inch huh, well you got a heck of a paper weight, lol! I can't add much to what the others said, but, you do need auto springs, also a squirrell cage blower from a car or truck will boost your air. I use the exhaust from an old shop vac, it works great! good luck and happy forging!

I need more time to make all the things I want to make for family and friends, My father does wood work and I do the iron work, togather we are making a toy box for my granddaughter, also a few things for a friend, leaf keyring, scorpion from a lag bolt, maybe a nut cracker, or a belt buckle, any suggestions will help & be apprieciated, Happy Holidays to all!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the site! Hammerkid, nice work on your project. We all look forward to seeing more from you! Your grandpa's forge is a nice family heirloom, if you use it or not, it's still cool to have in the shop. Happy forging! Ralphy.

The blue prints in this site have many projects that might help, good luck. Ralphy :)

Like Glenn said, The blue prints in this site will be of great value, also for ideas, the gallery may also help. I have even gotten ideas from items found on "e bay" under "blacksmith" hey, it may sound funny, but it works ;)

Welcome Stefano! Fine knife, you can really see the craftsmanship. It will be an honor to see and learn more from you! Ralphy :)

Nice forge, I can't add much to the comments, they have covered it pretty well. You do need an ash dump in your piping, try a "T", a close nipple, and a cap. remove the cap and ash dumps out the bottom! Your block of steel looks like a weight from some scales. You could drill a hole in the stump, then cross drill side ways to meet the first hole, attach a chain to the bar in the recessed side of the blockand an eyebolt to other end of the chain drop the chain down the hole, a nut and flat washer, and tighten it up! It won't bounce around and the angle iron frame will keep from moving.

Your work is coming along nicely Texas, I like the "axe"! As for the hardy hole, I see you weld, do you have a cutting torch? You could cut a hole in the webbing, and to be "accurate" drill 4 holes at the 4 points of the square and with the torch connect the holes. Or take square tube and steel plate, weld pieces of plate around the tube then weld to the anvil grind the welds and you now have a hardy! good luck & keep "forging on!" ;)

Vintageprojects.com, I think has someting about that, I believe they used a 24 volt alt. from a military truck or jeep, I have a stick, and 2 gasless wire welders. So I didn't look into it any farther. But goodluck on your project! would like to see pictures of your progress!

Hey, Mcraig, I've also used car rims and wire feed spools. The nice thing about the spools is you can stack them when not in use. I'm also thinking of hanging a sleeve with a rod bent 90 degrees and a brace, like a gib or boom. You run the cord along the boom and drop it down for easy reach! then swnig it out of the way when not in use, cause I got the same problem:)

Texassmith11, Welcome! Ask questions, study the projects in the "blueprints". Also Anvilfire has projects, called "I forge" , That's where I first started, then I found this site and WOW! This is great! I've made some projects here and was enthused to make other things of my own. I hope you enjoy this site, the people here are both informative and friendly, good luck!