First off, I just wanted to say thanks for the warm welcome, it's great to be here! I'll do the best I can to try and answer any of the questions/comments you all have as I progress through the restoration of the forge. I'll also try and upload pictures as I go (if I remember to take them.)
So far though, none of the wire brushing I've done has uncovered any identifying markings that I've been able to see. Most everything is in pretty good shape except for the fasteners and minor hardware (to be expected) and while I want to stay as true to the original design as possible, all that will be getting replaced. Thankfully it looks like Lowe's still sells square nuts!
Also, I do actually have a grate for it! However, it was one of the first pieces moved aside in an attempt to get some of the heavier rust off, so it hasn't made it into many of the photos.
Before I started removing pieces of it, I actually did manage to get all the parts rotating freely. Also, the blower just about half-full of mud, but we'll get to that later. From what I can tell all the bearing surfaces are in half-decent condition and most the oiling holes haven't yet been completely rusted over.
Anyway, I'm located in Southern PA, right around the Chambersburg area. As for blacksmithing, I'd say I've been doing it off and on for about 11 years now. Some things, like being out of country for the better part of 7 years due to military assignments had left me without equipment and on a much longer hiatus from the craft than I'd like. Thankfully I'm back home and I'm starting to build up my shop a little bit more now with some thing's that I've wanted to get, such as the coal forge. I had been using an awkward little propane forge setup that I'd gotten when I first started, but ever since I had the chance to take a class at the John C. Campbell folk school in Brasstown, NC back in 2013, nothing has really come close to the experience of using a coal forge. There's just something raw about it that I love. As for when my interest in blacksmithing first started, well, I guess I can thank The Lord of the Rings movies and all the behind the scenes stuff with Wētā Workshop for that. Now I just make less-than-mediocre knives out of railroad spikes, files, and other scrap. But, I shall improve!
Lastly, here's some more photos of the project so far. One of the more interesting ones is the inside of the blower case where you can actually see the rust line where it was filled up with mud. So far it's all managing to clean up pretty nicely though, aside from the blower fins.
