pkrankow

Sorry, I don't see damage. If you are talking about small holes, I think stuffing them with a small piece of kaowool would do, better if you get the borax out first. Are you using a hard firebrick as a floor? Could you take a closeup pic of the damage? Phil

I was going to suggest something like an electric pottery kiln, but that heat treat furnace design Case suggested is much nicer. I was poking about on the linked website, BCS - Budget Casting Supply, and the prices look reasonable, but will cost more than your gas set up. Good luck. Phil

I'm glad that she appreciates your efforts at presentable. Her concern for your equipment may mean there is a compromise in there. Good luck Phil

Oh! you posted about this in another thread. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f86/recommendation-enclosing-back-end-my-propane-forge-14618/ and http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f86/will-kaowool-stiffen-up-refractory-coating-like-plistix-900-a-14432/ Sorry. I'll blame my short attention span on this one:p Phil

If these kids are old enough and the GF is willing, let them help! It will be a big thing to them. Phil

I read something different somewhere, but might have misunderstood. I have only ever seen what you described, one blow, one fill, then the other way. How much volume would a set of bellows need to drive a brake drum forge? Is there a guide for bellows vs fire size? Kicking ideas around... Phil

Hmm... I've been wondering about reblueing as I have a hunting rifle that suffered from cat pee before it came into my possession. Took at least 5 cleanings to stop smelling like a litter box. The urine stripped all coatings off the metal and caused some minor pitting. The weapon is currently heavily oiled and waiting for me to decide what to do. Very interesting links. The repair of the shipyard gouge was nice and is appropriate for the woodworking chisel thread, even though it is not making the tool. Phil

Maybe a hood and chimney is all it needs? You said he was fine till he got in the smoke. Granted this is something more than comfort we are talking about, an ER trip is best not needed. See about borrowing a propane job, building one cost me about $300 when all was said and done. It was a lot of fun though! Phil

So 2 stage bellows use a chamber to inflate another chamber that blows on the forge? Or do I have this all wrong? Phil

Another something I need to try... Thanks Frosty! That video is serious. If I ever have a job that involves making 700 leaves I think a set of dies like his are in order. Maybe making several sets to create variation would be an option, but definitely not hand forging all 700 leaves! Phil

This is the dark side?! Oh boy! No wonder its so fun! Nice heat there! Got a pic of the outside? Phil

Nice set up. I'll have to keep that in mind for later. Those studs are rather economical and a good idea. Phil

I never trust the degree marks for setup, unless I'm drilling sheet metal, or I have had the time to verify function on larger/nicer presses. On my cheap import press, the markings are just a ballpark. For deep holes, over 4-5 diameters deep, the bit can force the hole crooked if the entry is not clean or the bit is not sharpened evenly. This means that using the final size bit to start instead of pilot/chasing *should* produce a straighter hole, even though this is not always the case in practice. Using a short drill bit to set up the entry can also help at times, especially if you are not entering perpendicular to the surface, or have surface texture to deal with. If your material has a bias to the grain (wood, laminates, fiberglass) everything is more difficult. I have made enough deep holes to know that they can be a pain. Someone who does this for a living can tell you how to get them correct most of the time. Phil

I use coffee cans with plastic lids to keep odors down when I am degreasing and soaking parts. It really does help, even though the lid becomes soft after a while. I also use cans for keeping track of nuts and bolts for reassembly as I take apart. Works much better than the rain channel or something. I prefer those magnetic pans, but only have one. Phil

You could season it like cast iron cookware. If done properly the black won't rub off and can tolerate soap and water washing, although machine washing will tend to strip the coating. I prefer shortening over oil as oil can stay sticky. If you look up copper and food poisoning it lists problems associated with acidic foods such as citrus, tomatoes, and vinegar. Copper however is an antimicrobial and may prevent food poisoning from bacteria. If you season the goblet, and don't like it, stripping the finish is very easy, so you can try something else. Phil

WOW! you and your striker(s?) did a wonderful thing. You probably have the "guns" to prove it too! Phil

A lot of points have been made, but have you sat down, drawn up a landscape diagram and shop floor plan? After you do this, calculate your budget, then demonstrate that your plan will have adequate space for your tasks, and security to keep your things yours, and safe clean storage for an appropriate volume of purchased and recycled stock. Include a "vault" area in the garage, for your expensive works-in-progress, that allows for the proper number of parking spots. Buy a locking cabinet or build a thick plywood cabinet for that space AND BOLT IT DOWN! Remember that you may be storing a vast variety of different size pieces in it. Discuss a monthly budget for operating costs, since this is a hobby. Discuss the costs of one time improvements, such as rebuilding the shed. Make sure that the plans include the best example pictures you can reasonably obtain. Don't leave out safety and fire control. Remember that "hobby costs" include all your hobbies, so if you buy that $$$ whatever thingamajiget for a different hobby, or a smithing class, you can't also spend on smithing materials. (ouch, I know) My wife was having a fit about my efforts since its all "her" money as I am a stay at home dad. When we established budget rules and work space rules she became much more accepting. Round 2 might start if she doesn't have a garage parking space when the snow flies. I need to clean up the garage and do some unpacking to prevent this event. If after having discussions about landscape, shop layout (she sounds only interested in "will it fit safely") hobby budget, construction budget, exterior design and shop camouflage she still is completely resistant to your efforts, maybe professional help is needed. Keep your plan modular to an extent as you may be forced to build in stages, and she may stew for a week (month) or so and come back suggesting you consult a professional landscaper or design contractor instead of a marriage counselor. I hope you work it out. A marriage is also a terrible thing to waste. Usually wastes money, time, stress, sanity, and affects all your relationships as well. Phil

Well, I have a conclusion, but not a full experiment. The high amount of kaolin in the mix I labeled "stabilizer" shrank enough that it cracked and started to fall away from the wool. It is possible that a thicker or thinner coating will be more stable, but I had difficulty applying as this mixture kept wanting more water to maintain consistency. The coating I labeled "high zircon reflector" is effectively an ultra high grog mixture unless a temperature of over 3000F is held for a period of time. At the temperatures I achieved, which are not known, but in excess of 1500F, provided a stable coating on both brick and kaowool with no apparent shrinkage. The high zircon reflector shows heat long before bare firebrick shows heat when painted onto the firebrick. It also stabilized kaowool effectively, and provided a coating that can tolerate some handling. This might not be the best picture but the dark stripe is uncoated brick, and the coating is incandescent long before the brick. The "brick" in front is a coated piece of kaowool curing for use as a plug for the back door. After this short firing it does not crack when handled, but does flex some. The fibers are held in place effectively. More to follow, I have enough material to make a better experiment out of this, especially since I have a working forge now. Phil

You know you like it Frosty! Here are some pics! 1) the Zoeller flares. Notice the wall thickness. They measure 1/8 inch thick. 2) manifold without last fitting in (much debated) idle circuit. 3) Forge floor installed. I cut the shell and lowered the floor by 1 1/2 inches, the thickness of this brick. 4) This is the back porch, I made a hook to keep the brick from sliding as I move the forge around. I made a similar bracket for the main shelf. 5) View from inside, notice the "zebra stripes" in my coating. Also notice that the "back porch" is higher than the main forge floor. I don't know if this is any advantage, but it does make it easy to completely close off the opening with some coated kaowool. Notice also the severe checking in the thick ceramic coating. As this comes apart I am recoating the wool with my reflector mix, which goes on much lighter and is more stable. 6) Preassembled manifold installed. I tweaked the copper tubes to the burners to make them more equal in length and shape before final assembly, but didn't take another pic. Note the idle circuit is completed with copper tubing. 7&8) start up, notice that the coated areas are showing red glowyness and the uncoated areas are not. This is after a minute or two of operation. The "brick" in the front is the plug for the back door getting cured on all sides. 9) Making steel hot! This is 1/2 inch square stock. It got to red heat in just about one minute at 6psi. I set my idle at about 3 psi which keeps the forge hot and incandescent. Then I had to shut down as my daughter woke up unhappy after half a nap. The forge didn't run long enough to get to full heat. It only ran about 15-20 min total. My camera didn't pick up any image of the flame itself so I am wondering how better to capture this. There is not a whole lot of swirl as my burners enter rather perpendicular to the body. Enjoy Phil

Feel free to reshape the wooden handles on your hammers. Manufactured handles have a lot of extra material on them and most hands do not fit them well. This can cause excessive choking up on a hammer, and fatigue from having to hold a hammer too tight to maintain control. I look forward to the finished guide. Just a thought: you can use your print function to make a .pdf file that is a bit more universal to open. My new computer doesn't have all the software I want on it. just my $0.02 Phil

Saddleboat, I may be quite wrong, but that looks quite a bit like the plug used for driving piping through earth and under structures. Often used for installing water line or gas line for the last few feet by the house to prevent digging up valuable landscaping. The one I used was a sharper point though, and a number of years ago. Phil

I might need to give that microwave thing a try sometime. That seams like a neat idea! Phil

I fired off my completed forge today, took some pics and as soon as I threw steel in, my daughter woke up, so I had to shut down. I"ll post pics later. Phil

Do you know your pressure? These burners are only meant to operate up to about 30 psi. I'm using one of those regulators too. Phil

I prefer shellac for my anti-check coating, but that is really just another type of wax. pigmented or not, store bought has worked excellent for me. Plan on letting it sit 1-3 years. Phil