Frosty

Exhaust flap caps are intended to keep rain out of vertical truck exhaust pipes if you don't already know. Just look at the top of the exhaust pipe on the big rigs. They clamp to the pipe with a built in clamp and you can get them from silly small, like 1 1/2" pipe up to 6" BIG rig bling pipes. Just buy one that fits the bottom leg of your tuyere and clamp it on upside down. The built in counter weight will be a little light so it'll want to hang open, not to mention the air blast blowing it open. So, extend the lever the counter weight is on and add a little weight if necessary and that's the thing. I suggest aiming the extended arm towards where a guy is working so you can reach under with a poker, tongs or whatever and dump the ash if you need to. Frosty The Lucky.

Go to your local sporting goods store and buy a 12v mattress inflater, I have two "Coleman Inflate Alls." They're intended to inflate air mattresses, rafts of all sizes though it will take probably 15 minutes to inflate a 6 man raft. They don't develop high pressure so you have to finish things like rafts and inflatable boats with the foot pump but for regular stuff like field expedient forges they're DE BOMB. WAY more air than a guy needs for most stuff. Oh yeah, there are other brands and you'll want some iron pipe to keep the blower away from the fire, they're typically plastic and get all gooey when hot. The motors don't rely on the blower for cooling so there's no problem putting a valve on the intake to regulate air output. Just Google "Inflate all". Frosty The Lucky.

Mikey: Good to see you here man! I usually put in the suggestion a new poster to put their general location in the header about now but you probably don't want folk dropping by to ask questions that have been answered repeatedly. Writing another edition is a good idea, lots of folk need more help. Especially with terminology, for instance: "inverted female nut"? Aren't you referring to a 3/16" FPT to 1/8" compression fitting? Any hardware or plumbing supply employee will point you right to that bin if you can't find it on your own. A Google search for "inverted female nut" hit on guys asking about your burner book, though two seemed to be a list of fittings someone posted. I'm not trying to be picky I've just found you have to put some things in plain English and use the right terminology or folk who aren't natural tinkerers are lost. Who's reading your galleys? Frosty The Lucky.

I vote bellows too, easy to build, easy to use. However if you want to use the blower you want to gear the drive up or you'll look like a 3 stooges movie trying to turn it by hand, the longer the handle the sillier it'll get. Keep your eye open for an old bicycle, do a little creative repurposing and you'll have a blower with decent rpm and coast. Heck, it might even have a coaster brake for those special occasions. Making forge blowers out of old bicycles is a paying profession in many 3rd. world countries. Somewhere I had a series of pics from Viet Nam about a man and son who made a good living making ans selling blowers made from old bicycles. Frosty The Lucky.

Why didn't you post this yesterday? I just described exactly what you built and could've satisfied my lazy soul by referring your post instead. The only thing missing is the exhaust flap cap ash dump. <grin> Frosty The Lucky.

Right hand right eye, not a clutze left handed. Frosty The Lucky.

That makes sense, just because I've never seen something doesn't mean all that much. Leather shears or similar, learned something new, I love that. Thanks mucho. Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks for the link, I'll have to drop by if we're ever in the neighborhood. A quick Google search yields a bunch of hits, I'm thinking some good surfing. The cabinet lock is a basic ward lock. There's a good Woodwright Shop episode with Peter Ross about forging locks and keys. Those are good surfing too. Frosty The Lucky.

Hardy holes seem to be a bit off in most cases and close enough just isn't sometimes. Mine are close to 0.75" so some bottom tools fit the Soderfors and others the Trenton, a few don't fit either but the vise works fine. How to modify tools to fit is a good question and here's my reasoning. If all a person is going to use are a couple bottom tools, hot and cold hardy and maybe a butcher then make the bottom tools fit the anvil. If on the other hand a person ends up like I have with bunches of bottom tools. That's easier to do than a person might think, they can be Sooooo handy. Hardies and a butcher of course, then there are those oh so handy fullers, you start out with one or two and the number grows, oh and swages are a must. Then you discover how dandy a half penny scroll starter is and you end up with a couple sizes and styles and on it goes till you have racks, shelves and buckets full. In that case, call it "normal" blacksmith mode it's a LOT easier to take a file to the hardy hole than trim even a dozen bottom tool shanks. Of course that's just my opinion I could be wrong. Frosty The Lucky.

I don't know about too many but I have seen more than a guy needs. The Metalmangler must have WAY more than 100 on his shop wall. He can make a pair (and does) faster than he can find the pair he needs. That might be a bit more than enough. <wink> Frosty The Lucky.

I have to agree with Neil, your situation is a gas forge situation. Even if you can build and operate a solid fuel forge within the law you don't want to be THAT guy. Things can get away from you no matter how much experience and how careful you are, some things are just better to avoid. Ask me how I know this on a gut level sometime, PM me, I don't want to run through the story in the forum . . . again. Frosty The Lucky.

That's a pretty darned accurate looking reproduction Nick. The only thing I see off the top to comment on is the bevel on the edge, it looks pretty acute for scissors or shears I'm familiar with. I don' think I've ever seen a pair that acute. I believe you're going to have museums bidding on your skills if they aren't already. Frosty The Lucky.

Right you are Mark, Castle Mtn. just comes to mind first seeing as it has all those mines and wishbone hill is pretty clear. Frosty The Lucky.

Arranging your work space is a personal matter, hanging what where is going to go where you like. Suggestions and opinions aren't writ. Cross pein hammers are almost as common as ball peins, around here they're more common than single jack sledges, just keeping your eyes open and telling everybody will soon have you floating in cross peins. Tongs can be a PITA to find but they're one of the better learning projects, lots of basic techniques and you're gong to need a few. Frosty The Lucky.

Not bad at all Darlin but you want to hang your tongs on or near the forge, that's where you'll need them most. It's not uncommon to need one pair of tongs to get the work out of the fire and a different set to hold it at the anvil. I prefer keeping my tools closest to where I need them. Frosty The Lucky.

Brian Brazeal has or had a BP on making collars with his adjustable set up. I saw it in use when he taught here, it's slick as teflon gravy. Do some searching or maybe someone kept a copy if the BP is gone. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Jeff, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Did you do a basic search for what you're looking for? Did you ask the customer even the most basic question, what does he want to drill through? Forgive me, I'm a little stumped here, you MAKE machine tools and you have to ask something this Jr. high school shop class basic? There are so many flaws to the thing it's pretty much not a question we can answer, especially not as asked. I don't want to be rude but if you won't do even the most basic research why do you think we're going to do it for you? Frosty The Lucky.

Brake drums have holes, the large one is for the hub and the ones surrounding it are the lug holes. Lots of ways to deal with them if you have a welder you wouldn't be asking. Lacking a welder isn't a big thing either, find a piece of steel whatever thickness, it doesn't really matter so long as it's mild steel. Cut it so it fits in the drum flat in the bottom and drill a few holes to match the lug holes. If it's thin steel, sheet say, drill all the way through and drop a few bolts through and use washers and nuts on the far side to secure it. Drill and maybe jig saw about a 2" dia. give or take its not critical hole to match the hub hole's location. Attach your tuyere to the bottom side and lay a grate over the inside, hook up air and build your fire. If you end up with say 1/4" plate you can drill and tap the holes and just drill a series of holes for the air grate. You can use the holes under the drum to bolt the tuyere to the unit as well. Lots of ways to skin this cat without a welder, think hand drill, jig saw and some hand tools. About the tuyere, that's a multi-skinnable cat as well. Probably the most popular home build tuyere is from plumbing pipe, using a 2" dia. "T" a 2"x4" nipple a 2"x6" nipple and another nipple, call it x. The 4" nipple attaches to the bottom of the fire pot, over the air hole OR to the cover plate, If you use a bolt pipe flange attaching it is as simple as drilling and tapping a couple holes or nuts and bolts, etc. Next down is the "T" and inline with the top nipple you screw the 6" one (I'll get to the ash dump in a bit) Then the last nipple screws into the leg of the "T" and sticks out horizontally. The last nipple receives the air from the blower, bellows or neighborhood kids treading the skins. The ash dump is easy in my world, I use an exhaust flap cap clamped upside down to the bottom of the lower nipple. I attach an arm to the counter weight so I can lift it with a poker, tongs, yard stick, whatever and dump the ash. The tuyere on my large forge is welded up from truck exhaust pipe but to the same basic design. Long vertical pipe, shorter horizontal Ted in and an exhaust flap cap on the bottom. That's all welded to a flange that is screwed to the bottom of the forge table with the air grate above it. Frosty The Lucky.

That is encouraging Bryan. I imagine if they open the mines at Castle Mtn. they'll refurbish the RR line to connect to Seward coal loading facility. You might be able to get a gondola delivered close. I'm hoping I'll be able to buy a ton without having to go to the interior. Frosty The Lucky.

It's been a while since I asked the initial Peterson flux question. I picked up a can seeing as nobody here had used it. I gave it a try a while back and it worked as well as the few other "real" forge welding fluxes I've tried, those being Cherry Heat and Swan. This past Saturday I brought the can to the Association of Alaskan Blacksmiths meeting to have the guys give it a try. I demoed it and "I think" three of the other guys gave it a try. All welds took first try, refined well and stood up to destructive testing. So, I feel "Peterson No.1 Blue Flux" works very well as a forge welding flux. The 16oz. can cost some $26.00 plus tax at the local welding supply here in Wasilla Ak. Shipping included. A 16oz. can of one of the "real" welding fluxes runs in the $50-$80 range plus shipping. Frosty The Lucky.

Beautiful Michael, very swoopy. I'm betting lots of folk will be getting their picture taken in front of it. Frosty The Lucky.

My first cutoffs were hand chisels and a hacksaw. One of the guys I get together with regularly uses a masonry chisel, it has a nice wide blade and the steel is hard enough and no way brittle. I'm betting the shank could be forged down to fit a 1/2" hardy hole with enough shoulder to keep it on the anvil rather than driven into it. HOT steel/iron is plastic, a cutoff only needs to be harp and thin enough to part the stock AND survive the heat log enough to do so. Frosty The Lucky.

Just in case I confused my point, I'm just saying an instructor must tailor the instruction to fit the students. I used an extreme example for the purpose of instruction, it's not the norm. In fact we held out April meeting last Saturday and we had the got to entertain four potential new members, all adult me. These gentlemen represent the opposite end of the spectrum. Two are in their 70's the others mid or late 50's, all are or were involved in crafts that required manual skill. Their first projects were executed quickly and with near perfection. They'd chosen to do a nail and finished in the neighborhood of 5-10 minutes. They'd chosen very simple projects to get their feet wet and already had excellent hammering skills. Their next projects were tools, a nail header in one case and melting marbles into counter sunk and punched holes for decorations. Then there were some pretty wistful decorations made for. . . what I don't know but they were attractive and that can be reason enough. All these gentlemen needed to do is learn how to treat a new material, not the hand skills necessary to manipulate it. Good grief I hope I haven't muddied my point with a long story . . . AGAIN. If you give instruction you're going to run into skills and natural knacks that run from zero to WAY more than I have and you have to adjust to meet the call. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard BFE, glad to have you. Put your general location in the header and you might be surprised to discover how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. There's a common trap we tend to fall into and that's having something GOOD and trying to use it whether its best or not. 304 SS is more intended for corrosion and stain resistance not hard use so it doesn't harden but is great for cookware, etc. It might be tough finding . . . well, making bottom tools for a 1/2" hardy hole that work well. Then again I've never used one so I may be missing out on something that works a treat. For basic cutting you can make an anvil devil pretty easily. Anvil devils are basically a length of hardenable steel formed into a acute triangle that lays sharp edge up. Forge or weld an ear on each end so they hold it on the anvil and you're set for cutting. Make a devil like a 30/60 triangle so it rests with the short side down and you have a butcher. A butcher will cut, one side will be square while the pinchoff is on the other side. They're also good for shouldering but a shoulder butcher should have a radiused edge to prevent cold shuts. Hit a local spring, auto or truck shop, they'll probably let you pick through the scrap bin for broken springs. A spring shop will probably let you go through the drops or scrap. Tell them you're blacksmithing and need steel for tools. Take a box of donuts, talk to the secretary and be polite. Blacksmiths have a mystique that opens doors if we don't mes it up. Another way to keep on their good side is to bring a hand forged gift, nothing grand, bottle openers, coat hooks, candle holders, letter openers, etc. The secretary is likely to like a candle holder, letter opener, card holder, etc. Targeting the market is a good skill to hone. As a last bit of new guy advice pull up a comfy chair, pack a lunch and a refreshing beverage and start reading the subjects on IFI, they range from basic skills, shop building, tool and equipment locating, local organizations, advanced and industrial forging. IFI is a world wide site with members in more than 140 countries and last I heard some 80,000 members. At one time or many we've probably discussed most any question you have. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Andy, glad to have you. Nice looking little forge, burning coke doesn't require near the smoke control burning coal does. I'm not familiar with the type compressor you refer to. Most of us this side of the pond use a rotary vane blower for air blast rather than a compressor but the difference may just be terminology, not kind. Frosty The Lucky.