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Showing results for tags 'fire'.
Found 14 results
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There are two types of firebricks: hard and soft. From what I've heard hard firebricks take longer to get hot but are cheaper than soft firebricks. And soft firebricks the opposite. Is it imperative to use soft firebricks? I mean I'm making my first gas forge and I have a budget limit. Getting the amount of soft firebricks I need could cost upwards of 70$ usd. But hard firebrick from like homedepot could cost only 30$ usd. Which do I choose?
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https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/cohoes-fire-inferno-sparked-by-amateur-bladesmith-mayor-says/ So this happened in my neck of the woods yesterday. -
For those that haven't seen my post about me acquiring an antique forge recently, the picture of it is below. I wanted your advice on how I could make a firepot about softball sized with extra flat space (I don't know the specific name of it, like a table) around it for holding coal. Since my forge is a rivet forge it did not come with a firepot and with the tuyere about half an inch above the bottom of the pan. My idea was putting dirt into the bottom of the pan so it would fill in that half an inch under the tuyere. Then I'd make the firepot out of sheet metal. The pan is 18" diameter. Thoughts on this idea or if you have another idea?
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I've been reading on techniques for using coal in forges and I read something on a beehive fire style setup. What is this? How do I do it? Do you recommend it?
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Hey there. I am absolutely crash-coursing into forge making and metal working. I've gone through several crude forge designs and worked up to my current concept, that is a bit ambitious. I am having an absolutely ridiculous time getting by burners working properly. I am going to attach pictures to show what I have going on. Basically I have a 36" can lined with fire brick and refractory cement, that part holds heat so well! Then I use a 20# tank, low pressure regulator off of one of those tank-top heating burners, 3/8 OD hard copper lines, going to .35 MIG tips for burners. I have tried anywhere from 1 to 6 burners, different amounts of air holes in the 'venturi' area. So many things. Last night, with this setup I had two burners spaced about 5" apart working quite well. Finally all blue flames. But it's very temperamental and seems to end up choking itself out. When they work, they work well - but it's only in tiny spurts of good fortune. They definitely seemed to be running way too lean, and I increased the venturi holes by 400% and that is what really set it running better than ever. The second burner from the entrance chokes back too much though, and basically was only heating steel red-hot under directly under the first one. Running only one burner seems to just be too much gas. Two works the best. Should I have a flare on the end of the tubes? I've seen mixed things about this. Do I need to open up the back end of the forge... with more than 2 burners, and even with two sometimes there is excess fuel going into the chamber, and will sometimes choke out the flame. My main concerns at this point are should I have flares on the ends, and is it reasonable to think I need to knock a brick out of the 'back' wall to keep back pressure from building up in the chamber. Please help! I've wasted hundreds of $ already on parts through my trouble shooting and I'm admitting defeat. This is just way too complex to simply teach myself like many things I've done.
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Alright, I will start by saying I am New to the wonder full job of Blacksmithing. I have learned a load of information Rom this particular site and I have heeded every single bit of advicenter. Now that y'all know I'm a boot, I can tell you my problem. This is the 6th day straight I have been out at my forge attempting to bend metal. I for the life of me, can not get my Anthracite (hard coal) to stay at forging temperature. I will walk you through step by step on how I start my day of smithing. First I set up my substitute blower system, which is composed of Two low quality air compressors. The compressors have 1/4 inch hoses that run to a duct tape reinforced 50 gallon trash bag, which then has a two inch pipe that leaders to the bottom of my fire pot. Then I start a whole bunch (about 3 very big handfuls) of lump charcoal with a chimney starter an some newspaper for fuel. Once every single piece of charcoal is lit up I dump them into my fire pot. Following this I spread pea sized hard coal over the charcoal, I wait a couple of minutes while regularly pumping my (blower bag) a once the small hard coal is lit I add another decent amount of pea sized coal. Once again I wait another five too ten minutes while still pumping air. When it is all at a decent temperature I add some slight large pieces of hard coal (these pieces were broken up pieces of nut sized anthracite) After they start to light up I cover the fire pot with my largest coal. At this point my fire pots center is very hot and glows bright orange all the way up to almost white (anthracite gets really xxxx hot) I continue pumping air and I wait a few minutes to get the core as glowing s possible. Here is we're it goes down hill, I go to add whatever piece of metal I happen to be attempting to work on. The piece sits and starts getting up to temperature, sometimes I can get a one or two cycles through the forge to the anvil. However most of the time the fire just starts to die out. I have wasted countless amounts of coal and headaches trying this. I am one of the most patient people I know and it is even frustrating me. I consider myself a student of life and would be very appreciative if someone could share some new knowledge with me. Please ask anything that you need to know in case I missed it. I appreciate it very much.
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© 2000
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Well, this is the finished product of my first solid fuel forge. Here are a few pics and am looking for constructive criticism as I am still learning. It seems to work great and I can heat steel very quickly when it's hot. Want to upgrade to a real forge blower, but can't afford yet.
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Brake Drum Forge I am relatively new to the Black Smithing community and have been looking for ways to build a simple, cheap (economically) Forge. The design I have decided to use is a Solid Fuel Charcoal Forge. I recently acquired a brake drum and am planning to either sit it or weld it into a sheet of steel, around 3/16 thick. That is what I plan to do and I would like to know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions please don't hold back, just don't be rude. Thanks! Jakob I. Here is a picture of the drum and 2 RR spikes I found.
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Hello, Need some help in finding smithing coal near Chicago, IL. Any ideas?
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Hey guys, now I finally installed the smoke flue I ordered. It is not yet 100% finished, cause it needs to be stabilized, the hole in the roof has to be made tight and the flue needs a roof. But it already does its job great! Thank you again for your good advise! Here are a few pics of the installation: If you want to built a similar installation and need some advise feel free to ask! - Daniel
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Hi all, I'm in need of a bit of help and advice, I've recently setup a small forge in the garden to start learning a bit of smithing and generally to get a bit creative with lumps of metal. It is made up from 2 scrappy old farriers (?) forges I got off of ebay. My problem is that I've had to use a bit of guesswork when reconstructing it, and after the initial success of a trial run with some charcoal, now I've got some Coke, I cannot get it to light properly or hold a decent fire. I am wondering if I need to build a fire pot in front of the tuyere, or raise the base of the forge up (It is 3" from the air hole at the moment)? I've read about lining the bottom of the forge with sand, is this right? Any advise would be greatfully accepted, as finding pictures of the bases of forges is seeming hard.
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Howdy yall, Got another question for the ol' I forge Iron. I have been blacksmithing about a year and I am looking for a fire pot; either to make one or buy one. I would like any ideas, plans and or places to buy one. If yall got any ideas I would like to hear them. Right now I'm using a break drum. It is doing fine but if I have a piece too long it won't fit into the forge. So I have to use gas, well I don't like gas (sorry). So again if you have any ideas or plans PLEASE tell them to me. As always thanks. Steven The Blacksmith This is what the forge looks like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE8hdrSFdW0
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Hi everyone, i have a freind who went to an auction and bought about 30lbs of silver cutlery, mis matched sets and broken peices, most is solid silver but there is some that are plated copper, my question is what kind of set up would i need to melt it down? and what would happen if i melted down the plated? would the two metals seperate or would they act differantly? thanks Josh
