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I Forge Iron

Indoors or Outdoors Forging


Wim

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How do you normally forge, inside or outside, under a shadow or in the open daylight. What are the whether conditions in your part of the global village, too hot or too cold. Would you like it differently?
How important is working in the shade to you, to be able to spot the correct metal temperature.

I for one enjoy outdoor work, it relaxes me and reminds me of why I came to Africa in the first place. Sometimes the sun is too hot to work in. Normally I keep my Blacksmithing work for later in the day, from 15.00 onwards. The evening twilight is quite short here, so by 19.30 it is already dark even in Summer. The area I live in is not too densely populated, so I can still make a noise, up to 21.00 hr.

How about you?

Wim

Edited by Wim
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I work mostly inside. The only time I work outside is either at historical presentations that are outside, when I have to do a process such as setting a tire on a wooden wheel that requires me to be outside. Spraying a hot tire with a garden hose is not something that I would want to do inside.

Inside I have access to my tools, outside I only have the tools that I can with practicality move/transport. :D

17661.attach

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  • 1 month later...

As my forge is outdoors, as you can see on my Gallery, I am forced to work outdoors. Normally that is fine, because the weather in South Africa is mostly sunny. But the sun can get quite hot, so I wear a wide rim hat, then it is actually very nice.:)
You get used to working in full sunlight, and you learn to judge the color of the steel, after a couple of burns.
However I am making plans to make a corrugated roof over the area of the anvils and the vice, about 2.5m x 4 m, that is about 8' x 12'. It will also prevent rain to weather my equipment. I will post pictures as soon as it's done.

Wim.

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I work inside . My shop has two sides and a roof and my anvil and forge are set just inside of one of the 'doors', I prefer a little shade so I can see the color of the iron.
Living in northern Florida I dont do a lot of iron work during the summer, I concentrate on my leather and woodworking stuff. This is the perfect time of year for us. I'm in the forge at least an hour every day during the fall and winter months.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a portable forge so i wheel it outside of the garage and work underneath the big open door...that way no smoke comes into the garage where my anvil is and my forge is under cover in case it rains which it does quite regularly in Graskop. I recently built a power hammer based on D. Gentiles Krusty if anyone is interrested ill post some pics.
Andre

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  • 3 months later...

I have a portable forge so i wheel it outside of the garage and work underneath the big open door...that way no smoke comes into the garage where my anvil is and my forge is under cover in case it rains which it does quite regularly in Graskop. I recently built a power hammer based on D. Gentiles Krusty if anyone is interrested ill post some pics.
Andre



Hallo Blackbeard,

I would like to take you up on your offer for plans for a power hammer. When I set up my forge 4 years ago I left a 2 sq meter space in the concrete floor for the express purpose of a foundation for the power hammer when the time comes.I think the time is now close by. So please indulge me and post or forward those plans to me soonest.
I work under a roof for my hot work as i designed the forge with semi walls of about 1,8 meters and flaps (50cm x 2m)that can be opened on top..This allows ventilation of the coal forge area and also dissipates the heat.In winter I can close the flaps and keep out the cold.It also provides enough shadow to recognise colour.I painted the total inside area black which also helps a lot.

My work table is outside in the sunlight because that is where I set up and draw chalk patterns,plans etc.I also have enclosed work shops where i can safely store machinery and do grinding work and the like.I do however find that I am running out of space so extensions are on the cards.

Whenever I am in your vicinity again I'll be sure to pop around.Hope old Wim gets that address list up and running soon.
Blacksmiths greetings
Hermann (the bear)
ursus.forge@megasurfwifi.co.za
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I work out of a modified wood shed, in the winter I put in windows, in the better weather, I take them out and have a canvas drop for the rain, it gets cold in upstate new york winter, but the spring summer and fall are a sight to behold, so I don't want anything but a roof, and places to hang my tools.

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