gregkrenzelok Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Fort Ord U.S. Army Blacksmith Shops I am working on research on the Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital (horse), blacksmith shops and stables at old Fort Ord that serviced the horses of the 76th Field Artillery Regiment (horse-drawn) in 1940-41. Can anyone tell me anything about an early period WW2 blacksmith shop? I would like to learn about the type of forge and how the shop would have been set-up. I have attached a picture of one of the blacksmith shops. Here is a link to the webpage:Blacksmith Shops with Stable Guard Quarters, Ft. Ord Greg Krenzelok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Two suggestions: 1. Try searching the photograph libraries on the Library of Congress web site. The site has an archive of historical photographs including smiths inside of blacksmith shops. 2. Form follows function. The best way to understand the set up of a blacksmith shop is to actually do it. Take some courses, volunteer at a historical blacksmith shop at a museum, and perhaps take a course in shoeing. How a blacksmith work station is set up will depend on the tasks performed at that work station. A good example are the forges in the historic shop in Williamsburg. A work station for general smithing will be set up differently than a work station specifically for heating iron tires, and they both will be set up differently than a nail-making workstation. During the Civil War the blacksmith traveling forge and the accompanying batter wagon contained tools to repair metal, wood and leather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregkrenzelok Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Thank you for your suggestions and information I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Lumpkins Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 This link might help you Greg..http://www.metalwebnews.org/ftp/blacksmith-practice.pdf This is some kinda Army Manual on Blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I think those buildings are still there next time I pass through I will have a look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregkrenzelok Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 WagonMaster Thank you so much, this is the type of material that I am looking for. Thanks! Clinton Yes, most of the original Fort Ord blacksmith shops and stables (12 still standing out of 21) are still there. And so is the Station Veterinary Hospital that was built to handle the horses and mules of the 76th Field Artillery and 107th Cavalry up to 1942 when they went mechanized. This is the beauty of it, we can still see and visit this very rare example of how horse units were set-up. I thank you for your help! Greg Krenzelok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) This is a picture of a Military Portable Forge, from a 40's military welding manual I have. 3 June 1943 Edited October 29, 2009 by irnsrgn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregkrenzelok Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 irnsrgn: Thank you, it is a wonderful image! Can I get your permission to use the image? Please email me so I can get your name for the creditgregkrenzelok@msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Sure, go ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 don't know if your interested or not, but this is an artillary forge, mounted on a gun carriage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 (edited) don't know if your interested or not, but this is an artillary forge, mounted on a gun carriage. That image is from 1848 through 1863, before and during the US War Between the States (Civil War) wrong century. ;) Edited October 29, 2009 by UnicornForge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregkrenzelok Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 irnsrgn Thank you again, yes I am very interested. I am also doing research on the 76th Field Artillery Regiment (horse-drawn) from 1922 to 1942 and it never ever dawned on me the type of forge they would have. Do you have any idea the year of this forge? Thank you for your permission to use the images. You will find on all my research work the images are not protected against downloading. I too enjoy sharing information. Thanks again Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 The army most likely had Fisher anvils in the shops. Fisher sold thousands of anvils to the GSA for distribution to various branches of gov't. Either Farrier pattern or 150 lb regular anvils. These sales kept Fisher in business. Typical orders were for 50 to 100 anvils at a time. I dream about a gov't warehouse that has crates of NOS Fisher anvils gathering dust. Probably out there, and forgotten about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregkrenzelok Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 njanvilman Thank you, I am looking for details. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junksmith Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 This is a picture of a Military Portable Forge, from a 40's military welding manual I have. 3 June 1943 Leave it to the Army to take something as handsome as a forge and make it so plain and sterile (out of necessity of course). That being said, it would be a right handy demo unit.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crij Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 (edited) Joe, Just noticed that the Army Portable forge you show is actually the later version. On e-bay about a year ago there was one of the earlier that had a side mounted crank blower instead of the electric one shown above. There was only 1 box on the earlier one, that everything packed into and was covered by a lid (no lower box). I forget if the one I saw was a Buffalo or Champion built one (or at least the blower, air pipe and Tuyere the components looked to be the same as the ones used in the rivet forges. The one that was on e-bay probably would have been Turn of the Century to The Great War (WW1) since it was all stampings, and your diagram might be WW1 to modern times. The reason I say modern is that a fellow blacksmith in Ct told me how his son amazed his fellow Army Men or Reservists when he fired up the portable forge, and started using it. Apparently the portable forge is still part of the standard kit for the remote Bases or the Maintenance Battalion. IIRC this was during Desert Storm. Wish I had the cash at the time for the one on ebay. Rich C Edited October 30, 2009 by crij Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 great immages thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric sprado Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 The Army sold thousands of the old Cavalry portable forges(crank blower) as scrap in late fifties and early sixties. During the bomb shelter craze of early sixties a scrap dealer in Southern Cal.bought them and sold the blowers to people to circulate air in their bomb shelters.. Ridiculous of course... but they bought the things. I was serving my shoeing apprenticeship then and bought one.I altered the legs so it would fit on my truck tailgate.Still have it.Very burned out. It feels weird to be a person who bought a forge new and wore it out in my lifetime!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 from what I understand it was given to farmers by the war department so more blacksmiths could be used in the war effort and make farmers self reliant This link might help you Greg..http://www.metalwebn...th-practice.pdf This is some kinda Army Manual on Blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Clad Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Amazing!! Great photos and history. Another reason this web site and the people on it are the best on the internet!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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