March 29, 201115 yr First post on the forum. This should get rid of the message encouraging me to get involved I have an old hand pumper forge that is driven by a leather belt. It is a forge that I bought at my wife's grandparents sale along with the anvil. They both look like the come frome the Sears and Sawbuck catalog from about 1918. The first few years I had it I used it sparingly. The past year since discovering this website I have been using it much more. The problem I have been having lately is that the heat from the forge is destroying the leather belts. I have went through 3 sets since the first of the year. Here in Iowa I have to pick my winter days when it is above 30 to work since I have no heat so you understand I have not been forging daily. After the first belt got overheated and broke I started to split the belt and take them off after I was done with the forge. This has not seemed to help. Has anyone else had the same problem? If so how did you fix it.
March 29, 201115 yr Is your forge lined with clay or any other type of insulation? It would stand to reason that that may help reflect the heat back upward versus the pan radiating heat through the pot ? I have no experience with this type of forge but just my 2 cents. I am sure others will chime in with more wisdom on your problem. GOOD LUCK! B)
March 29, 201115 yr It's amazing how much a picture will help! Without one we are just shooting ghosts, but what ironsmith says may be true. I use a lever type forge that has a leather belt and have no problems....but I do have a refractory liner in mine.
March 29, 201115 yr Author It's amazing how much a picture will help! Without one we are just shooting ghosts, but what ironsmith says may be true. I use a lever type forge that has a leather belt and have no problems....but I do have a refractory liner in mine.
March 29, 201115 yr Author It's amazing how much a picture will help! Without one we are just shooting ghosts, but what ironsmith says may be true. I use a lever type forge that has a leather belt and have no problems....but I do have a refractory liner in mine. No lining to the firepot. Seems to be the heat coming back through blower heating up the small pulley that is causing the problem.
March 29, 201115 yr No lining to the firepot. Seems to be the heat coming back through blower heating up the small pulley that is causing the problem. not to sound as though I'm repeating myself but....Pictures?
March 29, 201115 yr Author not to sound as though I'm repeating myself but....Pictures? See if I can get some tomorrow. Sorry I am new at this.
March 29, 201115 yr Maybe try one of these belts from hit n miss http://www.hitnmiss.com/index.html a lot less money than leather belts and they will make it up for you, just give them the length. I have been using one of these on my power hammer and it works great
March 29, 201115 yr I have a small forge that I think is similar to yours. When I picked it up it had a cotton belt that was in need of replacing (many years old). I started looking for leather but was unable to find it locally so I put cotton webbing on it with no problems. ron
March 29, 201115 yr Author See if I can get some tomorrow. Sorry I am new at this. Here are some pictures of what I am dealing with. Thanks for some of the suggestions I have received so far
March 30, 201115 yr It appears you are getting fire down in the 'duck's nest', the part just under your firepot. I can't tell for sure from the last picture but I do not see a clinker breaker or grate in the bottom of the FP. This can cause the fire to burn down in the duck's nest which is adjacent to your belt. If you don't have a clinker breaker or grate I would try that and see if your problem is eliminated, I think it would. That is a neat forge ya got. I have seen these work and they are fun to watch. Good luck and keep up abreast of your findings.
March 30, 201115 yr I think Thomas is right. If the blower is getting that hot something is wrong. Those things would never have sold if the belts burnt up what quick! From the belt it looks like you were right too, the blower is getting really hot, not good! Those bearings should be oiled and it if it hot enough to burn leather no oil is going to survive that! The air going through the blower keeps them cool on all other forges, even ones with that short of a run to the firepot. Like Thomas said, the fuel must be dropping into the feed pipe between the blower and the firepot. Even just a few bits of round stock welded together will work as a grate if you don't have anything else, other wise a sheet of metal with holes or the rotating clinker breaker will work to keep the fuel where it belongs. Caleb Ramsby
March 13, 201214 yr I sure do like reading this stuff. I'm gonna make sure mine is working right B4 I burn a belt. Thanks for the heads up on this one...
March 13, 201214 yr Author I did discover what the problem was upon closer inspection. The fasteners that were at the bottom of the firepot that held the ash dump and the blower inlet under the clinker breaker had streched do to the heat from the fire. This left a 1/4 inch gap that the belt run by that caused the belts to burn up.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.