blacksmithtech Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 ............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Use a leather dress belt (or two). I went to a thrift store and found a 1" wide natural leather belt that belonged to a very rotund individual - was probably a 50" belt. Cost me $2. Measure the distance around the pulleys and cut the belt that length, then cut a long bevel about an inch long on each end with a razor knife (like a scarf) and glue them together. Contact cement works well. Make sure it's around the pulley axles so you don't have to curse later when you are forced to recut the belt to thread it into the right place (don't ask me how I know this). The belt will be about an inch shorter than the first measurement, which is about tight enough to drive the fan. If it gets too loose with use, just cut and reglue. Here is one I restored for a local historic site. It has a crank instead of a lever but the principle is the same. The imbedded text is there for the public. Things to watch on these forges - Make sure the fan blades are not rotten. They often deteriorated because hot coke fell down into the tuyere and burned up the blade tips or simply from age and abuse. The blades won't build any pressure if they don't fit the air way. New ones can be made of very light gauge metal. Also make sure the clinker breaker hole is not too rotten. It helps to add a piece of screen at the front of the air pipe to keep the cinders out. If the fan blades fit the housing and the fan spins easily and the forge doesn't have many holes, they will make a nice fire which is plenty big enough for horseshoes and related size stuff.Edit: photo resized Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerryCarroll Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I found my sears farm forge on a patio being used for a planter! No handle-no ratchet blocks in the drive hub & other problems. I made the belt like Hollis sez and fixed the rest of the things and have used it for almost 15 years without having a problem with the belt. The pan has never been clayed and is not cracked even with some big fires, sometimes hours at a time. My biggest problem was putting new blades in the fan but I dunit & I like using it when I work out side. I'm not too far from you. If you're ever down this way--gimme a call & stop by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meco3hp Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Hello, I second the leather dress belt. It works on my brothers forge just fine. We laced ours together. Either way should work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Also check if you have any custom leather shops around. Here in town there used to be an old couple that did shoe repair that had lots of scrap laying around of sometimes some very thick leather. A friend of mine made lap pads for flint knapping out of some free pieces he got. It is worth a shot. And as for those how talk bad about your forge probably don't forge enough to have their opinion count. peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I used a similar forge for a few years. They work just fine. You just have to adjust your methods to what you are using. Instead of having a bowl of fire in a firepot, you have a mound of fire above the tuyere. Build a nice mound and keep it fed, and you will be able to do anything you want. If you ever choose to get a different forge, your current model makes a nice portable forge for demos and blacksmith picnics and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Peronally I am not overly fond of my lever operated forge. Noes not move much air nor does a flat bottom forge make a deep enough fire to efficeintly heat iron. Just my opinion 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmithtech Posted August 3, 2005 Author Share Posted August 3, 2005 ............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Jim, I am not a member of any group other than the FOrt Vancouver Blacksmiths guild. I am near Portland Oregon. My opinion is based on many hours of using this forge. Yeah I could have used brick to help deepen the fire area. JUst more to have to cart to off sites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Jerry, I am not a member of any group other than the FOrt Vancouver Blacksmiths guild. I am near Portland Oregon. My opinion is based on many hours of using this forge. Yeah I could have used brick to help deepen the fire area. JUst more to have to cart to off sites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 blacksmithtech: You might be pleasantly surprised. I've only used a forge like this with the lever action a few times. If you are attentive to your fire, it is more than adequate. It is also unusually nice and quiet. As I said before, I used a similar forge for years as my main shop forge, but I used a manual handcrank blower. I also routinely forged and forge-welded with it. It gets plenty hot in a hurry. You just have to pay attention and build and maintain your fire with care. Of course, you should do that no matter what forge you use. It may or may not be the ideal forge configuration, but it is certainly a valid one. Use it and enjoy it. Speaking of forge abuse... a friend of mine lamented that an acquaintance of his refused to give up the forge he found, even though he never used it for forging. He just loved the way it provided perfect air control to his charcoal briquets, so he turned it into a grill. He wouldn't sell it for any amount of money. My friend claimed that it did make awesome barbecued chicken. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmithtech Posted August 3, 2005 Author Share Posted August 3, 2005 .............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Blacksmithtec The pulleys are probally crowned pulleys / they just appear to be flat / the crown keeps the belt running in the center Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I haven't seen your forge but I assume it doesn't have flanges on both pulleys (maybe just the fan and the big one is crowned) so you can glue the belt loose and then roll it on the pulley after it's dry. Have made several clinker breakers and the easiest seems to be to take a piece of 1-1/4 or so shaft, cut to length and flatten into an oval. Drill a hole thru long ways for the shaft and a small hole perpendicular to thread for the lock screw. This will typically fill most forge pot tuyeres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmithtech Posted August 5, 2005 Author Share Posted August 5, 2005 ........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 a few plastic pails with sand or concrete in them? Should help raise it and make it easier to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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