March 20, 201313 yr I picked up this Champion Forge today. I have not seen one like this before. I was wondering if anyone could share some information on it. It appears to be a portable forge of some type. It is fairly small 26" tall and the cast iron pan is 12 - 16 - 21/2 inches deep. The three legs slip into the socket on the bottom of the. Pan and are held in place with removable pins that are secured with a small chain so you wont lose them. The large gear drives a small gear that turns a iron wheel with a tapered edge that mates to a adjustable pulley that drives the blower. Hope that makes sense. I mainly picked it up out being curious as to what it was used for. Thanks for info you might have.
March 21, 201313 yr Greetings Kenl What you have is a military forge.... It was made to take along for easy storage... I have had 2 of them and found them a pain... They are hard to use because of the way the blower drives and gear set up.. They girnd they snap and don't blow much air.... Now days it more of a collectors forge... Your could remove the blower and fab it up for a stand alone blower... Best to sell it .. I swaped one of mine for a 3 foot cone anvil... Good luck Jim
March 21, 201313 yr Author Jim thanks for the information. I just bought it because I hadn't seen one like it. Luckily I wasn't planning on using it. You stated military about what time frame? Year?
March 22, 201313 yr sure looks like a rivet forge to me. Any military equipment would have US all over it. And you're right that would suck for forging but not half bad for heating rivets...
March 22, 201313 yr It could be used for rivets, or shoes, or hammers.....:) Mr Jim we need to talk, I am looking for a military forge made by Empire Forge Co. Mr Kenl that is a great forge! I have done a lot of research on this type of forge and you have the best looking one I have seen yet. Any grinding or slipping will be caused by wear or other alignment problems. You seem to have an all original piece there and looks like no broken teeth or anything so it should work fine for you. Congratulations on your find. Chuck
March 22, 201313 yr Greetings Ken / Chuck I have always known this Champion forge as to be a millitary unit... I dont know the year or when it was made. I think why I disliked them the most is that they are very short and you have to bend over to crank them... The gearing and blower operation does not build inertia... No flywheel... I have never seen to my knowlege a Empire forge ... Buffalo made a millitary of sheet metal with every thing in a box.. I had one and I know where one is for sale... Thats what I got, Jim Pictures of a Empire might refresh the old boys memory
March 22, 201313 yr Jim, in the 1911 Champion catalog this was labeled a bench crank forge or table top rivet forge; sold for $16 plus shipping. probably why it's so short
March 24, 201313 yr Looks like one I had, but no one ever mentioned it being military. It was a nice little forge, but very shallow. I liked the way it came out after i restored it, but sold it to buy a bigger one. (Still kind of miss it though!)http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/22978-small-champion-forge-questions-now-for-sale/?hl=+champion%20+forge
March 26, 201313 yr Ok, I unfortunately don't have a Champion catalog. I hand placed this forge as a very early model 1875 to 1885 or there about. It is hard to imagine it being around after the introduction of the Champion 400. Makes me wonder how long the production ran. Mr Jim this is the only picture of the Empire I have. I hope you can enlarge it. It was actually called Empire Forge Modified for Military Use.
March 26, 201313 yr KENL, what are your plans for it? Are you going to sell it, restore it, or use it as is? I'd be interested in helping out if you needed any. That was my first real forge project, and it was fun to work on!
March 27, 201313 yr Author Jim I don't have any plans on using it. Although it might make someone a nice small portable forge for doing shows. It's all there and seems to be in decent shape. I will probably take it apart and clean it up good and sell or trade for something I need.
March 28, 201313 yr Mr. Kenl, I would like to trade for it when you are ready. Send a personal message if you like.
June 3, 201313 yr Chuck, I've just come back to Iforge, mostly because I found this discussion on the Empire Forge here. Below posted some images I have from my own files of the Empire Forge. I don't have one but recently managed to purchase a Queen's Patent Portable Forge, pat 1845 in pretty good-but-not-usable shape. I'd followed up the Empire Forge information when seeing it advertised by the same retailer as the Queen's Forge. Lot of information on the Queen's Forge but trying to get more so this is just a start. Also have some nice images of different Army and Navy forges if anyone is interested. Cap
June 3, 201313 yr when I was still in the Military it was a rear occasion to find one in an old Conex from the Corps of Engineers and Maintenance Depot they would throw them out in scrap bins . I saved them many times for friends back then due to me not being able to forge at the time . I wish I had any one of them Now . Sam
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