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I Forge Iron

Forgeless fuss.


Work-In-Progress

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I have been haveing forge problems, mainly not having one. The last one I had was a house brick and dirt forge on the ground, and it worked great, untill it broke. Now I am trying to make one, one thats off the ground, but I have no weilder, few tools, and a dump with tons of scrap that could work if I only had a welder. I picked up a propane grill that would make a great small forge, but I have no way to make it into one. I was thinking of just cutting a hole in the bottom and bolt a tweir on it but the thing would burn itself up. Then I saw the Wheel forge 2 Blueprint and thought that would be perfect, though the river by my house is mostly rock. Now I need help, does anyone have a suggestion to a forge that could be made with my status, should I continue my serch for clay? If so, can anyone give me tips on locating some in a river? Or, should I cut my losses and go back to a brick and dirt forge, this time with fire bricks.

Also, I should mention I have about no experiance in forge work, only a few books. Along with that I have no anvil, only a rail road track plate (those plates the tracks rest on and the spikes are drove through into the tie.) I only flatened a rail road spike head and a failed attempt at drawing one out to a good point. Soon I plan on getting an anvil of any sort, even if it's an ASO. Hey, its a start right?

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you can get clay from the local wal-mart. the real cheap kitty litter is nothing but a decent clay for firepot lining. just let it soak in water for about a week and you'll be on your way. only a buck or two normally. Don't forget to check out the rest of the blueprints, and be safe.

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yeah, I know about the kitty litter thing, its bentonite clay. When I was reserching foundrys many said on their forums that it wasn't really good for a furnace for melting aluminum, but fire clay was the popular clay used. However I cant get fire clay around where I live. I have looked over the blue prints, but I could have over looked something.

safety is always in my mind, trust me, I dont want to end missing a hunk of flesh.

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Here's what I did for a long time: Take a big wooden box (like, 2 or more feet long each side, and maybe 1/2 foot to a foot deep) nail 2 by fours onto the sides to raise it off the floor like a table, fill it with dirt, and to the same dirt'n brick forge as before. Works great. :D
alsoalsoalsoalso!!!!!!!!! For an anvil, take a 7 or 10 lb sledgehammer, stick it striking face up in a big bucket of concrete, and make sure the concrete covers and fills the hole for the handle. Leave it tae dry and there you have a very decent anvil. I used a hammer head I got for free from a scrap pile along the road, and a 1/2 gallon paint bucket and the cheapest cement I could find. I can move metal far easier than I can with my 50 lb fisher.
take the railroad plate, and use the holes for a hardy and pritchel holes.
good luck!
Merry being,
Archie

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It sounds like you're hardwired with a fair amount of self motivation and initiative. I would suggest: buy a welder and take a class at the local community college to learn to use it, It's a skill you won't regret learning. Also, find and join the local smithing club, guild, etc. Local is a perspective thing, i often drive 4-7 hrs to local hammer-ins, You'll more than pay for the gas getting with folks that can help you get some technique in a weekend, as opposed to the difficult self taught road.

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Arcghie: that is a great idea, i'll have to try it.
mike: as much as i would love to buy a welder I dont have the money. I only have a summer job with half a week left before school. i'll have about 600 dollars left from the job and 450 of that is going into drivers ed. (WAY TOO EXPENSIVE!!!) and I hope to buy a cheap anvil and whip together a cheap forge. I want to go to "local" event but I nether have the car nor easy rides to get to them. I live in the most unfortuate place, with the most unfortunate luck, and the most unfortunate anything for this, but I wont give up!

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If you take a welding class at the local community college, you can use their welders for stuff. I took an arc welding class, we spent 3 or 4 hours every Saturday welding. I know they wouldn't care if you ended up working on your own project. Also, if you are going to college, look into their crafts program. The local college here has a large crafts program that has tools people can use for free. Tools like plasma cutters and welders. They actually have a nice new anvil I here, but its inside and there is no forge..

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Dang my old tombstone welder cost me US$40---I could make that back mowing a couple of lawns on weekends.

I've also build a forge from a brake drum using no welding but some drilling and bolting and getting all the parts free/scrounged or used at the fleamarket.

Now as to the kitty litter clay---forges built using it have been good enough for people who support themselves bladesmithing; how good does it have to be? (they mix it with wood ashes, check out "wash-tub forges" at neo-tribal websites.) (also built with no welding...)

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BP0232 Side Blown Forge is nothing more involved than finding a short section of 1-/4 inch pipe and pushing some air through it.

A brand new Lincoln buzz box at the Box store last weekend was $265. NEW!! That is a small investment into a piece of equipment that will serve you well for many many years. That is the same welder Thomas found used for $40 used. Another blacksmith on this forum found one in a trash dumpster costing him only replacing the welding leads.

It would help to know where you are located so we can make suggestions as to where you can look for materials. Or tell us what materials are available to you.

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Funny thing the old copper wound welders are often considered better than the newer Al wound ones. My tombstone is probably as old as I am. Though if you get a choice I would advise getting an AC/DC one and *definitely* get a 220 VAC version! (mine plugs into the electric stove plug...)

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I am going to get that cheap welder at walmart for US$99.98, mainly because I Have about 600 dollars at my exposle and 450 of that is going to driver's ED. I dont have any 220 outlets any were, I'd have to get one put in. It's a cheap crappy welder, but it's better than what I have now.

I live in Thornton New Hampshire, and the only things I have at my disposal are things I find at he dump and what I can by at the hardware store. The way I see it, this is going to be one heck of a challenge.

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I believe that he may not be married since he is looking at drivers ed. A bit on the youngish side, perhaps.

Work in progress: Welcome to the reality that each of us faces. right now I have more cool tools than ever. And I NEED a few more. Because as I gain experience and skill another job comes up and I am having to reconfigure what I have and sometimes buy a new tool to be more efficient. This is the journey you should savour. You like many of us are focused on what yu want to achieve, the destination. I can hear "are we there yet" in the background of your posts. ;) don't ask me how I know this.

You have a pretty full load, but you are able to do some more. OK then what one thing can you accomplish right now that will get you closer to where you want to be? Take care of that little task (really, keep it small) then another and another. There will be a time when you can go do something big and you will be prepared to do so for the little stuff is done.:) May not work for you, but I believe most here in this community are satisfied in a like fashion.

So you have an anvil, how about getting a forge? What have you come up with so far? you will need an air supply and something that won't burn up very quickly.

Inquiring minds want to know.

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Glenn: I dont have a clothes dryer or a stove, no 220 outlet. One can be put in because we have a 220 breaker in the fuse box. just the matter of puting one in and getting a welder.

Mills: Thanks for the adivce, Unfortunately I have a multi-track mind, It's hard to focus on one thing. I am getting better though, focusing only on the forge, but cant focus on the step by step prosses. I need a welder, no I need clay, no I need two 55 gallon drums, no I need pipe and fitting, no I need to get to the dump, how do i put on a tyuer without a welder. Thats my mind.

I dont have an anvil, I'm serching for something to use as an anvil. For a forge I have a round charbroiler propane grill. It looks like it would work but I think I'm going with the 55 supercharger forge (or what it's name is), or something like that. I have an air supply, its an old Electrolux vacume, It has massive air out put so I'm going to rig it with a dimmer switch to controll it better.

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Work: Let me throw in my 2 penny’s worth.

First, this is coming from someone on your side of the fence (beginner that doesn’t have the $$ to spend on toy) and not from an expert.

For your forge, you have a great start. You can do a bunch with what you have. The BBQ is an ok, but not great foundation. I used the cart from one and bolted an old cast iron sink into it. That was lined with dirt, garden variety. Where I’m from doesn’t have much organic material though I did sift it through some scrap

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Habu; I have a "welder extension cord" so the welder is just outside the kitchen window; of course I do tend to wait till my wife goes to the city...it's about 100 miles each way so that gives me a nice welding window...

Still waiting on getting electrictiy to the forge building; probably be a fall project as it's a lot cooler to dig then.

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Ok, I looked at the welder, its a 70 amp stick. It looks ok, I really am only going to us it for light welding, sheet steel, tacking, nothing bigger than 1/8 inch maby 1/4 really just sheet stuff. I really want to get it because it looks like its good for what I'm likely going to be doing. Or should I really REALLY just wait, next summer I will have a job and can likely get a much better one.

Nomad: Thanks for your two pennys (now I have 4 :P ). I too am going to lean more towards the drill and bolt method, easy to manage. I called a local scrap yard and asked about a chuck of steel and he asked about what size. I said 6"x6" inches, but I think he read me as feet. His voice was so funny in surprise!

Glenn: I am going to go to a scrap yard soon, maby tomorrow but likely later. I'll look for any hunk of steel or RR rail to use as a anvil. There is a local auction that always seems to have a small anvil, so I'll be looking there often.

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What is that enamel on those hexagonal dumbells? You know what I'm talking about? Because I had an idea, what if I got one of those, sunk it in a bucked of concreat with one of the ends up and used that as an anvil? My only worry is that the wierd enamel on it (looks metalic but rough like) is a hazard when burned or melted.

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i was just thinking of something-- would it be feasible to make a small forge by just stacking firebricks into a box shape, making an opening for a torch burner? or would too much heat dissapate through the cracks? maybe you could make it and use fire cement to fill in the cracks..
what do you think?
gettin the gears turnin..

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Thats what i had before, I used house brick and a bunch of dirt. It worked untill i went to clean it because of nasy tar build up and a glassy substance from the bricks (they melted a bit!!) whiched caused the whole thing to fall to a ton of broken bricks. No more bricks now.

Thomas: Oh ok. I'll think of something else then.

I got that welder today, it's tiny and cute! I took it to an old pick axe head and am now able to get a realtivly good bead. The rods dissapear quickly, and the pick axe head is covered in beads! looks cool, that welder is what I wanted, it will be good for the little things I want to do. It was a kit, helmet, gloves, a ton of rods, and the welder. The helmet and gloves are great, the gloves are very comefy too.

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