msropp2 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 First time I started the forge Stand, Forge, and Air supply Moved forge into my shop piece of 1/2 rebar inside, also a picture of my anvil First pair of tongs I made, made the hole to big but think I can still get them to work. Overall of my work area, used to be and old smoke house out back behind my house from the civil war. I would like to build a more permanent forge and use the chimney in the background to draw the smoke up and away! Close up of my actual forge does well heating up metal, burns coal up pretty fast. Any suggestions tips or tricks are welcome please speak your mind. I am new to blacksmithing but I love it! Thanks for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Should be fuel on top of the workpiece too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EtownAndrew Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I suspect that you will want to work out a stock rest to help hold up long steel pieces as they are sitting in the fire heating up on one end. At some point you will want to heat up the middle of a long bar and will be wanting a hole in the far side of the forge so the bar can hang out both sides. I suspect the chimney is too small for a forge. It looks to be a 6" chimney opening. If is bigger past the opening you can enlarge the opening it to get the maximum draw out of it. 10" to 12" chimney diameter is normal for a forge chimney. I have heard of people using a blower to help the draw of a small chimney so it might be made to work. Your first pair of tongs looks better than my first pair. Years of enjoyment await you. Forge away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Thanks guy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 It's definitely a start! All that stuff under your anvil is a problem. Cut the carpet to match the footprint of the anvil so you don't get a mess started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you might be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Most of us love our anvils but don't carpet the stand, it's not like they have tender feet you know and the smoke is going to stink, LOTS. You'll want a pass hole on the back of your forge so you can pass long stock through it to heat inside the ends. A helper stand is going to be a must, I'm always on the lookout for old tripods and such at the dump or side of the road. A little tweaking and they make dandy helpers and light stands. Keep in mind you'll be rearranging the set up till you get it right for you so keep the area as clear as you can. Were I working at your setup I'd be dieing to move the forge farther from the anvil and on the left. That's me though. <wink> Blacksmithing is an endless learning curve, enjoy the ride. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 UPDATE, Unhappy with my first forge hard to heat long pieces and coal kept falling out of the front! On my two days off this week I gathered all the materials I would need and got to work! I was so pumped to build the new forge I forgot to take pics of the progress along the way. I do have some pictures of the finished product and as before let me hear what you think! Two pieces of 3/16 inch steel welded together, you can see the fire pot located on top of the steel. First fire in the new forge! Finishing up the pair of tongs from the previous post. Fire pot holding hot coals. Different Picture of the fire pot Fire pot covered with coal Knife i'm attempting to make out of a file haha! Not sure what I'm attempting but its fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Yeah, you're going to like that forge a LOT better. It's a nice size with plenty of table. All it needs is a tong rack so you can keep tongs handy, just like having a hammer rack on your anvil. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Wow, looks a lot like my old shop in Columbus OH, USA; a detached garage from the 1920's. Worked out of that for 15 years till I moved south. Funny thing I ran a smithy in it for 15 years with no problems; but 3 months after we moved it mysteriously burned down...allowing the owner to build a new modern garage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EtownAndrew Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 You will like that forge a lot better. It will be very flexible since you can heat up all sorts of odd shaped things. Even if you should ever make a propane forge you will still want this sort of coal forge since it is not limited to the small interior dimensions of a propane forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 Thanks for the feedback guys! I know this isn't the hood section of the page but I figured it goes well enough with the forge being new and all that. I was thinking I wanted to add a hood with some sort of way to draw the smoke up and away when the forge first starts. I left the 3 angel stock attached to the side of the forge for that purpose. I could easily weld some extensions onto those pieces and attached a hood. What ideas do you guys have, if any? Is there a way to add a fan to help draw the smoke up through the hood and outside? Thanks again for all the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm not really a coal forge guy but I've used side draft forges and really like them better than an overhead hood. I don't think the six upright pieces will be anything but in your way. A side draft hood can just sit on the table behind the fire pot and feed through the wall above and behind the forge or if you use a Hofi style out through the window or wall then up. Remember to calculate for a minimum 10" dia. stack for good draw. Did you put a shelf across the spreaders under the forge table? You DID put spreaders on the table legs. . . YES? The spreaders will make for a nice solid stable forge and a shelf is just sooooooo handy under the forge. I put a shelf under all my forges unless it's a ground forge of course. <wink> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 by spreaders you mean what exactly? The fore table is bolted to the metal stand, i have yet to weld legs onto the forge table for extra support I am planning on doing this tomorrow. I like the idea of a shelf thanks for the advice! i'll have to do some research on how to draw smoke up and out I will post some pictures when updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Use angle iron for the shelf support and then put expanded metal down for the actual shelf. Expanded metal keeps the tools handy and allows the dirt to fall through, keeping the shelf clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Good Idea! I have some expanded metal in the shop right now that will be a perfect fit, to bad its snowing outside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Yes today is supposed to be cooler than yesterday high of only 73 degF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 haha rub it in why don't ya? Maybe I should move to Texas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 "Where they put their steel into a running forge to cool it off in the summer" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 Update of my shop and forge! So i've been really updating my shop and forge over the last couple months. It is still a work in progress and there are still multiple things that I want to do to improve it. With that being said I feel like i've come a long way since my first attempt. Tell me what you think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Hello again :), I 've just got read through this topic and the "long way" was the first thought when I saw your last pictures. You have a nice working environment to do almost all kind of forge work. Congratulations on that. You did a real good job. I bet you have already done a little more than heating some rebar on the top of the fire. ;) I have two questions though: - does your shop have enough air? I can't see in these picts whether it is open building or not. - can you manage the heating of longer stock in that forge? It looks like it's deep I just don't see how deep... The whole place looks nice and homely, and kudos for the car seat chair, hehe... Best luck and good forging time to you! Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 There are two open windows and the door always stays open. I hope that's enough air!! But I'm not sure I feel like there could always be more. I have a hole in the back of the forge that allows me to push metal out the back if the piece gets to long. I Plan on attaching a hinge win a door so it can open and close as needed with only pushing on it with the longer piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msropp2 Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 Could use some more air that I'm sure of. For the longer metal there is a hole in the back of my forge that I can easily stick metal out the back when heating long peices. Might have to ad a fan or something to help get fresh air in thats for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gergely Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 If there is no smoke in your shop while the forge is running you're ok. And if you never feel dizzy, cough,headache etc. which show the CO poisoning symptoms. I don't know about the oxy-acet/propane stuff, and how much airflow it needs. (If I saw correctly in the pictures there is OA stuff in your shop.) But it's better to be on the safe side :) You might not even need to forge long stock, I was just curious. If something doesn't fit in the forge you can make an exception and heat it some other way. All in all it's a cool shop. Enjoy and the glowing steel! I'm going and do the same as it's morning here :) Greetings Gergely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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