ausfire Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 We had the scrap dealer at our place today removing some old stuff and I save this thing. It is obviously a heavy cast iron forge tray but I don't know what the arm attached to one side does. And I guess it would have had a grate of some kind over the hole, the blower being attached below. It would have been higher than this - legs have been amputated.Any ideas what the attachment is for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 The arm used to hold a wooden arm that you pumped up and down to spin the gears of the under-mounted blower that was attached to the forge. Quite common on those small, portable forges. Often called a riveter's forge because they were used to heat rivets while building skyscrapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted June 23, 2014 Author Share Posted June 23, 2014 Ah, thanks Vaughn. We do have one of those forges you describe with the blower mounted underneath and an arm to activate it. Not mounted like this one but the same principle. I'm glad you've given it a name. I will now be able to label it a riveter's forge. Perhaps it was used to heat rivets for steam engine boilers. Maybe I'll find a few old rivets to display in it near one of our steam engines. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Assembling a boiler would definitely be high on the list of things to do with a forge like that. If you can't bring the work to the forge, ya gotta bring the forge to the work! I can't imagine how hard it would be to spend the week installing and setting all those rivets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 also used for horseshoeing and other miscellaneous small work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 The arm used to hold a wooden arm that you pumped up and down to spin the gears of the under-mounted blower that was attached to the forge. Quite common on those small, portable forges. Often called a riveter's forge because they were used to heat rivets while building skyscrapers.Like this one Vaughn? It has a handle which operates a ratchet set up to turn the blower mounted underneath. It's the only one we have with a blower there. I can see how it would be a very portable device for on-site work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo7 Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 and the snake is...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Trust an Australian to notice the snake. I didn't realise he slid into the picture. It's a red belly black snake forged from one-inch reo bar. (I like reo for snakes as it already has a scale pattern.) I leave that one around the smithy. I've had one visitor race off up to our reception to say there's a snake in the forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 That's it, Ausfire. Small and portable, they were used for all sorts of construction back in the day and farmers loved them because they were plenty good enough for everyday chores around the station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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