JeepinJoe Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 (edited) Hello everyone,I am very much a noob even though my username indicates I am a blacksmith. When having a first name like Joe it tends to go with everything. Like Joe the Plumber etc. Anyway, I inherited a bunch of blacksmith tools from my dads brother who got them from his great uncle. I have the cast iron fire pot, champion 400 blower, anvil, and I think the original log stand for the anvil, post vise, and some hammer heads, punches, rivot headers, and 3 different tongs. I would guess they are 100 - 120 years old.I have had these items in my basement for about 15 years. My father in-law has heard me talk about this stuff for years and say someday I need to set up a shop. One day he says I'm sick of you telling me about all those tools it's time to start using them. Let's take a class. So that is what we did. We took a 2-day course about the basics. Now I am hooked! I absolutely loved it and is now my passion. I have bought books and have been reading on this forum and learning all kinds of great stuff.In order for me to start I needed to build a table for my cast iron fire pot. I bought some steel and have been fabricating a table in the evenings for the past week or so. Luckily I have a mig welder and can weld and have grinders, chop saw, and saws all so I am putting them to good use (my other passion is jeeps and building and modifying them so I have collected tools over the years). I have the frame built and the top plate welded to the frame with a hole cut out to fit the fire pot. I plan to line the plate with fire brick and the lip of the fire pot will sit on the fire brick. I have some plate to weld to the frame to box in the fire brick and make a lip to hold the coal. I plan to build a side draft flue for it but for know I will be using outdoors so that will be a future mod. I built the table on wheels so I can easily move it since this thing is a heavy beast. I should be up and running in a few weeks. Having a hard time finding some fire brick at the moment. Tractor supply carries it but my local store doesn't have any in stock at the moment.Thanks for listening to my story and I look forward to learning from all of you.Joe Edited October 13, 2015 by Joe Blacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Welcome to your new addiction joe! You got a nice start more than a lot of us started with, awesome that it has all been passed down, now get some metal hot and start cleanin up your tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Ivan Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Welcome Joe, I am in Pittsburgh as well. If you ever need any 1st hand help/lessons/advice I am probably not all that far away. Feel free to drop me a line anytime and welcome to your new addiction. It's a slippery slope this one lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 I'd highly recommend taking Ivan up on his offer after seeing what he can do at others shops on his travels. You can probably learn a lot from him as well as manage to get some nice new tools like tongs, hardy tools or hammers in the process. I got my fire bricks from the local masonry supply. They aren't the soft insulating kind you'd want for a gas forge, but as a top to the table on a coal forge they would do well. If you were closer, I'd work a deal with you for some of my extras.You might want to look into Pittsburgh area Artist Blacksmith assn.http://www.paaba.net/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Quint- Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Hey Joe! I'm brand new here as well but I'll offer a welcome all the same. Pittsburgh happens to be my favorite place on the planet, used to go every year but it's been a few years now since I've been back. Life gets in the way, ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Welcome Joe. Where about in Pittsburgh? You should take Ivan up on that as he knows his stuff and you can learn a lot more first hand then you will on your own. I learned a lot from Ivan when he was here and thinking I should bribe him to come hang out another weekend day. I'm just a bit south of Pittsburgh. I'm still young in this art but I've been learning a lot with help here and doing it. Get that forge table built and get at it. Don't forget we all love pictures here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Ivan Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Welcome Joe. Where about in Pittsburgh? You should take Ivan up on that as he knows his stuff and you can learn a lot more first hand then you will on your own. I learned a lot from Ivan when he was here and thinking I should bribe him to come hang out another weekend day. I'm just a bit south of Pittsburgh. I'm still young in this art but I've been learning a lot with help here and doing it. Get that forge table built and get at it. Don't forget we all love pictures here. anytime you feel like it, I'm down to burn some coal. Just tell me when. I have a fair bit of free time while I'm sparsely employed so don't hesitate! Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 anytime you feel like it, I'm down to burn some coal. Just tell me when. I have a fair bit of free time while I'm sparsely employed so don't hesitate! Lol. definitely, I'll let ya know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepinJoe Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 Thanks for all the great welcomes. Ivan and Daswulf keep me in the loop about a possible coal burning. I don't have a lot of free time but love to learn so if I could work it out I would be game. I live near Bridgeville which is South of the city on I79.I will try and get some pictures tonight and post my progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Your not too far from me really. Probably 25 minutes or so. I work in Washington pa. And it's about a 20 minute ride or so for me. I'll keep you in the loop and if you can make it then great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeepinJoe Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 Here are a few progress photo's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Nice, you may want to sink the fire pot more in the table. i'm sure your getting it figured out. and sides on the table help keep the coal in but again... Nice Jeep i have about 7 cj5's laying around mostly parts only, one 66 i'm still rewiring, and one off road only farm fun jeep with a blown transmission. Oh the projects... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 I plan to line the plate with fire brick and the lip of the fire pot will sit on the fire brick. I have some plate to weld to the frame to box in the fire brick and make a lip to hold the coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Oops.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Nice work, Joe. Only thing I'll say about the forge is that you'll need a lip around the edge to hold the fire bricks and keep the coal from falling off. Oh, and like on a Jeep, bigger wheels are always better!There's nothing quite like blacksmithing and you're right in the middle of one of the most historical areas in the nation when it comes to the steel industry. You'll have no problem finding old tools to put back into service if you keep an eye peeled for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Nice Jeep. You got a good grip on the country there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Don't forget to:- join a local blacksmith group- continue to take classes and go to blacksmithing presentations and conferences- locate your local steel yard (like a lumber yard but they sell steel)- find your local supplier/store that supplies refractory brick and cement to artists and businesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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