I picked up this Champion forge Wed. for $150. I hope i did good on the price, It is the only one I have found in my area, S.E. Mo. Could anyone give me an idea on when these were made or any outher info about this forge?

 The blower works great  but the pan is cracked. Should I have it welded or brazed? I will be lining it with a red clay and sand mix.

Also there are three holes in the side next to the blower, are these for mounting a wind screen?

Thanks.

Unfortunat that the oan is cracked, but with either welding, brazing or patch plates it should be more than functinal. Cast requires special rod and procediers to weld.  

I know about the welding issues, the guy that I got it from said that he could weld or braze it for me but I am a bit leary. I am going to put a strap on the side of the crack that goes all the way to the edge.

Possibly another strap underneath between the legs to offer a little more support may be in order, and consider a clay based lining to help it out and I suspect it's perfectly usable. Certainly good enough to forge a replacement steel pan if you wanted or had too!

Patch plates would be period. A large disk of 1/8" and a few faseners would work well (carage bolts) but just a few peices of 1/8"x1" bar and rivets would work to "stich" it togather. May well not need it in a simiperminent insulation. 

How bificult is it to drill cast? I remember someone telling me years ago

not to use oil when drilling cast.

That should not prove too difficult to drill, good sharp HSS drill, very slow speed and good pressure, no coolant due to the slow speed and no lubricant as cast is self lubricating, all that carbon you know.....If it does prove stubbourn, you could try a masonary bit, the type with the carbide insert. But do ensure good support on the back and stay away from the edges as you don't want to cause more cracks or promote them later, which would be my only concern.

I was always told that using oil while drilling cast creates an abrasive slurry. Not something I want to experiment with but you don't need any lubricant as cast, grey iron at least, produces a fairly light powder when drilled that's almost like a locksmith's graphite powder. No big chips to jam things up. Supposedly the ductile grades behave differently but I haven't had the opportunity to play around with them.

If you do decide to get the crack welded you definitely want to take it to someone who knows exactly what they are doing. I've seen my brother try to weld cast and the results were very pretty... until things cooled down and cracks started to form. I think you need a nickel rod to do the job and preheating and post heating seem to be required as well. Don't quote me on that last bit though.