Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 That one is using a 1/2" schedual 40 tuyere, but the new one is 3/4" (about 7/8") so, 3" from the bottom of the box to the bottom of the tuyere hole, and 4-5" from the top of the tuyere hole to the top of the bowl. I like to put two bricks on the bottom (keeps you from digging down to far when you clean it out) then use a pair as a "belows stone" cut a notch between them to admit the air. Adobe works just fine (30% clay and 70% sand, tho some use 10% ash as part of the sand) any clay soil will be ok. You want about an inch under the tuyere for coal slag to collect. But this forge will be just as happy with lump charcoal (i use construction scrap) african and assian forges tend to be "trench" types, but a few bricks and a flat top are very versital, sand and ash fill is also good as you can remold your fire bowl at will. And a few pipe fitings alow you to make a temp long trench for heating longer bars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 38 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: 11 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: That one is using a 1/2" schedual 40 tuyere, but the new one is 3/4" (about 7/8") so, 3" from the bottom of the box to the bottom of the tuyere hole, and 4-5" from the top of the tuyere hole to the top of the bowl. I like to put two bricks on the bottom (keeps you from digging down to far when you clean it out) then use a pair as a "belows stone" cut a notch between them to admit the air. Adobe works just fine (30% clay and 70% sand, tho some use 10% ash as part of the sand) any clay soil will be ok. You want about an inch under the tuyere for coal slag to collect. But this forge will be just as happy with lump charcoal (i use construction scrap) african and assian forges tend to be "trench" types, but a few bricks and a flat top are very versital, sand and ash fill is also good as you can remold your fire bowl at will. And a few pipe fitings alow you to make a temp long trench for heating longer bars. Alright, since I'm running lump charcoal, the tuyere can just be about an inch over the bottom, correct? So like something like this: Air in-> -U and then surround that with a shelf and such? If so, I can get this put together easy. The bricks at the bottom are a kind of heat shield for the tuyere, so could they be rocks instead of bricks, or should I use cinder blocks (Closest thing to bricks I have right now) or hold out until I can make a hardware store run? And last question, I swear, I have some decent gauge sheet metal, could I make a riveted Tuyere just to save some money or should I really go for the Schedule 40? Also sorry about the weird quote thing, I think the forum just bugged out somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The tuyere, valve and blower cost less than $25 all up. Bet if you look around you can scrounge up a peice of 3/4-1" schedual 40 pipe used. Stay to the black or rusty stuff, galvi is bad juju. Stay away from cement blocks, atleast in contact with the fire, they will faile, fire brick is perferd, but red brick or clay soil/adobe work just fine. You need atleast 2 " as insulation under the fire to protect a wooden or thin steel box (like a 55 galon drum, look up "55 side blast forge). As the tuyere will burn up in the fire i prefer to use clay or brick to protect it, so if you notch the bricks and blow air threw the hole, or stick a wooden plug in the tuyere and mold up clay around it, makes a fixed wall and kepps the tuyere from burning up. Dont be afraid to ask questions, unless your not prepared for the answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 True, I guess I'm not that pesky. I'm going to be drawing some stuff up for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Something to keep in mind about that video you posted is that Grant Thompson puts up videos about a random weekend project. He's also the guy who popped a piece of dry ice in his mouth to see what would happen, knowing full well that it could be extremely dangerous. Lots of his videos are very interesting, like the spot welder he slapped together, while some are the stuff of nightmares, like his "scariac." While plaster might work for a flower pot foundry he probably never intended to use his creation repeatedly and for a long period of time. He moves from one project to another and creates some really interesting stuff. Some of it probably shouldn't be replicated though and all of it should be regarded as a working concept at the most, at least until serious testing has taken place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 10 minutes ago, jumbojak said: Something to keep in mind about that video you posted is that Grant Thompson puts up videos about a random weekend project. He's also the guy who popped a piece of dry ice in his mouth to see what would happen, knowing full well that it could be extremely dangerous. Lots of his videos are very interesting, like the spot welder he slapped together, while some are the stuff of nightmares, like his "scariac." While plaster might work for a flower pot foundry he probably never intended to use his creation repeatedly and for a long period of time. He moves from one project to another and creates some really interesting stuff. Some of it probably shouldn't be replicated though and all of it should be regarded as a working concept at the most, at least until serious testing has taken place. Yeah, I actually made his spot welder. The bits on the thing suck, if you're ever looking at making one, replace them with 1/2 inch copper pipe and end caps. Much more even heating and much less resistance. And some of it is just a version of an already-known working theory (His stick welder, rocket motors) and others are, indeed, completely conceptual. From what I've found, following his directions exactly is a good way to get burned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Personaly I don't want you winning the Darwin Awards, or even geting an honerable mention. Smart kids are all to rare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 34 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Personaly I don't want you winning the Darwin Awards, or even geting an honerable mention. Smart kids are all to rare I greatly prefer laughing at those people, yeah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Good man. So what you have in the way off PPE? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 FPE? For now, I just have a quench bucket that I can move so I can easily throw a couple gallons of water onto the coals. Last time I needed to use it it put them out nicely. I'll probably also keep a tarp of dirt for choking a fire. The charcoal that I made light easy but it also goes out easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 We have a desert out here made from plaster of paris---White Sands. Where people build a hot fire on it it activates it so that the next (if infrequent) rain makes it set up hard making it easy for the archaeologists to find where people have been as the loose sand blows away leaving these mushrooms of hardened plaster of paris sticking up. (another reason why it's not a good refractory...pouring water on your system after it's been to forging heat will re-work it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 3 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: We have a desert out here made from plaster of paris---White Sands. Where people build a hot fire on it it activates it so that the next (if infrequent) rain makes it set up hard making it easy for the archaeologists to find where people have been as the loose sand blows away leaving these mushrooms of hardened plaster of paris sticking up. (another reason why it's not a good refractory...pouring water on your system after it's been to forging heat will re-work it.) Ooh, that's very interesting. So just to be clear, the area is made out of gypsum dust, and when fires were burned on it, it would dry it to the point that water would cause it to harden? And yeah, water screws everything up. (Cue image from The Waters Of Mars Dr. Who episode) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 PPE, personal protective equipment. Tennies and wind pants arnt going to cut it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 OH okay wasn't sure if it was a typo or an unfarmiliar term. I don't have an apron, but I do have combat boots, which are the only boots I trust with averting hot metal for long enough for me to get it off of said foot, a nice pair of leather gloves, safety glasses, etc. I'm going to get some sort of face-shield soon. As far as pants, are jeans good enough or are there some sort of chaps I should be looking at? Also, fire retardant aprons... I have leather to make myself one, going to knock that out before the whole hot metal hitting thing starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Check your boots to make sure there aren't any synthetic fibers on them. I've seen combat boots that employ man made materials and that's the sort of thing that melts and sticks to you when something hot hits it. With good leather work boots you can stand to be around some pretty hot stuff. I've dropped hot slag on my foot cutting with a stick welder many times and never had serious problems when wearing work boots. You could say I was a contender for Honorable Mention in the Darwin Awards as a teenager... hiking boots can't be removed quickly enough when they start to stick. A face shield is a good investment too. Trying to blow the hot sparks out of your nose without dropping a grinder is no fun at all. I actually consider myself lucky to still have two eyes that see!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Typicaly leather boots, jeans and a cooton shirt are good. Safty glasses are not optinal, wile gloves are. Some jobs you want a sheild and aprin. JJ, do you need some one to tap the reset button on the back of your head?! Play safer, we need more wise men and less fools. Then again if you have servived young an dumm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 It irks me when a post dissapears! At any rate, I play it safe now. It doesn't bother me one bit when someons calls me a Safety Sally. Aside from not wearing steel toe boots, I pretty much follow the rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 Yeah I'll check them, they're pretty similar to suede as far as the outside, but if they're no go on the synthetics, I have leather that I can make some chaps out of to cover over the tops and make sure they'll take the hot metal treatment in stride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Even if we know we can push the envilole we neet to set an example for the young and dumm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbojak Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 A bucket of water big enough to stick your foot in won't hurt either. With proper gear anything that could hurt you should roll off, but the chap idea worries me a bit. Not that they wouldn't work. I think they would. Sometimes a complex solution can be so cumbersome that we decide not to use it though. Heck, the number of grinders I've seen with the guards taken off says that the elegant solutions can be too much for some. Keep it simple and you'll fare better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Chaps and aprins will keep you out of hawk with mom on singed clothes, but for most things are not nessisay, now as 4 1/2 grinders are mean nasty tools, leather chaps/aprin, gloves and face shild are in order (most of us dont go that far, but then again your mother might want grandchildren and a wayward grinder can end that real fast). KISS, you only need to protect parts you want to keep, but some "safety" items build contempt and bad habits, gloves being an example. Many times they are a hinderence, even a safty hazard, wile others they are a nessiesity. Geting complacent and grabing hot steel with a glove and you will find you cant get it off fast enug, do it once with your bare hand and you wont do it twice. Hint, black is hot! everuthing we do is hot, sharp and heavy, and that peice of hot, heavy sharp steel has right of way. If you drop it, move your feet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I have a set of real leather upper sneakers I wear, demonstrated why to a class last Saturday. After explaining that most people will drop hot steel at some point and it's important to not over react; I dropped the piece I was holding on my shoe, calmly dumped it off my shoe and picked it up with tongs. I may have to research non-leather fireproof spats for the vegan no-leather crowd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 10 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: Chaps and aprins will keep you out of hawk with mom on singed clothes, but for most things are not nessisay, now as 4 1/2 grinders are mean nasty tools, leather chaps/aprin, gloves and face shild are in order (most of us dont go that far, but then again your mother might want grandchildren and a wayward grinder can end that real fast). KISS, you only need to protect parts you want to keep, but some "safety" items build contempt and bad habits, gloves being an example. Many times they are a hinderence, even a safty hazard, wile others they are a nessiesity. Geting complacent and grabing hot steel with a glove and you will find you cant get it off fast enug, do it once with your bare hand and you wont do it twice. Hint, black is hot! everuthing we do is hot, sharp and heavy, and that peice of hot, heavy sharp steel has right of way. If you drop it, move your feet... Yeah, I'm good with my mom as far as safety glasses, a sweater, and leaving the gaurd on as far as angle grinders go. I've gotten myself good on some hot steel already (Grinder hot, not forge hot, thank goodness) and I've had a third degree burn, not something I'm going to be repeating. I'll keep a wet rag around for grabbing and moving medium hot stuff, and my bucket is indeed big enough for the foot to fit in. and yeah, I've got a good bit in general shop, I know to dance when the metal falls! 9 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: I have a set of real leather upper sneakers I wear, demonstrated why to a class last Saturday. After explaining that most people will drop hot steel at some point and it's important to not over react; I dropped the piece I was holding on my shoe, calmly dumped it off my shoe and picked it up with tongs. I may have to research non-leather fireproof spats for the vegan no-leather crowd Not for me, I buy leather by the two pound bag of remnants whenever it's on sale. Nothing beats the real deal. But fiberglass welding blankets might be something to look into. Also, just grew out of a pair of jeans, I think I'll be turning those into some sort of chaps (Second skin over another pair of jeans, of course) and for the boots I'll just tie some leather to the top with a bit of paracord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 DARN, I leave town for 10 days and miss out on the fun! I think a good if optimistic rule of thumb goes something like, 99% of what you see on youtube is pucky. Not much of anything will make plaster of paris a good forge refractory. At the temps we work it will BURN and fill your shop with calcium smoke. Sure it's a beautiful orange color but it's unpleasant to get on you. Visualize breathing lye. Don't worry, it's human nature to want to design the perfect stuff before we even know how to use the beginner stuff, been there do that. the difference experience makes for a lot of us goes something like this. Sure I can't help but redesign every darned thing I see, use or hear about and I always go for my idea of the perfect . . . thingy. Most of us old guys just know it's noodling and almost certainly won't work worth spit. This isn't always true, sometimes ideas unpolluted by knowledge are pure gold it's just rare and almost always comes from kids new to elementary school. I've gotten some real gems from 3rd. grade and under. I think you're going to fit right in here. You're full of ideas, some really wild I hope but are willing to listen to old farts and not get worked up when we roll our eyes. . . Yeah, you're a natural. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micah Burgin Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Thanks man! And in my expirience, the indians had it right with their old people. Best resource on earth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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