FrogPondForge Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 My Father and I fabricated a coal forge. I put together some pictures and captions for folks to look at. I build my first fire tomorrow, CAN'T WAIT! Have a look and let me know what you think:My new forge Thanks, and enjoy, TOM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Looks really good, you and your dad did a great job. Can't wait to see it in action. By the way, where do you live, country or state? It will help us (The Forum Community) to better help you. Just go to your User CP and then select your location. Otherwise, ask for help with it. I also can't wait to see your first piece out of the fire. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinD Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Cool set up. Fill out your profile. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Czar Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 very nice Im envious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I like your gifts as well. Don't forget to thank everyone that helped get you this far. I suppose on that note, I should send out a few letters........grandpa, uncle, family....I guess I'll be busy doing that right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronPuppet Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Looks real good. Christopher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Looks Like a GREAT Start . Nice setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 hot diggitty froggitty pond!! Very sweet. I recognize your russian submarine:D You have a wonderful Dad too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 hot diggitty froggitty pond!! Very sweet. I recognize your russian submarine:D You have a wonderful Dad too LoL !!! Just like my Russian Submarine LOL!!! Yeah you have a GREAT DAD!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skunkriv Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Very nice forge Thomas. My first forge was a rivet forge but the first shop forge I built was from a tub used for washing engines alot like yours. Great minds think alike Had to extend the legs on mine too. Have fun tomorrow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan B Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Very nice set up Thomas. Looks like your all ready to go. Good luck, have fun, be safe and welcome to the dark side. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecart Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 That's a really nice job you and your dad have done there! Now you have to post the work that you do tomorrow. I look forward to seeing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogPondForge Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 Thanks everyone! I'm super grateful to have my dad and friends like Wallace. I'll keep you guys posted as I make headway. Wallace said he would help me with some tongs, but for now I'd be happy with a nail or beating some round bar into flat. Happy New Year to everyone. Thanks again, TOM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GVR-4579 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 That is a great start, I cant tell from the pictures how big those openings are in the bottom of your firepot. They look like they may be a bit large to me. Let us know how it works for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pascalou Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Super work! Good design of the hearth . I wish you good fires! A+ PL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 That's a real fine set up. Don't suppose you could get your dad to post the details on the cnc setup. I would love to build one of those. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 What kind of blower you using Thomas ? Hand crank , eletric? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Martin Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 It shows on the page, him using a shop vac. So, electric, it's towards the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Ok I fond it !:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrous Beuler Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 COOL! You did this with your Dad? That's awesome! You guys are going to have a great time together in all of this. "Old washdown tub made into a forge", are you sure that's not vice-versa? Looks like a pretty nice forge made into a washdown tub and then reinvented as a forge again! You don't have to pinpoint your driveway on the map but at least tell us what state you live in. LOOKS GREAT! BTW- can I have the scrap???;)Dan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Good looking job. Let us know how it works. From the looks of the material used for the firepot it should last into the year 3500! maybe longer! It appears to me that you may have some problem with the air holes being that large (as mentioned earlier) and also where the ash dump is the air inlet pipe may get plugged up varly easy as it appears to be too close to the bottom of the ash dump. These may or may not be problems but something to address if you do have problems. Should be easy fixes though. Good luck and please keep us updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogPondForge Posted January 2, 2008 Author Share Posted January 2, 2008 Tom tells me that he is getting some reaction. I thought I'd better take a look. Thanks for all of the input. There is a page of the torch machine pics here:Torch And another project I did with it here:http:www//.accuratepower.com/Rest There are a few threads about it on related boards out there, I'll try to dig them up. It has been a few years since I built it, I have forgotten most everything, except how to use it. I've been thinking about the hole sizes in my grate for a while. I used this pic as a guide: I figured I could make a bunch of different plates to drop on top of it, if it turned out to be way too much. I think I'll draw and burn some to try out. Maybe one with a slot off to one side for a little "side draft". Tom fired it up yesterday and things seemed to be going "OK". With the ShopVac slowed as far as it would go, it still doesn't take long to get things HOT. Maybe it will be a coal-eater in the long run. Walk away from it for a few minutes and it'll burn steel, but keep a close eye on things and there is not alot of waiting. I think he will be alright when he gets the hang of it. It will surely be easier to block some off than to open them up, so I erred that way. Regarding the ash dump, I wish I had a longer and smaller chunk of scrap for it, I went with what was laying around. Clogging the air pipe doesn't seem to be a factor. Open the door and kick the vac on at full power and the ash just flies out. The real issue is that the hinges are at the bottom of it all. Grit will get packed in there a little. If you flop it open and shut a few times with the blower on, it does clear this out too. You can also adjust the volume a little by proping it open a tad. I'm sure he/I will be fine tuning a bit. And yes, that really is all just a bunch of junk I had laying around. I sat on that washdown tray for 20yrs.. And to think, my wife says I should throw some of that kind of stuff out. I didn't know it would make such a nice forge, but I knew it was something. I have a ton (literally) of springs (leaf & coil), fork truck pins & forks (the square bar "cubing tine" kind), drops from the torch machine, wire rope, automotive valvetrain stuff (springs, valves etc.) and more (lots more) all around the place. I haven't thrown out a chunk of steel since my 4x4 building days (long ago). When Tom said forge, alot of bells went off for me. And being 15 and fit, it was easy to make him drag it all together and clean it up. He will have fun using it, and I know where he is. Thanks for helping and humoring my son, this is a GREAT board. FrogPondForge's Dad (Mike) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Tom tells me that he is getting some reaction. I thought I'd better take a look. Thanks for all of the input. There is a page of the torch machine pics here:Torch And another project I did with it here:http:www//.accuratepower.com/Rest There are a few threads about it on related boards out there, I'll try to dig them up. It has been a few years since I built it, I have forgotten most everything, except how to use it. I've been thinking about the hole sizes in my grate for a while. I used this pic as a guide: I figured I could make a bunch of different plates to drop on top of it, if it turned out to be way too much. I think I'll draw and burn some to try out. Maybe one with a slot off to one side for a little "side draft". Tom fired it up yesterday and things seemed to be going "OK". With the ShopVac slowed as far as it would go, it still doesn't take long to get things HOT. Maybe it will be a coal-eater in the long run. Walk away from it for a few minutes and it'll burn steel, but keep a close eye on things and there is not alot of waiting. I think he will be alright when he gets the hang of it. It will surely be easier to block some off than to open them up, so I erred that way. Regarding the ash dump, I wish I had a longer and smaller chunk of scrap for it, I went with what was laying around. Clogging the air pipe doesn't seem to be a factor. Open the door and kick the vac on at full power and the ash just flies out. The real issue is that the hinges are at the bottom of it all. Grit will get packed in there a little. If you flop it open and shut a few times with the blower on, it does clear this out too. You can also adjust the volume a little by proping it open a tad. I'm sure he/I will be fine tuning a bit. And yes, that really is all just a bunch of junk I had laying around. I sat on that washdown tray for 20yrs.. And to think, my wife says I should throw some of that kind of stuff out. I didn't know it would make such a nice forge, but I knew it was something. I have a ton (literally) of springs (leaf & coil), fork truck pins & forks (the square bar "cubing tine" kind), drops from the torch machine, wire rope, automotive valvetrain stuff (springs, valves etc.) and more (lots more) all around the place. I haven't thrown out a chunk of steel since my 4x4 building days (long ago). When Tom said forge, alot of bells went off for me. And being 15 and fit, it was easy to make him drag it all together and clean it up. He will have fun using it, and I know where he is. Thanks for helping and humoring my son, this is a GREAT board. FrogPondForge's Dad (Mike) Those are some cool projects! I get you a link to the same blower that i have ,it works good for my forge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Ok here is a link to get one like mine! It works great for my forge, I can open it up and get it to forge welding temps in no time! (ok like 45 - 60 secounds depend on size stock and if its hot or not) but really it works good!New blacksmith 100 CFM Forge Blower with air gate - eBay (item 250202005152 end time Jan-05-08 19:01:49 PST) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J W Bennett Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Thom and Mike, Thank you for the pictures of the burn table, any other info would be appreciated. I have some surplus servo motors that I beleive would give me a good start.Once again thanks and enjoy your new forge. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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