I caught the Bug in Point Barrow, Alaska

[Mark Ling]

6 hours ago, Frosty said:

You already have a REAL anvil,

That's why I had actual in " " .  I meant a London pattern anvil. An anvil is anything that you beat hot steel under.

                                                                                                         

6 hours ago, Frosty said:

horns are a development

their was a 130 pound anvil on craigslist for $100 and it was missing the horn. My brother said " that anvil isn't worth a thing, it doesn't have the horn" I said " I hardly use the horn, except for fullering, you can get by without a horn. in fact I always do all of my scroll work over the edge of the anvil, NOT on the horn." he didn't understand.

                                                                                     Littleblacksmith

[Charles R. Stevens]

Yes sir, I adjust the curve of the branches on front shoes over the horn, as well as turning the heal and setting the branch on rears hot. Wile cold I use the cam for the heals and the face to arch the branch. 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

The plates with the holes can be used as a bender. Make some shouldered pins that you can drop in at different spacing to get different radii. Place the part between the pins and bend it around .

At the community college I took my smithing classes at they used some dozer blade for anvil tops. 

[Forging Fever]

On 5/22/2016 at 1:52 AM, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

The plates with the holes can be used as a bender. Make some shouldered pins that you can drop in at different spacing to get different radii. Place the part between the pins and bend it around .

At the community college I took my smithing classes at they used some dozer blade for anvil tops. 

I was considering making a piece from one of the cutting edges into the top of my anvil but I think I'll wait to do that until after I get some time to have some one on one with Frosty.

On 5/22/2016 at 6:22 PM, littleblacksmith said:

That's why I had actual in " " .  I meant a London pattern anvil. An anvil is anything that you beat hot steel under.

                                                                                     Littleblacksmith

It will make an excellent anvil I am sure. I completely understand that all I need is something to strike on. I was watching a documentary on the traditional forging of Katanas last night and they had a pretty basic piece of steel for their striking anvil.

On 5/19/2016 at 9:25 PM, Glenn said:

If you have enough pallets or other wood you can build a solid fuel forge that burns just the wood. Look for the 55 Forge plans and the side blast modifications. You can use any cylinder such as a old  water tank or what ever is available for the solid fuel forge. Besides it will reduce the scrap load on the land fill.

Glenn, I am working on acquiring a 55 gallon drum for my 55 forge. I am going to be using pallet wood as my fuel as you suggested, and I was wondering what your thoughts are on adding used oil to the wood to make it hotter/more efficient? This may not be practical which is why I am asking before I waste time and effort on a hair brained idea.

[Glenn]

Just use wood as it is a known variable. Make the forge from at least a half barrel, or better yet look at the 55 forge with a supercharger design. Radiant heat will be a consideration so use a heat shield when needed.

You may not need the full 24 inch diameter so reduce the diameter with bricks or mud to get the fire you want. You may want a V shaped bottom rather than a round bottom.  I found 2 x 4 x 4 inch pieces worked best but in testing my wood forge, I burned a  14 inch diameter tree, (not all at one time).

[Charles R. Stevens]

I find a "V" shaped trench works best for wood, keep the peices small, say the size of a 2X2 cut 3-4" long. I can pile wood on and get a coal pile (hot charcoal) then I put the fresh wood on top and I can push the steel into the heart of the coals. A "side blast 55" forge is easy to build, works well and is versital, especially in the land of the "tundra daisy". 

With a side blast, a couple of bricks and a bit of "landscaping" of the sand and ash fill you can do a lot with the shape of the fire. 

It allows a lot of flexibility and effecency. I would think that for a large part of the year radiant heat from the forge would be welcome...

[Forging Fever]

Alright I will nix the used oil. Thanks guys.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Seen some guys messing with blown oil burners for casting furnesses, but not for forges.

if you can't find drums cheep, pallet lumber can make a forge just fine. 

 

 

 

[Glenn]

It does NOT have to be a 55 gallon drum, they were suggested because they should be available in most any 3 rd world country. You can as Charles suggested use anything as a form, including a hole in the ground. The hole is raised to table height just as a convenience to the blacksmith so he does not have to bend over.  Most any thing to make a V, rocks, bricks, etc then cover with mud or dirt to smooth it out a bit will do. Ash will also fill the voids and insulate the sides in time. Use what is available to you including large angle iron, channel, two pieces of plate or whatever. Do not over complicate simple. You will fail, rebuild, and improve  the forge to fit your needs. It is part of the fun.

[Mark Ling]

One good thing about a hole in the ground as a forge is that It is much easier to change/adjust to your desire.

                                                                                             Littleblacksmith

[Forging Fever]

I can get the drum fine. It's just finding the time to do it. I work a ten hour day at the airline and I still need to spend time with my family, this is how I earn points with the wife, not that I get to use them. Plus chores.   

I'm  going to the boneyard sometime tomorrow with my coworker who is also a heavy equipment operator there and we are picking up a few for me to use. 

I'm thinking about building a retort as well... We will see. 

[Frosty]

Maybe you should get the family more involved in blacksmithing? Tell them it's a BBQ, and if you're burning charcoal it's a multi tasker, only needs a grill. You can have the only fully blown BBQ in Barrow.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Charles R. Stevens]

If she puts up with your mangy hide (assuming you anything like me) then she deserves any and all the extras you can do for brownie points! Lol. On forges from drums, I use a clamp top ring as a leg brace, and 1"X1/4" strap for legs. By folding the top over one makes a spacer to clear the bottom lip of the drum, then one can drill and bolt or rivet the legs on (3 work best) then cut off the hardware and weld the clamp into a ring that you can bolt or river to the legs about a third from the ground. Scroll the feet. 

[Frosty]

You know it's love if your feet scroll.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Forging Fever]

10 minutes ago, Frosty said:

You know it's love if your feet scroll.

Frosty The Lucky.

Nice one Frosty.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Some peaples children...

you know your loved when Jerry picks on you!

[Forging Fever]

On May 30, 2016 at 1:15 AM, Forging Fever said:

I still need to spend time with my family, this is how I earn points with the wife, not that I get to use them. Plus chores.   

My wife saw this post and informed me that this statement combined with being out until 3am this morning means I spent all my brownie points.

Luckily I earned one point back this morning by sending her to work with a perfect cup of coffee. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

I take it "the land of the midnight sun" excuse didn't fly? Lol.

I think she should pick up a hammer and open an account, sounds like she would fit in right well.

[Frosty]

2 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

I take it "the land of the midnight sun" excuse didn't fly? Lol.

I think she should pick up a hammer and open an account, sounds like she would fit in right well.

Folk in Barrow invented that one Charles, the sun won't go completely below the horizon (set) for something like 65 days though I don't know the specific date. I would if I lived there but I don't.

We don't have 24 hr. sunlight here but it doesn't get completely dark even now. It took me a while to get used to going out partying, coming home LATE and seeing people mowing lawns, BBQing and playing Frisbee at 3:00am. The missus may have wanted to sleep or make sure her morning coffee wouldn't be late.

Deb likes her morning cup of coffee and muffin, probably the only reason she hasn't killed me . . . yet.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Forging Fever]

Haha Charles, that excuse hasn't worked for me since the third grade. We moved up here from Denver area in '98. That first summer here was the last time I heard the phrase "come home when it gets dark." Well I rolled up to the house around 11pm mamma wasn't to happy. 

 

Frosty, I'm coming down for a Costco run tomorrow-Friday (possibly Saturday) can I come visit you sometime say, Thursday? I'll be staying on outer springer loop at my brothers house. I hope to make it by Pat's shop while I'm there too. 

49 minutes ago, Frosty said:

We don't have 24 hr. sunlight here but it doesn't get completely dark even now. It took me a while to get used to going out partying, coming home LATE and seeing people mowing lawns, BBQing and playing Frisbee at 3:00am. The missus may have wanted to sleep or make sure her morning coffee wouldn't be late.

Frosty The Lucky.

I live across the street from a public park. We get kids playing basketball all night. The sun at night doesn't bother me but that thump thump thump sure gets to me. It wouldn't be so bad if the net wasn't a chain, but what you gonna do?

In other news, I got my anvil cut flat last night!!! Thank god for friends/former bosses with access to a horizontal bandsaw!

Edited June 1, 2016 by Forging Fever

[SLAG]

Wachah gonna do? Buy a good quality net and donate it to the kids or parks department.

That's wachah do.

Just a humble suggestion.

SLAG.

[Frosty]

You bet we can meet up, I just PMed you my Cell # give me a shout. Thursday is good though I have most days pretty free so I'm flexible.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Forging Fever]

For anyone that was worried I was messing up my anvil here are some pics. The striking surface and bottom end of my bar stock anvil were not at all level and I cut maybe an inch total from both sides combined. 

[Forging Fever]

I made some progress on my supercharged 55 side blast forge as well. I made the opening in the side wall way to small so I will be cutting that bigger soon. Still haven't had a fire in it yet, but we are getting there. I still need to add a grate to the bottom of the fire pot, but I don't think I'm going to put a pipe under it as this is a side blast and all the ash will be contained under the 55 gallon drum that is the base of the forge.

I used a drum with the top cut out of it and flipped it upside down. en cut an opening in the center to drop in my brake drum for the fire pot. 

I cut a 12" wide by 7" tall opening in the face of the chimney then cut in slots every 3" to create tabs around the rim. The first time I cut them the slots were to shallow and I had to cut them a second time. 

Finally I alternetly bent the tabs in and out to cradle the rim of the first drum. 

[Charles R. Stevens]

That my young friend is a bottom blast forge (air fumes up from under the fuel instead of beside it close to the bottom. No issue if you use coal, PITA if you use charcoal, but doable. I would suggest a bigger opening so you don't have to stoop to see in, and an opening on the other end, how else to you heat a long bar so you can use a hot cut on it?

Btw, turn the openings 90 to the wind...

Second suggestion, after setting your anvil hight, trim the forge down to match

third suggestion, as most drums are to deap for small coal fires, a bullet grate (2" pipe cap with a 3/4 inch hole drilled in the middle) will raise the fire and help with dealing with slag. If you need a bigger fire simply replace it with a standard bottom grate and your off and running.