September 28, 20178 yr Hello so I've never forged anything in my life but want to get started I'm looking for suggestions on setting up a small soft firebrick and propane set up and my first project will be tent stakes apart from the general set up any advice would be appreciated what color to look for in the steel exe something you wish you knew starting out also pictures help thanks in advance
September 28, 20178 yr Why don't you get a book on basic blacksmithing that includes a colour chart in it? Where I live tentstakes are a large item due to high winds and so a small propane forge may not be large enough to heat 1/2" sq stock for stakes. Remember the end should be a short blunt taper and if you break the edges before you turn the top ropes will last longer.
September 28, 20178 yr Welcome aboard UR93? glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the gang live within visiting distance. A number of the guys in our club have small forges about a 2 brick size though we've begun using 3, they last longer. Approx 2" dia. bore and the back can be opened as a pass through. Powered by a single 1/2" T you have to keep it turned down to prevent melting your stock. I'll see if I can get Teenylittlemetalguy in on this discussion, he's WAY better at 1/2" Ts than I am, his are SCREAMING HOT. Mike Porter has brought an insulating refractory tile to our attention recently that is MUCH more durable than insulating fire brick for a better price. I believe they're called K 26 by Morgan. . . something or other. They're supposed to last and be flux resistant. Soft brick tends to crumble from the rapid thermal cycling above their general limit. Frosty The Lucky.
September 29, 20178 yr A lot of us have underwear older than you. Some have probably been wearing the same underwear longer than that. Frosty The Lucky.
September 29, 20178 yr Yes, but on a rotating basis. One pair this week, the other pair next week. They last twice as long that way
September 29, 20178 yr I just turn mine inside out every week. Like a fresh pair! Seriously EA93, welcome to the group. Good luck with building your forge! I would very much suggest, before you throw a lot of money and effort into a hobby you've never even participated in (and this hobby will take as much or as little as you throw at it), try to find someone local who does it and ask if you can come by and try it out. Learn the basics first so you don't get frustrated trying things that are way beyond you. I had good results by googeling my state + blacksmith. There may be a club within driving distance.
September 29, 20178 yr Whatever you change interval is, you can get 4 times the wearability if you follow this pattern... 1. Right side out, label in back 2. Right side out, label in front 3. Inside out, label in back 4. Inside out, label in front
September 29, 20178 yr I don't EVEN WANT TO KNOW about the emoticon with it's tongue out! Ewwwww, gack! Frosty The Lucky.
September 29, 20178 yr Think that was Fernando. 93... guess you have figured out it doesn't take much to send a thread off the rails. Just hang in there we will answers your questions.
September 29, 20178 yr Yeah welcome 93. You're the same age as my son, but we still don't know where you are located. Local clubs and individuals can help so much, so give us the means to point you in a useful direction
September 30, 20178 yr Throw some menthal nutdust aka goldbond on the underwear each morning and you get at least a month before they start smelling
September 30, 20178 yr Nope goldbond stinks from the gitgo! My original copy of "The Modern Blacksmith" had a colour heat guide on it. Note be wary of descriptions the old "cherry red" refered to orange-yellow pie cherries not the more recent black-red bing cherries for instance.
September 30, 20178 yr If you use lots of baby powder, it's only necessary to clean the underwear before darning their holes (just like sots); well...unless you have a gas mask I think a thin coating of refractory will make K26 bricks last longest.
September 30, 20178 yr If you use genuine talcum powder in your shorts by time they won't bend enough to wear they'll be an asbestos forge liner. Embedded hairs will even provide insulation. And for win #3 your neighbors will stop complaining about the coal forge! Winner WINNER Chicken Dinner!! Frosty The Lucky.
October 1, 20178 yr So Frosty does this explain your remote address? Too many pitchfork and torches incidents down in the lower 48?
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