JWbigpraire Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Hello all. I just set up my stuff today for the first time. Little coal forge with a bunch of stuff I managed to find In my grandfathers pig house loft a couple years ago. First project was to try and make a hook for a pot hanger. I managed to burn up two pieces of steel before I got it made. Lol I’m going to try and load some pics i Probably shouldn’t be so proud of it but I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Hey, we all have to start somewhere! Hang onto that, so you'll always know how far you've come! (We've got a number of Northeast Ohio blacksmiths here, by the way. Whereabouts are you?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWbigpraire Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Nashville Ohio just south of Wooster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Welcome aboard JW, glad to have you. Well, that ain't bad for a first time at the anvil, not aTall, ATALL. It's easy to burn your stock in a coal forge that's just part of the learning curve. Less blast, it's the air that makes the heat. You ARE going to post pics of the loot you salvaged from the pig house. YES? We LOVE pics you know, try and stay on our good side. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Nashville Ohio just south of Wooster Hence, Big Prairie. Gotcha. I'm up in Oberlin, but we've got other folks closer to you; @SReynolds is in Mansfield, I believe, and there are others as well. Try to connect with folks. You'll learn more in person in an hour than you will in a week on the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWbigpraire Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 I was trying to post the pic of the rivet forge but for some reason it won’t load all I have is the bowl everything else I cobbed together. That pig house loft was really cool full of old tools and bits of steel and such also a whole bunch of wasps that didn’t seem to like me that much. Which is really strange since I’m such a nice guy. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Welcome to the addiction. Sure you should be proud. You got started moving metal. Now to learn fire control, and paying attention to things In the fire. you found the right place to learn. Also like JHCC mentioned, look for other locals and a local group. As for pictures possibly try resizing them a little smaller maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Yeah, your pics are probably just too big. I do a save as and reduce them to under 200kb. Then resize the things in the window when I post so they don't make people scroll down and sideways to look at bits and pieces. Unless I'm feeling like messing with someone, then all bets are off. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWbigpraire Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Clean up the anvil I found in the pig house two weeks ago it seems pretty beat,but it seems to work fine. I’m sure it’s more capable then the person beating on it I found this while cleaning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Ooooooh CLUES! . . . Sherlock? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Here's that photo right-side-up. Looks like "J. Wilkinson & Son/QUEEN'S/DUDLEY". From your earlier photos, it looks like there's a chunk missing from the face. If so, take care hammering in that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWbigpraire Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 Yep there is a like 1.5 inch x1 inch chunk of the face that is broken off.I can’t imagine how that happened. I’m just going to work around it. Luckily it’s on the very front corner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Wise. Don't grind the face or do anything to it other than wire brushing, giving it a coat of wax or oil, and lots of smithing. Pounding hot metal will polish the face up nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWbigpraire Posted October 4, 2017 Author Share Posted October 4, 2017 I did buy the blower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 See, someone with better eyes than I knows just what you have. Decent looking rivet forge too, did you make the legs or was that what came with? I'd weld sq. tubing to them that smaller sq. tubing would telescope into and make helpers to support long stock in the fire. They also make handy tong hangers, I put them on all my forges. EXCEPT my rivet forge which has factory legs that makes it a pure PITA to add anything. I use a free standing helper for long stock. Classic modern traditional ducting connection between your blower and the forge. Well done. Mine still has the original clamp to connect the blower and tuyere which is nice enough, it drops in and clamps but it doesn't move. I'm stuck with the blower crank almost into the fire. With the ducting connection you can put the blower where ever is handy for the situation. I am a function over form guy. My first priority is the tool do what it's supposed to and safely, how it looks is a ways farther down the list. Nice. Enjoy. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWbigpraire Posted October 5, 2017 Author Share Posted October 5, 2017 I did buy the blower from a local machinery sale. The stand I did weld up. The forge actual just sits on top. And the piping drops down through the center Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalftheGold Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 That all looks awesome. Nice set up, I love it. I burned through three files and a rr spike the first time I tried heating something in my own rig. How do you like the hand crank blower? I have been thinking of getting one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I started with an electric blower back in 1981, switched to a hand crank pretty quick and then switched to a double lunged bellows each time felling that I was doing better. After about 20 years of bellows, I moved 1500 miles and left the bellows to a friend and am back on hand crank when I use coal. (Coal quality out here hasn't incline me to build another bellows!) Mainly propane out here as in many places it's a requirement that all fire using devices have an on/of "switch". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalftheGold Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I see. I am using a shopvac with a valve system to help regulate the air going through. Although I seem to always have not enough or too much air. I am also using charcoal, I am not quite intense enough yet to burn rocks. I see the forge cranks a lot at the local flea markets so I will have to snag one sometime. I do rather like how this guy has it all set up. Also great finds with the pig house tools. I love old school antique tools, they're so great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 About all you need for charcoal and a side blast. Pump faster if you want to burn steel of melt fire brick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Coal is a rock, so yes your forge is intense enough to burn rocks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalftheGold Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 I have yet to melt a fire brick but I have definitely melted steel to my bricks. Go to grab the foot long piece and a quarter inch comes out... oops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Hence my liking for hand crank/hand pump. I get to daydreaming and poof, sparklers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalftheGold Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 That is why I have been looking to switch to hand power. I'm sure I have a bike pump lying around somewhere, or at least enough pvc to rig one up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Talking and cranking is also dangerous to stock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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