Antique forge still good for starting

[lukerec]

So i was looking around the farm and found an the old forge my grandpa was talking about. Im pretty sure the handle crank dosent work right but i spun the wheel and it blew good and was wondering if it might work for a beginner. Ill probably have to clean it up some

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Perfect for forging. From the pictures it looks like it needs a new handle and belt + some lubing the moving parts and clay in the pan it should be good to go.

[lukerec]

Now by clay do you mean like actual clay or like plaster of paris or some other form of a hardening material

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

No Plaster of Paris. If you don't have a river or creek near you to get clay, cheap unscented kitty litter mixed with sand and water works just like fire clay.

[lukerec]

Ok, ill try that! 

[C-1ToolSteel]

Nice little rivet forge you have there. A little TLC, and She should be good as new. Small forges like that were easy to take to a jobsite back when hot riveting was still commonly being used for structural applications. You don't need to line it with anything, and it was designed to be used as is. However, most folks (myself included) prefer a bowl-shaped firepot, so they will line it with dirt, and form it into the desired bowl shape.  

[lukerec]

Im thinking im gonna wire brush the crap out of it so it looks shinyish and might add some more support to the legs

And what is tlc exactly. Im new and not quite used to the vocab of the blacksmith 

[C-1ToolSteel]

Talmonium loptrensic Chloride....just a few squirts of that, and she should be good as new. 

Just kidding -- Tender Loving Care

[Tubalcain2]

3 minutes ago, C-1ToolSteel said:

Talmonium loptrensic Chloride

Nice one, bro. nice one.

[lukerec]

Ok. Ima just stay away from the chemicals. Ive had enough happen durring science that i dont need to repeat 

[JHCC]

Good find. 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

No need to shine it up as it will just rust again unless you paint it.

As to claying the inside. I have used my old forge without clay for decades because it sits outside. Outside water can get in between the clay and the pan and rot it out. Inside it is not much of an issue unless you use a lot of water to control your fire.

You can make a drive belt out of a leather belt and stitch it together. There are also modern belt materials out there.

[lukerec]

Thanks for that! Ill send a picture of it closer up sometime soon so you guys can assess the damage 

[Kevin Olson]

I belive I have read somewhere on here about people using a "link belt" from harbor freight which is length adjustable. 

[JME1149]

Just to clarify the question on to clay or not to clay, this is one of the older, cast iron pans which have embossed right in the pan to clay before use. Thermal cycling can cause the cast iron to crack, which isn't really a pleasant thing to deal with. The newer style sheet metal pans would not need the clay, although having the insulating layer wouldn't hurt, as long as the moisture isn't trapped causing the pan to rot.

[C-1ToolSteel]

And if it is, in fact, embossed right on the pan....don't listen to what I said about not needing to.

[lukerec]

Ok, so ill get the mixture of cat litter sand and water. How thick does it have to be like an inch or just a coating

[JHCC]

At least an inch. Anything thinner will crack apart very quickly. Might want to go with 2" or more.

[lukerec]

So should i put somthing in the holes for the blower to get air through 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Yes, just put a soup can over the opening so the clay does not cover it. 

My forge is a cast iron Champion, and maybe it is just my fire management, but the pan does not get super hot, so I never bothered with any claying. I may in the future if it goes indoors.

 

 

[JHCC]

Make a duck's nest. That is to say, put a 2" (or so) thick layer across the entire bottom, except for a depression about the size and shape of a cereal bowl over the air holes. The soup can that BIGGUNDOCTOR recommends will certainly work. 

If you get hold of some firebrick (do NOT use regular brick, cinder block, or stone, all of which could shatter when heated, sending shrapnel everywhere), you can use those to shape your fire around the nest. 

[Marc1]

All the suggestions are good. I think the problem with those rivet forges is the lack of a functional way to clear the air passage  from below. You will find that it works but for a while only and then the air has no way to pass through the coal. 

One way to make rivet forge work a bit better is to build a fire pit as suggested above but with steel plate, and a clinker breaker that can be actioned from outside. Then you can fill in and level the table with just ordinary mud you make with dirt and water.

[JHCC]

For starting out, a thin poker to clear the airholes is sufficient. 

And don't make the clay filling too wet. You want it just damp enough that when you squeeze a ball of it in your hand, it doesn't have water coming out and it holds together when you let it go. Pack it in and thump it in place with a piece of wood or a mallet.

Wet clay shrinks when it dries. Cracks bad.

[lukerec]

So just stick it in the holes when putting it on

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

You want the fire grate clear of clay, I start laying the clay at the edge of the grate and taper it to the outside edges.