Killroy1221 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Hi folks! This is my first post here and I wanted to start off with something other than a question. I want to start by saying all the info I have gathered here has been invaluable. I have been reading this forum for the last three weeks (when I started) non-stop. I have given away rr Spike knives to all my friends (yes, I know all about the steel in rr knives but they are a blast to make and they all are given away with a warning that they might skin a deer but need to be sharpened afterwards). I have made a small drift, an adze and a hawk. This is fun. My forge pictured is built out of fire brick with a self made pipe burner. I welded the bracket on top and bolted it to the stand I found at a local yard. I did ten years (very on and off of course) worth of research before I built it and I built it to be easily repaired but built to last and wallet safe. All together I have about 70$ in the forge. Stand came from scrap yard for 30 cents a lbs. No morter but it is very solid with the bracket and giant bolts. I also made a dog's head hammer from a diesel truck axle and quenched in oil. Baked at 475 until the body turned blue and peacock looking. I tried to harden the face first so it kept a little bronze in the center and blue around the edges. I was about to place it on an oak handle but my wife went into labor and six hours later we had a little boy! Oak handle knife for my Father in law made from a disc I found on the side of the road two years ago when I was setting signs for my brother in law's wedding. Oak is salvaged from his barn build. It is heavy as all get out and thick but he is a cattle farmer. I'm from South Central Ky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 Welcome aboard Killroy, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many IFI members live within visiting distance. It that light fire brick in your forge? Heavy brick will last longer but require a couple few times as much propane to bring to temp and keep it there. Of course you can keep a pot of coffee hot on top but . . . The bad thing about light insulating fire brick is it doesn't take the fast thermal cycling a hobby forge undergoes. They need a lot less time and fuel but tend to fall apart in short order. K-26 thermal tile fire brick on the other hand is inexpensive, is rated for a max working temp of 2600 f. and is better insulation. Heck, here the old kind of insulating fire brick was around $11. ea. and the new kid on the shelf, K-26 goes for under $5, $3. if you buy quantity. K-26 is also less susceptible to chemical erosion caused by typical forge welding fluxes. Oh, a word of warning about the catwalk grate you're using for the stand, it's galvanized and will produce zinc oxide "smoke" if gotten hot enough. I'd recommend putting something under the forge to isolate the flame from the grate. That might mean having to make a bottom frame rather than bolting it to the grate. Then again, that would let you move it when you need more table in front to rest work on or want the opening right on the edge of the stand to heat odd shapes say a big L. Hmmmm? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 19 hours ago, Killroy1221 said: I'm from South Central Ky. Welcome to IFI... we won't remember that once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show your location. This thread will help you get the best out of the forum. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/53873-read-this-first/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killroy1221 Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 I was wondering about that stand. I wasn't sure how to tell if it was galvanized under that ugly paint. The places where the paint is chipped are all rusty. I will also keep that in mind about the firebrick. I used the only source of firebrick around (that I could find, and I called several places). The really good thing is, the bricks are 2$ each and I disassembled and reassembled the other day in just a few minutes. If (when) I start to have a problem I will look into ordering some. I had noticed the top stays really hot. What I've been doing is leaving a piece of hardened steel in the forge when bringing it up to temp and then leaving it on top while working to slowly bring it down to anneal for use next time. I didn't know if that would work but I thought it wouldn't hurt. Updated location to Barren county ky. I had read that thread but it has been a while. Might be worth a reread. I've been slowly making my way through the "it followed me home thread". It has me just as excited to look through the scrap yard as it does to make something! We are back home, the little man is happy and healthy, and I'm off for a month. I look forward to tinkering a little bit every day and learning as I go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 4 minutes ago, Killroy1221 said: I look forward to tinkering a little bit every day and learning as I go. That's the way to do it. You will find out that you never stop learning in this game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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