Porta Forge is done

[unkle spike]

Got my Demo Forge done today, and first fire in it. Heat is no problem whatsoever! Now to make a shorter more portable set of fire tools.

The air pipe is bolted, and the legs slide out for transport.

[racer3j]

Very well done. Did a muffler shop help with tubing? I used to have an air over oil hydraulic mandrel tubing bender for chromemoly chassis tubing-5 die sets. Loaned to a friend - good friend- it is not around, but his friendship is more important than a bender, even one worth $2500. jet

[Frosty]

Looking good Jeff.

The one thing I would've done differently is mount the blower so the crank is away from the table. I've had them set up like yours, with plenty of clearance too. I Still managed to bust my knuckles on the table edge.

Another handy little thing I built are hammer tong racks that clip to the side of my forge table, steel tool table and the shop storage rack. (being built)

What they are is a rectangular loop of 1" x 1/2" strip stock 24" long x 2" wide, (the originals are too wide) 1 1/2" is better. There are two clips on the back side that slip over the rim of the forge table, little tool table, etc.

The rack is a little wider than the individual racks are long and leans back far enough that tongs can hang straight down without hitting each other. There are pieces of strip stock running between the uprights to hang the racks from.

This lets me keep all my hammers and tongs handy on a small footprint, The entire storage rack is about 5' high and 28" x 36" or so. (It's still under construction so the final dimensions aren't set in welded steel)

I may make it an "A" frame for storage on both sides but I like the idea of it sitting flat against the wall and not having to turn or walk around it.

With this set up I can keep similar tool sets together for easy access or selection. My main tools generally stay on the racks on the tool table.

The new Variable Volume forge has slide out tong racks too.

Frosty

[Abenakis]

Please Frosty, put some photos up there; I, for one, want to see those marvels! That, plus what I have seen from Uncle Spike, would make a good collection to get inspiration from!

[Frosty]

Okay but I'll have to post drawings of the storage rack.

In a day or so.

Frosty

[Donnie]

Nice job, Uncle Spike.

[unkle spike]

I work for a company that makes exhaust and radiator tubes for Tractor Trailer trucks, I managed to find a piece of scrap that fit the bill for the air tube. There is a weld in it in the second straight, but I ground it off pretty well.

Frosty there is 5 1/2" of "knuckle clearance" between the handle and the forge. Do you think it needs more?

Other add-ons:

A wind shield that will slide on, ad cover the back and one side, flip it over to cover the opposite side. I will make this out of mobile home skirting from Home Depot. It is light gauge sheet metal, and has a brick pattern stamped into it.
Also slide on hammer, hardy rack, right now I have the front handle for tongs.

Edited June 15, 2008 by unkle spike
addl info

[civilwarblacksmith]

Very nice. Just watch your fingers.



Reb

The Civil War Blacksmith

[Steve Sells]

Nice work Spike

[simmonds]

very nice.

[Frosty]

Frosty there is 5 1/2" of "knuckle clearance" between the handle and the forge. Do you think it needs more?

Other add-ons:

A wind shield that will slide on, ad cover the back and one side, flip it over to cover the opposite side. I will make this out of mobile home skirting from Home Depot. It is light gauge sheet metal, and has a brick pattern stamped into it.
Also slide on hammer, hardy rack, right now I have the front handle for tongs.

I managed to bust my knuckles with about that much clearance but you may not be as clumsy as I am.

The wind screen is a good idea but a clip on side draft hood would be better. The screen will shield the fire but smoke will eddy behind the screen.

Attached are a couple phone pics of the hammer/tong hangers on my little steel table.

I'll have to draw up the storage rack. Maybe build it and take a couple pics.

Frosty

[FieryFurnace]

I never though of that kind of tubing. Good idea! How much does the whole thing weigh? My porta set weighs about 70-80 lbs. (actually its my only set up:D) I want to eventually buy an old trailer and weld an entire set up on it. (except the anvil of course) That way I can pull up, set the anvil up, set up a display table, and start a fire. No more 45 minute load and unload times.:mad:

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

[Abenakis]

Unkle Spike, I have to congrat you: your work is very nice.
Frosty: look at Uncle Spike work; neat clean, beautifully colored; though, I have to admit that, at least, you have good ideas! lol
Keep on..

[Frosty]

Ouch.

If you were as old as that little table and the racks you might look a little rough too.

You have a point though, maybe I'll hold off posting pics till I have time to get things painted and buffed.

Frosty
GCOA

[unkle spike]

The whole rig probably weighs 75 pound, the reason I made the legs removable is to make loading in the pickup easier. The legs are 1 inch heavy walled tubing, and they slide in and are held with 3/8 bolts with T-heads and nuts to secure them. I was afraid the legs would be wobbly, they're not with the hold down bolts. I had to make the pockets for them out of angle iron cut and welded for a snug fit. I used steel banding shims and clamped the angle tight to get a good fit, and removed the banding after welding.

Frosty, give mine a few months of use, and the paint will be rough, and will look like yours....

[Abenakis]

Frosty, please don't hold your participation! In fact, I prefer to see the things being used; there is some etheral energy in those that brand new things cannot be proud of. And that's what blacksmithing is all about, no?

Unkle Spike: good thinking; keep an eye on those bolts though as any vibration has a tendancy to loosen them. And your blower, with its long arm to reach the table, will surely induce some.

[hammerkid]

The whole rig probably weighs 75 pound, the reason I made the legs removable is to make loading in the pickup easier. The legs are 1 inch heavy walled tubing, and they slide in and are held with 3/8 bolts with T-heads and nuts to secure them. I was afraid the legs would be wobbly, they're not with the hold down bolts. I had to make the pockets for them out of angle iron cut and welded for a snug fit. I used steel banding shims and clamped the angle tight to get a good fit, and removed the banding after welding.

Frosty, give mine a few months of use, and the paint will be rough, and will look like yours....

now ain`t that how my legs are on my portable?;) LOL Good looking forge jeff when are we going use it LOL:)

[Frosty]

No worries guys. I was just taken a little by surprise and let my mouth run. I'm not going to stop posting just cause shiny has more value than function for some.

Another good way to make detachable legs is to use bolt or weld pipe flanges and plumbing pipe for the legs. They're easy in and out and quite solid.

Frosty
CGOA

[BT]

I'm not going to stop posting just cause shiny has more value than function for some. Frosty

I'm with you on the function thing Frosty. I painted up my old pedestal grinder when I had it torn down to rebabbit the bearings and now it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Edited June 17, 2008 by BT
My original simile must have triggered the Mod's edit function :-(

[Frosty]

That does look bright and nice. I have a few pieces I've gone to great length painting. One is a Champion (I think, it's in the Connex til I have a place to mount it) post drill given to me by a dear friend. It was the one from his family farm, his grandfather bought it and it was used regularly till the ffarm got electricity. I painted it with gloss black epoxy and pin striped it in scarlet.

When I'm finished with it the variable volume forge will get prepped and painted in my shop colors, green and gold.

I have nothing against things looking good, not at all. I guess the comment stung more than I thought.

My second comment was unnecessary. Completely.

Frosty

[Phil Dwyer]

Hi Friends,

Great work you guys: both the forges...and the soul searching re polish and paint.

I've noted (in my street psyche case studies :cool:) that often with guys, we express kindness and appreciation to each other via seemingly harmless little quips, pokes and jabs. You know, the proverbial slap on the shoulder kind of stuff. It usually goes over well, often instigates lots of fun banter and cordial interchange, but sometimes we get caught off guard and miss the underlying intention of affection.

For me, when I read the jest re 'ugly, but good ideas' I chuckled and thought, "ya ain't Uncle Frosty and his inventions, creations, projects, etc, GRRRRREAT!" Well, that's what I 'heard' in the quip.

Well, I better nip this in the bud as I'm likely to be digging myself into a pretty deep hole.

All the best guys, as you are the best. Keep it coming. I find great wisdom, guidance and fun hanging out with y'all in cyber-smith-ville!!!

Aloha, Phil

Edited June 18, 2008 by Farmer Phil

[Abenakis]

Right on, Phil. I am a humoristic guy. I will never say to a guy that I don't like what he does or who he is; I rather shut my mouth. When I make a comment, it's always a way to show my interest to somebody. And having some latin bload in me, I kindda like to tease people.

And, BTW, this red thing with its monstrous header pipe has to be the Ferrari of the forge! Be careful where you park it!:o

[Frosty]

Ayup and I'd just made a point of telling some guys I can take a ribbing. I thought I'd pulled the wires on that particular button but I guess not.

Nothing you said was offensive. Mia Culpa.

Anyway, back to forges and the extending rests and racks I put on my new one. This shows the stock rest extended about 8" and the tong rack extended similarly. The tong rack is about 4" lower than the forge deck and it should've been at least 5", 6" might've been even better. There's a little too much dragon's breath that close.

On the other hand there was no good reason for me to have the sidewall bricks right up to the edge of the table either. If I'd built the chamber farther in the split brick I use to keep the stock off the floor would have room to redirect the flame upwards more.


The first pic is about 10 minutes after lighting and pretty well topped out in the yellow white heat. This is with 1, 3/4" burner @ 8psi heating around 300 cu/in volume.

The other shot is just because it looks neat. The camera "corrected" the color, it's actually in the low yellow after maybe three minutes or so running.

Frosty
GCOA

[Phil Dwyer]

I've been noticing the whole tong rack at the forge idea somewhat of a bust (for me). Dragon's breath aside, the working end of the tongs get heated just handling material. Stick them back in the rack and, ouch, you're handling the hot end to get them back out. Even if smiths aren't reaching to grab them, they're there where their wrists can brush up against them. (Couldn't resist that sentence construction. )

[Glenn]

Here, each time after the tongs are used, they go into the slack tub (water) and only then are they put (dripping wet) back on the coal forge work table or tong rack.

If a project is cut from a length of stock, the stock goes onto the forge work table with the hot end away. The project goes onto the far side of the forge work table to cool. This way ANYTHING on the forge work table is HOT, not considered hot, but IS HOT.

When the table fills up, each project is individually picked up with tongs, put into the slack tub (water) and then placed into MY BARE HAND to be transferred to another table away from the forge. The same with the stock, into the slack tub (water) and then placed into MY BARE HAND to be transferred to another location.

This way I KNOW that anything on the forge work table IS HOT, and anything on the *other* table is COLD enough to be put into a bare hand with NO SURPRISES and no burns.