LeeJustice Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 I came across the saw dust thing just a short while ago. It will create porosity by burning out the sawdust when fired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandr Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 18 hours ago, Frosty said: More beautiful work Alex. Are bare bulbs like that popular in Russia? You see them here but not as often as I see you using them. HI Jer ! Thank you! There are no preferences, but more often with shades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 Sawdust mixed with fire clay burns out when fired leaving voids. It's a method of making insulating fire brick or kiln liner. That makes sense, let the customer decide. Thanks, Alex Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 I once melted a terracotta pot in my forge; trying to use it as a kiln to do Y1K enamelling. Hopefully your clay is only colored terracotta and is not terracotta clay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 4 hours ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said: it will work or it won’t Debi says it will work and cone 5 clay is in the Mid fire range 2167-2264°F. it will withstand higher temperature than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 That’s good to know Randy! Tell Debi I said thanks! I got 50 pounds of this stuff so it’s way more then I actually needed but I figured I could use the leftover on the next one if it works out on this forge, 2 coats primer an 2 coats paint applied and dried, clay made it this afternoon but I’m waiting on a hole saw to get here to make the new reinforcement plate, got the legs an brace put back on the pan though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donal Harris Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Alexandr, the two in the second to last photo are just splendid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Finally got one of the vices mounted! It's a temporary base (solid wood table top) until I get my own welder to attach it to the steel plate I have. So for now it will be weighted down with sandbags. This isn't the spot where it's going to live so I haven't hauled the bags over yet. Over my lunch break this afternoon I created a digital layout so I could move each component around to find the potentially best real layout. I wanted to try to keep the triangle work flow regardless of whether the forge was inside or outside. This is the one I liked best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 My only suggestion is to turn the anvil so the horn is pointing to the left side of the diagram and move it up a bit to the next grid intersection. I am assuming that you are right handed. Once you get the forge and vise in place you can fiddle the anvil around to where ever it feels best for you. It's a small shop but IMO, workable. I've worked in much less optimal areas as have many of us. GNM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 10 minutes ago, George N. M. said: fiddle the anvil around to where ever it feels best for you To throw another wrench into things, the anvil cannot block the path for the grill. Which is why I rotated it that direction. But yeah, the anvil stand will be easy enough to fiddle with until it's just right. This is just a mock up obviously and real life usually laughs in the face of a mock up, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 If you move your anvil up and to the right a little the grill will have a clear path out the door. The anvil will be plenty close enough to the forge unless you go with the outdoor location in which case just move it to the right. I've found keeping everything as mobile as reasonably possible when working in a small space really improved my productivity. Having the vise so close to a corner will limit it's utility but if you can move it when you need the space it doesn't matter. Moving the grill outside to use the smithing tools is always an option or maybe part of your plan already. It's a decent sized space even if you have to share it with storage. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 I agree Frosty. The designs I'm deciding on for the stands - while plenty heavy to support what they need - will not be anchored to the ground or cemented in for exactly the reasoning you mentioned. Just rake the gravel back, rock the stand to where I want it, and rake the gravel back over. The diagram does show the vice a little closer into the corner than I will probably have it. I intend to place it where I have room on the door side for about a foot of stock to come out sideways if needed. And if I place it so the jaws are lined up with the door opening - then I'd have that extra room as well with the doors open. I wasn't intending the move the grill. I'm intending everything in that corner to be stuff I don't need access to often - like the extra coal bags / anthracite bucket / charcoal buckets and portable JABOD. The 6x8 floor space remaining is plenty and honestly, if I wasn't trying to set it up to work outside as well as inside, then it could work with 4x6! Mostly because my little rivet forge takes up such little space. Good to know in case I ever wanted to build a separate space just for smithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 My favorite leg vise stand when not permanent stationary is on a round steel disk. I can stand on it if pulling hard on something and if I need to move it I can tip it up and roll it like rolling a 55 gal drum. Unfortunately that won't work on a gravel. sand, etc. floor though if that's what I had I could lay down plywood to roll it on. It's always something, eh? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 I had also considered an idea that was floated out there by someone on this forum to use a steel barrel. It could serve as storage for stock, hammers, and tongs AND a vice stand all in one. Could weight down with sand or water depending on how storage was configured. Would be "easy" enough to roll across something solid to move to another spot if needed. Something I'm keeping in mind as an option anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Steel 55 gallon drum with coal or water weighs 500 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Haha, okay so maybe not "easy" to move Never said it would be filled though, lol The coal is a good idea too though! I could store a bag of coal in the center, have pvc rings around that to store the stock, and pvc rings around the top to store the hammers/tongs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandr Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Finished the table. Small but very heavy. The customer asked to make additional fastenings of the tabletop to the base. They are glued to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Hey now! That looks pretty slick Alexandr! well my hole saw made it today, cut out the reinforcement plate for the little champion forge, got the tuyere bolted down tight and got the clay slapped in there, I ended up using way less then I ordered an still came out with a pretty thick liner, read up on this clay, it says it’s heavy grog clay and resistant to shrinkage, chipping and cracking so that’s kinda cool! I set the forge over by the shop stove figured the stove would help with drying it since it’s so humid, the blower is gonna be the next project, gonna prime an paint it too, and I’ve order a new oiler for it since the one on it is damaged, but I wanted to hook it up for now just to get a feel for it, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 Did you get the clay wet enough Billy? I usually get it just damp enough to hammer hard. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 Yeah I put it in relatively dry but then I did slick the very top up to smooth it out, i didn’t hammer it in I rolled it in by hand maybe a bit to much I’ll see tomorrow when I get out to the shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 I clayed mine over the air grate's flange so it's recessed and out of the bulk of the fire. I smoothed the surface of mine by burnishing it first with a piece of wood then burlap while it was as rammed moist. Having a reasonably smooth surface is helpful, not the least to minimize clinker sticking to it. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dewnmoutain Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/3/2022 at 3:07 PM, alexandr said: Holy moly! These look amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 2 hours ago, Frosty said: I clayed mine over the air grate's flange so it's recessed and out of the bulk of the fire Yeah I got to looking at this one last night before I went in, I decided the fire grate was too high so I used a heavy rubber mallet and drove it down to where the flange was just below the liner top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 A pair of sisters was in town for Parent and Family Weekend at the college and came over to try smithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 I had a guest in the forge today as well: I worked with him closely in years past when he was on long term assignment from Japan. This time he’s only here for about three months, but was interested in trying out forging. He did pretty good. He started with a bottle opener which came out pretty good and is working on a leaf in this picture. For what he wanted to try, it was a pretty steep learning curve, but he did really well overall. Keep it fun, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.