'Hillbilly' Portable Coal Forge

[HogHearse]

So this week I've been at a horse show in Tyler Texas. I needed to bring my equipment in order to fulfill bottle opener and keychain orders. While packing I didn't feel like loading up the coal forge, so my mind started turning. 

I found an old cast iron skillet that I never use and an empty propane torch bottle. Equipped with a generator and a hair drying I came up with a mini fire breathing dragon lol. All criticism welcome. I was able to forge out 25 openers and 5 keychains. Not to shabby. Definitely going to keep it. Oh and the stand for my forge.....I found in the woods on the property. It's a walker\toilet. A fine piece of equipment. 

Hope y'all enjoy. Show me all of y'all's portable forges! Not pictured is the grate. 

[Frosty]

You're a natural, that's as proper a blacksmitherly solution as it gets. If a blacksmith needs something s/he makes it from what's at hand. Well done!

Were I using that station I'd rearrange things so everything was within one pace, about 6' give or take in a work triangle. Similar to how a kitchens are arranged. 

I'm right handed so I put the fire on my left (tong hand side) and my work table behind me on the left. My "on deck" tongs hang from the helper on the forge and my on deck hammers have a rack on the anvil stand. Extras have a rack on the table similar to yours. That is just how I do it, not suggesting it's how you should arrange your work space. It's also not including my leg vise or power hammer.

The power hammer is to the right of the forge and a long pace the other side of the anvil I usually use the tongs right handed on the power hammer which leaves my left hand free for top tools. My leg vise is mobile so I put it where I need it for a given process but it's usually a step to my right beyond the anvil. That changes if I'm doing something that requires the piece to maintain high heat, say upsetting.

Frosty The Lucky.

[HogHearse]

Yes sir. That makes sense regarding the 6' distance. Going to have to rearrange some things. The more and more I forge the more I realize the importance of efficiency and keeping the piece as hot as possible. Appreciate that advice. 

The table that I use for my tongs doubles as my punch hole for making the bottle openers. The holes were already in the piece of steel that I salvaged, I just had to enlarge one for the final step. Thought it looked like an owl so I painted it lol.

[Frosty]

The 6' work triangle is a rule of thumb common for kitchens but works really well for blacksmith shop layouts as well. Maybe we should rename the rule, a heat management triangle it's used where heat management and using different tools / processes are important. 

My real suggestion is to play with the layout with the kitchen triangle in mind. What works for YOU is important, now my shop. Yes? 

Oooh! I'm feeling tong, hammer rack envy now! That's an excellent little . . . table doesn't fit my impression but your table your term. I'm good with that. The other camera angle didn't display it well enough! for me to appreciate the magnificence! Seriously, spiked to the ground I see a bending jig and swage as well as a bolster for punching holes, I'd have to play with it to discover what else it's good for. 

That isn't a table or stand it's a piece of equipment!

What was it originally? I might need to keep my eyes open for one.

Frosty The Lucky.

[HogHearse]

I was given a cooking apparatus for the back of an RV that stored a barbeque grill and a cabinet. The whole unit probably weight 400-500 pounds. That piece was the base for where the bbq sat. Then I just cut some brackets from another plate and welded the eyes for my tong holder. Welded some flat bar for the hammer holder. Pretty straight forward. Love Frankenstein builds. 

And yes there is potential there for other uses. For now it's my portable tong holder. Got sick of putting them in buckets

And yes a swage is definitely on my list for next piece of equipment. I'll find one eventually. Also a leg vise. 

I was hog hunting the other night and was walking through the woods when I tripped over something. So I look and notice it wasn't a root or stump. 35 min later after digging and digging I found a 9'long rail road track and a diamond....a reed 3c bench vise. It's a monster. Well over 100 pounds. After I get back I'll clean it up and take some pics. Super excited

[Frosty]

There already is a swage there, its not a small radius but excellent for larger forming. Try heating the end of a piece of bar stock for a ways, say 12" lay it against one of the straight sections and drive it into the curve from the cold end. It will scroll for you. . . .Probably, nothing always works but that trick works on my swage block.

That is a great score! Do you think hunting with a metal detector might be an idea to explore?

Frosty The Lucky.

[HogHearse]

Ahhh. I need to start thinking outside the box and seeing the bigger picture. And yes bringing a metal detector would be awesome. I just need an assistant to carry lol. When I hunt I run and gun. Not good at sitting in one spot. I've found some pretty cool things. A few cool ones were a double side axe. It doesn't have any markings on it that I can find. I rehung it and it rides in the bed of my truck at all times. Another item was a shoe cobble. It's cool figuring out what was going on in the area where I find things. 

I'm not big on selling things. All of the old stuff that I collect is all put to use. There's something about the holding history in your hands and the stories they have. 

[Frosty]

50 minutes ago, HogHearse said:

I just need an assistant to carry lol.

If we get down that way, I'll be your assistant if you promise not to drop me.  Do you give a comfortable ride? How do you prefer to carry assistants?

Frosty The Lucky.

[HogHearse]

Lol. The mini donkey will lug you around. 

[Frosty]

Cool, I get along really well with equines. I'll bring some carrot bits we'll be buds in no time. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[HogHearse]

Lol

[arkie]

I like your big, flat plates on the anvil stand and table.  Good for just about any place like the sandy spot where you're set up and maybe even some Gulf Coast gumbo soil...!  I see you are gung-ho on the hog hunting.  Go for it!  Texas is eaten up with the critters (no pun intended) and they have to be controlled.

[HogHearse]

Thank you. They are really handy. But I think I'm all out of them. 

Controlling the hogs is almost impossible, actually I think it is. People are making a lot of money off them selling hunts and their meat. In Europe fetal hog is a delicacy. Feel bad for the farmers though. But it is a blast shooting and trapping them (no pun intended)

There's nothing like stalking up to a boar in complete darkness and taking him out. It's really hard to explain that adrenaline rush

[Frosty]

48 minutes ago, HogHearse said:

Feel bad for the farmers though. But it is a blast shooting and trapping them

Aren't the wild pigs enough trouble? Don't the farmers shoot back or is it easy to sneak up on them at night? Poor farmers indeed.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Ready to forge a boar spear?  I figured you meant a swage block; rather than a single shape swage.   I've found that after 50 years or so of picking up "interesting" stuff you tend to run out of room and have an increased avalanche risk in your buildings.  So I've tried to limit my "keepers" to stuff directly involved with stuff I do smithing.

[HogHearse]

Frosty they can be. As long as the wind is in your face, and you have the right repayment, the hogs will never know. Love technology. I'm using a thermal imaging scope that's mounted on top of my rifle. 

TP not sure if I'm there yet skill wise but definitely on my list. Had a chance to go out on a hunt where they use dogs to find and hold the hogs while you grab their back legs and stick them in the heart. Pretty wild time.

 

 

 

[HogHearse]

So here is the bench vise that I found buried and a post vise I found at a garage sale this morning on my way back. Paid 75 for the post vise. Any feedback on how to mount or what to look for as far as operation is concerned would be appreciated. I did notice there was no spring in between the 2 arms if that makes any sense. The reed vise is frozen so going to fabricate a tool to separate

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Good find, it looks like someone replaced the leaf spring with a coil spring. The leaf springs are easy to make, along with the mounting brackets. To free up everything on the vise I would use a 50/50 mixture of Dexron II ATF and acetone (one of the best penetrating oils around). Just squirt it on the screw & screw box and moveable leg joint and let it soak. A wire wheel on an angle grinder will clean the rest and may show some markings.

[Frosty]

Nice scores, especially the Reed! Forging a spring and hardware for the leg vise is pretty straight forward. Getting a good soak on the frozen parts of the Reed might be a hassle. ATF and acetone is as good a penetrant as I know of and far less expensive than the commercial ones. Squirting it on the frozen parts works but keeping it in contact is better. Making enough mix and finding a large enough container to soak it is an issue. Maybe packing a rag around the frozen parts so it holds the mix will help. Anyway, bump it back and forth, don't force it just bump it. Squirt bump bump, lit it soak, squirt bump bump. Repeat till it frees up. If it's going to that is and being shot is why it was buried in the woods.

Frosty The Lucky.

[HogHearse]

Thanks ifcw and Frosty. Yes that's the secret sauce. Thought mechanics were the only ones who knew about that. 

I have it soaking right now. Unfortunately not submerged. I plan on making a spreader. I have a couple rippers from a box blade that I think will squeeze in between the jaws. If they do I'm going to drill and tap the first one and just notch the second. I'll screw 2 bolts in the tap and slowly tighten until the jaws begin to move. Going to try not to use any heat but that's always an option. 

I'm assuming there's bearings on the front and rear side of the screw? If there are then heating is not really an option imo. Hopefully this 'spreader' will work. Fingers crossed

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

No bearings, but the old vises, some have brazed in threads in the screw box or poured Babbitt threads so heating is not a good idea. There should be a thrust washer where the screw handle contacts the moveable arm.

[George N. M.]

HH, make sure that while you are trying to free up both vises that you remember you are trying to loosen the screw, not the jaws.  The jaws will follow the screw.  The exception being the post vise and  if you can back out the screw separately from the jaws and the pivoting jaw is frozen at the pivot point.

You don't need much of a spring on the post vise.  All you need is a bit of force to move the pivoting jaw away from the fixed jaw for the first inch or so.  After that gravity takes over.

I imagine that there is much more of a rust problem in S. Texas than there is around here or Thomas has in NM.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[HogHearse]

IFCW thank you. Would never have thought that. So no heat!

George yes absolutely. Thought about that after reading what I typed. I was getting ahead of myself. I'm assuming the jaws are frozen. I need to remember to take one thing at a time. But being from Cleveland Ohio, salt capitol of the world, and being a tech for 16 years I would bet my paycheck that the jaws are frozen. Getting ready to see what breaks loose here in a bit. The post vise seems to work fine. Just no tension. I'll take some more pics in a bit to show what I'm working with. Looks like there is a coil spring around the bolt. Doesn't seem to be doing anything. So I'm not too sure. I have a bunch of leaf packs laying around waiting for a purpose! Hopefully this will be one lol

Shoot George. I just reread your response. Are you saying that the jaws are attached to the screw? So if the screw moves the jaws will follow? I thought the screw could be removed separately from the jaws

Talking about the reed

[Glenn]

Before you do anything with strength, look at the pivot point of the moveable leg.  Apply a penetrating oil and be sure it is free and working first.  As you work on the moveable leg pivot point, apply the same penetrating oil to the screw and jaws.  the penetrating oil soaks in, give it a tap (not a hit, a tap) with a hammer to help with the penetration.  Once it moves, use more penetrating oil and move things only a little at a time.  If it takes a day or a week to free things up, it is better to spend some time rather than break parts.  No matter how long it tool to lock up,  it will take less time to free up and start working again.  Patience is your friend.

[George N. M.]

HH, There are a number of ways, I think, that bench vises are constructed.  I think my bench vise is constructed like this:  There is a female "nut" inside the back part of the vise  and a male threaded rod which extends through it in the middle of the moving bar that is part of the front jaw.  the front jaw is attached to the screw and moves with it.  If the vise were frozen trying to pry the jaws apart would mean you are exerting force along the length of the threaded rod and trying to tear the male and female threads apart.  That is not to say that the sliding part that moves with the threads couldn't be rusted together too.

When trying to disassemble something unfamiliar I try to figure out how it had to be assembled at the factory and try to reverse the process.

BTW, we don't have wild hogs in this part of the world (too cold probably) but I wonder if you have to take any precautions when handling a carcass or cooking the meat to avoid any disease (trichinosis?).  Also, how does wild hog taste compared with domestic pork?  I'm sure, like most game, it is much leaner.  

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."