Jason Fry Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted July 20, 2022 Share Posted July 20, 2022 Ha! We've had some discussions about using parabolic reflectors for heating metal for forging and while it is certainly possible to get a piece of steel up to forging temperature with reflected sunlight the consensus is that it is too dangerous and impractical when compared to gas, solid fuel, or induction forges. The hot zone at the focus of the reflector is invisible and it would be really easy to get something vulnerable (like your arm) into the heated area. I have an old 8' satellite dish is my yard and I have thought about coating it with aluminum foil to make a solar forge but the amout of heat and the damage it could accidentally do has kept me too scared to try. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 I think that comes from eating too much Texas Jackalope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Only if it's cooked on a parabolic incinrerator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Back a-ways I planned out a solar forge based on an early Mother Earth News solar collector made from 1' mirror tiles and equipped with a sun tracking device they had the plans for too. Then after living in NM for a year I realized that the common high winds would destroy it, (as well as the hail storms, that first year they had SOFTBALL sized hail!) It was a lot of fun designing it though. Generally in the NM summer; we tell folks we put steel in the forge to cool it down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Yup, and in Colorado in winter we collect the frozen flames from a day of forging and save them for summer when they thaw out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 I consider charcoal to be the original “green” fuel. Face it the smith is solar powered as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Hmm…now y’all go me wondering if some kinda solar deathray contraption wouldn’t come in handy melting off my drive way after ice storms! boy howdy I could mount it on the tractor an just poke along melting everything off! might come in handy for when we get those 4” snow blizzards too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 A "death ray" would be over KILL don't you think? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 Bahaha over kill? What’s that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 21, 2022 Share Posted July 21, 2022 When you melt the driveway instead of just the ice? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 It’ll be okay it’s all red clay an chert rock it can take it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 Carful now, vitrify that stuff and the county will raise your property taxes! Hard surface drive way and all… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 John Little actually did Forge with the Sun and Mirrors for heat source. I believe he was working with Dalhousie University in Halifax. If you can't find the video, look up John Little, West Dover Nova Scotia, Canada Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 13 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said: taxes Good point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 I thought that it was traditional to use well head gas to fuel flamethrowers to melt snow in ice in Oklahoma? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 22, 2022 Share Posted July 22, 2022 Thomas there ain’t no oil wells in Adair county that I’m aware of, I think the closest pump jack is probably out around Muskogee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Fry Posted July 23, 2022 Author Share Posted July 23, 2022 The shenanigans continue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 23, 2022 Share Posted July 23, 2022 Everyone knows Hippopotamus easier to forge then ducks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 Now I know something that will kill a squeak faster than a dachshund. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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