Fly Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 (edited) maybe I,m over thinking at this point. But I,m going to make a trench type forge using fire brick angled in a V. You guys talked me into a side air feed. Would it be a good idea to coat the fire brick with a heat reflecting compound like TC100. I,m also thinking about a hinged Hood open end to keep heat retrench ion . This will be charcoal fired. Fly Edited August 20, 2022 by Mod30 italics corrected... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 You might not want to type in italics it usually gets the moderators attention. As far as coating fire bricks in a charcoal forge, I don't think it is necessary. I have used ordinary building red bricks in a coal forge without any problems. It won't hurt though I wouldn't use ITC100 (too expensive) but Plistix 900F will do a better job at a reasonable cost from the IFI store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 I melt hard bricks if I get carried away, lol. And that is with charcoal. If you want to protect them just give them an inch or two of adobe over them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 Charles is there a better clay here in okla to use. My problem is in eastern okla where I live there’s not much clay so maybe best to buy fire clay to coat it with. Just saying! Fly Maybe coat them with cast-o-lite 30? Just thinking. Fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Hahaha! Don’t be silly we got more clay here in eastern Oklahoma than you can shake a stick at! its all that red dirt on the back roads! it’s what I line some of my forges with an it’s free! i mix a little wood ash outta my wood stove an then crush and grind up a couple ol fire bricks an mix it all together some people also add sand, but you can get away with just usin red dirt outta the bar ditch! try an find a spot that ain’t got a lot of gravel! rocks don’t like gettin hot! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 Billy I guess your right. But I live on a limestone mountain & there no red clay here & very little dirt. You can,t dig down more than a few inches with out hitting rock. But we live away,s apart. Fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Well livin on a rock pile could definitely put a damper on things! Lol do y’all got a creek near by? Sometimes you can find a nice rock free deposit of red clay In a bankside or a sandbar, or you could call around to any dirt work companies an see if they have a couple piles of red dirt you could get a couple of bucket loads out of, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Billy, you used a term that is new to me. It may be an Oklahomaism. Growing up in Illinois we called the low area on both sides of a road simply "the ditch." When I came to Wyoming the term was either "barrow ditch" or "borrow pit." So named because you "borrow" dirt from it to make the road. This is the 1st time I've heard it shortened to "bar ditch." I've also seen an area where fill dirt is removed and hauled away referred to as a "borrow pit." I'm wondering if your term is common in your area and what other terms are used around the country or world. I've always been facinated by differet regional terms for different things. For example, is the piece of furniture in your bedroom with drawers a dresser, chest of drawers, high boy, or something else? And is the long piece of furniture upon which several people can sit a couch, sofa, or davenport? I've always liked the southernism that all soft drinks are "cokes", e.g. "I'm going to the cooler. Do you want a coke? Yes. What kind? 7-Up." Thx, George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 George, I dunno where all or who all says bar Ditch but a lot of people say that here in Adair County, some people just say ditch though, An yes a lot of folks use the term coke to describe all soft drinks lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 George I,m have lived in Okla most of my life but was born in south Louisiana you can be leave what what my family there calls stuff. That’s the cool thing about this great nation, we are all different but yet the same. Fly Billy we also call white bass (sand bass) don,t we. First time I ever heard a guy call one a white bass I did not know what he was talking about. Last time I was in south Louisiana I said something about chicken fried steak I was what dee he!! uozz talking about? Fly got to love it (Wink) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Poetry clay, fire clay, bentonite clay, red or gray bank clay… Any of them will do the job, you can use sand or crushed brick (or pottery) about 1/2 ratio. (I part clay,2 parts sand) makes a good adobe. The mix is fairly forgiving. 1/4 clay works, as dose 1/2 sand. Remember that natural soil will have silt so that’s why clay/sand doesn’t always make 100%. welding is the only time I melt bricks, so most the time it’s not a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Lol ya we call em sand bass, an we call small mouth bass brownies, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 All a cover on bricks in a side blast forge would be is a sacrificial coating so clinker didn't stick to the brick and it might last longer in the heat. It's a release agent so to speak. Spending money for this level thing is almost unblacksmitherly. Carry a couple buckets in the trunk so the next time you're driving somewhere you can stop and load up. Watch road cuts, it there's red clay in the cut or ditch and it's safe to stop. EURIKA! Hmmmmm? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Worst comes to worst you can come up here if ya don’t find any down in vian, and I can find ya a dump truck load of red dirt! i don’t have any bricks in my forges except the ones I ground up to mix with the clay, I haven’t had no issues even at welding heat, I definitely vote for usin free red dirt an save the money for other goodies like a swage block! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Tell me Billy, is that shaking a stick at red clay an Indian thing? Does it help? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 It can’t hurt to try Jerry! ya Never know it might help! im creek but I don’t keep up with customs my neighbor is Cherokee an he told me just earlier this week if I wip a turtle that will make it rain and end the drought, he told me that was a creek nation thing but id never heard tell of it before, so who knows, it might actually help to shake a stick a red clay if your from a tribe that believes that it will do something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Posted August 20, 2022 Author Share Posted August 20, 2022 Gosh look what I started , ya I thought I might be over thinking this whole deal. Guys I,m a tired tool & die maker. this is a new craft for me. Even throw I,m a metal worker & these are some what related there still far apart. Now I may, some what cheat in some of your eyes in making some of the tooling required, tongs, gilitean,ect buy using a welder, or mill it will get me up and started faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Nah usin a welder isn’t cheatin, an neither is a lathe or mill, lots of folks on here use all that stuff, as well as power hammers! The only reason I could see to do everything 100% by hand is if your part of a historical group that replicates smiths from a specific era, like Roman, medieval, Viking, American colonial or civil war, ect… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 And don't forget that the typical blacksmith shop had a bunch of people working in it. A one man smithy is pretty modern concept. BTW, the first triphammer I've seen good documentation on was from the 900's A.D. so predated using coal in a smithy by centuries! (Personal communication at the Medieval Technology conference held at Penn State in the 1990's.) My Mother grew up near Altus OK and they called them Bar Ditches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 What is funny with me, is I have love black powder guns almost my entire life. I joined a muzzle loaderclub years back and went to those roundiveiws. I still make my own black powder. I love history mostly civil war. So this stuff I under stand the folks that enjoy making stuff from the time. It is amazing what people have done over time. Fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 The Spanish civil war from 1936-1939? The English civil war in the 1600's? hundreds of Civil wars out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 I don't know Billy, I hear you people are tricky, shaking a stick at red clay might encourage a sneaky spirit or something. The teensy smidge Modoc in me says spreading goofy rumors about other nations is one of our highest traditions. Though the majority of my ancestry is telling me to watch out for Loki. We have muzzle loader folk here and all sorts of interests from NASA to places that the whole village shares THE computer. You're going to fit right in here. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 Fly, I also love black powder guns and get to shoot them once a year in September. I haven't joined the local muzzle loader club though. It never occurred to me that I could make my own black powder but now I'm like, duh, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 It is not surprising that a higher than average percentage of blacksmiths also like black powder guns. One older technology/craft is likely to attract the interest in another. I have a flintlock musket on the fireplace and 3 percussion and 1 flintlock pistols on the wall beside it. One fo my regrets is that I did not buy a Navy Arms wheellock pistol or carbine when they were importing them about 40 years ago. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 George I hate to say how many I built from kits or bought, along with cap & ball revolvers. Oh & 1848 Sharps. I had a double barrel 12 ga shot gun I let a guy talk me in to selling to him. Been kicking myself ever since. Fly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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