Instructions for Claying a Forge, from 1949

[JHCC]

I just picked up the "Projects in Metal" volume of "The Home Workshop Library", published in 1949 by the General Publishing Co., Inc. and edited by Perry S. Graffam. In addition to a whole passel of projects of the type now commanding top dollar in antique stores as exemplars of the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic, the section on "Forging and Working with Wrought Iron" contains the following useful information:

Quote

However, before your forge is ready to operate, the cast-iron hearth should be lined with clay, as shown in the illustrations. This is done not only to protect the metal but to help form the bed of coals. "Stove lining," which can be obtained from most any hardware store, is fireclay in convenient powdered form that is prepared by merely mixing with water to the proper consistency. Start the clay coating in the center, around the tuyére -- call it the tu-ié-r, which is close enough to the original French to pass muster -- and work out toward the edges so that, when finished, the clayed surface will be saucer shaped. Slick the surface with water and then go fishing or do something else for two or three days until the clay has thoroughly dried. If any cracks appear, fill them up with clay, and the forge is ready for use. 

While the photographs are somewhat dark and rather low-resolution, they do clearly indicate that the smith depicted needs to tuck his tie inside his apron if he doesn't want to get clay all over it.

The text notes elsewhere:

Quote

A forge is neither very difficult or expensive to acquire, with the one shown in the photograph costing somewhere around eight or ten dollars.

Allowing for inflation, that's between $101.12 and $126.40 today. Of course, working in the other direction, the $3 I paid for the book today would have cost me 24¢ in 1949.

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Very interesting thanks for sharing John