The Brown County, Kansas Blacksmith Shop Tools were donated by the family of a local Farmer when he passed as well as the cost of the building it is housed in.

The Wood shop is the same way except the total cost of the building to house the collection in was also donated by the family of the owner of the tools when he passed on.


Home made Donated forge. pic 1
Pic 2.
Pic 3.
Pic 4.

Old Delta.
Camel Back on the left, shop made one on the right in the corner.
Big Floor Model Pedestal Grinder.
Home made Power Saw.
Big Mouse Trap, 5 other were stolen one night when the shop was broken into.

Progress as of 8AM this morning 9/19/08. I used to spend some Saturdays down there before my first wife Sylvia Passed in early 2004. I haven't been down there to work on the forge since her death. I decided to finish the forge in time for the Annual Show Oct 4,2008.

These pics represents about 6 Saturdays work alone by me to date.
This is the built in Green,Coal Storage area.
I asked a personal friend who is a Brick Mason by Trade to help me. This Pic is the progress as of 1Pm today.

This is the Progress as of 4:30 today, Brick Mason is finished, he donated his time.


David Hunzeker, (aks - Big Trowel) Local Brick and Stone Mason, he's a lot faster at laying bricks than I am. So I had a real small trowel going along after and finishing spots that I thought needed it.


Jr. Strasil aka (Little Trowel), now shy 23 lbs, down to 242.8 lbs.


Wasp, Inc, is fabricating the 13 inch square Hofi Style Side Draft tube for the forge and is donating the material and time.
I have to wash the bricks with acid after it dries.

This is the old Donor Forge I robbed the strange firepot out of for the permanent forge.

This is the Surprise I found, its not a firepot at all, but a Tuyere with a Ducks Nest Cast on the end and large HEAVY Cast Iron Bowl that is mortared on top of the Ducks nest.

This is the Sliding Air Gate that was made for it.

And this is the flat leather belt drive 4 inch Blower that powered it.

Oops, I forgot one picture, of the brackets I made that were laid in with the brick, to hold flat iron for tong racks, there are 2 one each side and 2 on the front of the forge.

This project is looking wonderful Jr. How cool!
Finnr

Looks great, can't wait to see the whole thing when it's done.
You probably already know this but if your going to use muratic acid to wash the bricks, be sure not to get any on the concrete floor.

welder19

That project looks like a lot of fun. Can't wait to see it when you and your friend are all done.

Looks great JR! Look forward to seeing more!

JR, Looks great, can you answer a couple questions?

What are the dimensions of this forge? Height, length, width?
Any idea what your brick count is?

Thanks for sharing!

James

an early picture of the little forge evolution



Its buried in the trailer right now. But

1. Its 1 fire brick high, setting on end.

2. Its 2 fire bricks wide end to end.

3. Its 5 1/2 fire bricks long laying side to side.

4. Its waist high with short pieces of angle welded to the bottom corners on end that the tops of the legs just fit into.

5. The legs fold up like a gate leg table and are made of some light wall tubing that is used on small auger flighting to fasten the flighting to.

6. The Flue is 2 sections of black 8 inch stove pipe with the bottom edge at the seam cut crossways each side and folded out. The opening is 7 nches wide by 8 inches tall with a scrap of sheet welded to the bottom and a smoke shelf tacked at an angle about 2 inches back from the front edge.



7. There is a short piece of 1 1/4 sch 20 pipe welded in the center of one end so the pipe is about an inch above the fire brick, with a 3/8 nut welded onto the pipe outside the base and a short bolt is used to secure the tuyere in place when in use.

8. The Tuyere is a piece of 1 inch sch 40 SS pipe transitioned to a 3 inch diameter piece to hook to the air source. This picture shows the butterfly damper for use with my bellows.


9. I have since cut down the sides aways and bent the sides out to give more area sideways to keep coal from falling over the sides.



10. I have added a handle/tool storage rack to the flue end, and the flue base is bent back on itself 180 and hooks over this bar to hold it in place. And there is an end section to lay tools etc on.

11. The flue is drilled and 2 shortened cotter keys have been inserted and the ends bent apart for the attachment of baling wire to anchor the flue sideways, and a hole on each side is drilled into the side to run the wire thru.

hope this helps you iron rose?

This was my reference for making the lil demo side blown forge.

oops, got my wires crossed, but will leave it up anyway, it may help someone.

sorry,
jr.

Jr. I was asking about the brick forge you are in the process with. But that info on the other forge is sure to help someone!

Thanks
James

Yeah, I know ironrose, I was down there this afternoon to clean the forge with muratic acid and to get some measurements for sheet to make the hearth.

1. the opening in front of the flue is 29.5 inches inside the brick and extends out from the flue 28 inches.

2. the cover for the coal bin is 35.5 by 14 inches outside to outside of the bricks.

3. The part where the flue sets on is the same size as the coal bin.

4. The hearth is waist high to me.

5. the side draft Hofi style main flue is 13 inches square and 65 inches long to get outside the building.

6. The flue stack will be 10 3/8 OD 12 gauge wall tubing, setting on top of the side flue like Mr. Hofi's, with a concrete pad at ground level with angle iron supports down to it to support the weight,

7. the tubing is 20 ft long and I will use all of it. With another section like it in reserve.

8. the easiest way for me was to use the bricks they provided and start with 90 lines drawn on the floor and placing the bricks out with a spacing of 3/8 inch between them to get the dimensions of the forge body correct without having to cut a lot of odd length bricks.

Jr.

Thanks, trying to arrange my schedule to go pick up my bricks.
James

Great work- and if someone photoshopped me into the picture, no one would know the difference.Maybe that is the bad news.
And, I'll just take the moment to thank you for all of the good advice you provide.Mike T.

I was going to edit but no one would see that. I think you are safe. It is the mason with whom I share a similar build, "hair" color and beard- and the ever present jeans and a "T" shirt. I have not yet progressed to the suspenders-braces , but they are in the house here- and it may just be pride.Mike T

Forge update 9/23/08

tuyere bolted in and some bricks laid in place. Bowl laying on bricks.

Fire Bowl muded in using 1/3 dry shredded horse apples and 2/3 field clay just damp enough to compress in your hand and hold together. And Sprinkling brick dust over the plain clay filler.

Coal bin cover (1/4 plate) in place and a wet gunny sack laid over the clayed parts to retard drying and hopefully prevent crackin.

Ag Museum Blacksmith shop Forge update 10/2/08.


The initial lift.


Installing brace work.


Brace work done.

update of 10/2/08 continued



Newspaper first fire test.


Second wad of newsprint.


First coal fire.


View from the side.

10/2/08 update continued.


Old flat belt driven 4 inch blower hooked up.

Very nice! I'm jealous.
Travis

Great draft, thank you for taking the time to take and post the pictures.

Thanks JR!

It almost makes me want to build a masonry forge. Actually, no almost about it, I've always loved brick and dressed stone masonry, it's just not real practical for me here.

Frosty