Hefty Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 This weekend, for the first time (can't believe it took me so long!), I took a hammer, tongs, an improvised anvil and some small bits of steel with me on our family camping trip, with the intention of doing some forging out of the campfire with a small 18v blower. Unfortunately, the blower didn't have a variable speed trigger and was waaaaay too much air for the campfire, blowing hot coals and ash everywhere while cooling the small bits of steel before the hot coals could get it hot enough. So, who here likes to forge out of the campfire and how do you like to do it? Just in the main fire? In a separate little fire? With a "take-down-able" JABOD? Anyone got any photos? (Frosty, I've read some of your accounts of campfire forging in the field but would happily take any further info you have!) Don't know if I need to make a separate thread in the bellows/blowers section for travel/camping air supply? I know cheap, double acting air mattress pumps have been put to good use, but we don't use and air bed when we camp I'm sure I could splurge the $10 or so it would cost... So, any photos or stories? Cheers, Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 Boy it's been a long time since I forged in a camp fire. The trick for controlling the blast with a mattress inflater is to use a piece of pipe for the tuyere and divert blower so its the output is only blowing partially into the pipe. What I did mostly at camp when drilling was to devise a scoop to concentrate breezes into the tuyere pipe. I had some success building a hill forge but it was a hassle and not particularly good draw. Better than a camp fire but . . . The hill forge is just a trench up a bank, the top open and covered with whatever will take the heat. The draft up the trench provides draft at the bottom. Takes tinkering and there are better ways to blast the fire. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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