Any web sites that give info on Champion Forges?

Mine is a No. 8.

I haven't seen any pictures like it. I either see square pots or three legs, mine is round and has four legs.

Without seeing a photograph, my guess is a rivet forge to heat rivets for the construction of buildings and bridges.

I believe that one is, as Unicorn correctly guessed, a riveting forge. Used all over North America to heat rivets (hence the name) so that they could be peened over hot and then tighten as they shrunk.
They're great for weekend meets but not for day to day forging.
Enjoy!

I was mainly interested in some history or info re the number 8 forge.

Thanks

OK, nobody knows.

Why isn't this good to use on a daily basis?

Matt,
Was watching a Champion propector forge portable on E-bay didn't bid on it as didn't know anything about them and was going to ask here but was too late. Anyway it when for $305.00, will be intrested in answer to your question.
Adirondacker

Well it really depends on what you are making. As it was designed to heat fairly small items it will be ok for small Items; but if you want to do a lot of forge welding for knifemaking or work larger stock for ornamental gates it will be a stretch to do it in a small forge and a lot more work to even attempt it.

Think of it like trying to put 5 people in a two seater car---you might be able to manage it but you won't be comfortable...

IIRC Anvilfire sells a CD that was Old Champion catalog if you really want to see it documented.

Matt,
does yours have a firepot built into it? Or is it a flat bottom rivet forge? I have a round 4 legged forge that has a firepot built into it, and it works a ton better than the rivet forges, don't know who made it though.

It is a flat bottom.

I have been looking at plans, etc. regarding the size of firepots and forge plans.

I don't want to modify this one as it was my great grandfather's.

I am planning to build a table of sorts that will go around the hearth area. I suppose when I get out and see some forges in person I will be able to see a difference. As far as fire depth for welding and the like, I don't see a problem. Instead of having metal sides to form the fire, I would need to keep it banked with wet coal.

As I have stated before and often, I'm a genuine novice and I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around these notions.

I was making a hardie from an old splitting wedge the other day (I was sore all over, thanks). One of the things I was doing was trying to develop fire control, keeping it even and the like. I had a nice deep bed and made a ton of coke.

I need to get around others at this point for comparison purposes as well as eductional reasons. Kind of like my first year with a single beehive. I had no idea how good it was. I got a hundred pounds of honey from it that year!

Thanks all.

Small forges often have small blowers. The big free standing hand crank blowers when in good shape will put out a ton more air for less effort---I expect my blowers to make 3 complete turns of the crank when I let go. I can also crank it to welding temps with my pinky.

Small forges have small tuyeres---I can stick my fist down my forge's tuyere when I remove the grate.

How big is a "nice deep bed": 8", 10", 12" deep? The previous owner of my champion RR forge burnt a piece of RR rail in two in it by accident once.

I'm looking to forge some 2" stock this weekend as shafts for some medieval armouring tools I am constructing and sure wish I had my large forge set up---it's waiting until I put the new forge addition onto my shop as no coal forges is the rule in my clean shop (so I have 3 gas forges in it!)

Don't put a table around your rivit forge; leave it as your travelling forge and build a different larger forge for the table!

Now when I had an electrically blown forge made from a brake drum *it* wasn't deep enough for billet welding. So I placed a piece of sheet metal curved like a C in it alongside the inside edge to get an eight inch deep fire for welding---leaving the ends spaced to allow work to get shoved into the middle of the fire. I also cut a "mousehole" opposite the slot so extra long pieces could be positioned just right. (note that forge I built, + blower, anvil and basic tools cost less than $25 total with fleamarkets finds and scrounged stuff being what was used).

I can probably put my fist in the tuyere. I'll check how freely it turns, but 3 sounds about right.

Any table would not be a permanent modification. This is what I have for now.

Your mention of sheet metal C shaped sheet metal reminds me of what I always thought was a heat sheild for the guy cranking on my forge. It was a heavy sheet that went about a third of the way around about 20 inches high and fastened by 4 bolts.

Turns 2 5/8's times after I let go. Not bad as it hasn't been lubed in my lifetime, 50+ years.

I do appreciate the comments.

Matt,
Was watching a Champion propector forge portable on E-bay didn't bid on it as didn't know anything about them and was going to ask here but was too late. Anyway it when for $305.00, will be intrested in answer to your question.
Adirondacker

You can find them for less locally I'd guess. Just saw this on Craig's list. He's a bit of a hike for me and I'm broke now anyway. I'd like to get some of his tongs, etc.

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