Subject: Greetings! (and questions)

From: Cheney_Brian_A/[email-masked]
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 96 08:36:28 -0400

I think my first try at this got lost in the confusion with the
downtime.  If it's a repeat, please accept my most humble and abject
apologies!

I'm new to this mailing list and to blacksmithing - I've had
a few informal lessons & recently acquired (after a LONG search) a
farriers forge approx 2' square & a 125# anvil, which I haven't gotten
around to setting up yet (although I do have my oak stump!).

I have a few questions for you folks out there:

- my forge is heavy cast iron - can I use it just like that, or do I
have to line it with refractory?

- if I set up outdoors, is there any reason for me to put a chimney on
the forge?

- will I be able to see the metal colors well enough in the sun, or do I
need to build some sort of enclosure?

- I'd like to make "blacksmith puzzles" for gifts & have a couple that I
can use for patterns, but would like to have more variety...are there
project books available that I can use as a guide?

Thanks in advance!

Brian Cheney
metallurgical engineer (sorry, mostly aluminum)
aspiring (perspiring) blacksmith

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From: "Dr. Mark E. Williams" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 08:46:13 -0400

On Jun 20,  8:36am, Cheney_Brian_A/[email-masked] wrote:
> Subject: Greetings! (and questions)

You can use your forge as it is. Be careful when wetting the coal so that you
don't crack the cast iron.

> - if I set up outdoors, is there any reason for me to put a chimney on

Personal preference. However, combined with the next question, you may want to
have a chimney for the enclosure you will need to see colors of metal. The
bright sunshine makes most heat colors look silvery.

> project books available that I can use as a guide?

I've never seen any project books that have puzzles in them. If you come across
one, please let me know. I currently make five different puzzles.

> aspiring (perspiring) blacksmith

Mark

-- 
Dr. Mark E. Williams
Bldg N-159, Rm E-215
NASA/GSFC/WFF/EG&G
Wallops Island, VA 23337
804-824-1744
[email-masked]

Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, lest ye deceive yourselves.
New Testament, the Bible

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From: Michael Spencer <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 96 22:02:50 EDT

> I'm new to this mailing list and to blacksmithing - ,,,

Welcome!

> - if I set up outdoors, is there any reason for me to put a chimney on

I did a demo once with the forge positioned just at the edge of a
tent. Happend that my time slot put the sun directly on the forge fire
and hearth. It was very difficult to see the heats. No welding, but I
was doing hot carving on small pieces and it was real easy to burn
them or pull them out too cool until some kind soul arranged an ad hoc
shade.

- Mike
-- 

Michael Spencer               (902) 543-8375
[email-masked]
URL: http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/mspencer/home.html
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