Subject: Re: Building a forge

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 21:12:50 -0500

Although there has been a story or two circulating around about using
compressed air for a forge, I think you will be better off with a centrifugal
fan.  What you want in a coal or coke fire is pressure(sp) and some velocity.
 This is the reason most squirrel cage blowers don't work as well as an old
hand blower, because they push too much air through at too high a velocity
(cfm) even with an airgate.  Also make sure you make a large, deep firepot.
 A shallow pot and high velocity blast spells burned steel.  I have seen a
12" weld cap for schedule 40 pipe perform nicely.  Use at least a 3" pipe to
supply the firepot so you don't restrict the volume of supply air.  Good
luck.

hollis

---

From: Matt Balent/HCS/CSC <Matt_Balent/HCS/[email-masked]>
Date: 15 Mar 96 11:34:56 EDT

Ive built two simple coal forges in the last 8 months and
it seems to me that a compressor is a bit of overkill.  A
small electric blower can be had for under $100 (and 
sometimes WELL under $100).  I'd save the wear and
tear on the expensive machine and get a small blower.
- Matt
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have been thinking about building a coal forge for some time and finally made
up my mind to do it.  I have plans from Lindsey for the "Dave Wimberly Forge",
which is basically a 4" by 9" by ~15" firebrick trough set in morter, in turn
set in a metal drum.  (Dave used part of a scrap water heater tank)  Air is fed
through a 1" pipe at one end of the trough.

The current plan is to build a simmilar forge and use my air compressor for the
air source.  I believe that I can adjust the regulator to a low pressure and
fine tune the flow with a gate valve on the forge.

Questions:

1. anyone have any comments, experienced or otherwise, on this forge design?

2. is there a better way to go?

3. anything I should know before I start?

---

From: [email-masked] (James Batson)
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 20:28:30 -0500

>supply the firepot so you don't restrict the volume of supply air.  Good

The fellow building the forge sounds like he is going to re-invent the
wheel.  Forges have been in use for years, but he is going to use
compressed air, put a square wheel on an axle.  You have to go some to beat
a bellows for positive air flow.  The forge is the most important tool in
the Blacksmith shop.  If you can't heat it you can't beat it.  Buy a good
14 inch forge pot from Centaur Forge, get a blast gate and a good blower,
hand or electrical, and start forging and don't spend your time building a
forge but using it.

Barbara said this is sharp.  Could be but thems my sentiments.

Jim

Bladesmith & Bowie Historian

---

From: Mike Linn <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 96 17:43 EST

At 11:34 AM 3/15/96 EDT, you wrote:
> A small electric blower can be had for under $100 (and 

The blower for my forge is a small (1/12 hp) double squirrel cage fan for
the cooling system in a computer cabnet. It cost me 12 bucks at a salvage
store and it works great. Even better is that if this one quits,  they've
got two more in the warehouse.

mike
                                    _///_
                                   /(o o)\
===============================o000o=(_)=o000o====
               Michael Linn 
            Artisian Blacksmith
              AFC Web Master
 http://www.the-matrix.com/afc/index.html
==================================================
Smile, it makes people wonder what you've been up to.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 13:20:40 -0500

>Do they ship, and do you have an address and phone number for them? Tom
>
>On Fri, 15 Mar 1996 [email-masked] wrote:
>r
>>      Coal can also be somewhat hard to find. I just bought half a ton from
>> Skei Coal and Wood in Ames, Iowa for $16.00 per hundred pre bagged.
>>                                                         Have Fun!
>>                                                         Bob Schade
 The name is SKEI COAL & WOOD.
BOX 394, 639 LINCOLN WAY, AMES, IOWA. 515 232 4474.
                                                    HUBBA HUBBA

---

From: [email-masked] (Phill Jackson)
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 12:37:25 -0800

Centaur forge
117 North Spring St
PO Box 340
Burlington, Wi 53105-0340
1-414-763-9175
1 414-763-8350 (fax)

Phill Jackson

---

From: [email-masked] (Phill Jackson)
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 12:37:17 -0800

>     I have been a strong believer in coal forges (rather than coke). I
>still am, but I have to admit I have barely used mine since I made a gas
>forge. It is so easy, so clean, and so cheap. It takes no tending. Light it
>up and you can move around the shop getting your tools and material ready.

Is there such a thing as an open propane forge?  I made a small cylinder
gas forge but due to it's closed design, it can't be used very well for
forge welding of branching objects.

Any information appreciated.

Phill

---

From: "James S. DeLabar" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 08:50:25 -0500

I am also planing the building of my forge, yes i could buy one but 
     that's no fun! I have a Champion blower #400? from the Lancaster 
     blower and forge company that a picked up for a couple of bucks at an 
     auction. For the fire pot i would like to use a old cast iron sink, 
     1 1/2 ft by 2 1/2 ft 8 in deep single hole centered to one side, 
     possibly lined?. I would use 3 inch cast DWV pipe to hook up blower. I 
     would set it up on bricks or maybe a mobile base. I would set up 
     either in or right outside and old "shed"  12' x 30 ' dirt floor, 
     double doors open out at the 12' end. I would solicit and all comments 
     on this plan? In particular need to figure out best set up for forge, 
     anvil, work bench, tool rack.
     I am concerned with weather being a problem but am also worried about 
     wood walls if i set up inside the shed. I am thinking about building a 
     roof off the shed to cover the  forge right outside the shed.  Keeping 
     the anvil just inside the doors so i can keep tools and such locked up 
     inside and just open doors to work?
     
     Thanks for any feedback / suggestions

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 21:11:34 CST

>     possibly lined?. I would use 3 inch cast DWV pipe to hook up 
blower. 

Sounds very similar to my first forge.  Do yourself a favor, buy the 
vulcan fire pot.  It is more efficient of fuel, space and time than the 
home made jobbies.  Don't get me wrong, homemade works too.  I just often 
find folks spending so much time "tweaking" there home grown forges that 
they have no time to actually forge!!!

Good luck though, whatever you decide to do.

-----------------------------------------------------
Name: Franklyn D. Garland        A Hobby Is Hard work
E-mail: [email-masked]          You wouldn't Do For
Date: 03/18/96                     A Living.

http://www.mcs.net/~frnklyn/homepage/

For PGP Public Key finger [email-masked]
-----------------------------------------------------

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 20:55:20 CST

>Any information appreciated.

You generally need more than one kind of gas forge to cover all kinds of 
work.  A cylinder (pipe forge) is good for knives, straight pieces or 
short bends.  A box type does better with strange branching shapes.  
Clifton Ralph has this strange pile of fire bricks that he calls a gas 
forge.  It gets REALLY hot, he can block off (shut off) burners as needed 
and rearrange the bricks to suit whatever job is at hand.  I am in the 
process of building my own version of this currently.  The other way to 
heat those strange spots is with an Oxy-Propane rosebud torch.  Heat the 
area to work, and bring it to the anvil.  Works in those strange spots 
without heating (and scaling) the entire piece.

Good Luck,

---

From: [email-masked] (John Elliott)
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 21:08:23 -0500 (EST)

Dr. Williams I take you are located somewhere in Va .  I am near Richmond
Va. I am close?

>Centaur Forge is listed on the suppliers page within the ABANA page.
>
>Centaur Forge Ltd.
>414-763-9175
>117 N. Spring Street
>P.O.Box 340
>Burlington, WI 53105
>
>Cheers!
>
>
>-- 
>Dr. Mark E. Williams
>
>Bldg N-159, Rm E-215
>NASA/GSFC/WFF/EG&G
>Wallops Island, VA 23337
>804-824-1744
>
>[email-masked]
>
>Self-confidence is walking barefoot through a cowpasture at midnight on a
moonless night.