[TheForge] Historical type Forge

[Bob Ehrenberger]

I spent today and will spend tomorow demonstrating at the Bethel colony
forge for their annual school education days. Other than it being cold and
wet it was a fine day. About 10 classes of elementary school children came
by to watch. Each group was saposed to get 15 minutes but because of the
weather several of the other demonstrations that are usually set up on the
lawn near the blacksmith shop were moved to  a barn 50 yards away, By the
time the classes got to me I only had 10.  Not much time to explain the
process and tools and do some work.

But getting to the original question the forge there is made from heavy
planks and then brick lined.  It also has a side draft which eliminated the
need for a cast iron fire pot.  This also gives me trouble every year as it
takes me most of the day to figure out the side draft.  The main problem I
have is if the blow pipe gets blocked it draft is directed up and doesn't go
through the coal. They do have a crank blower instead of a billows, but as
someone already said the public doesn't know that the blower is too new for
the rest of the set up.

This is not a portable forge. It's very heavy and moveing it would probably
damage it. Though if you wanted to take the time to remove the bricks each
time it was moved it could be done.

Bob Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo