[TheForge] hello

[Andy Vida]

If you want to make a charcoal forge, you need no firepot.  In fact, 
my experience with charcoal forges indicates that a vertical blast
firepot would not function well at all.

I learned to make charcoal forges from a guy named Tai Goo (anyone
remember him from the 2000 ABANA conference in Flagstaff?)  We have
become good acquaintances since then.  I visited him several times
in Tucson and he gave me the dirt on making a really neat forge.  If
anyone's interested, drop me a line.  Charcoal is a good fuel, but
more costly than coal.

Jerry Frost wrote:
> 
> > Hello Frosty:
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> >
> > I was thinking of building a  small to moderate charcoal forge,the size
> > of work i do will probably vary from miscellenous things to large and
> > small swords and axe's.like i said im just getting into all of this and
> > im not really sure of anything yet.
> >
> 
> Okay, the main difference between a coal and charcoal forge is fire depth
> and that's more a matter of fire management though folk who use charcoal
> usually make deeper fire pots.
> 
> For a first forge I'd build a small one, perhaps a brake drum in a table.
> I'm a real champion of having a table on forges as it gives you plenty of
> room to rest work, tools and keep fuel handy. It doesn't need to be of heavy
> construction, even if you're making a fire brick table 3' square. It can
> even be constructed from wood if you line the table thickly enough, fire
> bricks for instance. You can ram a couple inches of damp fire or other clay
> into the table as well.
> 
> Brake drums make fine fire pots and they're cheap. (read free) Don't get
> carried away and use a big truck brake drum it's really unlikely you'll be
> wanting a fire that big for a while if ever.
> 
> My new coal forge has a duck's nest instead of a fire pot. It's a 12" sq.
> gap in the fire brick and an air grate centered over the tueyre. I stack
> fire brick around the air grate to make whatever sized fire I need.
> 
> The forge is easy enough. There are a few other things to consider though:
> How much room do you have and how much equipment and tools to fit in it? How
> you going to lay it out? Who are your neighbors and will the authorities
> mind your new persuit? What other metal working tools and skills do you
> have?
> 
> None of this is difficult if you already have the tools and skills to fab it
> up but if you're breaking in to all of it at once you're in for a few
> challenges. Still it isn't rocket science and there're plenty of folk out
> here to help.
> 
> Frosty
> ------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
> 
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
> 
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--
	-Andy V.

	Stand 
	 In the end you'll still be you 
	 One that's done all the things you set out to do 
	Stand 
	 There's a cross for you to bear 
	 Things to go through, if you're going anywhere 
	Stand 
	 All the things you want are real 
	 You have you to complete and there is no deal 
	Stand 
	 Don't you know that you are free?
	 Well, at least in your mind if you want to be 

			-My apologies to Sly Stone