[TheForge] Re: reducing fuel costs by improving forge efficiency.

[Jerry Frost]

It's been at least 4 years since we started talking about clamshell forges.
I saw a pic on the Cuenca forge site since shut down or relocated to where,
I don't know.

Two things were immediately apparent to me when I saw the pic: First, it was
wonderfully useful for large work. Second it looked to be torture to be near
when open, all that hot refractory aimed right at the smith with the lid up.
I feel the same way about swinging forge doors.

Ron, I and a number of other guys who formed an informal CC: think tank
(slack tank, think tub? <grin>) spent some time talking about various pros
and cons regarding clamshell forges. I recall the idea of a vertical lifting
lid being floated but don't recall who said it first. Doesn't matter. What
matters is somebody went to the trouble of giving it a try and debugging it.
Just as Ron spent a LOT of time and effort researching and experimenting
with burner designs. Best of all, he compiled and published it to the web
for one and all to use.

Frosty
------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ralph Sproul" <brhlbsmt at mcttelecom.com>
To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2004 11:11 AM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: reducing fuel costs by improving forge
efficiency.


>         Marc,  Let's see.........misappropriation.........
>
>         I think this is another one of those "who dun it first"
> things...........I
> believe Ron Reil and Frosty mention the word "clamshell" forge on this
list
> about four years ago, and that is what triggered my thinking towards
> something that might be approached from three out of four sides in the
first
> place.
>         Then after watching the Clifton Ralph tapes a couple of times, I
> liked his pile of bricks on the table with the burners he'd insert for
> heating...........so, that idea had to go in to a forge somehow.
>         ..........and the Johnson Gas Forge on first impression struck me
as
> a great idea with that "floating lid" to reflect the heat back to the
work.
> I just sorta took a few ideas and made something of them, that worked for
> me.
>
>         I love the way Marc used a lid with castable refractory in it, as
> that is the weakness of my forge design.  The lid in mine has Kaowool M
> board and works well, but doesn't hold up if you drop a piece of long
steel
> and
> it goes up and cracks, punctures, or chunks out a piece of the top of the
> forge.........  Oh no, I feel modification number 8 coming to the next
forge
> I build.   :-)
>
> Ralph
>
>