[TheForge] inspiration

Mon Jul 17 21:59:14 EDT 2006

well thanks to a bit of hunting, I have a blower, 50gal drum (which will be 
cut to the size I want for my fire), bricks (instead of riverrock) and an I 
beam for an anvil, all for the low low cost of nothing!  Now to wait till 
the heat wave breaks to assemble it and get to forging.  The local scrap 
yard has tons of pipe and xtra scrap they'll let me just take.

~Jesse

>From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>
>Reply-To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>To: <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [TheForge] inspiration
>Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:55:31 -0400
>
>A 50-gallon drum is pretty big for a forge.  I won't say it won't work,
>but it's big.  Try restricting the fire to an area about 8 inches
>square.
>
>Skip the river rock - some of that may explode when heated.  Use
>quarried rock (not limestone) or just sod or clay.  You want that on the
>INSIDE of the forge.  (I can't tell if that's what you meant.)
>
>Folks often say you need 10" to 12" flue pipe, but then don't tell you
>where to find it.  Trick:  Take two pieces (preferably the 5' length) of
>6" sheet metal flue pipe (the kind that's sold unrolled and you bring
>the preformed edges together to make the pipe). Now pursuade each of
>these that it wants to be a half-cylinder, not a full cylinder.  Now
>lock the edges of one to that of the other.  Voila': 12" flue pipe.
>You'll need 10' or so.
>
>Don't swipe your wife's hair dryer.  Blowers are cheap and readily
>available once you start looking for one.  A vacuum cleaner (use the
>exhaust) is MORE than enough air - you'll have to divert some.  Try flea
>markets, etc., and keep your mind open.
>
>If you use charcoal fuel, inject the air from the side, not the bottom,
>as the stuff is so lightweight it will blow around otherwise.  Use a few
>cheap firebricks (<$1 each) to keep the charcoal from blowing sideways.
>Expect your "tuyere" pipe to burn up if you stick it too far into the
>fire.
>
>When working on a hot fire, it's useful to stay in the "shadow" of the
>fire.  Have something (like the edge of a side-draft hood) you can step
>"behind".  Most of the heat will miss you that way.
>
>One piece of advice:  Don't invest too much in your first forge.  It's
>almost certain it will work.  It's even more certain you'll want to
>change something about it before long.  Once you have a clear idea what
>you need and want, THEN it's time to spend more time or money on a
>forge.
>
>Best of luck.
>
>Bruce
>NJ
>
> >>> jsguardian at hotmail.com 7/14/2006 5:13:12 PM >>>
>All I can say is. . . wow.  At this point I am extremely greatful for
>the
>helpful instructions, and inspired.  I have plans to take a 50gal drum
>(from
>a local scrap yard) with a large hole on one side a a small hole near
>the
>bottom, attach a pipe (from the same scrap yard) for air flow, surround
>it
>all with local river rock and a basic dirt/clay morter, toss in some
>charcoal or other burnable fule, and use some more if that local scrap
>for
>stock, and simply . . . get it hot and hit it. :)  Hopefully that scrap
>yard
>has a suitable anvil, and my wife doesnt catch me using her hair dryer.
>
>Only one thing is preventing me...90-100 degree clear sunny days.  I am
>not
>gonna work next to a "hotter then the blazes of hell" fire in weather
>that
>makes me sweat just looking out the window.  Wish me luck, and if
>anyone has
>some pointers on improving my 1st fogr design, I appreciate the
>advice.
>
>~Jesse
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "Jerry Frost" <frosty at customcpu.com>
> >Reply-To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> >To: "Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
> >Subject: Re: [TheForge] tools
> >Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 11:10:52 -0800
> >
> >Don't apologize Bruce you weren't stepping on toes, I was just teasing
>you
> >a little.
> >
> >I didn't describe how to drill and bolt them together on the possibly
>false
> >assumption it wasn't necessary. If we need to start at that basic a
>level,
> >heating and beating is a number of virtual lessons away.
> >
> >On the other hand, for someone with basic metal working skills or even
>
> >general shop knowlege discovering improvised tools and just how much
>can be
> >done can be a real eye opener. Being able to bootstrap yourself from
> >nothing to a working smithy only requires imagination, knowlege and a
>
> >little practice. Good scroungins help's of course. <grin>
> >
> >Following is a tale from the Frosty files. If you only want the
>unvarnished
> >facts hit your delete key right NOW! <grin>
> >
> >Most of my hammer time up till a few years ago was in primitive
>conditions,
> >literally making stuff around a campfire somewhere in the Alaskan
>bush.
> >After work while the other guys on the drill crew were killing a half
>rack
> >of Bud, I'd forge up weird little thingies from found stock or bent,
> >twisted, broken, etc. drill tools. I'd been banging away using the
>casing
> >jack or a safety hammer as an anvil for a long time before I finally
>welded
> >up a RR track anvil. Other than the track anvil I didn't even pack a
>pair
> >of tongs, I just used whatever was handy.
> >
> >The summer of 93 or 94 we were doing a job for the FHWA along the
> >Resurrection River out of Seward for at least three months, nearly the
>
> >whole summer. We'd brushed a "road" down to a nice bar on the river to
>set
> >up camp and moved in. During the summer we spent there, there was a
>large
> >quantity of beer consumed so I had to find something to occupy my time
>
> >instead.
> >
> >Scrounging on the Resurrection River near where we were camped is rich
>
> >pickins. There used to be quite a bit of industrial (by early Alaskan
>
> >standards) shops, yards, etc. in the area till the 64' quake wiped
>them
> >out. Anyway, the river is GOOD scrounging. I found and dragged an axel
>from
> >a (I don't know what, but it was BIG) vehicle back to camp and
>implanted it
> >flange up for my anvil.
> >
> >The wind always blows down the river valley/gorge from the ice fields
>in
> >the mountains so making a wind powered forge was simplicity. I
>hammered
> >stakes into the sand in a 3'+/- circle. Using this as a frame I
>stacked mud
> >mortared rocks and sand into my forge table. I ran a piece of bent
>drill
> >casing up through the forge mound, facing into the prevailing wind. I
>made
> >the firepot from hard rammed mud and used found rebar as a grate. I
>later
> >replaced the firepot with a brake drum I got from a local repair shop.
>I
> >made a wind facing funnel from found tin siding for my blast.
> >
> >I burned forge made charcoal generated as I worked. This was REALLY
> >unpleasant till I scrounged a steel barrel to use as a combination
>forge
> >hood, charcoal generator. I cut the ends out of the barrel and spiked
>it on
> >end to the top of the forge and cut a couple openings to access the
>fire. I
> >simply cut wood, mostly alder and birch and tossed it into the top. It
>
> >burned down to charcoal by time it got to the openings I was working
> >through. It was hot as hell standing in front of the burn barrel forge
>
> >thingy but it worked just fine.
> >
> >Along with the usual fire pokers, branding irons and other fun with
>beer
> >things I normally made, I made a pair of rebar tongs. They were
>basically
> >the same as twist tongs and ugly as hell but they worked just fine. I
>made
> >hanging hooks for camp, tripods for the camp fires, pokers, skewers,
> >tent/tarp stakes and all sorts of little utensils for around camp.
> >
> >After a while word got out I had a "blacksmith's shop" down on the
>river
> >and I became kind of a small scale attraction. So I started making
>hooks,
> >stakes, tripods, toasting forks, fire pokers, branding irons, etc. for
>
> >locals and tourists that found us. I didn't charge much but made a
>nice bit
> >of change for off duty fun with fire. <grin>
> >
> >The ONLY tools I didn't improvise or manufacture were the hammers,
>large
> >and medium crescent wrenches, a hack saw and a handful of files. I
>even
> >made a vise though I didn't hammer on it.
> >
> >Anyway, I did this kind of "smithing" for 19 years on the drill crew
>and
> >dearly LOVE improvising "shops". This is the basis of my perspective
>when I
> >answer the, "What do I need to get started?" question. I don't put
>limits
> >on how high tech a smith should go either. If you want to make a
>living at
> >this stuff you'd damned well better either be a VERY in demand smith
>OR be
> >willing to do any metal work that comes in the door.
> >
> >So yes. I can most certainly describe AND post pics of wooden tongs
>made
> >with stone tools though I prefer knapping obsidian. I haven't tried
>the
> >local chert, too much on my plate. Still, the chert will make a much
>better
> >hand axes and scrapers than the obsidian if not as sharp, it'll be
>much
> >more durable.
> >
> >Frosty
> >-------------------------------
> >If it ain't forged
> >it ain't real.
> >Wrought iron is.
> >The FrostWorks
> >
> >Meadow Lakes, AK.
> >
> >http://www.artmetalradio.com/
> >
> >From: "Bruce Freeman" <FREEMAB at pt.fdah.com>
> >
> >
> >>Sorry, Frosty, I didn't mean to stomp on your toes. Really, your
>twist
> >>tongs description was excellent (though pictures would help), and
>those
> >>(punched and riveted) should probably be the >second< pair of tongs
>a
> >>beginner makes.  If we REALLY want to be purists, we could give
> >>instructions on making tongs of wood, made with a flint knife...
> >>
> >>But I operated for so long (before learning to forge) by making do
>with
> >>capabilities I had (drilling, bolting) that I still often think in
>those
> >>terms.
> >>
> >>Bruce
> >>NJ
> >>
> >
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>
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