[TheForge] Re: forging steel bamboo

[Mike Spencer]

Ben wrote:

> Bruce's suggestion reminds me of the old forging videos I've seen
> where a huge bar is suspended by crane and made able to roll on its
> support;

I saw one of a yellow-hot [1] billet maybe 2 or 3 feet in diameter
supported by a chain loop that went over a pulley which in turn was
suspended from the big crane.  I think the pulley was powered so that
they could rotate the billet with the sling.

When I had to draw long tapers on 8' 1x2, I made a (tiny and of course
not powered :-) version of the sling with loop of 3/16 chain and an
old pulley rope-pulley wheel.  I just put a eye bolt in the ceiling
where I needed it but if you had a crane, track or whatever it would
be more versatile hung on that.  It worked much better than a stand
support because the chain accommodated the rectangular shape more
smoothly.  I'm guessing that a sprocket and a piece of roller chain
would be even better.

I have a whole bunch of 1" black pipe.  I'll have to give this bamboo
trick a try.

OffTopic: For those who're keen on gardening or the like, building
this tiny greenhouse is what's kept me away from the forge a bit this
summer:

    http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/tmp/gazebo-1.jpg
    http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/tmp/gazebo-2.jpg

There have been various improvements, including infrared heat, since
the photo was taken.  A neighbor gave me the six thermopane doors and
I just natchurly hadda do this. :-)

- Mike


[1] Okay, so it was an old, jittery, black & white movie but, you
    know, you could just *tell* it was yellow-hot. ;-)

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^