[TheForge] Induction Caps and Coal Trades

[ries]

I gotta say, I would love an induction forge.
I would probably use it for 90% of my work.

But everybody is different, in how they work, what they make, and what  
tools they have.
For instance, I do almost all my bending with the hossfeld, not hot on  
the anvil.
I do a fair amount of hot bending with the hossfeld, as its more  
controllable, quicker, and repeatable, with stops.

And even with my propane forge, which has openings about 9" x 9", I  
have to plan in advance, doing radical bends last- you cant fit really  
bendy things in after they are bent.
I often have to finish with the rosebud, to do larger pieces.

I have never had a coal forge- I dont like the fuss, dirt, or smell  
and smoke- I prefer a forge that you just turn on and turn off, as I  
often will be forging as part of a larger process- so my actual  
forging time might be 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there, in a long day  
of welding, machining, cold bending, and so on.

My propane forge is hot in under 5 minutes, but an induction forge-  
man, 30 seconds is a long heat on one of those.
I am sure they could do welding heats- Grant likes to actually heat  
steel till it sparks and melts, as a prank, at NWBA meets, to see if  
people jump when white hot sparks are rolling around on the floor.

And you can roll your own coils for one, any shape or size you want.
Grant's latest is a flat, pancake coil, that you actually put the  
steel you want hot ON TOP OF, not inside. This is usable for heating  
spots during bending processes.
I think they are a lot more flexible than you give them credit for.

If only they didnt cost so much....

Ries Niemi
Industrial Artist
http://www.riesniemi.com/