[TheForge] Equipment for a newbie

[peter fels & phoebe palmer]

or an adjustable  baffle in front of the blower intake

On 11/11/2010 5:08 AM, Andrew Vida wrote:
> With charcoal you probably want a hand cranked blower.  Charcoal burns
> quite a bit more rapidly than coal.  Waste not want not.
>
> mike shpeley wrote:
>> Matt;
>> I am on my second charcoal forge. The first one was a biggie and hogged way to
>> much fuel to my liking for small work. The second one evolved from a rivet forge
>>
>> and I am tickled pink with it. Felt like I had re-invented the wheel at the
>> time. I posted a picture under my name to simplify the explanation. Basically I
>> am using refractory bricks in the tray with a two inch squirrel cage fan plumbed
>>
>> into the inlet on the crank blower. There is a makeshift gate on the suction
>> side of the fan.
>>
>> I have welded three eighths round and heated  3/4  inch stock  to a good yellow
>> heat in it. From what I have found, you want high volume and low pressure air
>> into the fire if you are going to avoid the fleas. A quiet blower is nice also
>> as you can hear the fire better to prevent burning your metal. If you got good
>> hardwood, this fuel comes up to heat super fast. Cedar is not. For most of my
>> bending, I find
>>
>> the longer heat in the propane forge is better than charcoal. Right tool for the
>> job is what it boils down to and I seem to have missed what your project plans
>> are.
>>
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: Matt Gallagher<fudgumz at gmail.com>
>> To: theforge at mailman.qth.net
>> Sent: Sat, November 6, 2010 12:26:05 PM
>> Subject: [TheForge] Equipment for a newbie
>>
>> I'm looking for some new or used equipment, such as a blower, forge if
>> possible, and some hammers. Some of you might remember my post a while back
>> asking for an anvil for a project. Ive found one, and now all i need is more
>> equipment. I can make the forge, thats not a problem. (although it would be
>> nice to get one pre-made (: ) I just need, at minimum, a blower. If anyone
>> has one, knows where i can get a cheap one, or has instructions on how to
>> make one, I would be happy to compensate. I have a sufficient hammer, its a
>> fairly large ball-peen.My first project is to make a more suitable hammer,
>> for which I have found several places where i can get instructions. So my
>> only problem really is an air-source. I contemplated making a blower, even a
>> set of bellows, but then remembered this forum and decided to give it a try.
>> Christmas is coming up, and my family has been dogging me for a list of what
>> I want. Something like this would both make an awesome gift, and make their
>> lives easier.
>> (PS.- I have around 100-150 lbs of charcoal, which i believe will work
>> sufficiently for fuel. I made it myself from hardwood [oak, cedar, and
>> maple] and some pine. I have been able to get steel to working temperature
>> with this in an outdoor fire pan with a blow pipe, but I would like a blower
>> so I don't have to inhale as much smoke or waste my oxygen. Any comments or
>> suggestions are welcome.)
>> (PS v.2.0- I have several designs for forges which I would like to share
>> with all of you out there for feedback, but my scanner is broken at the
>> moment. when I get it fixed, I will send out the best of these plans. I will
>> try to make them as understandable as possible. [I tend to use the
>> engineering side of my brain, and in doing so, forget about
>> understandability to others] Also, if anyone has designs they would like
>> feedback on, I would be glad to oblige. If anyone would like to revamp my
>> designs they are welcome to, provided they send me a copy of the final
>> draft.)
>>
>> ~Matt Gallagher, your friendly teenage smith :)
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