OT: update on my adventures in blacksmithing

[JReed]

Well now that the snow is all gone I thought it was time to get back to beating on hot steel. I have been working on putting together a gas forge I haven't abandoned the project just put it on the back burner for now. I took some time off work to unwind and tinker around the house.

So here is what I am playing with at the moment. I have been poking around the property and found some useful scrap in the brush line. I turned up a section of 8" stove pipe, 6 pieces of 4' x 1/2" rebar, and a lid to a 55gal drum. What I ended up making is a fancy hole in the ground forge. The drum lid I will turn into a stand for my brake drum in the future so I can get off the ground but for now this gets metal hot.
First I dug a hole 8" across and 12" deep. I dug another hole about a foot away that is 8" across and 8" deep then I dug a trench in between. Next I cut off a section of the stove pipe a bout 4" long leaving me about another section of about 10" in length. I used the sections of stove pipe as liners for my 2 holes so they wont collapse with use I used a 14" section of 1 1/2" pipe to join the 2 holes together to act as an air duct. I then filled in around the stove pipe and the trench to seal it all up and to make it all stable. To finish it off I set my break drum on top of the deep hole and set my 8" fan on top of the other. Works pretty good so far but this is just until I can make a stand out of the barrel lid for my break drum.

I have the lid set as a heat shield for my fan.




Here is a railroad spike that I am playing with right now just working on hammer control and drawing down stock. Eventually it will get turned into a lead ladle.


hey even kids like to play with hammers


p.s. Thanks to Gobblerforge and the other smiths here for keeping my interest going.

[deerwhacker444]

Good Grief,..that looks like a White Trash Hillbilly Forge setup..!

I love it, wish I had one to play with..!

[JReed]

Good Grief,..that looks like a White Trash Hillbilly Forge setup..!

I love it, wish I had one to play with..!

You want to hear the cool part. Other then charcoal I have no money into it at all. I already had the tools every thing else is scrap I found or traded for.

The building is the old pump house for when this used to be a farm the old long handled pump is still inside I haven't tried to see if it still works.

[Hobie]

What is really cool is that when you go to Afghanistan you'll be able to spot all their ad hoc set-ups right off since you've got the training. Seriously, that is seriously retro as well as cheap.

[awp101]

Improvise, adapt and overcome?

Hmmm, now I have to figure out how to do something like that around here while keeping the dog away from it...

[JReed]

Improvise, adapt and overcome?

Hmmm, now I have to figure out how to do something like that around here while keeping the dog away from it...

I will take some detail pics for ya tomorrow so you can see what I did.

[mescalero1]

Determination is what sets us apart.
You are to be commended.

[JerryB]

That sure looks fine to me. Poor folks have poor ways, but we do get the job done.

[shooter]

That looks just like my forge and anvil setup! My dad brought me a section of railroad track at Christmas. I'd already gathered everything else. Love to see people's old school hobbies!

[oldguy]

that is so nice !! pure function.

[JReed]

What is really cool is that when you go to Afghanistan you'll be able to spot all their ad hoc set-ups right off since you've got the training. Seriously, that is seriously retro as well as cheap.

Don't think they will let me roam the streets of Afghanistan even when I do get over there (the down side to a very small MOS).

As to retro being out there with my forge makes me want to through on my SASS gear set up a fire pit for my cast iron cook wear roll up a smoke and relax while dinner cooks on the fire.

[Gobblerforge]

Your pictures just gave me a flash. A vision if you will of a portable version. A person would have to be able to get a steel drum that is air tight, with all the bungs, and a removable end. Standing the drum on end, removable end up, cut a hole just the right size to hold that brake drum just under the lip so it hung into the drum. This hole would have to be closely cut so that it is as air tight as possible. Cut a hole in the side of the drum or remove a bung and thread in a pipe to receive your choice of air supply. Bam, a portable forge that can easily be moved around and is waist high so less bending over. The diameter is just right and the end can be removed to empty the ash out. And let me tell you, that is one big ash dump area. It would probably take a year before it needed emptied. There is also room next to the fire pot that will catch and hold coal and fire that spills over, safely. The lip of the drum will help nicely for that. Room to lay tools and work next to the fire as well. Man. This sounds so good, I might have to build one just to see it work. Ouch. I just had a thought and it hurt.
Gobbler

[Hobie]

What is really cool is that when you go to Afghanistan you'll be able to spot all their ad hoc set-ups right off since you've got the training. Seriously, that is seriously retro as well as cheap.

Don't think they will let me roam the streets of Afghanistan even when I do get over there (the down side to a very small MOS).

As to retro being out there with my forge makes me want to through on my SASS gear set up a fire pit for my cast iron cook wear roll up a smoke and relax while dinner cooks on the fire.

Retro to the point that you could make a bellows and Roman smiths would understand how to use the setup without a word being spoken.

As to the MOS, I had no idea you were a rear echelon you know what. Actually, my friends told me that there inside the FOB and outside and that was all.

[awp101]

The more I think about this, I have a possible plan. Let's see what y'all think of this...

I can't dig in the yard because of the dog. He's too wild and rambuctious for me to have heated items anywhere close to the ground. Besides, he's gotten into enough trouble digging in the yard that I feel puppy dog retribution might occur if he sees ME digging holes in the yard....

I have 2 places in my back yard where I could build a wooden box and fill it with dirt. Say 4" long, 3" wide and 4" tall. That keeps it high enough to discourage Hank and I don't have to bend over as much. I think the length and width should be sufficient for the drum, fan and other items for the heating plus a little extra room for whatever might be needed.

The only concern right now is the placement. One spot would leave only 1-2" between the box and the house. I don't know if that's far enough away or not.

Thoughts?

[bdhold]

my grandfather was a blacksmith. I have from him hand-forged hammer and axe, both pinned into the handmade handles with hand-forged square nail wedges.
He had a forge with a hand-crank blower on it, and a few times, I got to turn the crank while he was working iron.

[Modoc ED]

That's a real neat set-up Jeremy. You could make most anything with that set-up -- knives, etc..

How long have you been in the Marine Corps Jeremy and what is your MOS?

Hey, it just struck me!!!! You could make yourself a sword!!!!

[nemhed]

Jeremy if you don't already have it, check out the book "$50 Knife Shop". It's got a lot of good tips for the beginner and doing things on the cheap. Not that you're cheap or anything, judging by your set up! Keep them young 'ens away from that forge, your wife will never let you live it down if one of them gets burned .

[JReed]

That's a real neat set-up Jeremy. You could make most anything with that set-up -- knives, etc..

How long have you been in the Marine Corps Jeremy and what is your MOS?

Hey, it just struck me!!!! You could make yourself a sword!!!!

Been in going on 14 years now. I am an electronics tech 5939 I work on the gear used to control forward aircraft, direct CAS, Casualty evacs, aircraft deconfliction. I used to work on surface to air missile systems but no body has the guts to take us on in the air any more so we got rid of them.

nemhed
Not to fear they both have a healthy respect for fire. Evan (pictured) made the unwise decision grab a piece of metal that I had been working last summer and learned that black metal is hot metal. Took him a hole hour to fess up to how he got the burn. He thought he was in trouble because he had been told to not touch anything around the forge.

awp101
Go here lots of ideas from complicated to very simple.http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/ They are a good group of folks like here and are very helpful and friendly Gobblerforge is on there all the time I lurk alot reading what others are doing.

[2ndovc]

Pretty cool Jeremy!!

Got me thinking about what kind of junk I've got lying around.


jb

[Modoc ED]

That's pretty good Jeremy. Roughly 6-years and you'll be eligible to retire. With that MOS you should have no trouble finding a job when you retire. After your current assignment, you ought to be able to pretty much finish up in Oceanside.

Oh, I like that length of Railroad rail for your anvil.

[JReed]

Hobie you are quite right I would even say any smith in the last 5K or more years would need no explanation on its use or operation.

Here are some more detailed pics. The only tools used in construction were a shovel, hacksaw, and my trusty Dremel with a cut off wheel.

This is the fire hole


Blower hole


Fire on the left air on the right


Here is the whole setup.


I do need to make some modifications to make it more efficient. I need to swing by the store and pick up a drain cover (or make one) to better keep fuel from dropping out the bottom. I also need to go to a 2" pipe for the air duct the 1 1/2" is to restrictive need more flow to reach welding temps and I need a more powerful blower I should be able to get a hair drier at good will that will do the trick. So far though it is a pretty efficient set up when I remember to turn off the fan when I have the work out of the fire. I had it running for about 2 1/2 hours and burned 6lb of charcoal so not bad but I can get it better

[JReed]

That's pretty good Jeremy. Roughly 6-years and you'll be eligible to retire. With that MOS you should have no trouble finding a job when you retire. After your current assignment, you ought to be able to pretty much finish up in Oceanside.

Oh, I like that length of Railroad rail for your anvil.

Yep 6 more to go. I will be off this duty in another year and a half and hopefully back to Oceanside . I haven't decided yet if I am stopping at 20 or going all the way to 30 all depends on where I am on the food chain at 20.

Yep the RR track works well lots of angles on it to get different bends and it has a little weight to it. It will work until I get something better who knows I will have to keep my eyes open for yard sales lots of farms around me that have been here since the 1860's. Never know what treasures you find at those.

[JReed]

As to the MOS, I had no idea you were a rear echelon you know what. Actually, my friends told me that there inside the FOB and outside and that was all.

That is true even in Iraq there was no rear area. The only difference between the Fob and out in town is there was showers in the FOB. Mortars don't know the difference.

[awp101]

Excellent JReed, thanks! I'll check out the link as well.

How far from the bottom of the stove pipes did you place the connecting pipe?

[mescalero1]

The last 5 years were the hardest for me.
To keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result, is the most frustrating thing you can experience.
Fortunately, I had good control over my environment.

[JReed]

apw101 The air pipe sits about five inches deep this keeps it out of the ash in the fire side.

Mescalero
I hear ya fortunately I too have fairly good control of my environment. Nice thing about a small field the Corps as a whole doesn't even know you exist most of the time.

[mescalero1]

Good luck J

[Old No7]

Look great Gunny -- good luck!

"If I had a hammer...

I'd hammer with Gunny -- and then go shoot some LeverGuns!"

Old No7

[JReed]

I just saw a show on the History Channel about post Apocalypse living. Made me glad that I have taken this up. Now I just need to learn to make black powder and I will be straight.

[Ysabel Kid]

Very VERY cool. Or hot. Okay, neat!!!

[Hobie]

I just saw a show on the History Channel about post Apocalypse living. Made me glad that I have taken this up. Now I just need to learn to make black powder and I will be straight.

That is a subject for another topic!

[JReed]

I just saw a show on the History Channel about post Apocalypse living. Made me glad that I have taken this up. Now I just need to learn to make black powder and I will be straight.

That is a subject for another topic!

fair enough.