* Re: [Regia-NA] [MedEnc] Portable easily made forge / Re: blacksmithing

[rmhowe]

Fine with me. Just make the point that -you've- changed it.
I managed to lose the photos I had of myself somewhere.
Ann brought in dinner at an inopportune moment. I didn't
see them when I was going through stuff for taxes either.
My out of state taxes were $455 this year. All I could find
was my notes to George Johnson. 

If you are still offering Copies of Chronicle for my articles
I got the first three from last year in one shipment and none since.
I copy either three of you or the list on things I think might
be appropriate.

Bob Howe
5019 Kaplan Drive
Raleigh, N.C. 27606
United States

ON the other hand we may attend Pennsic again this year.
If you need to get in touch with me put an * in front of
the subject line. Being on too many lists forces me to read
by list. I can't take notes any other way. Odd notes to
me are found by accident.

Magnus

"J. K. Siddorn" wrote:
> 
> Hi Magnus,
> 
> This should find a corner in Chronicle next time around. If it;'s OK with
> you, I'll add some parts where voltages/ suppliers are different in the UK.
> These I'll render in a different font.
> 
> You might enjoy this newsgroup and there are other similar ones in the
> States too.
> 
> http://www.newsgate.co.uk/uk/uk.rec.engines.stationary/index.html
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Kim Siddorn.
> 
> The early bird may get the worm -
> but the second mouse gets the cheese!
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "rmhowe" <MMagnusM@bellsouth.net>
> To: <MedievalEncampments@yahoogroups.com>; "- Regia Anglorum - North
> America" <list-regia-na@lig.net>; "- Atlantia" <atlantia@atlantia.sca.org>
> Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 8:55 PM
> Subject: [Regia-NA] [MedEnc] Portable easily made forge / Re: blacksmithing
> 
> > The most basic forge can simply be a hole in the ground with
> > a pipe (tuyere) supplying air from beneath or beside it.
> >
> > Or:
> >
> > An easily made portable forge can be had with some basic 2"
> > pipe fittings, an electric blower, and a cast iron brake drum.
> >
> > I have had three forges in my time, a brake drum forge
> > (actually my favorite), a very large commercial Buffalo forge,
> > and a cast iron bandsaw brazing forge in which large tongs
> > were heated to braze huge bandsaw blades together. I sold the
> > Bandsaw brazing forge because it got too hot to be anywhere near.
> > I traded the full size forge eight years ago when it became
> > impossible for me to hammer much anymore, with a few other
> > items to make a fair trade for a milling machine/lathe combination.
> >
> > To make an easily transportable Brake Drum forge you need:
> >
> > A brake drum from a car. Larger car sizes are preferable.
> > (Truck brake drums are huge, deep, and have huge holes.)
> > These are found at any scrapyard.
> >
> > Some fire clay, and some Hydraulic cement to mix it with
> > 50/50, obtainable at a building supply place.
> > Something to mix it in. A plastic bucket for example.
> > Something to trowel it in with. (Plug your blower holes first.)
> > or
> > Some -soft- refractory brick to cut to fit the bottom
> > of the forge. You can cut this stuff with a hacksaw.
> > If your local brickyard/home supply place doesn't have
> > it try a pottery supply store.
> >
> > You also need a set of -2"- (preferable) or 1 1/2" pipes:
> > A pipe flange for the bottom of the brake drum, where the hole is.
> > In my case I scrounged around and found an old cast iron
> > gear to put over this. The center of the gear had a one
> > inch hole in it and I drilled the outside of the gear with
> > a number of 3/8" holes at an angle tapering to the center
> > to create a focused air blast a few inches above the gear.
> > This is where you obtain maximum heat.
> > You could also use a cast iron drain plate or some holed
> > stainless steel to help cover the hole in the bottom of
> > the Brake drum over the 2" pipe, which is large enough to
> > allow chunks of coal/coke/clinker to drop down it.
> > Ordinary steel will burn through because of the carbon in
> > it. Cast Iron won't burn easily and stainless would have
> > to melt. To drill stainless steel you will need to buy
> > or borrow a cobalt steel (some say C or M42) drill bit.
> >
> > Rest of pipes:
> > 2 six inch long threaded pipe nipples to screw above and
> > below a 'T' connector. The upper one screws into the flange.
> > The lower one screw into the Pipe cap or oil drum cap.
> > An oil drum cap to screw on the bottom of the bottom 6"
> > nipple to function as a clean out. I used a piece of
> > strap steel bolted to the cap with a counterweight to
> > simply allow me to raise it with my foot to clean
> > the pipe out. You could just stick a nail in the lock
> > holes that are in these caps. If you can't find one
> > you can simply use a pipe cap. You need a way to clean
> > out the pipe either way.
> > A foot long piece of pipe threaded at both ends.
> > to screw horizontally into the 'T" fitting to connect
> > it to the blower.
> >
> > Some bolts and nuts appropriate to what you are bolting
> > through.
> >
> > A Drill and a few metal bits.
> >
> > A Piece of Sheet metal to make a blower cover out of.
> >
> > A little knob and screw.
> >
> > Most hardware stores have all of the above in stock.
> >
> > A blower:
> > This can be a 120 volt electric blower with plug and
> > in line switch (buy and install it in the hot side of
> > the wire) or a 12 volt blower to hook up to your car
> > battery with a set of alligator clamps. Or both interchangeably.
> > In my case my initial blower had a square hole, I made a
> > wooden block to fit the opening, screwed the block inside
> > the square opening and drilled a hole I could thread the
> > 1 foot long pipe into. (Alternately you could use a hair
> > dryer, or a vacuum exhaust. They just aren't as controlable.)
> >
> > If you are going to be working on damp ground I recommend a
> > three wire system hooked up to a portable GFCI or plug it to an
> > in line GFCI, also known as a Ground Fault Circuit Interruptor.
> > If you can't find a place to connect the green wire
> > to on your blower, attach it to a bolt on the outside motor casing.
> > This is so you won't get a fatal shock. If you don't know
> > for sure what you are doing, ask an electrician or look
> > in an electrical book.
> >
> > (I got my sophomore housing at college because my predecessor
> > at the house electrocuted himself with a vacuum cord he'd
> > dropped into a puddle he'd made washing his car mats.
> > I am told that can be a slow way to go.)
> >
> > GFCI's can be had for as little as $10 or less. They only
> > work on three wire grounded circuits with Black (hot)/
> > Green (Ground) / White (Neutral) wires. GFCI's cut the
> > circuit before you can receive a fatal shock. This is what
> > is required within six feet of water outlets in your house
> > as well. Look in the kitchen and bathroom. They usually
> > have a test and an on switch on them.
> > Portable ones are $10-35.
> >
> > Hot black wires go to brass colored screws, White to the silver
> > colored screw, green to the green screw or wire or to the bare
> > wire without any insulation inside the wall box.
> > (My wife could have easily died when someone hooked these up
> > incorrectly and hotwired a new stove case. She did get a shock.)
> > If you are wiring in a GFCI wallbox remember to cut the power
> > at the main panel. Test to make sure it's off. A radio or light
> > that is turned on will tell you when it is off if you don't
> > have an electrical circuit tester.
> >
> > Northern http://www.northernstores.com/
> > and stove supply stores sell 120 volt blowers.
> > So does American Scientific Supply or Surplus Supply usually.
> >
> > Blowers also exist within old air conditioners.
> > These can be 120 or 240 volt in larger ones.
> > (The problem with old air conditioners is that they
> > also contain freon, and if you rupture a pipe getting
> > one out you can blind yourself with the spray. I don't
> > recommend this, but if you dig one out of one of these
> > at the very least wear eye protection, with or without
> > a face shield.) Getting one out can be difficult, so
> > I recommend a different source. Call around.
> >
> > 12 volt blowers can be picked up at any auto scrapyard.
> > They are used in the car heater system under the dash
> > board. Alligator clamps may be had at Radio Shack or an auto
> > supply place. Make sure you put the insulators back on their
> > handles. Or put a lighter receptacle plug in instead.
> >
> > A blower's blast is simple to control by simply putting an
> > egg shaped piece of metal over the intake hole with
> > a small bolt in the small end of the egg shape to pivot
> > on. I also put a little knob on mine opposite the pivot.
> > Sliding it to cover or uncover the intake hole changes
> > your airblast to the forge.
> >
> > When you are not heating metal switch the blower off.
> > This saves fuel, the fire won't go out.
> >
> > In my case I mounted the whole thing on some old metal stool
> > legs bolting the leg tops to the bottom of the brake drum.
> >
> > Basic set up:
> > Brake drum on top, thick rim horizontal.
> >  _____________________
> > |_____________________|
> >  |_____         _____|
> >  |     \ _  _  /     |-- fire clay/cement
> >  |______|_| |_|______| infill here.
> >        '-|__|-'  bolted together
> >          |  |
> >          |__|
> >         |    |_  Tee fitting.
> >         |      |-----------|
> >         |     _|-----------| to blower
> >         |____|
> >          |  |
> >          |  |
> >         _|__|_
> >      (o|______|0) pipe tank cap / cleanout.
> >
> > Alternately you can set it up on blocks instead of putting
> > legs under it. The blocks go on either side of the bottom
> > of the brake drum. Mix the fire clay/hydraulic cement
> > and cover the area inside the bowl on either side
> > of the blower hole(s) in the bottom. Plug the holes
> > first. Any bolting/assembly should be done before
> > you lay your fireclay/cement.
> >
> > These things make an interesting place to have a
> > cookout/party session around as well (when the wind
> > doesn't shift your way). A hot dog can be done
> > over wood scraps in about half a minute, or a
> > marshmallow in about five seconds. My blower at
> > full opening would produce a wood fire about a
> > foot wide and four feet long. Coal/Coke is a bit
> > more controllable. Coke is coal with the impurities
> > burned out of it. Charcoal briquettes are easily
> > obtained. Just get an adequate supply.
> >
> > That in-line switch really helps.
> > You can obtain an in-line cord switch anywhere
> > that sells electrical supplies.
> >
> > You also need a little can with holes in the bottom
> > and a steel strap handle bolted to it to control
> > the fire as a sprinkler. You need a water bucket
> > anyway to quench your steel in.
> > A piece of 5/16' iron made like a poker with a 90
> > degree bend at the end to pull out clinkers.
> > Clinkers are what is left when the coal burns itself
> > out. I bent the other end of mine to make a handle shape.
> >
> > This forge will get hot enough to easily burn steel up,
> > so watch your pieces. A beginner also needs thick leather
> > gloves, a real pair of American-made Vise-Grip pliers
> > (trade name, better than the softer Chinese imitations)
> > (round jaws style recommended) and a smooth faced hammer.
> > Other hammers with crossed straight and ball peen heads
> > will help. Any damage to the hammer face or your anvil
> > will transfer with each blow to your piece you are working.
> > Leather gloves will smoke before you feel the heat.
> >
> > Use some eye protection. Red hot steel produces scale.
> > Hot scale or embers hurt. For a smoother finished item,
> > brush off the scale each time with a long handled wire
> > brush before you hammer it. Natural fiber clothes are a
> > *lot* safer than synthetics.
> >
> > Steel anvils tend to ring. Cast iron kind of clunks.
> > Cast iron anvils are a lot more prone to spalling or
> > throwing off chuncks. Hitting it with a hammer and listening
> > might help you find a better one. Some have steel welded
> > to a cast iron base. A good quality anvil is about $4+
> > per pound. Centaur Forge is on the internet. Cheap
> > Chinese imitations claim to be useful. I don't happen to
> > have one. Rail Road Rail can be made into an anvil.
> >
> > Since I am writing this in the U.S.A. I am using electrical
> > terms familiar to us. Your overseas wiring may be different.
> >
> > Master Magnus Malleus, OL © 2002 R.M. Howe
> > *No reposting my writings to newsgroups, especially rec.org.sca,
> > or the SCA-Universitas elist. I view this as violating copyright
> > restrictions. As long as it's to reenactor or SCA -closed-
> > subscriber based email lists or individuals I don't mind. It's
> > meant to help people without aggravating me.* Inclusion, in the
> > http://www.Florilegium.org/ as always is permitted.
> > _______________________________________________
> > list-regia-na mailing list
> > list-regia-na@lig.net
> > http://www.lig.net/mailman/listinfo/list-regia-na
> >
> 
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