Building a forge?

[tombear]

Hi FolksWhile sorting the garden we have uncovered a prodigious amount of stone ( gritstone) which we have piled up at the top . We also uncovered 2 concrete slab paths, one of which we have lifted. I did a winter walling once and with some lime mortar could make a solid waist high base for a forge hearth.


Earlier i was considering building a 18th C style out building to work under, but lack of funds put the kibosh on that plan. What I would like to do is make a hearth with bellows I can dismount and store indoors and at a later date build a period shed around it with one of those sheet steel inverted funnel things over the hearth.


Anyhoo what I need is information, especially about what to make the actual hearth part from, what to make the make the tubes the airs blown in from etch etc. if it can work as a barbecue and raised fire as well that would be.


So if anyone can point me towards books or sites that will help me formulate a design that would be great.


ATB


Tom

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Ok, the bladesmiths forum is very useful on this sort of area. You can make a hearth out of any groggy clay really. I am using Raku clay from the clay cellar in paddock wood, with some fire bricks and a few other bits. My air tubing has been made by a friendly local potter (really useful, everyone should have a friendly potter). Bellows I'll be making once I find suitable wood.

Julia

 

[milius2]

Sounds like a very interesting project emerging not much I can help you with, my forge is from cast iron but I'll be watching this closely as I wonder on my summer forge for something more romantic
good luck!

 

[GNJC]

Take a squint at 'I forge Iron' and 'Anvilfire' for all the plans / blueprints you'll need. For a gratis downloadable book search Harries+Blacksmith+Book+PDF; it shows forges, bellows and tools in basic. Best smithing beginner's book I know of is Peter Parkinson's 'The Artist Blacksmith', not at all arty, just well written and illustrated - he did matching DVDs, also good.

 

[tombear]

Excellent! That's just the sort of info I was after. Thanks! I'm a complete novice of course but am very keen to have ago, also I've three sons (and a wife) that are showing a interest. I've been picking up a few relevant tools when I've come across them over the last few years and once I get on with the forge I'll bite the bullet and cough up for the starter kit I'm missing. Whether ill be any good is another question but ill enjoy finding out!

ATB

Tom

 

[GNJC]

You're welcome. But... don't cough up for anything new! New blacksmithing tools really only come from two sources in the UK and both are geared up to supply the government and academic institutions i.e. those who are spending other people's money, therefore for individuals the prices are approaching the extortionate!

You'll be able to get everything you need (note I wrote 'need' and not 'want') from second-hand sales on ebay. But all you need to start with are a hammer, an anvil, a hearth and some bellows of some sort. If you can get a fire hot enough to burn steel (it will send out white sparks) it is hot enough for blacksmithing. Add a leg vice and you are sorted.

I teach smithing now and then and have to ram home this bit, if only for your boys' sakes... safety! Unless you know it is cold, ALL metal is hot. Always wear spec's and an apron, always have lots of cold water handy.

You might want to join the Blacksmiths Guild, at least check their page on IFI for anyone local to you who may be able to help with set-up and learning the basics. Lastly, there is a blacksmiths' version of the bushmoot thing in August (search blacksmith IBF), there will be a car boot sale of tools there.

 

[tombear]

Cheers, that's all sounds sound advice, thanks! My wood working and leather working is up to making the bellows thankfully the only tools I'm really shy of is a leg vice, some decent length tongs and something to use as a anvil. For the pottering about I have done so far the farty little block on the back of the big vice has done service.

I've been trying to get a section of rail line but had no joy. From poking about finding a good cheap anvil seams to be a bit of a night mare, there being so many poor ones about.

i'm a hundred percent with you on the safety aspect, way back when I did the old competitive NEBOSH 12 week course and although I then never worked a full time H&S bod it certainly made you conscious of what can happen. I've been lucky at carboots and got a few leather aprons, pairs of gauntlets and face shields/ goggles etc. I do need more pairs of small sized steelies, all we have in the kids sizes is some size 6 foundry mans clogs I got in a charity shop. Come to think of it I don't think they will fit thm now.

The sad thing is my great grandad was a blacksmith and farrier at the pit and his tools hung around a long time after he died but by the time I thought some one should look after them a cousin had dumped them.

Thanks again, the advice it is really appreciated!

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Saw the second hand tool goy on Colne market today ( see the thread on carboot tools for a pic of the complete haul) and he has couple of pairs of tongs for me for a few quid a pop which will do for starting. I just need to find a leg vice and a anvil or substitute while I'm building the hearth and bellows.

One of the pairs of tongs has been made from a couple of big files, possibly hand cut ones....

atb

Tom

 

[GNJC]

You can often pick up a leg vice on ebay for as little as £20, older ones are better - I had a modern one snap at the weld just under the jaws, old ones were fully forged with no joins. Look at the Harries book for tong-making, once you get the knack it's quick. Be wary of tongs made of tool steel (files in this case); I guess they might be old farrier's rasps, it was a common think to make pincers from old rasps and they were very good for it. But... they are not good for tongs because you'll often need to quench tongs and - if they are made of tool steel - this will probably leave them dead hard and brittle, and they will break.

 

[Stew]

A leg vice isn't essential. An anvil is much more of a neccessity but consider any lump of metal.

 

[GNJC]

Agreed, it's not essential but it is very useful and often cheaper than a normal vice because people don't know much about them. I must admit that I skimmed over the mention of no anvil... something big and hard is essential. Rail track is not bad for a start, the wide bottomed stuff is best. Some start with a large sledge hammer head set in a log. Avoid cast iron, but cast steel is usually fine.

 

[Stew]

Yep, they sure can be had for cheap. I think mine cost 50p......................