What tube for a small forge tuyere?

[tombear]

Cheers! I got a bit enthusiastic copying a photo of one on the net.

unfortunately the only bolt I had would only make 4 grub screws the right diameter. I've taken the ffrst of the thee taps ( or is it dies I always get them mixed up) and threaded the inside of first two holes each end forced the grubs into them to about the level of the screwdriver slots I hacksawed in. Basically, a super tight fit, then I riveted over the parts still sticking out and for no good reason electric filed the protruding bits off.

The outer two remaining holes I'll just have to drop bolts into until I get another bit of threaded stuff to fill them properly. Now before I make another balls up, is where I've sharpied the two lower holes on this side in about the right place or should they be a few mills further up towards the line?

thanks again!

Tom

 

[Tomteifi]

Don't worry Tom you haven't ba***ed it up mate, its all part of the treatment! Just loosely dropping a couple of bolts in without totally sealing the other holes will do. Yeah, just come up a bit more on the sides. If you can get the 'tops' of the new holes lined up with the 'bottoms' of the already drilled ones that'll be great spots for them. Its looking better. you're not far off. That fire cement you've used will last longer where it is, as those ends wont get massively hot either. Can I ask how much space is there underneath the pipe between it and the bottom of the bbq? We still need to sort out some sort of means of opening the bottom of it to let ash and clinker out in a controlled manner after using it and its cooled.

Tom

 

[tombear]

Cool, can get the holes lined up that way no problem. There's only about three mills between the tube and the base, if that. Since it's so small I was going to just pick it up when it's cooled and tip it up and give it a shake. I was thinking of making a dedicated spiral wire brush to brush the tube out but realised I've all sorts of MG gas chamber brushes that will fit a 16mm bore.

i tried googling the coke but the nearest one I've found so far is Sheffield, there must be ones closer.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Made the 4 new holes , found a couple of bolts to cap the holes and took the opportunity to touch up the fire lay were cracks from drying out have formed. Kids home from school so that's my playtime over.

Atb

Tom

 

[Tomteifi]

Trouble with pick up and shake out is you'll empty everything out, you'll have to sort the ash and slag from leftover fuel and then put it back in. That's ok if you want to do it that way-at least you wont get a build up of it as long as you do it after each use when cool. Usual design lets the ash fall through the holes in the tuyere down past the air inlet and into a bucket via a sliding stop. You could still do that if you wish but in a slightly different way. If you were to drill half a dozen 1/4" holes in the bottom of the bbq underneath the centre holes area and loosely bolt on a thin metal slider that can cover or open the holes then all you have to do when finished and cooled a bit, is open the slider, tap the bbq gently and the ash will fall out into whatever you put underneath. You'll still get a bit of slag in the firepot area but you can pick that out as its easily recognisable. Keep looking on the fuel front but, there is only so far you can go then you have to bite the bullet and buy the cheapest you can get. As I said, it does go quite a way and you can eke it out more by adding a bit of smokeless fuel, charcoal and a smaller amount of coal(crush it to similar size as breeze). Keep going you're nearly there! Latest pic with new holes looking good. Try the hairdryer on it see what sort of tornado you get!!
Tom.

 

[tombear]

Since the kit will be brought in after each session it will be emptied out anyway, picking out the unburned fuel won't be a problem, I've abundant child labour and they all want to use the thing so will be motivated.

Tried out out the charity shop hair dryer I got for this and it cuts out every time I put a funnel on or constrict the air flow in anyway. I'll try the cheaper one I use for melting beeswax into leather when I can find it. Easy enough to get another .

im wondering what the alternatives short of a proper forge pump are. Since I've got some big pieces of upholstery leather spare and want one for the fire anyway I'm going to make at least one bellows, just want some wood I like the look of. I'll have a Google and see what home made pump plans there are. One I saw was based on the POW made air pumps with a crank to power it.

atb

tom

 

[Tomteifi]

On my coke forge I have a bouncy castle blower-has a lot more air going through it than I need but I can control that with the ash slider-the more I open that, the less air flows to the tuyere. Cost me £25 but worth it. It has a 4" blower hole which then goes down to a 2" tuyere pipe. The key to a good blower is actual volume of air as opposed to just pressure. If you blow through 2 different sized pipes with the same source/power you'll see what I mean. The larger the pipe, the more volume you need to get the same effect. The more volume you get, the better the effect on the fire at the hearth. The smaller pipe only helps a small part of the firepot heat up-the larger pipe with the increased pressure obviously heats up a larger area(bigger fire.) The short pipe you have at the moment will probably get hot enough to melt the plastic on a hairdryer so, you'll need to lengthen that by about 18"(if it still gets hot you can lay a wet rag over it to help(near the hairdryer end) If you're going to go down the hand/foot bellows route, that's a whole different thing. Not done one of those so you'll be on your own there from my part but, they do look fairly simple-main thing is the slave whose going to operate it. It would need more or less constant operation while youre working-the fire just dies down a bit when you stop-save a bit on fuel there I suppose!

Tom.

 

[tombear]

Well, had a word with the local coal merchant who now supplies the local smiths with small beads of anthracite due to the difficulties getting good coke. He did mention a place up Clitheroe that did do smithys breeze but backed off when he realised he was doing himself out of a sale. I'll poke about a bit more to see if I can track that one down, it's a bit of a haul there but better than paying through the nose for a delivery.

So I just need to get some scrap metal to extend the blowing pipe then I can make some leather piping to connect that to the bag bellows I made, may eventually make a pair of hinged bellows now I know how easy it is. Anyhow with plenty of teen labour I can get plenty of air through it . Oh I still need to get a 50 x 3 x 1500 piece of flat. The local stock holders have it in 3 metre lengths but I'd rather pay scrap prices for as much as I need rather than buy more than I'd use for full whack.

One good thing, my tool guy over in Colne says he has mounds of old files he will never, or ain't worth , restoring for sale so if I will hound him to remember he'll dig some out for very little. I've asked for old UK made ones as big as he's got.

ATB

Tom

 

[Everything Mac]

Tom I've a mate of mine that lives in Rossendale he does a fair amount of forging. Robin Sharples is his name, perhaps you know him? He lives just up the hill from the old mill that has been torn down.

I'll give him a shout and find out where he gets his coke. I believe he mixes it with anthracite though.

Andy

 

[tombear]

Cheers Andy
i think I may have been round to his place when they were running a open day , lots and lots of anvils? If it is, he's the chap who gave me the arrow head he forged to show us how it was done that I made a Dura Europos style ballista bolt for.

ATB

Tom

 

[Everything Mac]

HI Tom. That's the man. He has loads of them.


D Mayers over near Preston, smithy breeze about £12.50 a bagHere's their email info@dmayorandson.co.uk

All the best
Andy

 

[tombear]

Excellent! thanks! Guess where we are going on Saturday morning!

just need a few more bits and it's all ready to go!

Atb

Tom

 

[tombear]

And now we have a 55 lb bag of Smithys Breeze ( it was indeed £12.50 ) leaning against the anvil in the hall!

'just need a foot or so of 1 inch internal dia metal tubing to connect the mini forge to the leather tubing that will be tied onto the bag bellows and some metal strip to raise the sides and we are ready to go!

My tool guy got me 22 worn out files ( mainly flat 12 inchers ) to use as stock and says he has plenty of larger round and square section ones should I need them. I'll rig a bag to carry a basic set of tools up to the top of the garden and the PPE. Need to sort a bucket as well.

ATB

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

just need a foot or so of 1 inch internal dia metal tubing to connect the mini forge to the leather tubing that will be tied onto the bag bellows and some metal strip to raise the sides and we are ready to go!

I've got a load of various sized piping in the scrap pile at work Tom, I'll have a look see on Monday for anything that might be suitable.

Drop me a pm as a reminder if you don't hear back from me about it as I've a mind like a sieve at times

 

[tombear]

Cheers, will do! More than happy to cover postage etc..

atb

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

This any good for you Tom

1" id and about 18" long before it starts to bend

 

[tombear]

18 inches of that would be spot on, thanks! A foot would do if it's awkward to do longer. I'll PM you my addressee next.

Just pottered around Accrington and then Rochdale looking for stuff I could maybe use but I could find nowt in the Goldilocks zone, the metal handles were all 25mm exterior dia and then ther was a jump up to things like Hoover pipes.


i did have one bit of luck in Rochdale in a charity shop , just knocked down from £25 to 12.50 and in my size a pair of steel toe capped foundry clogs. I'll put a pic up when I've cleaned them up I hadn't got any steelies or owt with heat proof soles. Ok wood burns but it don't melt and I can remember ruining some Doc Martens at school during metal work by treading on something very hot. Also I'm a sucker for clogs.

atb

tom

 

[tombear]

Well the boots didn't need much doing at all. A good clean and a good dose of old school black dubbin on the, well black bits and a decent amount of neutral / clear dubbin rubbed in on the toes over the steel toe caps.

Im rather chuffed to get them. Walkleys still make this type of clog but at near 90 quid a pair I couldn't merit getting some for hobby stuff.

I'll dig out the spare leather apron and heavy gloves I put away having picked them up on a boot. The ones in use have quite a lot of oil and crud on them from what's thrown off the wire wheel. I've safety goggles and a face shield thing, I'll check what the shield thing is safe for, it's marked D 166 3-B.

I need to dig out a bucket for water and some clean tin cans, one for the quenching oil. On that note can anyone recommend a cheap oil?

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

Thanks very much for the tube that's just arrived, it's spot on. Since it's gone overcast here and my main assistant gardener is going off fishing I'll stay in and get it fitted to the bellows with some leather pipe. It slips over the tube coming out of the mini forge spot on!

atb

Tom

 

[tombear]

It took longer than I expected to saddle stitch the leather into a short hose, again the laminated saddlers clamp proved a great help, definitely worth the effort making it. I've not had to change the tension on it.

I then soaked the tube and pulled it onto the steel pipe and wooden outlet on the bellows, soaked some leather lace and tied it on as hard as I could. It's a warm if overcast day and hopefully it should shrink on good one tight. I've pushed a cricket stump up the tube to help it keep its shape.

Once it's completely dry I'll rub leather dressing into it, especially around the seam/ stitching.and trim the cords if they have shrunk tight.


Atb

Tom