Any sources for coal forges?
Jmdaconceicao
Any companies out there selling fully assembled coal forges besides Centaur?
I'm interested in a full size one. Thanks
John
blks...@nycap.rr.com
that many of us just do that instead. Or purchase only the key parts
that may cause some difficulty (fire pot).
Is there a specific reason you're looking for one fully
assembled/brand new? Many tools in this endevour have to be made from
scratch anyway, starting by building your own forge is usually the
first step.
Dan Crowther
http://www.cdblacksmiths.org
http://www.oakandacorn.com/cdbaforum
On 28 Apr 2004 00:42:08 GMT, jmdaco...@aol.com (Jmdaconceicao)
wrote:
Jmdaconceicao
Centaur Forge does sell forges fully assembled. The reason is simple I would
rather get to the blacksmithing than building forges. I just don't have the
time for building tables and other boring projects.
John
alv...@xx.com
> building forges. I just don't have the time for building tables
> and other boring projects.
> John
If you don't want to, you don't want to. :)
I like making the tools and simple machines I use for knife making
and other stuff, for me, it's the fun part. :)
Alvin in AZ (not a blacksmith)
Dan Crowther
wrote:
I can understand that. However, just be prepared later on to have no
other choice but to make time and build those "boring projects" since
many times there IS no other source for certain tools.
Good luck with your smithing.
Daniel Crowther
Gobae - The Smith
http://www.oakandacorn.com
http://www.oakandacorn.com/cdbaforum
Pete & sheri
Maybe you should consider a gas forge to save even more time. You
should probably get to "beating on hot iron" as cheaply as possible
because there is a lot of repetition required to learn the craft. You
need to find out early if that will be too boring for you, too. Don't
take this as a criticism; it's just that this craft doesn't come easily.
Sources for coal forges:
Farm auctions
Placing classified ads in newspapers (rural "shoppers" in particular)
Buying or trading with other blacksmiths. Go to ABANA.org, find the
affiliate closest to you and join it. They all have meetings where
members gather. Most of us are collecting and upgrading all the time.
Many have stuff for sale and/or know of places where it is. Also, many
of the affiliates have newsletters with classified ads. Many offer
training, too.
Pete Stanaitis
Conrad Hodson
blks...@nycap.rr.com wrote:
> No fully assembled ones that I'm aware of. They're so easy to build
> that many of us just do that instead. Or purchase only the key parts
> that may cause some difficulty (fire pot).
>
> Is there a specific reason you're looking for one fully
> assembled/brand new? Many tools in this endevour have to be made from
> scratch anyway, starting by building your own forge is usually the
> first step.
>
> A few days ago, I built one in an afternoon. I needed a portable coal forge
> to heat small parts during assembly of a garden arbor at a customer's house.
> It's not fancy, but I made a tuyere out of old drainpipe parts, a forge base
> out of a five gallon steel bucket that once held popcorn seasoning, and a
> hearth bowl out of the inverted top of an outdated propane container. The
> only things from a store were six rivets and one saber saw blade I broke. I
> covered the end of the tuyere with a grate made by punching a few holes in a
> dished disc of 16 ga. scrap steel.
I cut a small hole in the side of the bucket for the tuyere, and a larger hole
lower down for storing a coal supply (which also serves as ballast to stabilize
the whole assembly) I left the bail on the bucket. Result is a portable coal
forge I can carry in one hand complete with several hours' fuel suppl;y. (The
blower is separate--I took along the freestanding Champion 400 that runs my
regular forge, and wish it was as light as the new portable forge!)
As I say, not fancy, but it worked as well as my permanent forge, for several
hours of continuous duty, and cost me less than two dollars to build. I've had
occasional need for a portable rig, so I'm keeping it around, but it was so
cheap and easy I could afford to throw it in the scrap and build another as
needed if I was real short on storage space.
Conrad Hodson
Mark or Chris Parkinson
but you'll do better to make your own just buying a fire pot from them
"Conrad Hodson" <con...@efn.org> wrote in message
news:4110CD99...@efn.org...
Rick Barter
> coal forges available from here http://www.centaurforge.com/
>
> but you'll do better to make your own just buying a fire pot from them
Well, I don't know. If you're in a hurry or have a blower already,
Mark (or Chris) is right. You'd do better to buy the firepot from
Centaur and weld some plate up or something to create the hearth for
your forge.
However, I got mine fully assembled, with the firepot, clinker
breaker, and electric blower from Centaur on special. Sometimes they
have specials and I picked his whole deal up for like $300.
Look around the web site and call them with any questions. I will
definitely be building my next forge myself because it will be
permanent and I know what I want. However, I like my portable deal
because right now I'm stuck forging in the driveway.
Also, www.beautifuliron.com is a great site to visit. He has lots and
lots of great information there on everything; even on building
forges. Also, see my web site (www.indyironworks.com) for pictures of
my forge. You can get an idea of what i got for my money.
I hope this helps,
rvb
Rick Barter
> Also, see my web site (www.indyironworks.com) for pictures of my forge.
Uh...sorry. I forgot to post the full link to the pictures. My web
site is a work in progress.
For the pictures, go here: www.indyironworks.com/~rvb01/blacksmith/pics
coal_rake_in_use.jpg gives a great picture of the coal forge.
Mark or Chris Parkinson
> Mark (or Chris) is right. You'd do better to buy the firepot from
> Centaur and weld some plate up or something to create the hearth for
> your forge.
Its Mark :) for pictures of my coal forges go to
http://home.cogeco.ca/~vulcans-forge/
my forgecart http://home.cogeco.ca/~vulcans-forge/forgecart.html uses the
vulcan heavy fire pot from centaur
Mark
Rick Barter
Wow, Mark! That is one sweet cart! I like the great bellows also.
Where'd you get the leather for it? Do you have plans for it? I want
to make a bellows like that for my smithy.
rvb
Mark or Chris Parkinson
> Where'd you get the leather for it? Do you have plans for it? I want
> to make a bellows like that for my smithy.
thanks the cart works well for my re-enactments I'll be putting some pic's
on my site soon of an event that I did early in the summer....
the leather came from the Mohawk reserve nearby Deseronto I used deerskin I
used the plans from several sorces but the best information came from The
Blacksmith ironworker & farrier by Aldren A. Watson
isbn # 0-393-32057-x it give the plans for making a bellows from start to
finish the most complete instructions I have ever seen ...I'm located in
Kingston, Canada. I have a smaller "great" bellows under consruction at the
moment you are welcome to come and take a look if you are close by.
Mark
Rick Barter
I would love to, but alas, I'm in Houston, Texas. Not exactly 'close
by'. Not exactly good forging weather right now either. :)
rvb
Daniel Dillman
A quick look at the above link showed a portable forge on the homepage
for US$265.95. Looks like a decent little unit from the pic.
Daniel
Rick Barter
That's the one I have. I don't have that backdraft piece though.
It's a great little unit.
rvb