Hi! and please help....
scott
Hi all.. I built a forge last summer and i know i have alot to learn, but
here is my question...
I have plenty of air flow, maybe too much? and i am using hardwood char.
briqettes ( you know the outdoor grill type) My problem is i
cannot get the heat up enough
to weld....Do i need coal ? The Japaneese used hardwood charcoal, i have
a feeling that this was way different than what i am trying..
where can i buy coal? Thanks for any help..Be nice, i am just starting out!
Thanks, Scott in Minnesota.....
Gene Olson
Hi Scott,
Where are you in Minn? The Guild of Metalsmiths buys coal for sale to
it's members, and usually has a pretty good supply. Their cache is on
the north edge of the Twin Cities, There is a commercial supplier in IA
near the border, and I am sure the Northern Minnesota blacksmith guild
could give you sources if you are in that neck of the woods.
If you are near the Twin Cities drop by our Feb. meeting and check this
group out. We're pretty friendly, for the most part. Follow the Guild of
Metalsmiths link in my sig and click on meetings in the Guild activities
box for directions too the meeting.
good Luck.
(And Yes Fred, Concentric picked up your ng. Seven Posts when I came in)
--
Gene Olson,
Resident member of ArtMetal project
http://www.artmetal.com/gene-olson
Webmaster - Guild of Metalsmiths:
http://www.metalsmith.org
Fred Holder
In article <34D671...@BLOCKmtn.SPAMorg>, Gene says...
That's great to hear. My consultant at Zippo News said that this group should
have no problem being picked up.
A note to all newcomers to the site, please, at least once, make a posting to
let us know you are here. Just let us know you found your way. An occasional
posting would also be welcome to get some good discussions going.
Fred Holder
Steven
> I have plenty of air flow, maybe too much? and i am using hardwood char.
> briqettes ( you know the outdoor grill type) My problem is i
> cannot get the heat up enough
> to weld....Do i need coal ? The Japaneese used hardwood charcoal, i have
> a feeling that this was way different than what i am trying..
Charcoal briquettes use a clay binder so they can be pressed into those
nice little blocks. The clay makes the fire way to 'dirty' for welding.
The kind of charcoal you want for smithing will look like chunks of
charred wood from the center of a camp fire. There are places that sell
bags of this kind of charcoal for outdoor cooking. We've purchase several
bags from a place up in Harrisburg, PA (can't remember the name), but it
was nice mesquite charcoal, which we used to run a small bloomery furnace.
But for welding I always prefered coal anyway. Charcoal burns up pretty
fast when you get the fire really going.
-steve
scott
THANKS TO EVERONE FOR ALL THE ADVICE!! I WILL BE FIRING UP THE FORGE AGAIN
THIS SPRING! SCOTT......
Steven wrote in message ...
fo...@rcas.ngb.army.mil
In article <6b62vd$g...@sdrn.zippo.com>,
Fred Holder <fho...@sos.net> wrote:
> That's great to hear. My consultant at Zippo News said that this group should
> have no problem being picked up.
>
> A note to all newcomers to the site, please, at least once, make a posting to
> let us know you are here. Just let us know you found your way. An occasional
> posting would also be welcome to get some good discussions going.
So, I'm posting. I'm more of a lurker than anything else. I see myself as
more of a wannabe machinist than a wannabe blacksmith, but the two crafts
are, shall we say, related. ("Entwined at the roots" might be better!)
I'm learning to melt and pour aluminum, a la the Dave Gingery books.
However, the making of the equipt calls for a little smithing, so I'm
absorbing all I can. My partner in this crime is a blacksmith, and he's
assisting in introducing me to smithing. Making the tools to make the
tools to make the tools with......
Anyway, congrats on the new ng. I found 54 messages in Dejanews, so you're
coming in loud and clear.
--dan fox
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Michael Horgan [Lughaid]
>In article <6b62vd$g...@sdrn.zippo.com>,
>I'm learning to melt and pour aluminum, a la the Dave Gingery books.
>However, the making of the equipt calls for a little smithing, so I'm
>absorbing all I can. My partner in this crime is a blacksmith, and he's
>assisting in introducing me to smithing. Making the tools to make the
>tools to make the tools with......
>
>--dan fox
Welcome, Dan. Doing the Blacksmith plus Gingery route myself, and a
bit of model engineering on the side, as show by the pictures and
drawings on my web site.
Today I found plans for a simple power hammer.
Waitaminnit, dammit! I said simple! The two moving parts are the
rocker valve and the piston/hammer. Originally a Steam hammer, but
would run on air. No safety gear at all. I plan to cast the main
frame from aluminum for a small model, with a 1 pound head, and try it
out.
Michael Horgan (Lug...@pacbell.net)
http://users.aol.com/Lughaid
Posting from Brazen Forgery