Forge

[camdigger]

I've always been facscinated by Blacksmithing and steel tempering/hardening. My two daughters wanted knives, and their mother has been lobbying for them to get some shoptime.

I inherited a portable rivet forge from my father. I serviced the blower, rebuilt the tuyere, and patched the pan. I got a coil spring out of "inventory" and some stoker coal from a neighbor. A couple afternoons later and both girls had belt knives.

 

[camdigger]

Found some pictures including the final product. We took this on as a teaching exercise. I did some of the work and most of the heavy hammering, but nothing was done on the knives or sheaths without the girl's participation from cranking the forge to hammering, holding, Q&T, sharpening, intalling the handles an sanding to shape. The girls sewed the sheaths up after we cut them out and punched all the holes for the needles.

 

[CKCowboy]

Great project to do with your girls and great to see that they have an interest.
Always liked doing those sorts of things with my two girls when they were growing up.
Now I have the pleasure of doing the same with my grand kids, creates wonderful memories.
Keep up the good work.

 

[Bobby Bailey]

My very good wife, thinking I needed another rabbit to chase, bought me a new 100# anvil as a birthday present. So I guess I'll have to set up a forge some time soon.
Bobby

 

[RobWilson]

Cool ;D

Rob

 

[oscer]

I scored a 118# Peter wright last summer but still have no forge. Would you guys be making coal or gas fueled forges? My son and I are thinking of going with the propane burners. Other stuff keeps comming up to interfere though, like going to work... yea thats the one that gets in the way most often ;D

 

[JimSimmons]

I was born, and raised, on a farm and in my younger days I used to watch my dad do blacksmith work. Not wanting to fire up the large shop forge for "little work" he constructed a small forge out of a truck rear-wheel brake drum. He welded it to a pipe tripod stand and put a grate over the axle hole. A small hand-cranked blower ducted to the bottom of this hole for the air supply. Air was then furnished by a small boy turning the crank on the blower. As I remember, it worked like a charm. Quick to fire up and didn't waste charcoal.

I remember one day dad was using the large shop forge to fit new shoes for a mule. After heating in the forge and beating it to size on the anvil he would dunk it into a small barrel of water, and lay it on the side of the forge to cool before he checked it on the mule's hoof. I picked up the shoe - and immediately dropped it - Dad looked at me, grinned, and said, "Hot isn't it"? Lesson learned, and not forgotten.

 

[HSS]

Welcome Jim, You should have said, "No sir, it just doesn't take me long to look at a horseshoe." LOL

Pat

 

[Dan]

Ok, this is my first post. Lets see if I can get it right. I'll put up 2 pictures of the forges I built, both propane.

 

[Dan]

I see I could have put both pictures on one post, anyway heare is my other forge.