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Thread: gas bottle forge

  1. #11
    Native beermaker's Avatar
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    Cheers for the positive comments folks latest update - tried it on coke and with a bigger fan from a bouncy castle as it seemed to struggle a bit with that aluminium fan.



    as you can see, it got a bit hot!! This one is the one I made for my old man, who kindly gave me a sack of forge beans! The thing got so hot the bottom was glowing bright red! As a result, I've been and got some fire cement today and will make a lining for both using the cement and vermiculite which should prevent the steel from burning through, insulate the fire and shape the fire pot to concentrate the heat upover into the work. My old man has also loaned me a bouncy castle blower which has a bit more oomph about it. The combi boiler fan was OK with coke but it would struggle to get up to welding temperatures. He's also made us both improved flaps (ooh-err!) for the clinker trap from aluminium plate with brass counterweights (his scrap bin is a LOT posher than mine!).

    I also got my anvil back today from it's long term loan, much to the delight of my three-year old apprentice who got her first hammer today:



    she's definitely my daughter, there's no denying her lineage!

  2. #12
    Tribal Elder Rasputin's Avatar
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    she's definitely my daughter
    Yeh someone said you wore dresses and lilac wellies shes a little cuty pie BM and thats a fine brace of forges youve made from scrap, more power to your elbow fella, Ken
    Ne te confundant illigitimi It is always a pleasure to see what you can make !, instead of buying it ready made. R Proenneke.

  3. #13
    Tribal Elder midas's Avatar
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    Phew!!! Can feel the heat from here!!!great job on the forges.
    You'll have to get your apprentice a leather pinny,(do they come in lilac or pink?)to protect that pretty dress!
    Takes me back to my lads childhood.give him some bits of wood,hand full of nails.and he'd hammer n make things allday!.n as he became compitant he had his own saw n drill etc.Practical things seem to capture their attention more than toys.
    (ps hes 43yrs old now.never became a chippy,but it put him in good steed for the odd repair)
    You are never too old to learn!. A SURVIVER!

    "Peasants Rule,and your Knife is your Tool."
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  4. #14
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    Cheers folks quite agree, a leather pinny is in order, that is if her mum will let her help me on the forge.... can soon make one from the old sofa I skinned. Going to line the forge tonight before going on holiday for a week so should be ready by the time I get back for some steel bashing! Already got my first commission - the wife wants an ornate key making as part of her research for a book she's writing. Going to scrounge some old hay bob tines off my uncle and some old hoof rasps off the farrier at work as well to make some nice fire steels

  5. #15
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    OK, I need some advice from more experienced smiths here. I've now burnt through two grates in the fire pot with the result that the fire drops through the tuyere!! The grates were made from some 3mm steel plate I had laying about with nine holes drilled in 8mm diameter. The grate just sits in the fire pan on top of the tuyere. Any advice on what I can do to stop this? Thicker plate? Different holes? Help please, its driving me mad!!!

  6. #16
    Natural Born Bushcrafter Valantine's Avatar
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    Don't use any metal in the forge, as you've found out if the flame is directly on them it's easy to get the temp' high enough to melt it.
    Use fire brick instead, with smaller pieces on top to help spread the flame.

  7. #17
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    Cheers Valantine, i'll nip up my folks today and scrounge a fire brick. Was also thinking along the lines of making a grate from 10mm square steel but setting it inside the tuyere below the fire pot and coat with a refractory wash. My old man did something similar on his foundry with good results

  8. #18
    Ranger Tony1948's Avatar
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    Hi bud I have the same set up it looks to me that you are pumping to mutch air into it,it looks far to hot,dont forget the old timer only used hand bellows,I use a hair dryer with 1/2or 3 speed on it,I get them from the Booty for a £ or less.connect to air pipe with jaffer tape atb........Tony.

  9. #19
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    I did wonder about the amount of air. That pic at the top was taken before we lined the forges and was after running it with a bouncy castle blower. Last night it was running with the wifes old hair dryer and still managed to blast the baffle out! Going to make a heavier duty grate but also going to put some broken up fire bricks on top.

  10. #20
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    Just raked out the cinders and not only have I melted the grate, the scaffold tube boss below it has also melted and this was only with a hair dryer! Just spoken to my dad and we have a plan b. We're going to chip out the lining, cut a 1" thick slice of 6"diameter steel bar and bore a 3/8" hole in the centre. This will go in the bottom of the forge and we'll then remake the lining around and over the top of the slab. The idea is the mass of steel will be more resilient with a lower ratio of mass to surface area and will be further protected with having the refractory cement over the top. Will let you know how it goes!

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