And now for my next project...... making a forge out of a small woodstove!

[CanadianMike]

Ya, came across this on sale in a hardware store, rolled around in my head a few days about making a charcoal forge out of it to heat treat larger blades, etc. and maybe even get it hot enough to weld cable Damascus billets! Who knows?

Anyways, the woodstove is one of these things:

http://www.cqmsltd.com/images/campin1.jpg

Top is a folding handle/rack for cooking with fold out tines to dry gloves and socks in case you were wondering.

Anyways, it's 17.5"x11" and with the legs on stands about 26" high.

So, over the course of the next while I'll be posting pics and explaining my design.

Made two holes in the thick steel for my copper pipe:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181942_10150107243119207_510619206_6092436_3607618 _n.jpg

Pounded my "Au Canada" 1/2" copper pipe between two ball peen hammers to flare the ends.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184334_10150107243869207_510619206_6092444_4986695 _n.jpg

Then cut off the smooshed end to get a shotgun shell shape.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183111_10150107244609207_510619206_6092449_3822804 _n.jpg

More to come.......

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182016_10150107573659207_510619206_6095678_7499977 _n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182712_10150107573204207_510619206_6095670_5510790 _n.jpg

[Fletching]

Hey. I like your flange method. This should be an interesting thread, keep 'em coming Mike.

What kinda 'blowing' kit are you going to attach?

Steve

[CanadianMike]

Thanks, I kinda came up with it at the last minute, thought about the fact I have a small anvil, small, medium and large ball peen hammers, tried it out and it worked.

Blowing kit, once I upload the pics, is going to be copper pipe attached to a foot bellow type air mattress inflator. Thought initially about an electric one, but didn't want something on all the time and would have had to have made a foot switch, but then also would have to regulate the AC to get the most useful airflow.......... I can do either I suppose.

Have a couple 1"x9"x4.5" high temp fire bricks I'm going to drill a pile of holes in and maybe cuts on the bottom side edges, will act as a grill to suspend the lump charcoal as well as give me a 3/8" channel underneath to spread the airflow around.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183718_10150107654609207_510619206_6096388_2446271 _n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185989_10150107716469207_510619206_6097080_4971231 _n.jpg

[RobbC]

The design looks great! Keep us posted on how it goes and how effective it is.

Robb

[CanadianMike]

Thanks, will find out in a couple weeks when things warm up outside and can clear out the snow out back. Want to avoid leaving this outside where possible, will have to at times though.

[CanadianMike]

Set up the inside more, two more 1" thick high temp bricks on the sides and one cut to the radius of the shell to form a backstop for the front half set up.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199396_10150127530999207_510619206_6279173_3680954 _n.jpg

[Fletching]

Looking good there, Mike. In the UK, that setup would also double up as luxurious student accommodation as well. You could even charge extra for the central heating.

Ooh, and electricity too.

[Ashley Cawley]

Looks like a really great system you've got coming on there Mike, well done bud. I look forward to seeing it in action and what it produces! :)

For a forge that bit I think the foot powered bellow you mentioned might be a little under-powered for the forge, not sure. I can highly recommend using the motor out of a old travel-hair dryer hooked up to a variable volatge plug like this one:
http://www.jhs.co.uk/GYC/MW300GS.jpg

The plug could be mounted at waist high on the forge that way you've got complete speed control and on/off in one place, they have 0 volts on the switch-slider to turn off easily.

[CanadianMike]

Looking good there, Mike. In the UK, that setup would also double up as luxurious student accommodation as well. You could even charge extra for the central heating.

Ooh, and electricity too.

Excellent idea, thanks. :D


Looks like a really great system you've got coming on there Mike, well done bud. I look forward to seeing it in action and what it produces! :)

For a forge that bit I think the foot powered bellow you mentioned might be a little under-powered for the forge, not sure. I can highly recommend using the motor out of a old travel-hair dryer hooked up to a variable volatge plug like this one:
http://www.jhs.co.uk/GYC/MW300GS.jpg

The plug could be mounted at waist high on the forge that way you've got complete speed control and on/off in one place, they have 0 volts on the switch-slider to turn off easily.

Ya, saw your video before I even found this site. Lol, I have an unused electric airmattress inflator as well as the foot bellow I bought, so I have the two options available. I don't think i want something that is on all the time, hence the foot bellow, but going electric I'd have to regulate it, of which I have a Variac I use for my Dremel, so I could use that to regulate the power down. Trial and error really, just a matter of getting it set up out back after the snow melts, and firing it up. Will post pics as I get it going.

[CanadianMike]

Set it up and used it, works well so far. Only added bends to my new antique handmade blacksmith tongs since I couldn't grab anything 1/8" or less, and did some pounding on an old file I started to make knife shaped last year. Have to find an alternate means of airblowing, the electric air mattress inflator works great, but it's set up to turn off after 10mins of use to cool down. Annoying, but is a start.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208384_10150144069974207_510619206_6346031_6835660 _n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196850_10150144081459207_510619206_6346112_239172_ n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200346_10150144083624207_510619206_6346127_3106138 _n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198198_10150144665904207_510619206_6350967_2074469 _n.jpg

[Notredame11211]

Wow Mike, great work! That looks fantastic!

[CanadianMike]

Thanks........found out what happens when a knife shaped file is left in there too long (was maybe 5-7mins total with the blower on while I was screwing around with working on my beat up tongs same time)..............

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196582_10150144961509207_510619206_6354506_892299_ n.jpg

[Notredame11211]

Doesn't look like that file will see much use in the future

[CanadianMike]

Nope, unless I make it into a short blade skinning knife. Has been my practice piece of junk for forging, not easy, might need a bigger hammer.

[Notredame11211]

sounds like an interesting conversion

[Jeime_outdoors]

Nice work mike, looks great

Jeime

[CanadianMike]

sounds like an interesting conversion

Well, it did start looking like a knife-like thing with the bevel half formed before I melted it........ Lol


Nice work mike, looks great

Jeime

Thanks Jeime, am enjoying the experience so far, lots to learn and many mistakes to make...... such as above. Hehe

[CanadianMike]

Guess I should update this a bit, played with the forge about 8 times since I got it running (been a few weeks since my last), here are a few things I've done so far.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/218134_10150156961684207_510619206_6419962_3988507 _n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/205532_10150157747329207_510619206_6425213_2483326 _n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217160_10150158195114207_510619206_6428139_8256889 _n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217102_10150165103884207_510619206_6488094_5495892 _n.jpg

[CanadianMike]

Some more:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215731_10150165878149207_510619206_6495389_6739999 _n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225156_10150166446434207_510619206_6501260_4088064 _n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215638_10150166447049207_510619206_6501265_1660036 _n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215867_10150166884894207_510619206_6506715_919065_ n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216381_10150168730584207_510619206_6528016_1995900 _n.jpg

[Notredame11211]

Nice ulu mike!

[CanadianMike]

Thanks, first try and is useable. Was a pain to put a proper bevel on it though, and the steel isn't very good, but hey, it still cuts. Yesterday I bought more O-1 tool steel, this time a 4" x 1/8" x 36" piece of flat ground, might have a go at another ulu out of good steel this time.

[Notredame11211]

Thanks, first try and is useable. Was a pain to put a proper bevel on it though, and the steel isn't very good, but hey, it still cuts. Yesterday I bought more O-1 tool steel, this time a 4" x 1/8" x 36" piece of flat ground, might have a go at another ulu out of good steel this time.

Sounds like it will make a good knife

[Adam Savage]

How did I miss this thread before. Great forge Mike. Like James' said, great ulu.

[CanadianMike]

Thanks, have to fire it up again soon, knives and fishing (along with work and cooking) takes up the bulk of my time these days. Still can't find the ulu though, got misplaced at some point about a month ago. Lol

[Adam Savage]

Sounds like the perfect excuse to make another one to me haha