1. Home
  2. ⚒ Blacksmithing - wrought iron and steel discussions
  3. A little help, please

A little help, please

I FINALLY got a forge yesterday. My mother-in-law was using it for a bird feeder for years. She finally parted with it. It has been in her posession from her last husband, a lifelong welder and craftsman.

The forge is about three feet tall. It is comprised of a bowl, a squirrel cage, a large wheel, a quarter of a circle gear, legs, and a few other parts.

It is all there, and just as soon as I can, I will get out there and power wash off the latex paint on it and get things spinning. Everything moves on it, just gummed up from time and latex.

Can anyone help me identify this thing? I will e mail you a picture.

At one place where the Y air tunnel comes off the squirrel cage, it looks like it is missing the rotating flap that would cause the air to go up through the bottom center of the bowl. The bolt is broken off in the casting, but it would be easy to get out, and to fab another. Would that be the way to go, or is there a place for parts for these?

Any help would be appreciated, and future help with what I can see as a new and another addiction for me, to complement my welding.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB
Loading thread data ...

I can only say I very much doubt you will find a source for NOS parts for these. Coal forges are actually pretty common, though. I'd burn the paint off - just start a fire, or, if you're impatient and have a big weed burner, just burn it off. Google on "rivet forge" or "farrier's forge", things like that -- it would be more productive than expecting people to email you pictures.

GWE

SteveB wrote:

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Actually, what I wanted to do was send THEM a picture. I am googling, and have already gone to a few sites and started my learning curve.

I just like it when I can shorten the curve.

Like today. I have to go wire my pickup for a new trailer. I have to load my ATVs. I have to mount some bathroom hardware in my MILs apartment. I have to get things ready to leave town tomorrow on a trip.

So, I don't really have a lot of time to sit and Google. I do have time to ask questions, and send people pictures who might want to help me.

Life is good.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I think I answered this one on rec.crafts.metalworking, but here's a little more: The flap that is missing is the ash clean-out door. You will probably need to drill out the broken bolt. You can replace the door with a piece of 1/8" to 1/4" thick steel. Make it circular in shape with

2 ears. One ear gets a hole drilled in it for the bolt. The other ear sticks out about 1/2" so you have something to pull the door open with. (bad english). Sometimes this opening has a little stop cast into it to limit the travel of the door when it is closed. Make sure that your location of the ears takes this into account. The door is closed to send air up thru the firepot and opened to dump the ashes out before they get so deep that they clog the air passage or drift back into the blower.

Pete Stanaitis

-----------------------

SteveB wrote:

Reply to
Pete & sheri

It sounds like a rivit forge I was given. On mine, some of the castings were (still are) broken. Since I don't weld, it's waiting to be fixed (no rush since I built a forge from a grill). If you take it apart becareful putting it back together so as not to break any cast parts. You may not have luck finding parts and any bolts may be odd sized, if so I doubt if you can find replacements.

Reply to
r payne

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.