Forge question

I just returned home with a forge that my mother-in-law has been using for a bird feeder.

Besides the two HEAVY coats of white latex paint, it looks all there, and in good shape. I live in Las Vegas, so doubt there is much rust or corrosion. The top cast iron "bowl" (my word) is intact, as are all the parts. It is missing the drive belt, which I am assuming might be leather.

I am looking forward to blowing off the paint, cleaning it, and getting it going and heating up some metal. I know this is probably going to be yet another addiction just like my others, but what the heck...........

Is there anyone famliar with forges out there that I can send an e mail picture to so as to identify this critter?

Or send me the rec.crafts.dropbox url.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB
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She was using a FORGE as a bird feeder? I've got to see a picture (email snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com),

If you want to get rid of the Latex paint, just build a large fire and cook that sucker until it's red hot. The latex will blister and simply peel off. After it cools, a wire brush should finish the job.

A forge needs a blower. Do you have the original, or are you planning to build one. Some of the hi-tech fans now available might work very nicely.

Harry C.

Reply to
hhc314

I don't know if I can identify the forge as to mfr and mfg date, but I have a couple of 'em myself and you can send my a picture if you want. Yes, it originally had a leather drive belt for the blower, but there are a few different styles. On a couple of types there is a simple endless belt that drives the blower wheel and the cranking mechanism is all gears or gear sectors. One at least one model, there is an additional leather belt that sort winds up the wheel that actually drives the blower belt. If the forge isn't already cracked, I would not "heat it red hot" to get the paint off. In actual use, the forge "pan" would never get that hot and the firepot itself would seldom get that hot either. I have seen any number of these forges where the firepot has been cracked all the way across (usually from pouring water on it when hot).

Pete Stanaitis

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SteveB wrote:

Reply to
Pete & sheri

Under neath the "bowl", there is a large diameter wheel. On its shaft, there is a gear, perhaps two inches in diameter. There is another gear that is one fourth of a circle with a ball on one end. Upon fiddling with it, it works like this:

The shaft on the large wheel has a lockout assembly that is in neutral when turned in one direction, but engages in the other. The quarter circle gear is lifted. It falls under the weight of the ball, and engages the gear on the shaft. This large wheel turns a smaller wheel by way of a belt. That smaller gear has a shaft that has a vaned wheel inside a housing. The spinning vanes blow air up into the bowl. There is a Y in that flow line that has a cap where the amount of air going up to the "bowl" can be regulated. It looks like one would mount a lever from a rafter or such, and a chain or rope down to the ball to lift the drive gear. I guess it could be fixed to a foot driven Rube Goldberg device to lift the ball and drive the wheel.

Will send you a pic.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Just a minor point to bring up if you plan on getting the blower running. Some of the blower bearings are tapered on the ends and set in Babbitt metal. A friend of mine bought one and thought the ends had rusted to a taper. When I looked at it I realized that the bearings can be 'adjusted' with a stone age tap on the end of the Babbitt. High engineering for a low tech world. Bugs

Reply to
Bugs

Steve, wow! Sounds like you have a real, antique, hand operated forge.

My wife's grandfather was a blacksmith and had one similar to that you describe. The lockout gear is there because these things were generally operated by the intermittent pulling on a cord and releasing it, which powered the blower. Sometimes a foot pedal was used. The one I saw had a pull-cord which drove a pivoting beam attached to the raftters of the shop, which evidently in some way was attached to the blower mechanism.

Given that yours has the blower mechanism attached, I have to retract my statement about heating it red hot to remove the latex paint. Were it me, I'd simply use a propane torch to blister the paint and then scrape it off. A wire brush will finish the job. Most importantly, you don't want to melt the bearings in the blower mechanism.

Sounds like you have a real treasure in your hands, so please take good care of it.

Harry C.

Reply to
hhc314

Check out alt.crafts.blacksmithing -- they may be able to identify the forge, and they _will_ be able to help your progress deeper into your addiction.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Thanks. When looking at it yesterday, I noticed that the shafts were weird looking at the ends where they go into the pillow blocks. I will definitely pay attention when dismantling and cleaning.

Can I send you a picture?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Harry:

Tried to send you an e mail of the picture, but it bounced. Do I have your e mail right?

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

Steve, my correct email is snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com, not that shown on my posts. The deception is aboid spambots.

Harry C.

Reply to
hhc314

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