Old Trenton Anvil Serial Numbers
>More to the point, amongst the nearly complete set of blacksmith >tools I am now the proud owner of is the anvil. It is marked >underneath the horn, on the foot, with a series of stamped >numbers/letters. The first character looks like a capital T with a >capital Z that has been rotated clockwise 45 degrees stamped over the >top of the T; not above it, but in the same space as the T. >Following that is '157' a bit of a space, and then 'A86799' I have >not found any other legible markings. All the characters are about >1/2' tall. The anvil has a seam visible at the waist, and a fine line >visible where the top plate is attached. It has both a hardie and >pritchel hole also.
Live support available 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST (UTC-05:00) For fastest service, please contact the appropriate Product Specialist for your product parts@t-rp.com or 1-844-893-3222 ext. Trenton Anvil Serial Numbers. I am now starting to dabble a little with some blacksmith type work, so I finally picked up a nice Buffalo Forge coal forge with a hand crank blower and a pretty old Hay Budden Anvil on a stump. My questions are; is there a good way to clean the anvil? I do not want to use any wire wheel or power tools on it. Here for your consideration this 140lb Farrier / Blacksmith anvil. The marking on it AJAX, which the info in Postman's anvil book was manufactured by Trenton. The serial number dates it to 1901.
It has a nice ring to it when struck. >Is that enough information for anyone to identify the beast? >Brad Heuver Brad, as I wrote you earlier I believed this anvil to be a Hay-Budden.
Last night I reread the Hay-Budden section in Richard Postman's 'Anvils in America', (just published and by far the best work on the subject available!), and I think I found the clincher! 'There is one other diference in those anvils with the 'A' prefix. The number on the front of the waist under the horn is always a '4'. Somtimes the '4' is upside down.' This 'upside down `4' sure sounds like your 'T-Z' mark.
Please double check the serial though the 'A' series are not listed as having gone as far as the 80K's, (if it is a 30K number it was made in the early 1920's) BTW although two british firms Mousehole and Peter Wright used the old hundredweight system of marking, most of the american firms did not. They used a simple weight stamp. In article, Gene Olson wrote: >Well, as long as we are in ID mode.
>(what the heck as long as it works) >>I bought an anvil new in about 1971. >>I would describe it as cast steel. >It is marked England on one side and 77 kg on the other. >It has a very thick heel and 1 1/4 in hardee hole.
Jul 06, 2016. Date, and learn more about old anvils. It's a Trenton anvil. Thanks for posting the pics of the logo stamp and serial number! This is a multi-thousand year old trade and much of the. Need help identifying this Trenton anvil. Flour and look harder for a serial number. If the anvil was a Trenton, the serial number 21569 would indicate a. Old industrial site way too much iron in. 95lb TRENTON Anvil Ironsmyter. Subscribe Subscribed Unsubscribe 28 28. There are no numbers or letters on it. The anvil had some. Need help identifying this Trenton anvil. With soapstone or flour and look harder for a serial.
>It was painted blue. It is a lively anvil.
>>Any of you Brits know anything about it's Mfr? Sounds like a Brooks anvil. They are still available new from Centaur Forge. Record also sells some small anvils.
-- STAGESMITH PRODUCTIONS Custom Metal Fabrication ABANA AWS SCA IATSE Local 15/488 Renton, Washington, US Paul Stevens 00:00. William thomas powers wrote: >>Brad, as I wrote you earlier I believed this anvil to be a Hay-Budden. >Last night I reread the Hay-Budden section in Richard Postman's >'Anvils in America', (just published and by far the best work on the >subject available!), and I think I found the clincher! (snip) I haven't found 'Anvils in America' yet, but I've added it to my list of books for future additions to the personal library. Sounds like interesting reading. >BTW although two british firms Mousehole and Peter Wright used the >old hundredweight system of marking, most of the american firms did >not.
They used a simple weight stamp. Hay-Budden also used >a 1-3 digit stamp that is believed to refer to the lot of steel >used in its construction so if the 157 is not indicative of the >weight it is probably this lot number) Would I be correct in interpreting the markings on the side of an anvil: M & H ARMITAGE MOUSE HOLE 0. 21 to mean that it is a 105 lb Mousehole anvil? I haven't been able to find any other markings (the sides were a bit rusty). The hardie hole is 3/4' and the pritchel hole is about 1/2'. There is a seam where the face was attached, and a barely visible seam at the waist.
Arm and hammer anvil serial numbers. It is very easy to confuse an unmarked Arm & Hammer brand anvil (from the. Trenton serial numbers. Whats an old Anvil.
There are three square holes, maybe an inch and a half deep; two on the waist (I've seen pictures of these being used to hold or hoist the anvil during manufacture and refacing), and one in the center of the base (underneath - haven't figured out what it's for yet). What other measurements would be helpful in confirming an identification (or narrowing down the age)? I haven't taken the time (yet) to learn much about the history of the various anvil makers. I know that Mousehole Forge was in England, but that is the extent of my Mousehole knowledge. Is a Mousehole anvil a better find than a Peter Wright, or the other way around, or about equal?
Either way, my wife seems to believe I didn't think of anything else on the day I got it. She's wrong, of course. I got the portable forge on the same day.:) Paul Stevens Fred Holder 00:00. Paul, You have to buy Richard Postman's, Anvils in America, directly from him.
As far as I know, he hasn't placed it with any company for sale. Richard's Address is: Richard Postman 10 Fischer Court Berrian Springs, MI 49103 TEL: (616) 471-5426 Price for the book is $60.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling.
Yes, your intrepretation of the anvil as a 105 pound MouseHole is correct. The MouseHole anvils were the first commercially produced anvils in the world and i would say that you made a good buy. Fred Holder In article, Paul says.
Paul Stevens 00:00. Fred Holder wrote: >>Paul, >>You have to buy Richard Postman's, Anvils in America, directly from him.
As far >as I know, he hasn't placed it with any company for sale. Richard's Address is: >>Richard Postman >10 Fischer Court >Berrian Springs, MI 49103 >TEL: (616) 471-5426 Thanks for the address. >>Price for the book is $60.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. Ouch, gonna have to figure out how to sneak that one past the wife. Christmas isn't too far off. >>Yes, your intrepretation of the anvil as a 105 pound MouseHole is correct.
The >MouseHole anvils were the first commercially produced anvils in the world and i >would say that you made a good buy. Now I've GOT to buy the book to see if I can determine the age of my anvil. That might be enough of a reason to justify the purchase to my wife, but I seriously doubt it.:) Paul Stevens william thomas powers 00:00. >I haven't found 'Anvils in America' yet, but I've added it to my list >of books for future additions to the personal library. Sounds like >interesting reading. Its *THE* book on the subject and I doubt that many libraries will be getting a copy. Its 552 pages, hardcover with lots of pictures and a whole lot better reading than the $60+ textbooks I keep having to get at the University.
BTW there is a 66 page chapter on English Anvils with some information on dating them. >Is a Mousehole anvil >a better find than a Peter Wright, or the other way around, or about >equal? Both are well known firms with good reputations---I prefer the Peter Wright myself since I find the Mouseholes to look kinda squat--look like they were designed to take a lot of abuse.
But I would gladly accept a nice Moushole over a rough Peter Wright any day! >Either way, my wife seems to believe I didn't think of anything >else on the day I got it. She's wrong, of course. I got the portable >forge on the same day.:) How long before you had red hot steel using them? >Paul Stevens Thomas Columbus, OH Paul Stevens 00:00.
William thomas powers wrote: >>>I haven't found 'Anvils in America' yet, but I've added it to my list >>of books for future additions to the personal library. Sounds like >>interesting reading. Lenovo thinkpad pci simple communications controller driver for mac. >>Its *THE* book on the subject and I doubt that many libraries will >be getting a copy. Its 552 pages, hardcover with lots of pictures >and a whole lot better reading than the $60+ textbooks I keep having to >get at the University.
My textbook problems were complicated by the departments changing the required text every year or so. It made used ones hard to find at the University bookstore, and lowered the odds of being able to sell any that I didn't want to keep as reference books. I'll get a copy of 'Anvils in America'.
The only question is how long it will be before I can set aside the money (without my wife noticing). >BTW there is a 66 page chapter on English Anvils with some information >on dating them. That would be helpful.
I know this anvil is fairly old (it was passed down, through the family, to the person I got it from), but I don't know just how old it is. >>Is a Mousehole anvil >>a better find than a Peter Wright, or the other way around, or about >>equal?
>>Both are well known firms with good reputations---I prefer the Peter >Wright myself since I find the Mouseholes to look kinda squat--look >like they were designed to take a lot of abuse. But I would gladly >accept a nice Moushole over a rough Peter Wright any day! I had heard Peter Wright anvils mentioned quite a bit (hoped to find one), but I don't recall coming across the Mousehole name before I found this anvil. I am waiting to hear if two other anvils (around 200 lb and also fairly old) might be available for sale. I haven't seen them yet, maybe one of them will turn out to be a Peter Wright.:) >>>Either way, my wife seems to believe I didn't think of anything >>else on the day I got it. She's wrong, of course.
I got the portable >>forge on the same day.:) >>How long before you had red hot steel using them? >I still had to find coal (an adventure and learning experience in itself). I fired it up the day after I finally got some usable coal, got a few hours practice, then started tinkering with modifications to the forge. It doesn't really have a firepot, just a large grate over the air pipe (at least it has an ash dump). I had a lot of trouble controlling the size of the fire (the grate is domed upwards and the outer ring of holes is angled out, not up), and decided to experiment with clay.
I put a layer of clay on the hearth and covered the outer two rings of holes. That reduced the diameter of the grate, and left it in a shallow depression, instead of raised above the hearth. After the clay dried, I tried it again. It fixed most of my problems, but the depression seems to be too shallow (having trouble getting the fire deep enough). Before I could try any more clay modifications, we got a few days of rain (I don't have a hood and flue yet, so I work outside), then I suddenly had to redo some of the plumbing in my parents house (I'm still trying to finish the plumbing in my house), then work picked up.
I am going to find time to work on it later this week (I need a break from the insanity) and hope to fire it up again this weekend. When I get the bugs worked out, I'll probably look at removing the heavy gauge sheetmetal hearth and putting on the brakedrum I got from a semi at the junkyard.
I'll lose an inch or so in diameter, but double the depth of the hearth. Then I can redo my clay modifications in steel, make some stronger legs. It doesn't seem to end. I've got a pile of leftover bricks (including some firebrick), so I probably need to get a book on building a small cupola (next year - the forge and anvil will definitely use up most of my free time until we get some clear weather in the spring).:) Paul Stevens william thomas powers 00:00. >My textbook problems were complicated by the departments changing the >required text every year or so. It made used ones hard to find at the >University bookstore, and lowered the odds of being able to sell any >that I didn't want to keep as reference books.
Well the worst I had was when we got the rough draft of a proff's *new* textbook and had to pay a pretty penny for a photocopy of a real mess. No index, each chapter started with page 1, typos. >I'll probably look at removing the heavy >gauge sheetmetal hearth and putting on the brakedrum I got from >a semi at the junkyard. I'll lose an inch or so in diameter, but >double the depth of the hearth. Then I can redo my clay modifications >in steel, make some stronger legs.
Why don't you just make the semi brake drum into another less 'portable' forge? BTW semi brakedrums can be too deep for their width. I had a student who tried that route and found that sticking your piece nearly vertical was not the way to get an even heat. He ended up filling the bottom of the drum with gravel, putting a fireclay layer on top of that and then having a massively heavy forge---he abandoned it when he moved. (it would have worked better if he could have cut slots in the rim to allow work to go in horizontally.) I just did a brake drum forge; but used a fairly small brake drum. To get good depth for forge welding I made a heavy gauge sheetmetal rim that fits inside the brake drum rim.
I left about a 2' gap where the ends of the sheet metal came together and cut a 'mousehole' opposite the gap to allow long pieces to poke through. Its blown by a small, old vacuum cleaner---sort of like a dustbuster but from the '50's got it at the fleamarket for $3 without the bag--just a round aluminium pipe, I use a dimmer switch to control the speed---gotta love those universal motors!--al in all I figure I have less than $10 in the forge and it used no special tools to build, (ie: no welder was needed). Then I went and got my propane forge finished off.So many forges, so little time! >Paul Stevens Thomas Columbus, OH Paul Stevens 00:00. William thomas powers wrote: >>>My textbook problems were complicated by the departments changing the >>required text every year or so. It made used ones hard to find at the >>University bookstore, and lowered the odds of being able to sell any >>that I didn't want to keep as reference books.
>>Well the worst I had was when we got the rough draft of a proff's *new* >textbook and had to pay a pretty penny for a photocopy of a real mess. >No index, each chapter started with page 1, typos.
I had an Aerodynamics course that used a textbook that was a little better than that. Fortunately, the department made sure the price was kept low (a little more than the cost of having Kinko's print them). From a technical standpoint, it was a good text (the prof who wrote it was a retired aeronautical engineer), but reading it was a new form of torture. >>>I'll probably look at removing the heavy >>gauge sheetmetal hearth and putting on the brakedrum I got from >>a semi at the junkyard. I'll lose an inch or so in diameter, but >>double the depth of the hearth.
Then I can redo my clay modifications >>in steel, make some stronger legs. >>Why don't you just make the semi brake drum into another less 'portable' >forge?
It will probably progress to that. I'm just tinkering in stages at this point. If I can manage to copy the blower mounting bracket (or even come up with an improvement), I'll definitely make a separate forge. Copying the mount (it takes 15-20 seconds to remove the blower) would allow using one blower (a Champion 400) for both forges.
Old Trenton Anvil Serial Numbers Location Numbers
>BTW semi brakedrums can be too deep for their width. I had a >student who tried that route and found that sticking your piece nearly >vertical was not the way to get an even heat. He ended up filling the >bottom of the drum with gravel, putting a fireclay layer on top >of that and then having a massively heavy forge---he abandoned it when he >moved. (it would have worked better if he could have cut slots in the >rim to allow work to go in horizontally.) I was planning on placing a steel plate (3/8' or so) in the brakedrum and raising it up with small spacers.
The raised plate would allow me to make a firepot of some sort between the plate and the bottom of the drum. I don't know how much of the depth that will use (I'll have a better idea after tinkering some more with the forge I have now), but I was planning to cut gaps in the sides of the brakedrum. I'll cut the slots with a cutoff wheel on a die grinder, so I can just tack some sheetmetal tabs on the removed sections and use them to close the slots (if I ever need to close them). >I just did a brake drum forge; but used a fairly small brake drum. To >get good depth for forge welding I made a heavy gauge sheetmetal rim that >fits inside the brake drum rim.
I left about a 2' gap where the ends of >the sheet metal came together and cut a 'mousehole' opposite the gap >to allow long pieces to poke through. Its blown by a small, old vacuum >cleaner---sort of like a dustbuster but from the '50's got it >at the fleamarket for $3 without the bag--just a round aluminium pipe, >I use a dimmer switch to control the speed---gotta love those universal >motors!--al in all I figure I have less than $10 in the forge and it >used no special tools to build, (ie: no welder was needed). Then I went >and got my propane forge finished off.So many forges, so little time! >Sounds like a nice little forge. I'm trying to work with what I have or can easily find to make a forge for small to medium size work.
If I can copy my blower mount, it would make sense to have two forges (one for small work, the other for larger projects). There are just too many things I don't like about my forge (as it was when I got it) for me to not try to improve it. I just couldn't pass it up at the price I got it for (free!), and it had that blower in good shape on it.:) Paul Stevens.
>More to the point, amongst the nearly complete set of blacksmith >tools I am now the proud owner of is the anvil. It is marked >underneath the horn, on the foot, with a series of stamped >numbers/letters. The first character looks like a capital T with a >capital Z that has been rotated clockwise 45 degrees stamped over the >top of the T; not above it, but in the same space as the T.
>Following that is '157' a bit of a space, and then 'A86799' I have >not found any other legible markings. All the characters are about >1/2' tall. The anvil has a seam visible at the waist, and a fine line >visible where the top plate is attached. It has both a hardie and >pritchel hole also. It has a nice ring to it when struck. >Is that enough information for anyone to identify the beast? Extreme warfare revenge for mac. >Brad Heuver Brad, as I wrote you earlier I believed this anvil to be a Hay-Budden.
Last night I reread the Hay-Budden section in Richard Postman's 'Anvils in America', (just published and by far the best work on the subject available!), and I think I found the clincher! 'There is one other diference in those anvils with the 'A' prefix. The number on the front of the waist under the horn is always a '4'. Somtimes the '4' is upside down.' This 'upside down `4' sure sounds like your 'T-Z' mark. Please double check the serial though the 'A' series are not listed as having gone as far as the 80K's, (if it is a 30K number it was made in the early 1920's) BTW although two british firms Mousehole and Peter Wright used the old hundredweight system of marking, most of the american firms did not. They used a simple weight stamp.
In article, Gene Olson wrote: >Well, as long as we are in ID mode. >(what the heck as long as it works) >>I bought an anvil new in about 1971. >>I would describe it as cast steel. >It is marked England on one side and 77 kg on the other. >It has a very thick heel and 1 1/4 in hardee hole.
Hay Budden Anvil
>It was painted blue. It is a lively anvil. >>Any of you Brits know anything about it's Mfr? Sounds like a Brooks anvil. They are still available new from Centaur Forge.
Record also sells some small anvils. -- STAGESMITH PRODUCTIONS Custom Metal Fabrication ABANA AWS SCA IATSE Local 15/488 Renton, Washington, US Paul Stevens 00:00. William thomas powers wrote: >>Brad, as I wrote you earlier I believed this anvil to be a Hay-Budden. >Last night I reread the Hay-Budden section in Richard Postman's >'Anvils in America', (just published and by far the best work on the >subject available!), and I think I found the clincher!
(snip) I haven't found 'Anvils in America' yet, but I've added it to my list of books for future additions to the personal library. Sounds like interesting reading. >BTW although two british firms Mousehole and Peter Wright used the >old hundredweight system of marking, most of the american firms did >not.
They used a simple weight stamp. Hay-Budden also used >a 1-3 digit stamp that is believed to refer to the lot of steel >used in its construction so if the 157 is not indicative of the >weight it is probably this lot number) Would I be correct in interpreting the markings on the side of an anvil: M & H ARMITAGE MOUSE HOLE 0. 21 to mean that it is a 105 lb Mousehole anvil? I haven't been able to find any other markings (the sides were a bit rusty). The hardie hole is 3/4' and the pritchel hole is about 1/2'.
There is a seam where the face was attached, and a barely visible seam at the waist. There are three square holes, maybe an inch and a half deep; two on the waist (I've seen pictures of these being used to hold or hoist the anvil during manufacture and refacing), and one in the center of the base (underneath - haven't figured out what it's for yet). What other measurements would be helpful in confirming an identification (or narrowing down the age)? I haven't taken the time (yet) to learn much about the history of the various anvil makers.
It9130 Bda Driver Windows 7 64 Bit. I know that Mousehole Forge was in England, but that is the extent of my Mousehole knowledge. Is a Mousehole anvil a better find than a Peter Wright, or the other way around, or about equal? Either way, my wife seems to believe I didn't think of anything else on the day I got it.
She's wrong, of course. I got the portable forge on the same day.:) Paul Stevens Fred Holder 00:00. Paul, You have to buy Richard Postman's, Anvils in America, directly from him. As far as I know, he hasn't placed it with any company for sale. Richard's Address is: Richard Postman 10 Fischer Court Berrian Springs, MI 49103 TEL: (616) 471-5426 Price for the book is $60.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling.
Yes, your intrepretation of the anvil as a 105 pound MouseHole is correct. The MouseHole anvils were the first commercially produced anvils in the world and i would say that you made a good buy. Fred Holder In article, Paul says. Paul Stevens 00:00. Fred Holder wrote: >>Paul, >>You have to buy Richard Postman's, Anvils in America, directly from him.
As far >as I know, he hasn't placed it with any company for sale. Richard's Address is: >>Richard Postman >10 Fischer Court >Berrian Springs, MI 49103 >TEL: (616) 471-5426 Thanks for the address. >>Price for the book is $60.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling.
Ouch, gonna have to figure out how to sneak that one past the wife. Christmas isn't too far off.
>>Yes, your intrepretation of the anvil as a 105 pound MouseHole is correct. The >MouseHole anvils were the first commercially produced anvils in the world and i >would say that you made a good buy. Now I've GOT to buy the book to see if I can determine the age of my anvil. That might be enough of a reason to justify the purchase to my wife, but I seriously doubt it.:) Paul Stevens william thomas powers 00:00. >I haven't found 'Anvils in America' yet, but I've added it to my list >of books for future additions to the personal library. Sounds like >interesting reading. Its *THE* book on the subject and I doubt that many libraries will be getting a copy.
Its 552 pages, hardcover with lots of pictures and a whole lot better reading than the $60+ textbooks I keep having to get at the University. BTW there is a 66 page chapter on English Anvils with some information on dating them. >Is a Mousehole anvil >a better find than a Peter Wright, or the other way around, or about >equal?
Both are well known firms with good reputations---I prefer the Peter Wright myself since I find the Mouseholes to look kinda squat--look like they were designed to take a lot of abuse. But I would gladly accept a nice Moushole over a rough Peter Wright any day! >Either way, my wife seems to believe I didn't think of anything >else on the day I got it. She's wrong, of course. I got the portable >forge on the same day.:) How long before you had red hot steel using them? >Paul Stevens Thomas Columbus, OH Paul Stevens 00:00. William thomas powers wrote: >>>I haven't found 'Anvils in America' yet, but I've added it to my list >>of books for future additions to the personal library.
Sounds like >>interesting reading. >>Its *THE* book on the subject and I doubt that many libraries will >be getting a copy. Its 552 pages, hardcover with lots of pictures >and a whole lot better reading than the $60+ textbooks I keep having to >get at the University. My textbook problems were complicated by the departments changing the required text every year or so. It made used ones hard to find at the University bookstore, and lowered the odds of being able to sell any that I didn't want to keep as reference books.
I'll get a copy of 'Anvils in America'. The only question is how long it will be before I can set aside the money (without my wife noticing). >BTW there is a 66 page chapter on English Anvils with some information >on dating them. That would be helpful. I know this anvil is fairly old (it was passed down, through the family, to the person I got it from), but I don't know just how old it is. >>Is a Mousehole anvil >>a better find than a Peter Wright, or the other way around, or about >>equal? >>Both are well known firms with good reputations---I prefer the Peter >Wright myself since I find the Mouseholes to look kinda squat--look >like they were designed to take a lot of abuse.
But I would gladly >accept a nice Moushole over a rough Peter Wright any day! I had heard Peter Wright anvils mentioned quite a bit (hoped to find one), but I don't recall coming across the Mousehole name before I found this anvil. I am waiting to hear if two other anvils (around 200 lb and also fairly old) might be available for sale. I haven't seen them yet, maybe one of them will turn out to be a Peter Wright.:) >>>Either way, my wife seems to believe I didn't think of anything >>else on the day I got it. She's wrong, of course. I got the portable >>forge on the same day.:) >>How long before you had red hot steel using them?
>I still had to find coal (an adventure and learning experience in itself). I fired it up the day after I finally got some usable coal, got a few hours practice, then started tinkering with modifications to the forge. It doesn't really have a firepot, just a large grate over the air pipe (at least it has an ash dump). I had a lot of trouble controlling the size of the fire (the grate is domed upwards and the outer ring of holes is angled out, not up), and decided to experiment with clay.
I put a layer of clay on the hearth and covered the outer two rings of holes. That reduced the diameter of the grate, and left it in a shallow depression, instead of raised above the hearth. After the clay dried, I tried it again. It fixed most of my problems, but the depression seems to be too shallow (having trouble getting the fire deep enough).
Before I could try any more clay modifications, we got a few days of rain (I don't have a hood and flue yet, so I work outside), then I suddenly had to redo some of the plumbing in my parents house (I'm still trying to finish the plumbing in my house), then work picked up. I am going to find time to work on it later this week (I need a break from the insanity) and hope to fire it up again this weekend. When I get the bugs worked out, I'll probably look at removing the heavy gauge sheetmetal hearth and putting on the brakedrum I got from a semi at the junkyard. I'll lose an inch or so in diameter, but double the depth of the hearth. Then I can redo my clay modifications in steel, make some stronger legs. It doesn't seem to end. I've got a pile of leftover bricks (including some firebrick), so I probably need to get a book on building a small cupola (next year - the forge and anvil will definitely use up most of my free time until we get some clear weather in the spring).:) Paul Stevens william thomas powers 00:00.
>My textbook problems were complicated by the departments changing the >required text every year or so. It made used ones hard to find at the >University bookstore, and lowered the odds of being able to sell any >that I didn't want to keep as reference books.
Well the worst I had was when we got the rough draft of a proff's *new* textbook and had to pay a pretty penny for a photocopy of a real mess. No index, each chapter started with page 1, typos. >I'll probably look at removing the heavy >gauge sheetmetal hearth and putting on the brakedrum I got from >a semi at the junkyard. I'll lose an inch or so in diameter, but >double the depth of the hearth. Then I can redo my clay modifications >in steel, make some stronger legs. Why don't you just make the semi brake drum into another less 'portable' forge? BTW semi brakedrums can be too deep for their width.
Trenton Anvil Serial Number List
I had a student who tried that route and found that sticking your piece nearly vertical was not the way to get an even heat. He ended up filling the bottom of the drum with gravel, putting a fireclay layer on top of that and then having a massively heavy forge---he abandoned it when he moved. (it would have worked better if he could have cut slots in the rim to allow work to go in horizontally.) I just did a brake drum forge; but used a fairly small brake drum. To get good depth for forge welding I made a heavy gauge sheetmetal rim that fits inside the brake drum rim. I left about a 2' gap where the ends of the sheet metal came together and cut a 'mousehole' opposite the gap to allow long pieces to poke through.
Its blown by a small, old vacuum cleaner---sort of like a dustbuster but from the '50's got it at the fleamarket for $3 without the bag--just a round aluminium pipe, I use a dimmer switch to control the speed---gotta love those universal motors!--al in all I figure I have less than $10 in the forge and it used no special tools to build, (ie: no welder was needed). Then I went and got my propane forge finished off.So many forges, so little time! >Paul Stevens Thomas Columbus, OH Paul Stevens 00:00. William thomas powers wrote: >>>My textbook problems were complicated by the departments changing the >>required text every year or so. It made used ones hard to find at the >>University bookstore, and lowered the odds of being able to sell any >>that I didn't want to keep as reference books. >>Well the worst I had was when we got the rough draft of a proff's *new* >textbook and had to pay a pretty penny for a photocopy of a real mess. >No index, each chapter started with page 1, typos.
I had an Aerodynamics course that used a textbook that was a little better than that. Fortunately, the department made sure the price was kept low (a little more than the cost of having Kinko's print them). From a technical standpoint, it was a good text (the prof who wrote it was a retired aeronautical engineer), but reading it was a new form of torture. >>>I'll probably look at removing the heavy >>gauge sheetmetal hearth and putting on the brakedrum I got from >>a semi at the junkyard. I'll lose an inch or so in diameter, but >>double the depth of the hearth. Then I can redo my clay modifications >>in steel, make some stronger legs. >>Why don't you just make the semi brake drum into another less 'portable' >forge?
It will probably progress to that. I'm just tinkering in stages at this point. If I can manage to copy the blower mounting bracket (or even come up with an improvement), I'll definitely make a separate forge. Copying the mount (it takes 15-20 seconds to remove the blower) would allow using one blower (a Champion 400) for both forges. >BTW semi brakedrums can be too deep for their width. I had a >student who tried that route and found that sticking your piece nearly >vertical was not the way to get an even heat.
He ended up filling the >bottom of the drum with gravel, putting a fireclay layer on top >of that and then having a massively heavy forge---he abandoned it when he >moved. (it would have worked better if he could have cut slots in the >rim to allow work to go in horizontally.) I was planning on placing a steel plate (3/8' or so) in the brakedrum and raising it up with small spacers. The raised plate would allow me to make a firepot of some sort between the plate and the bottom of the drum. I don't know how much of the depth that will use (I'll have a better idea after tinkering some more with the forge I have now), but I was planning to cut gaps in the sides of the brakedrum. I'll cut the slots with a cutoff wheel on a die grinder, so I can just tack some sheetmetal tabs on the removed sections and use them to close the slots (if I ever need to close them).
>I just did a brake drum forge; but used a fairly small brake drum. To >get good depth for forge welding I made a heavy gauge sheetmetal rim that >fits inside the brake drum rim. I left about a 2' gap where the ends of >the sheet metal came together and cut a 'mousehole' opposite the gap >to allow long pieces to poke through.
Its blown by a small, old vacuum >cleaner---sort of like a dustbuster but from the '50's got it >at the fleamarket for $3 without the bag--just a round aluminium pipe, >I use a dimmer switch to control the speed---gotta love those universal >motors!--al in all I figure I have less than $10 in the forge and it >used no special tools to build, (ie: no welder was needed). Then I went >and got my propane forge finished off.So many forges, so little time! >Sounds like a nice little forge. I'm trying to work with what I have or can easily find to make a forge for small to medium size work.
If I can copy my blower mount, it would make sense to have two forges (one for small work, the other for larger projects). There are just too many things I don't like about my forge (as it was when I got it) for me to not try to improve it. I just couldn't pass it up at the price I got it for (free!), and it had that blower in good shape on it.:) Paul Stevens.