I like to make things I need and would like to see what others have made. Got a new shop anvil a few weeks ago, so I had to make stand for it.
Nice work Justin! My shop anvil stand is an old maple stump. I've been using it for nearly 20 years, but I think I may try to make one like yours. Any more info on how you made it? Regards
Just a box filled with sand and a floating plate for the anvil to set on. The box is made out of 3/16 diamond plate. The bottom and the top plates are 1/2 inch, and the hold downs 1/2 x 1 1/4, the feet on the bottom of the box are 1/2 x 41/2 x 41/2. All scrap I had laying around, the only thing I had to buy was the paint.
It's solid, it weighs at least 500 lb together. I took it to a contest last month it took 4 guys to get it back in the trailer, just a little to much to be moving around. Do you have any pictures of the hammer you made, that's going to be my next project.
Justin, Here is a pic. If you want, I got the plans on PDF and can e-mail to you if you send me your address. View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N7auIRvzLQ Here's a You tube video posted. It is the first day I had it working and didn't have it secured to the floor, so in the video it rocks a bit. Works great and am glad to have it.
There used to be a valley hot box just like this one you have here, did you copy it? Very good job, saved you 5000 Dihrams.
The only problem with straight tube burners is when you turn off the forge the residual heat goes up the tube and carries suspended particulate contaminants with it. This "stuff" builds up on the gas jets and they can clog up very quickly. My first home made forge had a straight tube. It was very efficient and very hot, but I went through a lot of burner jets. Of course as soon as you put an angle in the pipe you create a significant drop in gas velocity, which reduces the burner efficiency and requires higher pressure to maintain a flame head. Air doesn't like to go around corners. If you want to build a really nice tube burner you can buy a 3/4" venturi with and adjustable choke and interchangeable gas orifices here: http://www.cajunshoppe.com/cast2.htm The adjustable choke is a nice feature because you can set the flame to be slightly oxygen starved, which significantly reduces slag buildup on your steel and makes forge welding much easier.
Thanks guys David, I certainly saved few Dirhams by making that, I looked at so many forges and tried to get the best of them all. Tom, that's an easy fix if you have the jet accessible you can unclog it with a piece of wire. If worse comes to worse I can change both jets for $1.
Zouhair the swan competitor is over £800 I think!!! did you take pics on the building of it? I think that Larch Lap fencing isnt Moroccan Did you make it while in the UK?
Damn it David, nothing goes past you unnoticed . It is indeed, am in the UK at the moment. a few months back I asked Mustad Morocco for a forge (the only farriery supplier in Morocco) they only had a Swan Forge for 10 000 DH (just over £800). The other issue is we only have natural gas bottles, Propane is not widely available and expensive. So I set on a quest to work out the wonder world of fire. Now I am confident that I can build one that will work with Natural gas. If it works out at around £200 that will be more possible for Moroccan farriers to purchase. I didn't take pictures because things were changing at each step . If I make another one I will take step by step pictures.
Is natural gas bottled? I have seen lots of bottles over there or will you tap into the mains? What are the pros and cons of the gasses?
Actually that is much easier to do with the exposed jets in your design since you don't have to dissemble the venturi to clean or change them.
