forge
 

yup a forge. I am thinking of building it out of local iron ore rock, using local iron ore clay and sackcrete for the mortar, building a trough with the tweer in the bottom, then building up and kinda domeing both sides to the hood and leaving a hole open in the front to work iron through. I was also going to build a nice rock shelf out front to allow for slow cooling pieces on when reducing hardness. And I am going to build a bellows. I don't plan on running ANY electricity to the smithy, I want to do it all primitive. I will also be building a kiln to make my own hardwood charcoal...

Also how far from the house should I put the smithy? Any advice on using the local iron ore rock? etc

GoodOlBoy

Man Rich you got too many thing in the fire.

Actually I have cut most of em out these days. Got boats up for sale (all but the Jon boat), got puppies up for sale, and my reloading press is gathering dust because it has been so dry it is even dangerous to shoot. Heck in fact I didn't even rejoin the bowling league this fall. Not taking college classes like I was supposed to etc. Life is tooooo short to not be doing what you want to do, and what I want to do is blacksmithing, some hunting, some fishing, some writing, and I guess I can go to work now and then to keep up appearances. :D

GoodOlBoy

I'm sending you info via FB.

GOB,
If you would, let me know how the Iron Rock (that is what we call it here) works for you. We have Iron Rock at the farm and about the only thing I have ever seen anyone do with it was to make a sign base for their ranch or farm. Place down the highway has a pyramid built of it with a sign on the side that says Pleasant Valley Ranch. Every time I disc up a place to plant I have to clear the stuff before I can plant. Clank, clank, clank.
Ed

Yep I will let you know how it goes, I probably won't get the big forge done until spring of next year, right now I am working on getting together the materials to build a bucket/bag bellows, and a kiln for making my own charcoal. I am going to start small working on a in ground iron age style forge, that way I can really get to know what it is I want an need before I start building my big forge and smithy. Besides first thing I have got to get made are tools (rake, tongs, hot cutoff, etc)

GoodOlBoy

Good Ol Boy, you have got quite a project and I wish you the best with it. Keep us appraised on how it is going.

What kind of puppies?

mutts pure bred mutts. Momma was a gold lab mix, daddy was a black lab mix, looks to have been some boxer maybe in there somewhere. Two girls left. They are REAL purty. They are already A1 mole hunters.... my yard is proof....

GoodOlBoy

heh....no thanks...I got two good mole dogs already...heh