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2003
Board of Directors
Les Cook
11222 Sagewillow
Houston, TX 77089-4536
281-481-2457
Richard Boswell
281-356-5205
Dave Koenig
281-855-2869
Larry Hoff
281-890-8822
James Porter
1925 Anchor Way Dickinson TX 77539
281-337-5384
Frank Walters
281-491-7328
Larry Hoff
281-890-8822
Gas Forge Work Shop
with Jay Hayes
HABA has selected Jay Hayes of C.J. Products as the kit provider for their Workshop on Gas Forges in September.
If your are wanting to participate but not ready to order, please send Jay Hayes a note so he will have your kit ready to ship without delays. Please order by Sept 6 to assure low cost ground shipment before Sept 20.
Several sizes and number of burners are available and this allows the blacksmith to choose one to fit budget and need. The single burner is a good starter kit to learn the basics with and makes a good traveling size forge. All parts an supplies can be ordered separately. We will also discuss and demonstrate how to use this and other commercial forges and burners.
We will build forges from kits, and demonstrate how to use these and other commercial forges safely at their maximum capacities! Kits can be ordered in advance for your assembly now to help you have a cooler forging summer!
Download a one page Flyer (Adobe 5.0 PDF) for distribution to your friends and neighbors!
If you want to participate e-mail Richard Boswell at rsboswell@mindspring.com and tell him which kind you want to build. He will provide you with the special HABA Gas Forge Assembly Manual.
This is what we are planning:
Participants will order their HABA Gas Forge Kit direct from C.J. Products in West Virginia. They specialize in combustion technology for the blacksmith as well as industrial applications.
You can build the kit anytime or wait for the Workshop.
If you build early, we would like to see your finished kit at the Workshop. (photos or in person!)
Attendees can build any safe forge design they want, using any combination of parts available or brought with them.
If you have a comercial forge, you can get rebuild parts from C&M (contact them).
The work shop will be 1 day : Sept 20 in Conroe at C&M Sales, north of Houston.
HABA will provide a construction guidline and instruction.
The goal is to have everyone leave with a COMPLETED gas forge and know how to use it!
Here are the basic kits and costs. Each comes with with 11ga. steel shell with feet and valve shelf, Fuel Saver Valve Manifold, 3'' Ceramic Fiber liner (kits 2-5), Super duty floor bricks, ITC-100 coating, LP Gas Regulator and Hose.
The complete kit price list with options and parts ( 63 items ! ) can be downloaded as a zipped spreadsheet file or as an Adobe 5.0 PDF file.
Need an Adobe update? The 5.0 Reader is free from Adobe!
| 1. One Burner LP gas Mini Forge Kit | 10'' OD x 12'' Long | $185 |
| 2. One Burner LP gas Forge Kit | 12" OD x 12" Long | $205 |
| 3. Two Burner LP gas Forge Kit | 12'' OD x 18'' Long | $300 |
| 4. Three Burner LP gas Forge Kit | 12'' OD x 24'' Long | $355 |
| 5. Three Burner LP gas Forge Kit | 14'' OD x 24'' Long | $385 |
The shipping varies with the size of the forge.
Note : No sales tax for TX shipments!
Place your order with Jay Hayes at least 2 weeks before the workshop and specify the HABA Gas Forge Kit. Ask Jay about his new design using a 12x16 oval to fit those large scrolls easily.
If your are wanting to participate but not ready to order, please send Jay a note so he will have your kit ready to ship without delays.
- C.J. Products Inc.
- 100 Christmas Place
- Weston, WV 26452
- Phone: (304) 269-6111
- Email: xmas4lites@earthlink.net
When & Where :
Saturday, Sept 20, 2003 :
C&M Sales
3565 S.Loop 336 East
Conroe, Texas
800-392-7002
We will be working in the AP Tools shop with large covered patio.
Please contact C&M for availability of tools, anvils, forges, and metal stock for making carts or for fuel and forge materials.
You can have your forge kit shipped direct to C&M rather than your home.
Need to stay overnight? Contact Best Western on Lake Conroe, 14643 Hwy 105 West at 936-588-3030 and ask for the C&M Blacksmith Seminar rate.
If you ordered a forge kit you will be provided a complimentary HABA Membership for the remainder of this year. If you are not yet a Member, and want to participate, you may purchase a 2003 Membership for $5. This is also a good time to renew your annual Memebrship if not done so yet.
The schedule looks like this:
- Saturday 8:00 am : Sign in, setup and begin
- Saturday 9:00 am : HABA meeting, announcements, and introductions
- Saturday Noon : Lunch provided by C&M (cooks needed !!!!)
- Saturday 5:00 pm : Conclude and clean up
What to Bring
Chairs.
Bring safety glasses with side shields. This is a requirement!
If you are not building a forge, please come anyway and help out.
If you have already built your forge, please come anyway and show what you did.
If you want to demonstrate with your coal forge, please bring it!
If you do not have a forge and tools, please come anyway. There will be plenty of room at some forge during the workshop and someone to lend you a hand if you need it.
You do not have to be a member to attend our meetings! Bring a Guest!
Here is what Jay Hayes of C.J. Products says about his kits:
"I would have to check my shipping records to see if there is anyone near you in Texas. Off the top of my head, George King in Huntsville, AL built a 14D x 24L three burner forge from our kit a couple of years ago. (see the black forge picture below).
We have helped hundreds of smiths make the switch to gas over the last six or seven years. My burners and forge kits have been very well received. The design of my burner is based on my over thirty years experience in combustion engineering. Besides forges kits for blacksmiths, we also manufacture equipment for large industrial furnaces used in foundries and the glass industry. My forges and burners are designed for ease of assembly, yet provide the builder with a highly efficient piece of equipment that will perform better than most commercially available units.
With respect to our machined nozzles vs pressed: We get a more consistent taper by machining the nozzle. The feedback we have received from customers that have used both types of nozzles indicates the machined nozzles out perform the pressed nozzles."
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The size forge you should consider will depend on the type of work you do or would like to do in the future. If you are just doing small knife blades or other small items, a single burner forge will do. The 10D x 12L and 12D x 12L have the same interior volume. The 12D x 12L has three inches of ceramic fiber which makes it better for welding Damascus. It will also be a little cheaper to operate because of the extra insulation.
The two burner 12D x 18L is an intermediate size. It is popular with knife makers that make longer knives. Each burner has a valve to turn them on and off independently. There is also an idle circuit that allows the burners to instantly go from an idle to full blast. This saves a lot of gas while you are working at the anvil.
The three burner forges are the most versatile and popular. Again each burner has a valve to turn them off when not needed. By moving the rear wall forward a run of small parts can be produced at a higher efficiency. When working long stock the uniform heat helps produce beautiful twists and scrolls. I use my 12D x 24L forge most of the time. It is a little more efficient than the 14D x 24L which has a larger interior. The 14D will handle wider parts. This size is popular with smiths doing large scrolls.
A lot of folks that start off with a mini forge end up building a larger forge when they get into bigger projects. Then they use the mini for doing demos at craft fairs. Longer parts can still be worked with a smaller forge by passing the work completely through the forge and heating a section at a time. This is not as efficient, but can get the job done. A hobbyist on a budget that will only use the forge every now and then can get by with a smaller forge. On the other hand a full time smith will not regret having a larger forge."
HABA is providing a price list of most of the parts and fittings used in building a gas forge or foundry. The quantities of some parts needed will vary, depending on the number of burners used. If you are not sure of what you'll need, just let me know what kind of forge or foundry and how many burners you are building and I'll be glad to work up a parts list for you.
If you want a kit that includes almost everything you'll need to build a forge, there are several sizes listed under kits. There is also a burner kit and a few ''Fuel Saver'' valve manifold kits to help make forge building easier.
We also stock a lot of other parts and can custom roll steel forge and foundry shells. We can also do any necessary cutting, welding and machining if you are not set up to do it yourself.
Ceramic fiber insulation blanket and board comes 24 inches wide and is sold by the square foot. I will cut to size in square foot increments.
We have ITC-100 in pints. This is more than enough to coat the interior of a small forge. One pint will cover about 6 square feet. ITC-100 is the best coating I have found for use on ceramic fiber and other high temperature refractory. This coating not only protects and extends the life of the refractory, but greatly improves fuel efficiency. It also minimizes the health concerns of airborne fibers.
I can figure the shipping cost for you if you email me your shopping list and zip code. We accept check or money order. We can now also have Visa and Master Cards processed for an additional three percent processing fee.
George King in Huntsville, Alabama built a 14D x 24L three burner forge from a kit a couple of years ago and here is what he has to say about his forge:
"I am very happy with my kit from Jay Hayes and yes you can use any pictures you wish. The only 2 issues you may have are the copper tubing comes in a coil and straightening it out is not as pretty as starting with straight. I purchased straight lengths locally [ a few bucks] as I am very fussy and made it from stainless.....The other minor issues are learning to tune the flames....once done you're through forever [ not bad to learn].....I also would like to find a finer tuning idle valve....The kit is awesome for the money and you will love its ease of assembly and use!. Pictures of an assembled unit in close detail is a big help. Don't forget to leak test all your fittings after assembly and a few times until you are confident every thing is tight. I made rests for each side of my forge to make heating parts easier. happy hammering, smile. george"
Dutch Comstock in NY sent this about his 14x24 forge kit :
"Jay Hayes forge kits are probably a lot more than he says they are as he is a very quiet person. Jay is a power plant engineer and he was in the merchant marine as a power plant engineer. He understands everything about how anything burns and how to get the most efficent system working. His love is working with his hands and he builds the kits to help other people have fun and quality equipment. I bought his complete kit with all of the fittings and valves and I don`t think I could have purchased the parts myself for the price of the complete kit.
When you build your first kit it will take you some time untill you understand it and then all of the sudden everything will klick and you will wonder why it took so long to figure it out. Jay will also be there to help you all of the way. Being quiet sometimes he is not too wordy and some people do not understand that. You have to follow the setting up of the burners step by step or you will be taking them back apart and doing it right the second time. The forge doors and stand are then a matter of likes and dislikes as to every persons needs. As I am a car restorer I had to paint mine so that makes it photograph well and that is why he probably chose mine for reference.You are welcome to use any pictures of mine that you need. Contact me at vondutchrodder@yahoo.com Dutch Comstock`s Metal Shaping, 926 Shells Bush Road, East Herkimer, New York, 13350, 315-866-3034 "
ABOUT THE EVENT
Several years ago HABA had their first Gas Forge Workshop and many of the single burner atmospheric forges are still working fine for the builders. We are now seeking a second version and discussing designs and costs. One suggestion has been to make forges that can use parts from commerically available suppliers such as Forgemaster. However FM will not sell burners except as replacement parts on purchased forges. Reliners and hoses are available. Another has been to use parts from a gas grill available from Academy. Please review the links below and send your comments.
We would like to see the event provide some amount of education on the use of gas burners, and how to use the forge in addition to fabricating the forge.
Our host for the event is Jerome Klawinsky of C&M Horse Shoe Sales in Conroe, just north of Houston. They distribute several brands of gas forges, anvils, coal, and tools for farriers and blacksmiths. He will be providing lunch for the workshop.
Some relevent on-line links for your viewing including Fuels Safety Info from around the world.....
Directions to Work Shop
C&M Sales
is 3.3 miles east of I-45 at
3565 S.Loop 336 East
Conroe, Texas
800-392-7002
The shop is on the inner side of the Loop. If coming on the South Loop from I-45 go 3.3 miles and look for the yellow metal building surrounded by a chain link fence. It appears suddenly on the left past a long stretch of wooded forest.
Notes about this Website This website is Under Development and will continue to evolve for HABA Members.
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Please send all feedback/correction/omission/suggestions to webmaster .
Enjoy!
http://www.habairon.org
Last updates were on September 01, 2003
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