The best forge for manual training and trade schools is the down draft with power driven fans, thus eliminating all pipes overhead and doing away with the dust and dirt. A boy, working at this kind of a forge, can use both hands in the handling of the work being heated in the fire; this is a great advantage over the old way of turning a crank. Another good feature of the mechanical draft forge is that it teaches a boy early how to avoid over-heating or burning his iron. This is the first thing one must learn in working at forging, as one who cannot heat the metal properly cannot work it. One must become acquainted with the material, and the burning heat must be understood.
Fig. 1. A Typical School Forge.
Fig. 2. Fire Tools.
[Figure 1] shows an illustration of a down draft forge suitable for schools; it is made of cast iron. A pressure fan furnishes the blast for the fire and an exhaust fan takes away the gas and smoke thru an opening at the bottom of the hood, and thru a large pipe which continues under the floor and out thru a flue. The hood represented at A, can be moved backward and forward to catch the smoke. The hood is moved with a crank and worm gear as shown at B. The hearth is shown at C; a hole in the center is called the tuyere. This is where the fire is built and is the outlet for the wind. The amount of air needed for the fire is regulated by a valve that is moved with a rod shown at D. The coal box is always at the right hand of any forge and is shown at E. The water box is represented at F. At G is shown the pressure pipe and at H the exhaust pipe. Notice the large opening under the forge at I. Thru this opening any nut or screw under the tuyere can be tightened with ease. Notice the slide-rod at J. This rod, when pulled, dumps the cinders out of the tuyere, and a bucket may be set under the hearth to catch them. In school shops these forges are generally set in pairs in order to save room. [Figure 2] shows three fire-tools needed for the forge fire. These tools consist of a poker made from ⅜-inch round stock, 26 inches long with a loose eye turned on one end for a handle; a shovel with a flat blade 4 by 6 by ¹⁄₁₆ inches with a handle riveted to the blade, and a tool called a scraper. This scraper is made from the same stock as the poker and is made with an eye at one end and a flat hook at the other. It is used to scrape the coal and coke onto the fire, and to move pieces of coke or coal, so that the iron may be seen while heating.
Fig. 3. Anvil.
The anvil should be of wrought iron with a steel face, weighing about 125 pounds. This is large enough for any work being done in manual training schools. In the school shop the anvils should all be of the same size and weight so that any tool used with them will fit into any square hole. In factories where anvils are made, they are forged from wrought iron or soft steel, with a carbon steel face welded on; some are cast steel thruout and others are cast iron with a steel face. The face is generally three-quarters inch thick, and is hardened to resist heavy blows from the hammer and sledge. (See drawing [Figure 3] of anvil.) The anvil should be fastened with iron straps, on a 10 by 10-inch block, set into the ground about 3½ feet. From the top of the anvil to the floor should measure 26 inches. The proper place to set the anvil in relation to the forge is shown in the drawing, [Figure 4]. The smith should stand between the forge and the anvil, with the horn of the anvil at his left when facing it. The anvil edge farthest from the smith is called the outer edge and the one nearest the smith is called the inner edge.