Warning: that old forge in the back of the barn might not be as solid as it looks

I was working on a ranch outside of Bozeman and using their ancient coal forge to shape a shoe. The firepot was cracked, and when I gave the blower a hard crank, the whole thing just gave way and dumped hot coals everywhere, lol. I had to smother it fast with a wet burlap sack I keep in my truck for emergencies. Anyone else had a close call with old equipment they didn't know was about to fail?

2 comments

2 Comments

bell.emma1d agoMost Upvoted

Glad you had that wet sack handy. Old forges are sneaky like that. The firepot cracks get hidden under ash and scale. I always tap the whole thing with a hammer before I light it, listening for a dull ring instead of a solid one. A cheap bag of play sand in the truck bed is good too, for smothering a spill fast without the steam burn.

jana_hill271d ago

Damn, that's a close one. I read a story once about a guy who had an old forge collapse and the coals lit up the dry hay in his barn. Total loss. Your wet burlap trick was smart, but I'd be worried about steam burns too. That play sand idea from the other comment sounds way safer for killing fires fast. Honestly, with gear that old, you're basically doing archaeology with fire.