My truck full of new forges! And a few questions there-about....

[Twilight Fenrir]

"No. 400 Pat. (Illegible characters)" "Whirlwind Blast"

(Edit: Now that I have blown up the photo, it says 408)
(I see someone in another thread pointing out the casting number in the tuyre etc isn't definitive for the forge overall..)

Definitely looks very similar! And, yeah, I figured it wasn't definitive. All parts can be interchanged. But, seems like a pretty good match :)

Champion No. 400 Whirlwind Blast....I have the same firepot in my forge. Should have a pendulum sort of thing that will engage the bottom slot on either side and clean out the clinker. The middle one?...noting to clean it, at least on mine. The cleanout on the bottom of mine slides side to side to allow clinker and ash to fall out below.

Ooooooh! Is THAT what that is? I thought it was some sort of baffle for directing airflow one way or the other for whatever reason o.o I wondered why a little bit came up through the grate, that makes sense. And, yes, there is a little metal plate that slides to the side to allow clinker and ash to fall out below.

I think I remember reading an old ad about this, now that you mention it... "the Whirlwind Blast with Clinker Buster, now standard on all Champion Blower & Forge No. 400" Or... something to that effect...  "I'll have to see if I can find where I read that...

[Twilight Fenrir]

Ahh, here it is n.n

[Farmall450]

Here is near the same type of large forge, you can see how handy the cut outs in the side  make long things fit better.

How much more coal does it consume vs a smaller one?

[keykeeper]

Coal consumption is a variable. It is based on air-flow volume, as well as fire maintenance. Leaving an electric blower running consumes more coal than using a hand-crank blower.

I can forge for several hours using about a 3 gallon bucket full of coal, and my hand-crank blower. Still plenty of coal and coke left after to start the next fire and forge a while. That's my experience with it.

I have the same firepot as shown in the posted advertisement.

[Farmall450]

Coal consumption is a variable. It is based on air-flow volume, as well as fire maintenance. Leaving an electric blower running consumes more coal than using a hand-crank blower.

I can forge for several hours using about a 3 gallon bucket full of coal, and my hand-crank blower. Still plenty of coal and coke left after to start the next fire and forge a while. That's my experience with it.

I have the same firepot as shown in the posted advertisement.

I figured it would variate quite a bit.  thanks.

[john k]

Burning coal can make you invent new words, it is a skill acquired along with the iron pounding.   A small forge like my rivet forge, I can with some attention build a fire as large and nearly as deep as a margarine bowl.   Easier to build a fire about the size of a softball.   The bigger forges, them big square and rectangles with a recessed firepot/tuyere, one can get a fire going near as big as a small loaf of bread.   The bigger the fire, the more coal consumed, but really only build a fire large enough to heat the work you are doing.  Depth of the fire is as important as overall diameter, as iron laid on a fire two inches deep, and have two inches or more above the iron, heats things very well.  A fire 3 inches or less in depth/height, the iron  laid in there catches too much cold air from the blast, and takes longer to heat if it ever does.   Iron does hot heat laying on top a fire, not into a red or even orange color that is.   It almost always needs to be inside the (oven),  the deep fire.  Did I mention that coal, rather, coke can be cantankerous to even get lit at times?   Other times I can have a smithing fire going ten minutes after the first match.   In some ways, its like heating with wood, after awhile you learn what draft adjustment works best, how much wood, placed just so makes the best heat.  Is all a learning experience. 

[Branson]

Did I mention that coal, rather, coke can be cantankerous to even get lit at times?   

My worst lighting up experiences have been with commercial coke.  Bought a bunch some years ago thinking that coke was the answer to all problems.  Still have most of it.  Coke from my last fire, though, is a different critter.  I always save out some of that coke for my next session at the forge. Very easy to light.