Ray Richards

Ray,

I tried to reply to your e-mail to me but it goes to the EZ board address for the forum. Hope you don't mind but I will post your e-mail here and my reply.

Bob


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private-message@ezboard.net wrote:

(An ezboard private message from Raymond Richard)

Hey Bob,
I believe you were the one doing the cat litter for lining the bottom of you forge. Just looked for it without any
luck, your post that is. What was your conclusion about the stuff? If it did work what brand cat litter did you have the
best luck with? I'm always switching forges, don't want to wreck the one for normal forging but happen to remember the cat litter post thought I'd give it a try if you found it satisfactory.

Any body giving you a hard time latly? Thanks for taking the ribbing, gets kind of old though. Enjoyed meeting you
at the Spirit of Steel Show but doubt if I'll do it again, lots of money and really nothing to show for it. Did meet a few
people I would have never met ortherwise.
You take care,
Ray

MY REPLY

Hey there Ray,

Good to meet you at the SOS show also. It is kinda fun to get harrassed sometimes, and as long as it is in fun, I don't mind.

I was not happy with the cat litter thing. It was great for the first few hours but it eventually melts together into a smooth bottom. That would be OK except that when you get it hot again it gets sticky. It sticks to your metal and is a mess. I heated mine up past welding temp and took a piece of rebar and tried to fish it out.

I would not recommend it. It may be fine for low temp forging of arrow heads or something that you just run the forge for a few minutes but for knives and especially for welding damascus, forget it.

Bob

Thanks Bob, I just happen to think I didn't send my email address. I'll leave the cat litter to the cats. Thanks again, Ray

I have just the opposite comment really. My forge is the vertical type and the top lifts off the bottom. The bottom has a 3"vertical stainless ring welded to it that the top just slides past to rest on the base. The ring acts like a concrete form and I just fill it with the cheapest cat litter I can find. After a couple of good heats lift the top back off and add some more as it tends to shrink after getting hot. The Kaowool liner in my forge rest's on top of the form ring for a seal.

Plain 'o Bill look to auto parts store "oil sorb" it comes in 40 or 50 lb bags for about $10-$15 bucks. Kitty litter without any perfume. Works on oils spills real good too!

I`ve been using litter in 2 gas forges for over 3 yrs.and never had a problem.Use a fire brick to keep your blades off the floor. Thanks Robert Washburn ABS Journeuman Smith