July 1-09 Sointula Forge_1

July 1-09 Sointula Forge_1
Originally uploaded by sointula

Here Dan fires up the forge's hearth using coal and hand cranked blower for a source of air. The air is forced into the middle of the fire through a tuyere which is simply a pipe. The hearth pan is not large but is capable of heating up pieces of steel to red hot colour in only a few seconds.
This forge was built only a few years ago. The original Kalevan Kansa Blacksmith Shop and Foundry was destroyed in a forest fire in 1925.