Restoring a Champion “Midway” No. 71 Forge and Blower - Part 1: Disassembling the Forge 

OMG! I knew I saw you somewhere before Keith! You were my blacksmithing merit badge counselor at Philmont When I was a kid! I couldn't quite figure it out, that's been 30 years ago. But I never forgot what I learned then. I went there for 2 weeks when I was close to getting my Eagle scout. That's cool!

I have the forge, anvil & tools that belonged to my great grandfather passed down through the generations. The duck nest is exactly like yours but with no tray. We have always mounted it in a rock or brick foundation. The blower is on a pedestal. My dad was particularly talented with it & I learned from him. When i was a little fellow, about 3 years old I discovered that by pulling down hard on the blower crank, the flywheel inside would give me a ride over the top picking me up off the ground. One day I was "riding the blower" and it toppled on top of me pinning me to the ground, the oil stem hit me in the head cracked my skull and I ended up in the hospital with stitches and a concussion. My Mother was horrified and surely gave my Dad the 3rd degree. The next day, I was eating lunch (broccoli) in my hospital room when the doctor came by... he said, "If that boy is well enough to eat that hospital broccoli, he's good enough to go home."

You know, you made the job much harder on yourself when you said the magic words "That was easier than it should have been"

My grandfather (born 1891) trained as a blacksmith in a buggy factory. When he finished training the boss put him in the paint shop, which he disliked. He found a job on the railroad and rose to engineer. He always liked working with metal, and could fix or fabricate just about anything. I remember the unique smell of his workshop, a mix of varnish, grease, and coal smoke. They don't make them that way any more. Thanks for showing this new project.

I think Keith explained why this project will be a labor of love as he works through disassembly, inspection, clean-up and rebuild. When he finishes this project and fires it up for the first time, 50 years of anticipation will melt away. Good for you…! 😊

That is really a great find!

Hey Keith, one of my fondest memories as going through that Philmont camp and doing the blacksmith activity, so thank you for serving there. That was my first hands on metal working intro. Thanks

Hi Keith. I have that exact forge. They are a beast! I love mine.

That red high heat silicone is a good choice for that gasket. We used it on all our late model headers which would be glowing red hot for 100 laps. It seals better and does not get loose and crack like a gasket.

I grew up in Albuquerque, and the state is called the land of enchantment, but for those that moved there, but can't afford to move away, it's called the land ot entrapment. I have fond memories of summer camp in the Farmington area of NM. In my welding class, we had an introduction to blacksmithing, and it's something that I've used many times.

That thing is in great shape. I can’t wait to see this progress. As usual, great video.

My friend from the NJBA chapter of ABANA had one of those and it was such a joy to use. But looking at that firepot it is super different and doesn't look like the original. I do hope you restore that as well. That original design of the champion firepots worked so much better than the modern ones that just have a puck in the center. That puck always burns out, but the champion one never had an issue and the air was directed super well right to the middle of the coal fire.

Teaching boys at summer camp is probably one of the best experiences of my life.

This is a fun project, looking forward to the restoration.

It looks like it should be a great little forge. Nice work Keith! I am up early right now at 4:30 a.m. getting ready to give myself a Lovenox blood thinner injection.

Keith, I would love to see you rebuild the blower. I don't think I have seen anyone redo one that was any further than a good cleaning and they all are just noisy as can be. I did not think they could be silent. Looking forward to this series. Thanks for the videos.

WE'RE ALL EXCITED, GREAT START, GREAT JOB, PET OR TELL EVERYBODY HELLO, GREAT VIDEO...SEE YOUALL WHEN...

Keith - You are just like me. The newest project almost always goes to the top of the list. It doesn't even make the list. I just start working on it.

The threads in the leg bosses look super clean!

Come to Keith's place, the den of rebuilding & restoration. I think he is happiest when working on a project - and there have been so many. Yet another job is on the list and you bet it will turn out like new. You are an inspiration, Keith.

Can't wait to see you build a full setup at home near the shop!

I was one of those kids just sitting in the back not really caring about what the teacher was talking about. For the past 35 years have been regretting it almost every day. So nice to come here and try to play catch up on my learning. THANK YOU!!

I use a #41 Champion in our shop, it’s in my latest video. 🔥🔥🔥 This is an awesome project Keith!

Very interesting, Keth.

Man, I love your channel. Always something new and different.

Thank you for sharing your skills and I have enjoyed the content

Love it. Really interesting project. I like it when you deconstruct this kind of thing and bring them back to new.

Great project, thanks.

I thought you already had a forge, if memory served me correctly (failing these days) you got one a few years ago. Glad you didn't get hurt when the blower arm dropped... and that it didn't crack. You are doing quite a few projects at once. Certainly great to have the space and while one is working send the other out... good on you.

The cast bracket is the absolute hardest to find when missing. The legs and hood are all replaceable

Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed.🔨👍👀

For some reason my father hated the term "cheater bar". He called it a "persuader".

I'm going to find this very interesting. When it's done, I do hope you'll show us some of your blacksmithing skills!

What you called a tee pipe is the tuyère for the fire pot.

Classic disassembly, you just did whatever had to be done to avoid damage. Sometimes that can be the most risky part of a job (to the worker and the project). Good Job!

Good morning from the UK Keith , perfect timing just got a coffee 😁

Thank you Mr. Keith this was an excellent video showing the action and not a whole Lotta talking looking forward to the restoration and hopefully you’ll find a time to use it

Thankyou Keith for sharing your wonderful projects.

As always, Thanks for sharing your journey and most interesting history!

Thanks Keith, Just a Note, if you haven't figured it out by now but the Audio kept changing between Video Cuts ? Mike M.

I picked up blacksmithing back in my early 30s (around 2004ish I think). Propane fired forge, but well equipped with a couple anvils, hammers tongs, etc. Really got into it to make knives and did that, but had a lot of fun doing other stuff, like making the tongs and fullers, hot cuts, axes, all kinds of stuff. Unfortunately, just like you mentioned, I tore my right shoulder up really badly a couple years ago and I still haven't gotten it quite behind me yet, may need another surgery yet. Still have it all and hope to get back to it one of these days. It'll be fun to watch you get it set up, and I sure do hope you post some blacksmithing content, I'd love to watch it.

The only bit of blacksmithing I've done, was making a poker, in metalwork class, at school. 😊

Wow that's nice Keith, Hope there is some fun in store and trying to find some stuff to fix this old forge. I have a Buffaloe Forge. the legs are probably 8 or 10 inches longer and like you say in your video they swoop out almost the whole length. guessing 2 1/5 or maybe three inches higher. I think I measured the height at about 31" table top to floor. Good luck

Very interesting thank you Keith. I've not seen that style of forge before, the people I know who use old hand cranked forges have the smaller rivet style forges.

cheater bar info, I use aluminum baseball bats with the large end cut off about an inch from the end. There is a reinforcement band inside to strengthen the sidewall. Very light and strong.

great content keith

I have the champion blower and a leg set for the blower. Also have the tuyere with the damper and clinker breaker, but not the fire pot, nor any of the rest of the forge pan nor hood. All in remarkably good shape for their age. You might just get me energized to fabricate the balance of what I need to get a forge going.

Thanks Keith.

Keith: A muffler shop may be a good option for a new blower pipe. They bend large diameter pipe like that every day, and the muffler pipe has to stand up to high temps. in use.

Great project. Thanks for sharing.

Good video 👍

I am surprised to heck and back that the blower arm isn't broken. What sorcery is that? :)) This will be a great project.

17:26 Keith, position your body weight on the side that's sliding, then use your 'cheater-bar' to unscrew that final leg. Looking forward to part 2...thumbs up!

cool project.. cant wait for part 2

They used hi temp caulk on the frue flange. Good for 500 degrees.AL B.

That is a beautiful forge.

Quite an addition to the shop. Not intending to be critical, but you are like many of us and have a large number of projects going on at once. .Enough to keep you going for some time. It's the Sara Winchester approach.

Fascinating - as always

Philmont!!!! WOW!!! Very cool. Best place on the planet. Did a trek at Philmont. My sons were able to do two treks. The blacksmithing anvil at Philmont is called Betty (I think).

THANKS KEITH

The Red is likely wood stove front glass sealer. High Temp for certain.

I hear you about High School! I graduated in 1976 (as it happens today is my 64th birthday) and I took the metal shop classes because I wanted to learn. Unfortunately, in my experience, as was yours, most of the guys in there were "steered toward the trades" as they were definitely NOT college material! Guys in tenth grade counting the days until their 18th birthday and could drop out and spend the rest of their lives pumping gas. The same guys that made my HS life miserable (as one said years later) "Because I was so much smarter than them"! I made "A"s and "B"s and they made "D"s and "F"s and had been held back a grade or three (but I digress). 🤬

Keeping the original legs and adding back on the missing section would keep the nice curves.

Great video Keith, keep'um coming..

That RTV silicone is designed for high temps.

Our crew blacksmithed at Philmont also.

Nice new project Keith. I was thinking you could have done with a forge to heat up that big cast iron brazing repair you did recently!

I built my first forge at 14 with a lot of help from my Dad. I used a reversed vacuum cleaner motor for the blower. A really, really bad idea.

everytime you were banging on that chisel i was squinting awaiting for the pan to break. I am always weary on hammering on cast iron parts

I won't mind an occasional blacksmithing video. A bit of variety is good.

If it won't move, don't force it, get a bigger wrench. If it breaks, it needed to be replaced anyway.

Kids these days are more interested in becoming "influencers" than they are learning trades. I recall some of those same people you're talking about in high school shop classes as well. Anyway if we don't start encouraging youngsters to participate in industrial education, in 100 years trades like blacksmithing and old school machinists will probably die out. Everything will be done with CNC or some other technology

As a personn that does a lot of rigging for work. Our common practice is to never basket anything we need to flip. I've seen many endless loop slings get cut thru or slip. We choke everything, safer when by yourself

Something you can do with cast iron you can melt and cut the old bolts out with a cutting torch without harming the cast iron as a cutting torch will not cut cast iron, however this will not work on cast steel as a cutting torch will cut the cast steel

Do not think Mr grumpy next door would appreciate me taking up blacksmithing

Now you can take that steel scrap and forge some Damascus parts. Have fun!

Okay honestly, how hard did you laugh when you started editing this video and saw your cat taking a bath in full view of the camera? 😁 Because it looks like from where you were standing you may not have noticed that at the time, lol.

I see ginger gave the forge a cat scan. 😁

What happened with the white mountain ice cream churns from 3ys ago? They were disassembled and then no more videos.

So "to many irons in the fire" comes to mind but enjoyed the content. You need the 36 inch long pipe wrench just put it next to pipe and it will come free.

The older I get the longer my cheater bar gets. Now I can't pick up the bar. Thanks for your time. Pete in South Carolina

An interesting project for any blacksmithing hopefuls. Any plans for a gas forge too?

Any News On Mr. Wiggins? Really miss his channel! Everything 👍🏻 okay?

What the H E Double Hockey Sticks is the blade on that grinder? Never seen anything cut that fast!!!!

Are you going to build a hood for it?

It was stove pipe silicone

I went to Philmont in '87, we're you working then? What camp?

Hey Mr Rucker!! Do you still have your monster size evaporust tank? 😃 It would be great for this project!!

Hello Keith! I watch a saw mill channel that has a swinging chop saw. A 4-5" wide flat belt is used. The belt flaps like a flag in a gale. I think this may be an issue. How should a flat bet look in normal operation? A set of 3 v-belts from the diesel engine to the 50" blade also flap. I think this is also an issue. Any suggestions or AM I being an alarmist? Thank You and forge on.

If you find another one I'll take it

Now you need a "spreading chestnut-tree"

I'm still wondering why you did not fasten the forge bottom to the saw horses clamped it blocked it in some way

Mr Pete would say you'a Buba with your hamer and chisel but I like it My good friend Buba likes your chanel to

Whatever happened to the Diresta bandsaw?

Lots of audio problems - which is unusual for you. You feeling ok?

A wise man once mentioned that a cheater bar/pipe was a special tool used to break the head off a wrench.

Who was it that said"give me a lever and I can move the world" or in your case a cheater bar...

What happened to the steam stoker engine ? Did y’all give up on it?

Oh Keith. I know you've got spectacles on but you really should wear protection goggles when using the cutter - please. I've seen the results of lack of eye protection and it's not pretty.

Should call it an Archimedes Bar, not a cheater bar :)