That's a portable COAL-FIRED forge. The modern Natural Gas or Propane (you can use either gas) Forge is portable too. The forges on the History Channel's FORGED IN FIRE are all portable forges. The big weight is in the Anvil. My Anvil is 600lbs. In addition to horseshoes and nails, you can make just about anything metal on a portable forge. To make nails by the dozen, old-school blacksmiths would take a HARDWOOD like white oak or ironwood that could resist burning and cut up to a dozen (or more) nail-shaped "slots" called "forms" in it. They would then coat that form with a bit of clay or water (to prevent/reduce the burning of the forms) and just pour mild steel into those slots. After about 2 to 3 minutes, you just dump out a dozen nails.
To make a screw, you have a tool like a T-handle that fits over a nail's head. You heat the nail to bright yellow hot, stick in a block of wood tip first, and then use the t-handle to twist the nail (by its head) into the form of a screw.
You can also make high tensile steel by putting mild steel into a container (like when they make Damascus on Forged In Fire) with carbon. Where does one get that carbon during the Apocalypse? From charcoal. Yes, your bag of Kingsford Charcoal on the back porch CAN be used to make high-tensile steel when combined with mild steel!
I love tinkering with my forge even more than I like welding!
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