Blacksmithing and forging

[idacal]

I just purchased a coal forge, havent got got it picked up or pictures. will have them tomorrow after getting it out of the hole its in. Was going to do a gas forge but this was less than the cost of building one, to see if I want to play with blacksmithing. Now to find coal

[VaughnT]

...Now to find coal

That's always the problem. Good coal is very hard to find, especially good coal that's close enough to you. My only coal supplier is an hour's drive away, and the coal is mediocre, at best.

This is why most folks opt for propane forges. There's nothing like the ease of use of propane, but there's also nothing that gets in your blood quicker than the smell of a good coal fire burning. Once you have that experience, you'll be hooked forever!


Keeping with the tradition of the blacksmith helping the local farmers, I helped a local gent who needed his gardening tools refurbished. There really wasn't much to do to them other than clean everything up. The shears and loppers were missing a washer, so I replaced those. The edges were pretty much okay, and only needed a little time with the files.

That sling blade was fun to sharpen. I got the impression that the gullets were where all the cutting action was taking place, with the teeth acting more as guides to get the grasses focused down to the gullets. So..... a rat-tail file sharpened the gullets up in a quick blink and that was that.

Then I waxed everything so it'd be more "presentable" when I gave them back.





Doing jobs like this isn't economical for me, and most folks would never bother to ask since it's cheaper to simply run down to the hardware store for something new. The gent wanted his kit brought back to life because they had belonged to his father, so I traded him for a couple beers and some friendly conversation. We both won on the deal!

[whtbaron]

I've got a HUGE case of beer... and 50 ft. of cultivator shovels that need changing in the 85F sun...

[BD1]

I've got a HUGE case of beer... and 50 ft. of cultivator shovels that need changing in the 85F sun...

Get a pipe stand and a patio or market umbrella. They fit right in a pipe stand with 1 1/2" tube.
I used to have one on my truck all summer.

[Lis2323]

I've got a HUGE case of beer... and 50 ft. of cultivator shovels that need changing in the 85F sun...

I know how those jobs turn out. Exposed fine threads on the "underside" of the bolt worn off, rounded shoulders on the plow bolt and NO impact wrench.

That huge case of beer's looking smaller the more I think about it.


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[Lis2323]

Get a pipe stand and a patio or market umbrella. They fit right in a pipe stand with 1 1/2" tube.
I used to have one on my truck all summer.

.....and sit under it beer in hand whilst "supervising" your helper.


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[whtbaron]

I know how those jobs turn out. Exposed fine threads on the "underside" of the bolt worn off, rounded shoulders on the plow bolt and NO impact wrench.

That huge case of beer's looking smaller the more I think about it.


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Well... I had the impact until the compressor started overheating and tripping breakers. I'm in the process of changing the pump and hopefully that solves the overworked motor issues. I've learned to put used nuts on the exposed threads when I install them, and I don't use lock washers any more. With the impact and double nuts, they stay tight longer and I don't have the problems taking them apart. LOL... my helpers did show up, but they just looked at me and said "How did you get under there , grandpa??"

[whtbaron]

Get a pipe stand and a patio or market umbrella. They fit right in a pipe stand with 1 1/2" tube.
I used to have one on my truck all summer.

I like to think of it as my own personal beach... all it needs is sand, water and bikinis...

[Steve Shimanek]

I modified an old set of horizontal round bar tongs to serve as a means to remove a crucible from the foundry i just built; I should be melting metal very soon.

[idacal]

I got my forge picked up today, pictures are before I had to disassemble and get it out of the building. the blower was mounted on a cement pedestal and fan motor mounts were mounted into the chimney of the building. I need to build a new mount for the blower and motor. it has a .5 horse motor with a flat belt design that Im going to see if I can reuse, but the belt looked pretty bad. sure I will have questions as work my way into this.

[Lis2323]

Cool forge idacal!

[VaughnT]

I need to build a new mount for the blower and motor. it has a .5 horse motor with a flat belt design that Im going to see if I can reuse, but the belt looked pretty bad. sure I will have questions as work my way into this.

It seems like we never stop having questions!

The good news is that you got one heck of a good deal on a beautiful forge. That's a Post-1945 forge, maybe made by a local craftsman, and about as nice as you could ask for.

Looks like it's lined with some type of cement, which is good as it'll make the forge last for ages. The blower alone would fetch $100 on the open market, so you definitely won.

Replacing the flat belt is easy enough and there are tons of sources for new belts. They are very economical.

Congratulations, and welcome to the addiction.

[VaughnT]

Went to get some more steel and ended up bringing this lovely little bit home with me.




I have no need for it, and no idea what I might use it for eventually, but I wasn't going to leave it behind. The supplier doesn't deal in anything other than full sticks, so when I saw this little bit sitting there looking all forlorn, I had to inquire. Turns out, a customer bought a full length and had them cut what they needed.... and then left this off-cut behind because they didn't want to haul out their own trash.

So my supplier was sitting on it until someone asked about it... and I was that guy!

With a 3/8" wall thickness, I think I'll cut off a slice to make a hump tool for the anvil. No idea if I'll ever need hump tool, but it can't hurt to have one, right?

I love getting free stuff like this!

[shortfuse]

Cut a slice about 1" to 2" wide and make a bending jig out of it. Weld a piece of angle iron across the bottom and clamp it in your post vise.

[VaughnT]

... make a bending jig...

That's one thing I'm considering. I'll have to see if it's a different size than I have with my "Ultra Jig" from Yesteryear Forge.

I'm also thinking about making a bump for the hardy since I don't have one. With a thick wall like that, I'm sure it can take a beating.

Maybe cut a 2" slice off and use a small piece for the bump and leave the rest for a circle form...... That way I get two tools out of one cut.

[VaughnT]

Had a slew of hooks to make today, so I decided to offset the tedium by making something a little different. I've been needing a nice hook for my shop apron, and I just had to have a little 3" off-cut of 3/8" bar in the catch tray of the bandsaw. Seemed like a perfect excuse to do something I haven't done in awhile!

Now I just have to figure out what i want to go about the rest of the hook....

[Lis2323]

Vaughn I like what you did with that 3/8" round stock


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[VaughnT]

Thank you. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it like that or take it to a proper diamond. I like the look as it is, but maybe going full diamond would be a better showcase of skill? Of course, then there's the "rational" part of me that says to just get it done so I can hang my apron up.

[VaughnT]

Got to check out this fellow's build vid the other day and it was fun. The whole time, I'm laughing because he's using every trick in the book to get that forge welded together!

Things don't line up, grab a hammer and line them up! Or "kneeling on the table with your nuts up around your nose, just to get one stinking tack."



Looks like it's going to be a very nice forge, too. He built it nice and big with plenty of room for fuel, tools and future projects.

[VaughnT]

Some time back, I mentioned that I was looking to start including screws with all the hooks I make. The hitch was finding a source for those little plastic drywall anchors that didn't mean also buying shiny zinc-plated screws. Seems like everywhere I turned, there were those little combo packs on the shelves, but I couldn't justify paying for those ugly screws, then reworking them to make them less ugly. That they are all phillips-head is only adding lots of hate and pain to my world.

Well, yesterday I was at Lowes to pick up some more packaging paper (contractor's paper in the painting aisle is great for packaging stuff and super cheap). I decided to walk through the screw section to see if I could find any flat-head screws for an upcoming project. Nope.

But I did run across a glorious jug-o-anchors!

Hillman brand, 375 of the blessed things in one little can! They're sized for both #8 or #10 wood screws at least 1-1/4" long. I bought some 1-1/2" #10 screws while I was there so I could test things out. Wonderful flair to the anchors and I think they'll work well with my thicker hooks like the railroad spike model I make.

With so many anchors in the package, I'll have to sell 150 hooks before I have to worry about another run to Lowes. That's a lot of hooks!

Now, it's just a matter of settling on the type of screw to use. Kayne & Son only has one variety of slot-head screw that would be good for wood or drywall, and the slot looks exceptionally shallow. While I like the look, I don't like the shallow slot or lack of selection.

So I went over to Blacksmith Bolt, a wonderful place to shop. They have far more selection, including countersunk slot-head screws. Sadly the selection is big enough to become confusing because the website doesn't have specs for everything. So, I fired off an email to get some clarification and will hopefully be placing an order in the very near future.

Adding the screws and anchors to the hooks will cost me money and a necessary increase in price per hook, but I think it will also drive up sales of the things. I have an order for some flat bar hooks that need to go out tomorrow, so I'll make up some screws to go with them as a surprise for the customer. Hopefully, they'll be ecstatic about it and I'll be able to get some good feedback.

[killdozerd11]

[VaughnT]

Dang! Makes me wish I wasn't broke as a joke!

I really miss the industrialized north and all the neat things there are to find at salvage yards, flea markets and auctions.

Today, I got to make 20+ hooks from a variety of sizes of bar. It wasn't fun, but the job is done. And I managed to burn the zinc off a whole bunch of screws so they better match the look of the hooks. The screws are stilly phillips-head, but I have to work with what I got until something better comes along!

Got me a 12-pack in the belly and I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep. It's morning for the rest of the world, but us blacksmiths gotta work during the cool of the night when the summer temps are way up like they've been.

[VaughnT]

One worn out mofo! 40 hooks forged and finished in less than eight hours.



The downside to large orders like this is that it really highlights how impossible a job it is to keep things looking reasonably similar. While you can bend around a mandrel to get a uniform gap in the hooks, I've yet to find a way to insure the tapers and curls are the same. Even the slightest differences in either will add up to make the hooks taller or shorter once you've got them bent.

Still, I guess it proves that they weren't mass-produced in some factory.

And, yes, that's a lot of pistol brass sitting on the floor. I used to shoot several hundred rounds a month, minimum, for training, and still have a bunch of the brass that needs something done with it. Thought about melting it down, but I'd rather see it go to a good reloading family.

[jrw159]

"Even the slightest differences in either will add up to make the hooks taller or shorter once you've got them bent."

Personally that's what I would prefer if I ordered hooks from you. Obviously I wouldn't want huge variances in them but I think the small differences are what makes them special. If they showed up looking like they came off an assembly line I would be disappointed.

jrw159

[VaughnT]

[b] If they showed up looking like they came off an assembly line I would be disappointed.

Thank you for that vote of confidence. We're always our own worst critics and it's those little things that grate on my nerve. I'm always wondering if there's some trick I could be using that would make them turn out just a hair more uniform.