Problem Solving

I know this is not blacksmith related but I respect the opinions of the people on this board so I am posting it here. I manufacture and redress sub surface oil tools for a living and one of the major hassles we run into on a daily basis are 1/4-20 and 10-32 set screws that are froze up in tools and internal threaded connections that are rusted solid. its just about standard operating procedure to use a 36" pipe wrench with a 60" cheater pipe and a large rosebud to tear the tools down. the average tool size is 6" OD and 6 ft long. Once we get the tool into our shop we usual have less that a day to get it torn down, redressed and back to our customer, so a long s…

I've been searching through IFI and google but not really coming up with anything and trying to increase my skills in a different direction from what I've been doing. How do you attach something like a crane and cattails or other sculpture to a wood or stone base? I saw in a couple of threads how a collar joins different pieces together where it meets the wood which seems to act as a shoulder for the sculpture to rest on. I've got some rustic heavy timbers in various sizes to function as a base and plenty of rocks to choose. Another thing that has me stumped. Has anyone made a table with stone top and had part of the frame work pass up through the stone tabletop an…

My compressor uses a 7 hp, 3450 rpm, 240V single phase motor. It is intermittent use in that it doesn't run continuously for long periods of time. I understand in principle that imbalance of voltage causes higher amperage which causes higher heat. So I've started checking the voltage to the shop while I source another motor. FYI..The lines to the panel box are 10 feet long and the wire is oversized as well. I don't have a lot of experience here. What more can I do to protect these motors?

This is actually a rowing machine with pneumatic resistance. The weld failed. I'm concerned that it wouldn't be safe for me / the cylinder to weld it. In any case, I only have a stick welder not a spot welder. Repair suggestions?

Hello all. I hope that the fall weather is treating y'all better than me. My question for those with more experience: About 2 weeks ago I prepared a 12" long billet of 11 layers of alternating 15N20 and 1095, welded a handle on and put 3 wire wraps around it, Unfortunately, before welding it, I realized I didn't have enough propane, and then fall happened here in the foothills of Mt Rainier and I haven't been able to work in the shop since then. Do I need to worry about any rust affecting the first weld seeing as it's been sitting in my shop for a couple of weeks or should I just go ahead and heat, flux and weld as normal? Thank you in advance.

Woman with Haflingers wants a "bitch hook" No, that's what she said, honest. Looked it up, and found bitch hook n. a curved metal device used with a chain to hold or secure lumber or other things, or to brake a sled on descents. Also bitch link. Editorial Note: The unpublished manuscript for the Lexicon of Trade Jargon (circa 1938-39, now at the Library of Congress) includes in its section on “Lumber Workers’ Slang and Jargon” an entry for bitch chain and defines it as a “Heavy, short chain with hook and ring, used to fasten the lower end of a ‘gin pole’ (q.v.) to a sled or car when loading logs. bitch link, “In logging: a pear-shaped link on the end o…

Hello all. I'm new to larger projects (railings, gates both garden and driveway, etc) and am looking for information regarding minimum size requirements/suggestions for stock. Are there any resources other than experience that provides this information? ie: would 1/2" x 2" be too small, overkill, 'bout right etc for the outer frame of a gate? Is 1/4" square too small for inner frame elements? when scaling up to a 6', 8', 10' span how should one scale up the stock size? thanks in advance

I have been using a tumbler modified from a HF concrete mixer for a few years now and I LOVE IT!! [i covered most of the outside with thick felt to cut down the noise [not quiet, but much better]. My favorite medial is punch-out drops of all sizes and shapes, mostly 1.5 inches and under.. Have tried many, many others and much prefer the steel drops. If I list all the things I have tried this post will be so long nobody will read it :) When removing forge scale it generates a lot of nasty, semi-oily dust that gets all over the shop and all over the work being tumbled. Years ago I tried adding a cup of Tide powdered laundry detergent [dry, I don't use liquids of…

What is a good way to get rid of mice in the smithy? The weather has turned wet, and cold will follow. Then the mice will start looking for a home for winter. I just want to be prepared for them this year.

A little too busy to take a pic or two at work but have some scrap springs coming my way. They are track tensioner springs off of a D-8 Cat. Each coil is maybe 12" in dia the stock is around 2" dia and they are around 4' overall length. I have dreams of hammers. maybe if I have a moment I can grab the camera and take a few pics. Another neat part is the caging rod that runs down the center of the spring. The round end is threaded for a nut that takes a 2 3/16" socket. Then stepes up to a fairly large square cross section for a foot or so then has a 1"thick 3" dia maybe end on it. looks like a nicely shaped stake anvil. Just needs to be cut off and a taper forged…

Hey guys, I got a monster wheel bearing from a triple 7 caterpillar dump truck. I'm trying to find any material or manufacturers mark (been in class all day), but haven't found one. Any ideas as what it might be made of or disassembly? I might just wait until I build a bonfire and anneal it there, and then take a die grinder and cutting wheels to it unless any other advice is offered.

Bought a lot and during some landscaping found an odd shaped piece of cast iron. Any ideas what it may be from? Poor pictures. Have a feeling I have seen something like it someplace on the net recently, just not sure. mike

Post the tricks of the trade that you use, or know that work. This is open to everyone and a great way for the new folks to contribute to the site. * You can never get a part cleaner than what the rag is dirty. When clean is critical, use clean paper towels. * WD-40 for killing wasps. * If you need some shim stock, wash out an old beer or soda can and cut it apart with scissors. * When you making several duplicate items, put a soapstone mark on the anvil or work table to check the length in each step. * Use 2 small inspection mirrors, one to reflect light into a dark area, the other to see what is there.

I think I found a good steel supplier, but im confused by the sizes they list. 1/8 x 2 1084 Carbon Steel What exactly am I going to get if I buy "1 each" of this? https://www.knifemaker.ca/product.php?productid=17099&cat=305&page=1 My guess is 1/8th of an inch thick, by 2 inches wide, but then how long is it? Im confused..

I'm crafting a standard, flat bottle opener and want to try something a little different. I plan on punching a hole at the bottom and I want to rivet a different, longer piece of steel to the hole and have it wrap around the handle in a sort of spiral design. My problem is trying to figure out how I'm going to do the rivet without cutting the steel. I still haven't completely mastered the forge welding technique and I have a very limited tool set. This would be much easier if I had access to iron or something similar but I'm working with what I've got. Before I go out there and wing it, I figured I would give this forum a shot and see if anyone has any ideas th…

Is there any reason not to use copper rivets to join steel?

I'm in the process of building a table base similar to the one pictured below for our deck. I'm using 2" x 1/4" flat stock (A36) for the table legs. The main horizontal bar running under the table slab that connects the two table end supports together will be 1-1/2" x 5/8" flat bar (A36). The tie bar (that the 1/4" thick wedges are driven in to) that connects the legs and horizontal support together will be 5/8" x 1/8" flat bar folded with the joint landing in the middle of the hole drifted in the horizontal bar (if that makes any sense). Any ideas on what would be a good way to drift the rectangle hole (5/8" tall x 1/2" wide) for the tie bar to slide through…

Need a few ideas for some BBQ tongs. I have a wedding to go to on the 19th and have a rose or two for the couple as well as a passable bbq fork. Not overly pleased with it though. The handle doesn't quite feel right in the hand, but it may have to do depending on how much time I have to play in my shop. To go with the fork I was thinking of a set of really light pick up tongs for turning things. Unless someone has any better ideas. Appreciate any help

I have some old, antique textile bobbins I've been sitting on for years looking for a use for them - I'm attaching a similar photo I found online. I want to cut these in half and get two garden tool handles out of each one. Problem is, they're hollow! Any suggestions for what I could use as filler for them that would later allow me to insert the shaft of a forged garden tool? It would have to be some type of filler that is solid enough to later allow drilling for a handle... something that won't crack or pull away from the wood... I'm kinda' at a loss? I REALLY want to use mine for garden tool handles, they have a beautiful patina. They are slightly tapered, so …

I want to convert my old anvil hardies, 1" hardy hole posts, to my larger anvil hardy hole, 1 1/4". I was going to slip a 1 1/4" OD square steel tubing sleeve over the one inch hardy post. Unfortunately, they aren't thick enough to give a snug fit. They come in 11 gauage and that is a hair to thin. But, the 1 1/4 aluminum sq tubing is .125 thickness and would be perfect. So, would it cause problems with the alum up against the steel? Is there another way to give a snug fit to the larger hardy hole.

I've ordered myself an anvil and need an address in Spokane to use. The anvil will be held at the shippers for a friend to pick up, Anyone in Spokane/Coeur d'Alene that would be willing to help me out? Michael

It definitely pays to put your best foot forward, or in this case, to only publicize work that you've done your level best on. The customer that saw my hooks on another forum (and bought a slew of them) just dropped me an email and wants some racks to "hang up my rakes n shovels on the side of the shed". Of course, I'm very happy with repeat business, but he's kind of blindsided me with the specs for the racks. The email'd drawing shows just a flat back plate with three pairs of prongs coming off of it at an upward angle of a few degrees. The only absolutes he's given is that the back plate is to have bolt holes drilled on both 16" and 24" centers so he can mo…

I'm sure this info has already been posted somewhere, I just can't seem to find it. I need to make a spring. Not the traditional coil type, more in the shape of a hair pin only larger. Is there an alloy of steel that would work well for this and what is the best way to heat treat the piece once it forged? I do have a section of leaf spring (alloy unknown) and several types of known tool steel although perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree all together? Any help or links to where to find help are appreciated. Thanks

I've designed some fire dogs for a customer that have 3 x 20mm straight bars collared together to make a 60mm wide front. In imperial that's 3 x 25/32 inch bars collared together to make a 2" 23/64 front. My concern is that the collars might loosen up from the heat of the fire and slide down the bars. That's an easy fix, I can just do away with the collars and rivet the bars together, but it's highlighted a more general concern about collaring straight bars together where there's no vertical resistance. To help explain what I mean about vertical resistance I've attached a picture of a candleabra I made a while ago, it has four straight bars held together by 3 coll…

I am just getting started in the craft and don't have a lot of knowledge...can someone help me understand how the the knot work was made on this?...I find it interesting...would this be plate steel domed then raised from the back or would it be thick plate pushed back into itself to raise the knot work?...really like the idea of it but can't wrap my head around it just yet lol...any help well received always looking to learn more :)