Glenn

Ed has been taken to the hospital with a staff infection. He is expected to stay a week or so until they can get it under control. Prayers would be appreciated.

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Where do you live? What do you consider cold during the winter? Anything below 70*F is cold in Arizona (according to Rich Hale), but -10*F can be a warm spell if your in northern Canada.

When you do small things, you can do them fast with a hand hammer. And with a little pre-planning, you can also do them more efficiently. For instance, the beam hook or drive hook. I make a longer "S" hook. I first cut all the stock. Then make the pig tail and loop on one end. Then make the pig tail and loop on the other end. Now I cut it in half, and point the cut end. As to the heats, I keep several pieces of steel in the coal fire at all times so there is always a piece of hot steel ready for the anvil. Because longer stock is used, I don't have to use tongs for most of the process. Since I am making repetitive parts, they all look very similar. 50 "S" hooks is 100 pig tails and loops before changing the procedure to do something else. This leaves me with 2 different items, a longer "S" hook, which can be easily made into a beam hook. If I run short on beam hooks, I cut some of the "S" hooks in half and taper and bend the end. This same length stock is used for a couple of other items, so I usually have some full length stock available, which can make any of 4 different items needed. Usually this is not done on a power hammer, it is hand work. To take a piece of 1 inch round and taper it to 3/8 inch round across a 24 inch length is power hammer territory. It can be done by hand, but to do 25 at a time, well, you can see the point of using the power hammer. To discus power hammers, electric would seem to be the way to go. Convert electric to mechanical, convert electric to air and use pneumatics, or convert electric to fluids and use hydraulics. You may want to check the Blueprints for some ideas. BP0134 Power Hammer Hammer - Power Jeff Reinhardt BP0146 Power Hammer Hammer - Power Mike Tanner BP0208 Power Hammer Hammer - Power Garey Ford BP0081 Tapers Refined Hammer - Power Dick Sargent BP0159 Helve Power Hammer Hammer - Power Jr Strasil

Son Daughtry Let us say you and another blacksmith are in the same town. You doing things the 1600's and the 1700's no power tools way. He is using a power hammer, electric welder, electric grinder and electric lights so he can work after dark, who do you think is going to sell more items? Who do you think is going to get more work done. Now let us say a customer sees the same item that each of you made. Do you think they will say "Oh my, this was done the 1600's and the 1700's no power tools way. Here is an extra $20 for your efforts." A quick 5 will out run a slow 20 any day (Bill Epps) You need to do it the 1600's and the 1700's no power tools way when everyone is watching, but make the shelf stock (for sale items) the best way possible. -------------- If you have a good source of water a trip hammer may be an idea. Don't get me wrong, I applaud your efforts to keep things period. But when money is involved ....you gotta eat.

No I do not speak French. We translate the IForgeIron site into several languages so folks from all over the world can use the resource information on the site. IForgeIron is visited by over 50 world wide countries each month. If Pascalou is willing to post to an English Forum, I can at least translate between the two languages using a translator. Just type in your works and then choose the language you wish to translate into. Click here for a translator ---------- Aucun je ne parle pas fran

I have no details on how it was made. Foot support, tripod stand, was 1 inch round bar tapered down to 3/8 inches, scroll work and hand made chain added. -------------- Je n'ai aucun d

Ok, it is a little light weight for some blacksmithing shops, but IF your doing small stuff you need a small hammer.

Show me your mechanical hammer. Doesn't matter if it is store bought or home built. Please include the head weight and some details of construction.

This air hammer was a bit different from most I have seen. 40 pound head weight.

Show me your air hammer. Doesn't matter if it is store bought or home built. Please include the head weight and some details of construction.

This gasser was made by Garey Ford from a freon tank. Details at BP0192 Gas Forge

Show me your gas fuel forge. Doesn't matter whether it is home made or store bought. Please give us a little information on the construction.

This forge was constructed from 10 ga plate steel, angle iron legs and a cast iron fire pot. The fire pot was about 8 inches by 11 inches and 5 inches deep.

Show me your solid fuel forge. Doesn't matter whether it is home made or store bought, coal, coke, charcoal or other solid fuels. Please give us a little information on the construction.

Mike Bendele's repousse bowl. He started with a piece of copper round stock (shown in the bowl) and then worked it into the bowl. Other pieces also shown. Mike is a 30-year veteran metalsmith and has been an instructor at Peters Valley and Touchstone.

Mike Bendele's repousse fish. Mike is a 30-year veteran metalsmith and has been an instructor at Peters Valley and Touchstone.

5 inch jaw vise at a hammer in.

Anvils on stumps.

The hammer in this weekend had a piece of RR steel that would make a small anvil for $3. Anvils were from $150 and up. A 4 inch vise jaw post vise for $40, several 5 inch, and one 6 inch jaw vise. There was a machinist 4 inch jaw vise for $35. The tools are out there, but you have to go find them.

BP0184 Look - See BP0244 Junk Yard Visit Quit looking for a *swage block* and start looking for something to do the same job. The dished bottom of a gas cylinder makes a great swage, gears in make nice swages shapes, solid rounds such as hydraulic cylinders make great fullers. BP0446 Using Your Anvil Use your anvil, all the anvil, not just the face. Quit looking for the name *swage*, and you will find all sorts of shapes with which to work.

If you use automotive paints, I would imagine that they would last as long as they would on a car. Scratches would have to be touched up of course.

GET a set of flashback arresters and USE THEM.

Acetylene Major hazard : Fire Flash Point: 56 deg C ( 132.80 deg F) Toxicity (Am. Conf. Of Gov. Ind. Hygienists ACGIH 2000 Edition) : Simple Asphyxiant Flammability limits in air (STP conditions) : 2.4-83 vol% (The upper limit could reach 100 %)FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS: *Pure acetylene can ignite by decomposition above 15 psig; therefore, the UEL is 100% if the ignition source is of sufficient intensity. GASEOUS ACETYLENE IS SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTIBLE IN AIR AT PRESSURE ABOVE 15 PSI (207 kPa.). It requires a very low ignition energy so that fires which have been extinguished without stopping the flow of gas can easily reignite with possible explosive force. Acetylene has a density very similar to that of air so when leaking it does not readily dissipate. Gas may travel to a source of ignition and flash back. Reverence MSDS Sheets

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