Glenn

BP0101 Anvil Repair

What is your primary forging hammer? 97 votes were turned in. Cross pein ( ---- | ) as you look at the pein 46 votes or 47.4% Straight pein ( ---- -- ) as you look at the pein 18 votes or 18.6% Ball pein ( ----- o ) 15 votes or 15.5% Diagonal or slash pein ( ---- ) as you look at the pein 8 votes or 8.2% Diagonal or slash pein ( ---- / ) as you look at the pein 5 votes or 5.2% Double faced Sledge, no pein ( o----o ) 5 votes or 5.2% Carpenters hammer ( -----? ) 0 votes or 0% There was some discussion on the proper names and configuration of the peen. From what I have found on the internet and in asking other blacksmiths a straight peen hammer has the peen in line or parallel or straight with the handle (----- ---). A cross peen has the peen turned cross ways or 90* to the direction of the handle (----- |). My graphics leave much to the imagination but (----- ) would be the handle and ( | ) would be the peen so (----- |) would represent a cross peen hammer. Thank you for your votes and comments.

Where is your shop located? There were 122 votes Structure that was converted (Old barn, chicken house etc. in a former life) 38 votes or 31.1% Building built for that purpose. 33 votes or 27% Where ever there is room enough for a fire and anvil. 21 votes or 17.2% Lean-to or shed roof with one or more open sides. 15 votes or 12.3% Outside no roof ( one set location) 15 votes or 12.3%

How thick are the tubing walls, how tight a bend do you need ?

Work with the fire. Heat 1 foot at a time, twist, move a bit heat another foot, twist, etc =======//////======//////====== =======///===///===///====== Reference: BP0021 BP0248 BP0250

IForgeIron Blueprints Copyright 2002 - 2011 IFORGEIRON, All rights reserved BP0332 Bail Handle by Glenn Conner You ever have this happen? The bucket is still useful but the handle cracked and slips out of place and the wire digs into your hand. Cut the old handle off the bail. Cut a section from that OLD garden hose you just can not stand to throw away. Split the garden hose. Put in over the bail and tape it into place using electrical tape. The hose was the cheap 1/2" style and it wrapped inside itself. This would be uncomfortable for the hands. So do it again. Now you have a handle with the split at the top and a smooth section against your fingers. This handle is several years old is on a bucket I use for coal. It keeps moving to the side of the house where the wife has her flowers for some reason. So, I had to put the handle on the yellow bucket. View full article

Just thought I would let you know that Annalise was released from the hospital this morning and got home about 11:30 AM she is doing great and recovering quickly. Thanks to all the IFI people for their thoughts and prayers. Woody

IForgeIron Blueprints Copyright 2002 - 2011 IFORGEIRON, All rights reserved BP0353 Flower Hanger Dimple by Glenn Conner The earlier Blueprint on making a plant hanger dimple was a good idea but ... I got an email from one viewer that I was doing it the hard way. No use making a jig for something you already had the equipment that would make the dimple much easier. This is the beauty of the Blueprint system of information, show us your way. Make a tool. The first thing handy was a Rail Road Spike. Just cut the point off the end and dress the edges a bit. Using your new tool, place the stock over the hardie hole and Form the dimple. Ok it has square corners and a flat, not a good dimple but a dimple If you dress the end of the tool to remove the sharp corners And to form a round edge It will work better. No more flat surface. With the air chisel in sight, maybe the "V" shape would work Yes, makes a dandy dimple The second hit makes it a little deeper. Compare flat, round and "V" shaped tools and the dimples they produce. But this is still too complicated, why not just open the jaws of the vise and with a piece of round bar, make a dimple. And a fine dimple it is too. Left to right. round bar, square end tool, round end tool, and "V" end tool. The choice is yours. View full article

BP0129 Ring Roller by Garey Ford BP0368 Ring Roller by Pmusics. There may be others.

A quick search of IForgeIron Blueprints returned the following: BP0121 Vise Bending Forks BP0123 Bending Fork BP0257 Bending Forks BP0285 Bending Forks BP0290 Bending Forks

You may want to look at BP0276 Rivet Header Helper.

If you gave a car to a blacksmith 200 years ago what do you think he could do with it. Ok, other than getting it running again. But what would he do with the metal ?? Lets start a discussion on what parts we want from a car before it is sent to a junk yard and why. If someone says leaf spring and you can make something different from the same leaf spring, please list it again. Extra points if you can provide a Blueprint number showing how it could be used. Double points if you create a new Blueprint showing us how to use the item to make tools, jigs, or a project, art item etc. Leaf springs = flat bar, chair (BP0266 different style maybe), knife blades (BP0420), hot cut hardie, Coil springs = round bar, punches (BP0263, BP0233, BP0163) , veining tool (BP0260), gouge (BP0252), draw knife (BP0054), knife blades (BP0420) Sway bar, torsion bar = punches (BP0263, BP0233, BP0163), gouge (BP0252), hammer (BP0072), Viking adz (BP0415) Carburetor fuel jets = orifice for the gasser (BP0191, BP0192) You have seen it before: Tools do not make the blacksmith, the blacksmith makes the tools. You got a car to work with, so what parts do you want, and what do you want to make ?

You should be able to walk into an auto junk yard and load up a pick-up truck till the bed touched the tires. I have started another thread so as not to hijack your question and to make it more search friendly. Check there for some ideas.

That is Blueprint BP0118 Reuse the Shoes by Jim Carothers and Doug Merkel

While you are looking for your forge, you may want to look at the following Blueprints. BP0238 A simple side blast 55 Forge BP0133 The now famous 55 Forge Both will get you started for little or no cost, burn solid fuel (coal) and if you study the Blueprints can make one forge work both ways. That way you can try both bottom blown and side blown styles to see which you like best. Welcome to the site.

The Blueprints section has How to make a blower from an old clothes dryer BP0128 Forge Blower How to build a bellows BP0127 Bellows Construction BP0141 Building a Bellows You can find a squirrel cage blower in many junk yards. They are used to cool copiers, and many other machines.

There are several Blueprints that may be of assistance. BP0169 Bending Saddle BP0211 Making a dishing tool And two more presented at last weeks Tuesday night LIVE that will be posted shortly.

IForgeIron Blueprints Copyright 2002 - 2007 IFORGEIRON, All rights reserved. BP0234 Stands by Glenn Conner and Whitesmith Locate a 55 gallon drum that contained motor oil, or a known substance. No use killing your self by getting a drum that has contained poisons, toxic substances or other unknowns. There is a very real danger of explosion at this point.. If you picked up a drum that was reused and filled with a highly volatile substance, you will not hear the BOOM. Even an original drum only containing only oil can be dangerous. If you have any concerns, or have never cut into a closed container before, pay to have these cuts made by someone else. Read and understand the disclaimer at the bottom of the page before you go any further. In Blueprint BP0226 4" from the end of a drum was turned into a tool tray. Here it is used as a small step. When cut at the first ring I use it for a low stool, or step to work on the engine of the truck. Also good for washing the roof of the van. When cut at the first ring, the other end is a more comfortable stool. This is also used to cover the engine of the tiller when it is left outside. This was cut to a specific height for a specific use. But it mostly get use as a table next to the forge. The specific height was knuckle high when standing straight. That height is the same as the anvil and serves at a stock stand for the anvil. Lay stock on the drum and it is level with the top of the anvil. We were using the power hack saw (band saw) and cutting the stock in 10 feet sections to put into the stock rack. To keep the stock level I ask Whitesmith to "find something" to go under each end to support it during the cut. He came back with two drum ends and two floor jacks. The photo shows the stock is on a slope, but it is easily leveled by raising the " high tech" adjustment device. Now it is level. And there is a "V" grove to keep the stock centered and from rolling off the stock stand. View full article

Welcome Jon. There is a wealth of information on the IForgeIron site. Best way is to just start reading. The blueprints are how-to tutorials (some 450 of them and counting), the forum is a great place to discuss metal, ask questions and get answers. The chat is a place to talk face to face in real time. The gallery has over 3,300 images. The opening page of the site has any features and contains a lot of information. If you have questions just ask.

For building "A" (read one) of anything, go with bending forks and a full size pattern. When you get to duplicate bends, or duplicate elements you may want to think of building a jig. With practice one is about as fast as the other. If you plan on building a dozen chairs (or many many duplicate parts) then full size jigs for all parts speed up the process. This is not taking away from the traditional blacksmithing as you can still hand forge the ends, hand forge the stock for texture, use hand built decorative collars, etc., to give it a non-fabricated look.

The scale will slide according to light conditions, but throwing a spark is still the upper limit before burning of mild steel whether it is inside or outside. It is the lower end of the scale that moves from 1077* to 752* or about 325*. This is about a 27* change when divided out across the entire scale. Depending on your situation, changing viewing conditions can throw you off when seeing colors. If you use the suggested standard, you can figure that the 325* change (visible in sunlight to visible in dark) is about 2 levels of color (2 x 161*). If you then drop everything two levels, you are close to a conversion with the slack now at the top end. This means that what should be throwing sparks (dark viewing) is only medium yellow or high yellow (daylight viewing).

Everyone's eyes are a bit different in the way they see color. The age of the eye, health of the eye, glasses, tints in the glasses, life experiences etc, etc, etc. Then there is where you view the metal, in the open, the shade, the sun, inside, under what type artificial light, inside a box to shade the metal etc, etc, etc. To try to standardize color I suggest the following: Black - no color Low red Medium red High red Low orange Medium orange High orange Low yellow Medium yellow High yellow White Starting to throw a spark or two 4th on July sparkler ------------------------------------ Machinery's Handbook 12th ed. 752*F red heat, visible in the dark, 885*F red heat, visible in the twilight 975*F red heat, visible in the daylight 1077*F red heat, visible in the sunlight 1292*F dark red and 2912*F Dazzling white (blulish white) From 975*F to 29012*F is a difference of 1937 degrees. By dividing that into 12 different categories, we have 161 degrees between colors. By using the color list above as a standard, we come close to the same heat temperature and can now communicate color. Yes, you see the difference between red and orange a little differently than someone else, but the 12 color division lessens that difference. Another factor is the type of steel. If you both are talking about mild steel, the system works. If you talking about tool steel, the system works. As long as your talking about the same steel, the temperatures should be close when referred to by color. If you know of a better way to relate color temperatures (without pyrometers or temporal sticks), please let us know.

Where is your shop located? There were 122 votes Structure that was converted (Old barn, chicken house etc. in a former life) 38 votes or 31.1% Building built for that purpose. 33 votes or 27% Where ever there is room enough for a fire and anvil. 21 votes or 17.2% Lean-to or shed roof with one or more open sides. 15 votes or 12.3% Outside no roof ( one set location) 15 votes or 12.3%

Look at Blueprint BP0133 the now famous 55 Forge for a good way to get a fire started. Show us what you make in wood and metal so we have can best ask questions and learn from you. Posting photos in the IForgeIron Gallery of wood or metal is encouraged. The gallery URL can then be used to post in the forum here as they are resized to properly fit the forum format. Welcome to the site. If you have questions, just ask, and we will try to answer them.

There is a lot of reference material in the IForgeIron forum, and the forum archives. It is listed according to subject and all the discussion is in one place and can be easily read from beginning to end. There are over 3,300 photos in the IForgeIron Gallery for reference on projects others have done. There are over 450 IForgeIron Blueprints or how-to tutorials on all kinks of tools, jigs, projects, etc that explain how they are made in a step-by-step manner. You now have IForgeIron and blacksmiths from all over the world that you can present with most any problem and they will try to provide an answer. Choose one problem, and present it with details as to what you have to work with and what you want to accomplish and we will try to assist. Then move on to the next problem. Welcome to the site.