Glenn

How much iron (what length) can you work at one time before the metal looses heat? Hand hammer or power hammer?

As there are several new faces wanting to get into blacksmithing, how can we help get them started? What do you suggest on how to start blacksmithing with little or no money to invest? What do you suggest for a heat source? What do you suggest for an anvil ? What do you suggest for holding the hot metal? What do you suggest for working stock? New, old, junk yard steels, rebar etc. What can and can not be accomplished with the minimum make-do tools you have listed above. Now that they have a working forge: What is the fastest way to learn? What do you suggest as the best way to learn? At what point do you suggest they turn in the make-do forge, anvil, tools, etc. and get the good stuff? All this is aimed at the fellow getting started and with little money to invest. May I suggest you add a bit of information on how you got started and the equiptment you started with. The point is to let the new folks know that it can be done.

Quench least severe first. You can always move up in quenching. But if you start with the most severe quench, a broken or shattered tool can not be requenched. :cry:

They have a flat spot on the top that can be delt with or, used to your advantage. They do make nice balls for anvil tools. There are two schools of throught on using "whatevers" for a tool. One is, will it deform in use, and the other is use it and see. The "use it and see group" generally hammer on hot iron, which is softer than the tool material. If you work the metal cold, then the quality of the tool material may be a much larger issue. Then there is the "one time use" vs the "one tool made one time" issue. For one time use, who cares as long as it works - one time. Now if you put 2-3-4 days into making a tool, and you want it to last a lifetime, that is another issue. Tools, if they are used, will wear out. So while your at it, and remember how, make 2 or 3 of the same tool at the one time and store the extras for use later.

The axles I worked by hand quickly went from a 2# hammer to a 3# hammer to the rack and the 4# hammer made a wonderful difference. Just remember that the 4# hammer will take more energy to operate, and your muscles will feel the difference if you are not used to it. A striker can use a 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20 pound or more hammer, depending on the need. As Bruce Wilcox has found, strikers need training also, and some work together better than others. Multiple strikers on a single piece of steel is a well thought out dance. Now I have seen Irnsrgn take a hammer (winpy little 3# hammers) one in each hand, and double strike on hot iron. Sounded like a power hammer running real fast with lots of power. The assistant had only blind faith in Irnsrgn's words that he would not get killed, to protect him. :?

Look at the 55 Forge blueprint for a simple twyere. 1/8" rod is a little small in my opinion. Go for the 1/4" rod.

If your working 1-1/2" stock, you need to first get it hot completely, and all the same temperature of hot. That takes a BIG fire and a lot of heat. Then no matter what hammer you use, it is still a lot of work. But for any amount of 1-1/2" stock, to make it worth the effort, you need a striker or a power hammer in my opinion. I have worked 1-1/4" and it can be done, but it is power hammer country. Either that or you drag your knuckles on the ground on the way home at the end of the day. :wink:

I would like to see photos of this version of the forge :D

The anvil tool is resting on the anvil. The hardie post is attached to the side of the anvil tool, and fits into the hardie hole that was welded onto the side of your block of steel being used for an anvil. The hardie post just holds the tool in position. The actual anvil tool sits on top of the anvil and the anvil takes all the impact.

I ment to tell you my sister passed Frida, July 1. Prayers for the family would be appreciated. Ed.

1085 & L-6 blade , bocoto and corian handle with deer antler. Garey Ford

Ralph is doing very well now. He was moved from Intensive Care to Progressive Care yesterday afternoon. The disappointing news is that the clot buster drug didn't get all of it, there is still significant clotting in the arteries that lead to the lungs. But it is not restricting breathing now, and the pulmonary specialist assured me this morning that it is unlikely clots will cause a problem later on, now that he is on blood thinners. They expect for them to dissolve slowly over time. For the most part he's feeling pretty good. In fact, he's starting to get BORED!, which is a great sign! He's in good spirits and was able to sit in a chair today and will slowly start walking around his room and such. The doctor said today that he will likely get to go home Monday or Tuesday!! He was already on medical leave when this attack happened and won't have to go back to work till January, which is a blessing.Thank you again for all your support!!! Many blessings and warm regards, Dawn

Rather than drill into the steel, see if you can get a piece of heavy wall sq tubing and have it welded to the side of the anvil block. You can make the anvil tools with the hardie post attached to the side and the tool can rest on the steel block. A sq hole that will keep things from turning.

Dief Let the handle acclimate to the dry air before you put it in the hammer. Rick Linseed oil and mineral spirits can be found in the paint section of Lowes, hardware stores, or Wal-Mart. Linseed oil comes in "raw" and "boiled". Raw will takes forever to dry, and remain sticky till it drys. Boiled usually dries (this location) in 3 days. If you need to use the handle before then just wipe it with a shop cloth and put it to use. Linseed oil is usually a little thick (for me) and is thinned to flow better into the small places. I was originally told 60/40 linseed oil/mineral spirits but found that the mix is not real critical and I can use 50/50 linseed oil/mineral spirits more easily, just fill the same measure with one unit of each and pour it into a container. If it is a new handle, use sandpaper to remove the factory glaze till you reach bare wood. Then smooth everything down removing any rough spots or places that hurt the hand. I usually use 100 grit sandpaper as a final pass. Put a little 50/50 linseed oil/mineral spirits mix on a piece of 3x3" terry cloth and wipe it onto the wood handles, then hang them in the hammer rack. Works well for shovel handles, rake handles, sledge hammer handles and axe handles etc. My suggestion is to only mix a small amount first to see if you like it, and try it on only ONE handle. Use that handle for a while and if it meets your approval, then put it on other handles. WARNING: DO NOT put the used clothes containing oil in a pile. It will generate heat as it dries and can produce enough heat to catch fire. Any cloth with oil on it should be put in a fireproof container, or hung to dry naturallly. I will not comment on how much mix has gone through this bottle or how long it has been in service. I will say that the white area on the bottom of the container indicated that it once contained (insert your favorite brand name here) motor oil and the funnel spout was salvaged from a quart container of (insert your favorite brand name here) 90 weight gear oil. :wink:

This would be a good time to set up blueprints on how to make tongs, so a beginner can follow the plan. I will try to get Whitesmith to make a set his way to get things started.

A photo would help on see the problem. Any chance of attaching a photo?

One thing that I have found that does not work is soaking the handle in any liquid. The wood fibers absorbe the water, swell and crush. This leaves things even looser than before. The best wood wedges I have found are made (cut) from broken wooden handles. The wood wedge compresses the handle against the hammer head, the metal wedge then splits the wooden wedge and further compresses things. They will work loose with use, but as Ed says that is normal hammer maintenance. I have used the 5 minute epoxy and it has held up well for me. Just get everything to fit real well before you apply the epoxy. Then coat everything real well and assemble, with wedges also coated with the epoxy. I do mix BOILED linseed oil 50/50 with mineral spirits and wipe the handle and hammer head on a regular basis. It tends to "paint" the metal surface and keep it from rusting, and soaks into the handle and makes it much easier on the hands, read no blisters. I just keep putting it on the handle till no more soaks in, and then try to add another wipe on a regular basis.

Just be sure to strengthen the roof enough to hold that mega-ton Air Conditioning unit that will keep the entire shop climate controlled. No more rusting tools and no more need for sweat bands, unless the wife sees the electric bill for the shop. Maybe a spare /office/bedroom off in one corner for when she does see that bill. :wink:

Why try to reinvent the wheel, just USE a watering can! We will not mention any names here, as the forum encourages free thinking and finding solutions to problems. Some of us just do that better than others, right Leah ?

Tooling up is very dependant on the project at hand. What do you want to do and what do you have available to work with now? Anvil = some metal object with 75-100 pounds of mass. Hammer = something with a weight that you can use for several hours without pain. Ball pein, cross or straight pein will both work. Tongs = pliers of some nature, vise grips, channel-locks, slip joint or use the method Whitesmith used for making tongs. I need to locate the link to that one. Steel stock = junk yard or alley steel. But when you want to get serious, buy new steel as it is uniform piece to piece. The change in the metal by hammer blows is then due to the hammer not the content of the steel. Fuel = what is available locally, or what you can obtain on a regular basis. A good hacksaw Make your first chisel and temper it to straw. It will serve you well. After that, you need additional tools for the specific project, but a pick-up truck and trailer is somewhere in your future. And a OX/AC welding set-up (to heat, cut, and weld) and shortly thereafter an arc welder (the glue gun for metal). Somewhere in the process your tools become toys and the list never ends. You just have to have at least one framinwhizzle cause they are cute and no blacksmith worth his clinker would be without one. No matter that they are usually used only one time and afterward used only as a "yea, I got one" conversation piece. As Ten Hammers says, tell us what you want to do in the craft and we can make suggestions.

Ralph has made it through the most dangerous hours. They'll probably do another Cat Scan on his chest later today. Thank you for your prayers. Dawn

Gypsy, glad to hear from you again. It has been a while, welcome to the forum. Gypsy being true to the name is, at last report, traveling from Calif to Ney York.

There is a fellow that makes belt grinders of high quality that is a blacksmith. You will have to give me a bit to come up with a name. Beshears maybe. I have seen his grinder and it is first class.

Take the 55 Forge and turn it into a side blast forge by pumping air through a 1" dia pipe. No welding. See oakwoodforge's suggestion for air. Bottom line is that it can be done. All these suggestions will get the iron hot. If you have the extra cash, get a store bought forge. You just have to figure out how our suggestions apply to your situation.

I hate to have to report this, but Ralph almost died this morning and he's not out of the woods yet. As you all know, he has been fighting cancer since Oct. Two weeks ago he had another major surgery. We thought he was doing pretty well, but this morning a LARGE bloodclot went to his lungs. The emergency room doctor told me that if I had gotten him there any later...just minutes...he would have been dead. By that time his blood pressure was 70 over something and his oxygen level was 64%. They swarmed on him. His right lung was completely blocked and part of his left They had to give a high risk medicine to dissolve the clot in order to try to save his life. It has caused some internal bleeding, but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been. His blood pressure and oxygen level are good right now. They may give him just one unit of blood. They told me that the first six hours were most critical, and he made it through that. It looks likes he's going to be okay, but the doctor said he can't make any promises. Ralph is going to be staying in ICU for two or three days. PLEASE pray for him and give his name to any prayer chains at churches, etc., if you can. he's at Tuality Hospital in Hillsboro Oregon. But "no news is good news," so if you don't hear from me again soon, he's okay. It sounds like a few more days and we'll know for sure.Thank you for your prayers! Dawn