mtforge

All this hubbub about tapping a hammer on the anvil......

No one is damaging a hammer or anvil by tapping it. 

 

.....let the debate continue....  :)

I've never said it damages the anvil or hammer. Maybe extra wear over time but that's all. But I also don't walk around the anvil on the way to the forge even though it might keep my dancing feet in rhythm. It might just come down to repetition. We do a lot of the same motions over and over. We know what is to be done and what the item is supposed to look like. We made over 8,000 tent stakes last year. After a while you can count the hammer blows for each one. If I only made one item a week or so I would probably have to think about what I'm doing. Instead I can see what's going on and stay ahead of the item. I tell people it's like chess you need to be a few moves ahead of what's going on.

I would be willing to wager thet many of you who "dont waist the energy" do it occasinaly wile foccused on how to finish up a heat, tho many take it to an extream, probbably in imulation of othersmiths when they were starting out and not understanding that its not a necisary part o smithing, just a byproduct of rhythm, habit and thinking of somthing other than your hammer.

I would be willing to take you up on that wager. I've taught a few people how to hammer including two of my daughters. One of them still works for me as a blacksmith. If I ever caught her tapping the anvil in my shop we would have a serious discussion. And if she caught me she'd be laughing at me.

I don't. No one pays me to beat on the anvil. I've seen some do it when they turn their stock. I turn the stock on the upstroke.

 

pete46, on 25 Dec 2014 - 5:59 PM, said:

 Can one be bought ,or does it need to be built?

I bought mine from Old World Anvils. http://www.oldworldanvils.com/hydraulic_presses/index.html
If you wanted to build one I'd recomend the Batson book.
http://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Hydraulic-Forging-Press/dp/B002LROGBO/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419577532&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=hydraulic+forginh+batson
http://www.bluemoonpress.org/index.php/basic-skills/how-to-books/building-your-own-hydraulic-forging-press.html
?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>

Mt, looks like you have mised about as many as I have.

 

I feel I need to keep a reserve just in case. :D

Starving builds character ;-)

My mom taught me to eat a long time ago. I took to it right away and didn't want to disappoint her so I've gotten very good at it.

When you start having to make a profit, ... you end up having to compromize on quality.

Since I have to make a profit I can't compromise on quality or I'll lose my customers. And I don't want to be a starving artist blacksmith.

I think it's a must have book for what a press is capable of.

I've done it from a complete face on a 170# mousehole to a couple of 2" size circles on others. I end up with a fully welded down face. This conversation has been gone over before on here. I think a plate welded on the edges would be a poor excuse for an anvil. Others think it's the way to go. To each his own.

One thing that seams to often be forgoten is that you are going to end up softning the existing plate, so plan on heat treating the anvil.

That's why I use the rod I do and the way I do. When I patch in the middle of the face I don't have to heat treat the anvil.

I use Hardalloy 118 http://www.hobartbrothers.com/product-details.html?name=Hardalloy%26reg%3B+118

It says "Provides wear resistance under heavy impact conditions." Sounds like an anvil to me. And When I do small patches the color is the same as the original so it blends in.

Tundra, good ideas all around, and I really wish people would hop on here and share photos of their booths, it's tremendously helpful to see others' setups.

I use the same tables at the indoors shows for the outdoor shows.

I do a lot of reenactments/rendezvous where I sell retail. But I sell more wholesale than retail. When I make something in the shop I need to make my shop rate. When I sell wholesale it's in bulk and they pay shipping or delivery. When I go to a show I consider that I'm selling wholesale to the retail side of my business. Retail sales need to pay for the item and the overhead of going to the show. Fuel, fees, food, and such. If I have the same prices for both I figure I'm either overpricing the wholesale customer or underpricing the retail customer.

Hardface rod is not the proper rod

It worked great for me when I refaced the whole face of a 170# Mousehole. Someone had blanchard ground the steel off before I got to it. What would you recomend welding it up with?

Here's what I use. It's a 1/4 scale of my shop side draft hood. The swing out wind screens are to keep the wind off the fire.

 

 

I've got both. I would suggest the book first but the video set is very well made, shows a lot and has a better view than at a hammer in.

http://www.northlineexpress.com/12-x-48-durachimney-ii-chimney-pipe-112dca-48.html

http://www.northlineexpress.com/12-inch-duratech-chimney-pipe-1.html

http://www.woodlanddirect.com/Chimney/Dura-Chimney-System/DuraChimney-II-Pipe-36-length

 

These are expensive but they also have the correct flashing needed. And like you said the rest can be single wall.

 

I remember Home depot used to have 12" pipe for their prefab metal fireplaces but I can't findthem now.

..MT, what other classes did you participate in?

I haven't taken any other classes there. My schedule and the ones Iwould want to take never line up.

I took that series of classes a few years ago and agree with you on the training and global message they have. I also recommend the other classes they offer.

I had a customer who wanted me to make dangle spits for them. From the documentation they had and production needs for me I came up with this. http://jas-townsend.com/hanging-spit-p-1318.html

first rule of blacksmithing,,, get it hot. when its
yellow its mellow, when its red its dead.

a very good Santa Fe smith had this written on all his hoods.

serious, here, if you are going to get to an orange, not hot enough, leave it in a few seconds longer, get it yellow, and only do it once.

When we got it over orange, into the yellow, it cracked worse. Getting it hotter doesn't work for the iron I'm getting any more. I guess I'm making new rules. This is for products I've been making for years.

We ran into this starting about two years ago when bending 1/2" square A36 into a u shape then flattened. We tried different techniques and finally came up with bending it at a lower temperature. We used to bend it at a bright red to low orange but started getting cracks that looked like yours. This was done in a gas forge, the same way for years. I could use 1018 cold rolled but the cost is at least three times the cost and I go through tons of it.

I'll be down your way the end of May for the Spirit of Vincennes Redezvous. I'll be demonstrating all weekend. Stop by and say hi.

http://www.spiritofvincennes.org/rendezvous/index.htm

Have you found Indiana Blacksmithing Association? 

http://www.indianablacksmithing.org/

There's a satellite group close by in Daviess county. 

http://www.indianablacksmithing.org/satellite.html

 A great way to learn

Mtforge, that still sounds like a lot more time than I would want to spend on it ;)

And have you done a time study on both methods? I haven't but always thought the plate method would take longer and wouldn't work as well.

I would lean towards a plate instead of hard facing. The reason is that when you are done, you have a flat surface. If you don't have access to a mill,Blanchard grinder, or similar machine, grinding the top flat will take a lot of time,abrasives, and some amount of skill.

Mine didn't take a lot of time, special machines or skill. Angle grind down the high spots and use a hand held belt sander to keep it flat. Change grits to finer as you go. I've also filled in low spots on anvils using the same technique. The Hardalloy 118 blends in so it's hard to see.