habu68

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/free-blacksmithing-books-web-2032/

Has anyone tried to forge with the wood pellets that are used in pellet stoves? I have seen a thread somewhere (here?) on the use of fuel corn for forging that had some sucess. I ask because the local feed store has wood pelets on clearance for $3.00/50# bag. I've used charcoal and can "live" with the "Fleas" .

Check your yellow pages for plastic injecton molders in your area. They often times have outdated molds of of different sizes. They are built up of flat plates from 1 to 14" thick. Some of these will have holes and pins for bending and hold downs. I have my eye on one at my brothers shop that is 3780 lbs of H-13 for an anvil stand if i could just figure a way to get it off my truck at my end.

This is a copy of an old e-mail from Dan Nibbelink from the Rocky Mountain Smiths. I believe he is still having these once a month. It's usualy 4 or 5 guys and gals with a hammer and something hot. Good bunch and about an hour from Cheyenne. Give him a call.




This month Open Forge will be on second Saturday, Nov 11th
I also plan to have Open Forge on Dec 9th.

I will be hosting "open forge" at my shop in Berthoud on second Saturdays (unless there is another RMS event scheduled that day). Start about 10 am, till about 4 pm. Next time is this Saturday, Nov 11th ; come and go as you wish.
You should call to verify on future dates.

This is an opportunity to meet other smiths, pound some iron, ask or answer questions, buy/sell tools. If you are just getting started in blacksmithing and don't have the tools this is a way to get some instruction and experience. Even if you think you know what you're doing there is always more to learn, plus you can share your knowledge. You can bring your friends too.


Please let me know if you are planning to come so I can have try to have enough equipment. If you can bring forge and/or anvil let me know. But if you forget to let me know, or decide at the last moment, please come too.

Safety glasses and non-synthetic clothing required, hearing protection recommended. Bring your own hammers, tongs and materials if you have them. Lunch etc: BYO or go into town.


Location: 1932 N (Old) Hwy 287, Berthoud, CO.
East side of (Old) 287, near County Road 10E.
Massage Therapy sign in front yard, driveway on south side of house.
Drive around back and park between the house and the barn. Blacksmith shop to the north.
1.5 miles north of Colo Hwy 56.
3.5 Miles south of Colo Hwy 402.

The bypass (Berthoud Parkway) is finally open (hurrah!) so where are some changes for getting to my house.
From the north on 287: A couple of blocks south of the light at Campion (Colo 60) there is an exit to Berthoud, just before the road sweeps to the west. Take that exit.
From the south on 287: Take the Berthoud exit (Hwy 56) and drive thru town the "old" way. Or, you can continue on 287 to the light at County Road 17 (Taft), go south on CR 17 about 1/3 mile to CR 10E. East 1 mile to Old 287, and you'll be looking at my house.



Dan Nibbelink

1932 N Hwy 287 Berthoud, CO 80513

970-532-4387 home

970-532-5404 work

dan@nibbelink. net

a legend Elfwood: Stories / Dolphin Silverwolf (a.k.a. Chris Rosenbaum) / 'The Selkie and the Blacksmith'

This is a site that I found looking for other things. Some good examples of blacksmithing in the days of sail. WHALECRAFT, a research and educational source for whaling implements.

Is there a lesson to be learned for America in this observation? China now makes finished procducts, shipped to our shores cheaper than we can buy the finsihed product. This author predicts that the US will ship "Coals to Newcastle".

The American Invaders: Their Plans, Tactics and... - Google Book Search

most Old tools, like blowers never did have seals. leaking was a sign that they were getting a proper lube job. You filled it up daily untill it leaked and wipped the surface with the excess to keep it clean and to stall rusting. Trying to "fix" a leaking blower is like trying to teach a pig to dance, you will just get dirty and agravate the pig.;)

Here is an example of a new book that is available for limited preview,with exelent line drawings and photos. Colonial Ironwork in Old Philadelphia By Philip B. Wallace
http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0486403009&id=H8GXSBqk4wYC&pg=PP1&lpg=PP1&dq=iron+work&ie=ISO-8859-1&sig=rFMclEm2xYGrEV8PV6XbUGpMDv8#PPP1,M1

Archie,

No, the smoke shelf causes a venturi effect increasing the velocity of the air and drawing any backdraft up the stove pipe. You will find a smoke shelf and a damper in any fireplace or wood stove from 1800 on. Check out: Forge Chimneys

Ron

When you use the gas saver both lines shut off at the same time, if you blead off the presure in the hose down stream of the shutoff unevenly there is a chance that the gases may mix in the other hose. This is not something that i want to risk. check valves at the torch are a cheep fix that should be there anyway. you will still need to adjust your flame after a restart but not like when you shut off your valves on the tank or torch. Most times you just pick up the torch and pass it over the flame and go to work. It makes no mater if you are mixing oxy with acetyleen or acetyleen with oxy the mixture is explosive. The 7 or 8 dollars for the check valves will save your hose and your regulators in the case of a backflash and maybe a trip with flashing lights.

Haw-thrn

Try lighting a sheet of news paper in the mouth of the hood to start the draft before you start your fire. Another point that is often missed in the design is a smoke shelf in the hood, this lowers the back draft and improves the draw.

example:Side-Draft Flue Design

Like I say Im just starting
after posting was thinking about it I had used it for some other things but It sure went quick.

Ive had this torch about 7 years but have just started using it.
Ive been lucky and so glad last week I bought the book - Welding by Don Geary. Its about Oxyacetylene welding.

I thought I knew enough to learn Oxyacetylene on my own.
Ha! I did not have a clue - about all I knew was tall bottle Oxygen -short bottle Acetylene.

After reading 3/4 of the book I took soapy water and check for leaks-the conection to the bottle vavle on both were leaking Acetylene was bad. Im sure that is where my Acetylene went.

Took off regulators wiped everything off, check over the threads, cracked both bottles and replaced .

Just to be safe took off lines and did same with them,went over everything cleaning & checking fittings.Then did the soap test regulator to bottle first then the lines. Leak free

That wasnt the only dumb mistake
I did not know about Acetylene not to ever run over 15 lbs.
Or Oxygen coming in contact with oil and grease.
Its a wonder I wasnt blown to bits.
Just thought I would tell on myself -Dont do like I did, I was lucky get a book take a class learn from someone.Be Safe , or they will be scraping hambuger
off whats left of you shop walls.

I need to get some saftey stuff and a new work coat.
I was welding Sunday my old Carhart on unzipped kept smelling something.
Had goggles on and did not see the smoke until I stoped.
My coat was touching the other side where I was welding . Now I have a baseball size hole in it.
I know what burning Carhart smells like now:o
Im learnin
Ron

I use a hose rack with a 8' hose on it, the valve is mounted with a angle iron on the side of the rack between my longer hose to the tanks. Make sure you have backflow Valves on your torches. when the lines blead down it can cause backflow problems. The nice thing is when you relight you dont have to readjust your settings.

Ron, check out one of these gas savers for your torch. They are the flea's Knees: WeldingDepot -- Gas Saver - Oxygen / Acetylene

Winter in Denver

Last fall i went to a demo by Peter Ross, and one of his projects was a bean end handle. A few of his pointers were:

1. Set up each step ie: measure, mark, and rough shape the the step. For a leaf it would be a fuller(he used the edge of the anvil) to isolate the end, then a three sided point. the trick here is conservation of mass. Once you have the masses isolated then a flat hammer blow will move the metal in all directions and be limited by the metal available.

2. His next "trick" was in regard to thin stock, he kept the outer edge of the stock thick working from the center of the stock to the edge. This did three things, it conserved his heat at the edge, he was not pushing a thin cold edge away from a larger mass and deforming it, and thirdly if he had to take a second heat he had the mass at the edge that did not burn as easly. On the Bean he worked one side from the center out to the finished edge then he returned the piece to the fire unfinished side down and the thin side out out of the fire, so he could take a high yellow heat on the second side and keep the thin side cooler.

3. Whenever possible finish the step you are working on in one heat. Take small bites, start with a high heat, the first blows are hard and shure, the next few as the metal cools are to adjust the first blows, red heat to remove scale, black to remove hammer marks and smooth the metal. It was almost like watching a bouncing ball with each blow getting lighter and lower to the work. He then returned the next section to the fire working in order across the piece to conserve the heat, not working one end and then the other and then the middle.

He also pointed out that working quickly, with a small hammer and fast heavy blows, that the hammer will produce heat and can move the heat around the piece. By starting with a high heat, fast blows, and working the metal to a black heat finish Master Ross got more work done in one heat, and with fewer tools than anyone I have ever watched.



"I have no respect for any man who can only spell a word one way." Mark Twain

and the state-of-the art of sword making.
http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC00887893&id=abJpiJzvLmwC&pg=RA13-PA189&lpg=RA13-PA189&dq=swords&as_brr=1&ie=ISO-8859-1#PRA13-PA176,M1