ofafeather

Thanks, UF. Any suggestions on what and how much to buy as a good general supply? My understanding is that hot rolled is usually cheaper but doesn't have as nice of a finish, which doesn't matter to us since we are working it hot? Am I correct in this?

Can you guys give a hint to how prices stand now, 5 months later? Have you seen any improvement? The irony is that for the average person to buy something in hard times the prices need to be lower just when the craftsman are being hit hard by higher costs. Hopefully, though, they can make it through the hard times and when things turn around can recoup. They tend to lose either way. If you keep prices low your profits dwindle and if you raise them you lose sales. Hopefully things are looking up a bit. I would definitely like to hear more about how things stand with all of you now.

Hi, All. I've been picking up some scraps but would like to get some mild steel stock, too. Can anyone suggest a local place to buy some? Online would work, too, but I noticed that online metal hit you with a cut fee for pretty much any size stock. Any suggestions? This place is in Albany, METAL SUPERMARKETS - Buy Metal Online - Small Quantity Orders for Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Rolled Steel for Delivery or Local Pickup about an hour a way. Any one have any experience with them? What size/quantity/length etc. is good to start with? Hot or cold rolled? Thanks!

Thanks. As far as the shears go, I have two other pairs of snips that are in great shape. This one isn't so is a good candidate to become some other useful item.

A ruler with a hook on the end so you catch on to the end of a work piece while measuring. Makes lining things up with one hand on hot metal easier.

Actually, we took out big car, the Toyota Prius . It handled it just fine but the inside is a lot dirtier than it was when we had our pickup. Our Mini is one of the new BMW Coopers. We're contemplating getting a trailer for it for just such occasions. My Mom actually has an original Mini Pick-Up, just one of the herd she has. A van one might come in handy!

Here's a link to the pics Picasa Web Albums - Scootinov - Blacksmith Fl...

Well all, we've returned from our foray into the great unknown - the outdoor flea market in an open field the day after torrential rains. Turned out to be a beautiful day. Left the house at 7:30 and by 8:30 we were browsing. I think we did pretty well for our first trip looking at things from a blacksmith's perspective. Two main items that we found - some ball-peen hammers and a metal stand for our soon to arrive propane forge. Picked up 4 different ball peen hammers, the heaviest is just over 2# (kind of hard to weigh with the handle on). Three of them were $2 ea and the other was $1. There were some other hammers to be had from $5-$15 but I resisted, feeling that I was off to a good start and could afford to be frugal. I also resisted picking up scrap tools at the beginning unless they were a real bargain. There was a lot to be had, though. Found 2 good-as-new files for $2 ea. Picked up a carpenter's square for a couple of bucks to make a hook rule out of. Found a pair of snips for a couple of bucks to make into scrolling pliers. Picked up a few odds and ends such as old files and assorted chisels and punches, including some sort of milling cutter or reamer. I don't know exactly what I paid but it wasn't much. Also picked up a few new wire brushes. We saw a metal stand that came out of a printing shop. It was supposed to go with an industrial paper cutter. My wife asked if he would sell it separately and he agreed. We held out to the end of the day and he came down some. $30 for a very sturdy metal cabinet. We were look for good casters for it but didn't find any. One guy wanted $100 for a set of four because they were old. They didn't even have locking ones. On our way home we came across one of the best finds. There was an older gentleman who sells things out of a shed who we passed on out trip home. We stopped to take a look and hit the jackpot to some degree. We picked up a great set of OLD casters that had two lock wheels. I don't know how well you can see them in the picture to follow but they were perfect for the forge stand. Plus he had tables of old, worn tools. I put together a pile and asked what he would like. $12 later we drove of with a mess of assorted steel chisels, files and odds and ends. Also, an old adjustable wrench to make a twisting wrench out of. Those were at least a few bucks in the other places I had seen. Maybe you can help me figure out what steel some of the things are likely to be made of and what to make with them. Well, that's our story for now. I put the casters on the stand before we even took it out of the car. After coming home I realized that I missed a couple of things. Ted (Tobago) invited us over since we were passing near his house. Saw his PM when we got home. Next time, Ted! Also read the thread about turning nippers into tongs. Missed out on picking up a few pairs of nippers I saw. Well, gives me a reason to go back. Until next time. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome. Thanks. I'll post pics in my next post.

Ted, we're going down to the Elephant's Trunk which is in New Milford, CT. They're open every Sunday From April - November, weather permitting, from 5 am - 2 pm. Regular admission is at 7 am. Early birds pay extra to get first pick starting at 5. Get there early because some of the vendor's pack up early, like 12:30 or 1 pm. Here's the site: Elephant's Trunk Country Flea Market (New Milford CT)- Home Page Most of the vendors carry used/antique items. It takes us over an hour to get there from Souteast Columbia county. From where you are you can either go down to 84 and across to Rt 7 or go straight down Rt 7. PS-haven't been there for maybe two years, so not sure what it's like. Another good one is the Stormville Flea Market at the old Stormville Airport http://www.stormvilleairportfleamarket.com/otherevents.htm If you have never been there it's worth a trip. http://www.stormvilleairportfleamarket.com/ They have a new and used section. Most shows are 2 days but there is a 1 day one on Sunday Nov. 1st. The one day shows tend to be smaller. Haven't been there for a while either. Have get that trailer for the Mini Cooper now!

LOL! Darn! Never should have traded our pick-up for a Mini Cooper (You think I joking!) Well, you'd be surprised how much you can fit in a Mini.

I'm working on it but I used up all of my paper and pencils kindling my forge. Wait, I forgot. I don't have a forge yet but one is one the way :D

Those are some great ideas. I think of all the time I have spent in fleas markets in the past 10 years and just wonder what I have missed. Oh well. What about small items that are good to rework? You know, like, "I built a 2 ton power hammer from old hospital bedpans and broken chisels"?

Hi, All. I'm going to a flea market for the first time since starting out as a smith. What are some small items that I should look for? I'm looking for some half-way decent hammers until my Hofi comes in but what other small items might come in handy for a few bucks? Thanks.~Eric

We've got 13 acres of deciduous trees if any one has some anger to work out ;)

If you take a motorcycle safety class they tell you to keep your head in the ride. Basically, keep your focus. If you're distracted you should stop work and go rake leaves (so the hot metal from your outdoor forge doesn't start a fire) or something that doesn't require your full attention.

Good point! I guess we should always have a clear escape route.

That sounds reasonable. I may end up building an open lean-to on the back of the garage. I have my wood shop in the garage and lots of other stuff is stored there. It wouldn't be practical at the moment to include a full smithy. The other option for now is to put the forge on a cart and forge just outside the garage door while leaving the anvil just inside. Once I add more equipment, like a post vise, that becomes impractical. If I do build a shelter in the back of the garage I can tap the electric in the garage and also replace a window that's there with a walk through door. We'll see. One step at a time.

Do you guys use your forges with the gas cylinders in the shop or are they outside and just the hose is in? If you use the cylinder inside, do you leave it attached when you're done and store it inside? From everything I have read using/storing the cylinders inside is a big no-no. How do you work around that? At the moment I plan of using it outside but I really don't have a permanent space for it yet. David at Chile Forge recommended using a BBQ type lighter, too. I think I will try that. If I start working indoors I will certainly pick up some CO/Gas detectors. CO poisoning is nasty and you hear a couple of stories each year of people blowing themselves up. Only some of them were doing stupid things. Others just had leaks and didn't know it. Do you know if the regulator can go in line or does it have to attach directly to the tank? The forge comes with a regulator and 8' hose. Connection Kit Included with every forge: 8' LP hose, Fisher 67CH-743 regulator, 1 - 30 PSI gauge and POL connector. Sorry for all of the questions!

Well, I guess I forgot an important tip: Never sit in the front row at a comedy club:p ...or a blacksmiths' forum!

Yeah, excited. Just want to be prepared. I think I will either use it outside or in the garage near the over head doors. I'll store the propane outside. It doesn't have an igniter. What do you mean about lighting the propane bottle?

Hi, All. Waiting for my first propane forge to arrive (a Chile Tabasco) and wondered if we could collect some propane safety words of wisdom. Thanks.~Eric

That's true! We actually got rid of our pick-up in May and bought a Mini Cooper. In some ways not as practical but way more fun! I've been amazed at what we've been able to get in the Prius. We've also been looking at getting a small trailer for the Mini. That would solve a lot of problems. In Europe they are rated to pull about 1000# so a small trailer with a light load wouldn't be a problem. I called my fuel company and need to call back to speak to someone else. The bottom line seems to be that they aren't sure about liability on their end if something goes wrong. Anyone have experience with this?

Hi, All. I'm new as a smith but have done enough other work in my life to know that safety can easily be taken for granted. I've had a couple of thoughts about how to keep safety in the fore while we work in our craft. First I would like to propose that we offer a Safety Tip of the Day. It should be stickied and there could be three or four categories: General, Welding, Forge, etc. The tips should be in the form of a short statement that brings some practical safety issue to the front of our minds. In reading some of the safety posts I came across a simple one: Use proper lifting techniques for moving heavy objects such as anvils and forges. While I think input from the masses as for topics is great I think it would defeat the purpose if we had lost of tips on one day. The actual Tips of the Day should be limited to one or two per category and be posted daily. In addition we can have a separate sticky that is a running list of safety points, again in the form of short statements. This list can be augmented as points come up or it can coincide with the Safety Tip of the Day. Another thing that may be possible is a procedural safety checklist for certain topics such as propane safety, welding, shop maintenance or other topics as they come up. I think there are so many great points on the site but they may very well get lost because they tend to be anecdotal. If there is a story about a safety issue we should extract the main point of "do this" or don't do this" and move that to the list in the stick section this way people that might not take the time to read the posts in the safety section can have simple reminders of the valuable lessons that are there. Anyway, just my thoughts.

Thanks for the great replies. I guess I need to check with the propane companies. As I said, we have 2 100 gallon tanks manifolded together for the house but they are way to far away to make it worth while to run the forge. That said, I may be able to arrange for pick-up or fill-up of smaller bottles since I already have fill-up service. Still open for suggestions, though.

Hi, All. I am waiting to receive my new Chile Tabasco forge. While I find a place to put it and get the shop ready, etc., I am wondering what a good size or sizes of propane tanks would be. If the thing finds a permanent home in one location I'll have my propane company supply a 100 gallon tank. I have two that I use for certain items in the house but they are too far from where I would be running the forge to be practical. Also, the largest car we have is a Toyota Prius, which is a hatch back, so size is a consideration. Am I better off getting two tanks and manifolding them together? Or running one larger tank. As I said, if I find a permanent home for it I'll get a more permanent tank but I'll need something until that happens way down the road. Thanks. Eric