Iron Clad

Well, here is what I have completed on my wagon project to date. (First pictures showing old rotted front assembly I used as a pattern and last pictures showing progress to the new front assembly so far...) http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#57 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#56 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#55 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#64 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#63 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#62 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#58 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#54 http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/65#65 I hope to have a complete wagon done by the NWBA/Western States Conference in August. The progress has been slow and much more work than I thought...I figured the wood work would take longer than the blacksmithing, however this turned out not to be the case. All of the hand-made nuts and bolts, brackets, and so forth seem to take me forever! One more day of work and I should have the wheels on the front assembly, then I can start working my way back to the rear assembly. (I figure I should be an expert at making hardware by the end of this project....LOL.).

Fantastic! Great work OddDuck! Perhaps I missed it, will you be selling thru a website?

I'm in!!

What I want to know is........do you forge in your bare feet??? LOL! You could draw knife down the oversized handle to match your needs. The clay model scheme looks like it should work. I like the fact your trying to reproduce a copy of the original, I'm sure you will gain some insight and appreciation for the smiths of old. My current project has given me this gift. Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

Nice pictures. I love old Euro iron work. Post more pictures, please!

Sorry guy's I didn't realize that this same subject was already posted. Hey Glenn, if your reading this post will you remove it, thanks. I will make sure to scan topics first before posting!!

What's your favorite items to make at the forge? After forging for a number of years now, producing everything from simple hooks to gates and railings, I find that my favorite items to produce are things that I can use such as hardware, chain, tools, latches, antique style square nuts and bolts, nails, etc. It's pleasing to produce my own hardware verses going to the hardware store. Also, it's fun to reproduce items for an antique restoration. Maybe it's just the idea that I can do it myself in my own shop. What's yours? Show some pictures....

Depending I guess on how old the boys are, they could make a fire striker. You could teach them how to make char cloth, get some flint, blacksmith the strikers and presto, outdoor survival kit in the making......Perfect for the Boy Scouts. You would also need some jute and a good tin can with a lid to hold the contents of the kit.

I hope your able to buy a better anvil in the future! Even so, I'm glad to see your making the best of it and enjoying the blacksmith craft!!

I find the Archimedean Spiral too mechanic and not natural, which makes sense condsidering what Archimedeas invented or discovered. The Fibonacci Sequence is found everywhere in nature. However, I believe the Golden mean was known well before Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci). The Greeks figured this out over 2,000 years ago, it's in their buildings!!

Very nice job. Now your ready to tip-toe......

Unfortunately I didn't know this person, he sounds interesting. What's his story and what happened to him?

Nice, very nice. Love the trees, great detail. That's one item I haven't produced yet, a fire place door/screen. Hopefully some day...

Actually, I think this sucks!! I don't want to change...... I really like using coal...... Oh well, what choice do we have??

Nice looking nails. So thats an average of 1 nail in 5 minutes. So now try to cut that time in half and go for 22 nails in 60 minutes. Then work toward 1 nail in 1 minute, then 1 nail in around 30 to 40 seconds in one heat. I know you can do it!! It's always fun to make things that you can always use. When I make wall hooks to sell many times I will make a nail to go along with it. People think it's amazing that todays blacksmiths can actually make nails, LOL......

I would not use cold water to quench that 4130. Oil at room temp. or even luke warm oil is best. Also, try closing both ends of your forge when heating especially on the first heat. I built a gas forge from a large piece of square tubing that is approx. 25" long and only one burner, after closing both ends it heats in no time. Working the 1045 too cold may have been the problem. Don't hammer on carbon steel when blood red, too cold. I usually stop hammering when orange.

What sucks about all this is that I love the smell of coal smoke!!

Excellent and high quality books. I would recommend them to all smiths. I too have books one and two, cannot wait for the third! They may be a little expensive but heck, it's just money and the learning experience is worth much more.....

To me, mass in the center of the anvil (base) is everything. It's amazing how metal moves much faster with a heavy anvil verses a lighter one, and saves energy as well. If your not looking at a portible set up, I would go with heavy..... Try this, take a 1/2 square mild steel bar and draw a taper in the center of your anvil face on a 150lb anvil, then do the same thing right after on a 300lb anvil and notice the difference! Like previously mentioned, it also depends on the size of material you plan to work with. To me it doesn't matter, I work small and big material on my large anvil. My smaller anvils don't get used much any more.

Bob's your uncle!!

Well remember, practice makes perfect. When I rivet, I put the two pieces to be riveted together and put the rivet through the holes, then I mark a line on the rivet shaft and cut to length. I cut my rivets about 1 to 1.5 times the rivet shaft diameter. (This length is what is sticking out the back side of the hole). I must admit, I don't measure anymore on small rivets, I approximate the length by sight. When riveting the two items together use a ball pein and use the flat hammer face for a couple of hits to help set the rivet then switch to the ball pein. I like to turn my work while hammering the rivet to squish evenly. Usually I just set the head of the rivet on the anvil face, however I did make myself a steel bar with shallow impressions for riveting but rarely use it. Personially I don't like flat squished rivet heads, I hit the rivet at angles to get that nice dome look. Try not to hit too many times on one side verses the other or it will be uneven and split the head of the rivet your trying to form. I would practice on some scrap pieces until you get it down. I believe rivets on your project would look great.......

Unfortunately the last company in the United States to produce wrought iron closed in 1969 and in England in 1973. I hear there is a company, I believe a Swiss company that produces small amounts of wrought iron bar. I think the company back east is importing iron from Europe. Perhaps someone will know of what company in Europe I was thinking of. Wish I could be more helpful. I have a bar of this imported wrought iron, it's good stuff.

Thanks for posting this article, it is very helpful. I need to re-think how I charge customers, especially after a 40ft. railing job I did, ugh!!

That is some serious nice work. I must say that without pickets looked better, it was easier to see the fantastic hand rail from a front view, great job either way.

Nice site! Hey, I might be in the market for a hunting knife!! Will you be adding prices to your knives?