Herb Upham

The Truckee Maker Show will be May 17, 2015, one of the sponsors/demonstrators is Mountain Forge in Truckee. If you are in the area stop by!

For more information see: http://www.truckeeroundhouse.org/

Here is the camping information:

CAMPING
San Benito County Fair grounds ...
Charged by the event center for camping:
RV Camping with full hookup is $35/day
RV Camping with partial hookup $30/day
RV Camping with no hookup and dry camping $25/day

Just a note on process ... if you are a CBA member please renew your membership prior to registering. If your e-mail address is not recognized please e-mail me with the up-to-date e-mail address and I will fix the issue. Then you can register.

Also if you are an ABANA affilaiate member you do not have to join CBA for a full year to attend the conference, $15 will purchace a conference membership so you can attend ...

My e-mail address is secretary@calsmith.org

These Champion forges, some double with two hearths, were used in the Stanford University blacksmith shop in the early 1900s.

The registration process and details are on the CBA web site at www.calsmith.org now.

Letter stamps are likely to last longer stamping hot metal than cold ... keeping the stamp temperature below 350 degrees to avoid further tempering would be be advisable.

For etched letters, touch marks etc I would recommend a stencil based electric etch process rather than a do-it-yourself process. There ar many sources of information and suggestions on the knife making web sites. (as well as advice for the DIY processes.)

Take a look at: http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/tutor/claton/top_index.htm for Claydon Knot details.

... and it is great to try out forging techniques that may be unfamiliar ... sure saves time on complex items!

I agree with Frank. My Peter Wright has the maker's mark on the nut close to the contact point with the fixed jaw.

I recommend you get a copy of Michael Porter's book "Gas Burners for Forges, Furnaces and Kilns", it has losts of great advice on forge construction as well as burners.

You may want to check out the California Blacksmith Association www.calsmith.org for classes and oppportunities to meet other smiths in your area.

All indications are your loosing pressure from the propane source, good observation of the frost on the left and not the right tank. That indicates only the left tank is feeding propane most likely. I'd find the cause of that then use the washtub full of warm water approach for both cylinders ... just be careful, I froze a ring of water the size of a plastic wash tub one day befor I bought my 100 pound cylinder.

When you changed regulators did you get a new gauge as well? ... also it appears the sliding air control sleve seems to adjusted much differently on the right hand burner ... is that photo angle artifact or is there some other reason?

Kiln shelving works well for a hard surface to protect forge insulation. I use it as a furnace floor as well, replacing it as it wears out. As said, not zero maintenance, but can help reduce the cost.

I recommend not lining rivet forges, just allow ash to accumulate in the bottom around the grate. If you need a deep fire, recommended, place two fire bricks on each side of the grate and you will have a close equivalanet to a fire pot. I have one that has been in use for over 10 years and only replace the grate every 2-3 years.

I'd be inclined to forge an extension from 4140 then cut off the orignal and weld on the new extension thus preserving as much of the original as possible. Welding pre-heat in the 400-500 deg F range should work well.

I use a hammer like this to detail the edges of forged leaves. The direcion of the peens makes it easy and fast to detail one edge of a leaf on the far side of the anvil and the other on the near side without changing where I stand.

A public memorial is planned at Michael Bondi's shop Feburary 21-13 for Toby Hickman. Please see the attached notice and PLEASE RSVP to Michael if you can attend:

TobyHickmanMemorial (1).pdf

Most Champion blowers use loose ball bearings with an adjustable inner cone and a square machined outer race. Think bicycle bearings with a square outer race. If the balls are rusted away, it is very likely the shaft is damaged and the inner cone and ourter race as well making the blower close to being not repariable. I have machined the shaft, which has a worm gear detail machined on it, and inner races but the cost adds up quickly! I am not aware of a sealed ball bearing that could be adapted without major machine work.

My personal preference is to not machine and use as-is. If surface finish is critical to you, then grinding or machining is an alternative but you want to minimize the material removed. Often the surface will have a depression that will cause a lot more material to be removed than just to reach the bottom of the dings. Also, 1" thick is a bit unusual, however you did not identify your anvil, which would be useful in replying.

To add to your thoughts ... drilled bricks should be a very good alternative to the cast refractory ribbon burner ... a 1/4" carbide drill shold work fine, although I'd drill the bricks with a spray mist of water to eliminate dust. Adding a heat exchanger to pre-heat the intake air will improve overall efficiency of the forge. The Gunther/Sandia design is well suited because of the chimney configuration. Capturing exhaust heat from a contemprary "open end" design forge would be more challenging and I suspect that the cost of the heat exchange could offset the reduction in fuel cost. ... just thoughts ...

... as the old lense maker once said ... "Son, look through the lense not at it!" ... My table has a few dings from the provious owner and a few I made, these are great tables and made to use.

You may want to check out:

• More Thoughts on Design
• Thoughts on Design

on the CBA website www.calsmith.org under Resources.

Champion blowers use ball bearings on all shafts with grease cups, including the fan end. I use white Lubriplate in the cups and a daily squirt of oil in the top oiler which works its way to the fan bearing. Champions are a very solid design and like to be used frequently!

Nice grinder, I use my 2X72 grinder almost every day. I buy belts from pops knife supply

From you photo it appears you are running the grinder in the reverse direction, is there a reason?