Sukellos

Slack time is not a problem for me. Forging is my hobby. I have a full-time job and yes, in these times I know that's a blessing! I also have a wife who suffers from a strange malady that causes her extreme pain and discomfort at the sight of me with nothing to do. ;)

Either that or the back-scratcher from H*** ;)

Good Idea Dragon! I have one and use it. I also keep one on my drill press and one on the side of my anvil and one on my vise to stick bits, chuck keys, small tools and such to so I don't misplace or drop them. (okay, not as OFTEN!)

I have a "tough shed" that looks to be the same size as the one in your pic. I just extended the roof off of one end about 12 ft and that gave me 10'x12' of forge space. I won't be re-tiring wagons in there but it works for the mostly small stuff I do. Granted, Arizona and the Pacific NW are about as different climate-wise as two places can be, still it would surprize many just how hard it can rain here when it gets around to it. On the floor, I put 3-1/2 inches of fine, clean sand held in place by 1 x 4's nailed around the outter side of the poles. It's easier on the feet than concrete, wont spall if (when) I drop hot stuff on it and it serves as an anywhere place to normalize projects or a makeshift clamping system for fitting up. The down side is that you never want to drop a small tool or project on the floor. Finding it can mean a bit of sifting. :mad:

Alec: That was my grandfather's name. He forged iron his whole life, starting as a young apprentice. Anyway, your shop looks frighteningly like mine. I guess great minds think alike. ;)

Sounds ambitious! Would love to see pics.

Just keep doing what you're doing. We'll adjust. Those vids are too good to keep off of the web just because of a bit of noise

Now put a ring or a T on the end of the split pin and save looking for the vise grips.;)

I've heard of a similar case hardening method. It was for the frizzen (sparking steel) on a flintlock firearm. Instructions were to wrap the frizzen in leather and then clay and put it into a hot fire for about 45 minutes to an hour. It also cautioned that if the hardening went all the way through the metal it would cause the piece to break up. I've never tried it. I harden the frizzens on my flintlocks with KASENIT. It does just fine and one treatment is good for a couple of hundred shots or so. I know that doesn't sound like much but a couple of hundred shots with a flintlock takes some time.

I have to agree with the rest. That's a great vid, but I had to mute it. You either have no neighbors, deaf neighbors, or saintly patient neighbors. :)

PKrankow: Thanks for the suggestions. I fooled around this morning moving the orifice around in the burner tube and it "sounds" better. I didn't try to weld but I forged a dragon head bottle opener for my son, the bartender. From what you've said, maybe my problem is just patience. My wife says I have none. We're about to take off to spend the holidays out of country. I'll try again when I get home. I may have to buy another galvanized tub to put the propane cylinder into with water.

Nah, just lucky in love. That's why I chose the name "Sukellos" in Celtic mythology he's described as short and ugly with a big hammer and a beautiful wife. That's me in a nutshell.

After all that... I forgot the link to the article Restoration of Leg Vises Part 1 By James R. Melchor and Peter M. Ross [07/01;S;107f2]

Your English beats the **** out of my Ukrainian! (Beats the **** out of is Cowboy talk for "is much better than") This article will help. If you need any help with the language, I'm sure we'll all try to help.

Why I love these forums. Your anvil vise sparked a dim light in my thought proceses George.

I'll buy mine, thank'e kindly. But if a fella ever needed an odd-shaped file for a particular job....

It's a commercial unit. Here's a pic. Single burner forge. 3" x 7" x 6-1/2" firebox, With Rear Bar Stock Door with flap cover 3" x 1-1/2" about the same on the front opening. Looks to be 1" Kaowool lining with a firebrick floor. I don't know the orifice size but it's small. Guessing about #60. I'd be happy with a simple folded weld on 1/2 bar stock. Mild steel.

I'm not home right now, but I'll get that info to you Phil. Thanks for offering to help.

I haven't counted the hours on my single burner, atmospheric, forge yet. It will operate at about 6 psi for normal forging. It won't make weld heat at any pressure. A 30# tank will last me a long time. Not much problem with freeze ups. I guess that's because I usually shut down every few minutes to save gas while I stupidly fumble about my shop. Maybe the 110 f weather helps too. :)

Having all of the textbook tools is nice, but not necessary. One time, when I was bemoaning my amateur setup, I watched a Nat. Geo. film of a smith in an African village forging spears for an elephant hunt. His forge was a hole in the ground, his bellows were two pots with loose "drumheads" on them that his helper pumped alternately to force air into the fire. His anvil was a stone and his hammer looked like about a 12" length of truck axle, all mushroomed out on both ends. He held it vertically in his hand like a pestle. He had no tongs and just wedged the metal into the end of a green stick. His spears were beautiful and the hunters used them to kill an elephant. Skill, gained of experience, trumps fancy tools.

Not all HF tools are junk. Or perhaps I should say that not all HF tools are made from cheap steel. I bought a set of cold chisels and punches there once to use at a job where pilferage was common. Figured I could better afford to lose them than one of my best hand-forged chisels. Of course, the first time I tried to cut a bolt head with the cold chisel I ended up with a "half moon chisel". I went to the grinder to try and salvage it and noted that the sparks indicated high-carbon steel. It was just poorly tempered. I assume that they were oven tempered to minimize chipping and law suits. I hardened them then drew them to a light straw color. It's been 9 years and I haven't had to re-sharpen them since. ;)

Did you cut out the letters with a plasma cutter? I'd love to own one of those.

I ran my single burner atmospheric up to 22 psi and couldn't get weld heat. What am I doing wrong?

A co-worker just dropped off two sets of leaf springs from a Jeep he's restoring. We're leaving Saturday to spend the holidays away. As soon as I get back I'll cut the shackles from those springs and try to make some badly needed spring swages. I had several but gave them away when I moved overseas for a few years. I wish I had them back now.

Heres an interesting drawing of a machine that Leonardo da Vinci invented to cut files. The table automatically advanced the file blank after each hammer/chisel stroke. URL=http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/zz237/Unclejer/?action=view&current=filecutter.gif]