ramsies11

those kids were extremely lucky. they wernt wearing hardly any safty gear at all.

lee, that looks neat!i like your array of ingot moulds. are they all cast iron?

here in S missouri my closest coal supplier is about 130-140 miles away (one way trip) and hes an amish man who imports it from philly, but the gas here, if i get a big welders propane bottle (the ones taller than me) they run about the cost of 2 bags 25lb of lump charcoal. (bout 50bucks before tank rental price is added in) im currently in the process with my father of making a gasser forge. i can do some quick calcs then, but i still dont know really.

i mainly started this as a question of wonderance. but heres my second question, what can i use for an ignot mould?

i know people use flower pots as a foundry, so if i can find one without a hole in the bottom, can i use it as a crucible? and if i cant find one without a hole, my local wally world sells oven bake modeling clay, can i form a crucible/ use that to patch the hole in the bottom?

my father had very bad dyslexya, he failed 1 and 2 grade untill they figured out what was wrong, somthing with this stuff is you have to make it relavant to the people who have it, otherwise it wont do them any good, for math, give her problems that deal with smithing (dont over bear or else she might think smithing is nothing but math) the reading thing i cant help with, i was an avid reader as a child, my school setup point systems for them and you got so many points per book you read and took tests over (the max a book was was only 10) and after a year in second grade i had 216 points. i was the second place winner in school. (someone beat me with 218 points) but the point is, find books she finds interesting. is she a very industrious girl?

top 25 smallest number most important to biggest number least important: -biggest number ever. her fathers support. 0.a set of good gloves. .5. a scrap yard 1.a sturdy hammer 2.an anvil 3. a blower 4. a forge(yes, blower first then forge.) 5. an anvil stand (i use an old stump 6. vice 7. tongs/vicegrips 8. steel toe boots. 9. a crucible 10. heart wood chunks (id suggest about1"x1") 11. quench barrel filled with water 12. smaller quench barrel with old used oil 13. a metal coffee can filled with cat litter 14. casting stuff 15. a good welders apron (the best come with leather sleeves, ill be using these with foundry work) 16. ifi 17.ifi 18.ifi 19.ifi 20.ifi 21.ifi 22.ifi 23.ifi 24.ifi 25.ifi

did you use some sort of swage tool and a ball pin to make the inward curve of the leaf or what did you do? it looks great.

ive never tried this, the only forge welding ive done is a hand made stick of redneck damascuss, im wanting to, but i dont know if its at all possible, i might go with rth's method and play with rebar.

i might end up flying. all i know is im wearing my ifi shirts all the time at the conference.

i dont personally know if im going yet, i need to see what it would cost me to take 500lb anvil over airfare or if my friend and i are interested in driving from smo to rapid city. my question was: who all is going? and yes i realise there is already a post about it, but the one i saw was asking for carpooling, if theres another one, shut down this thread and message me a link to it please.

also, in alot of airlines if you fly first class, luggage is free. i dont know if that includes a 500lb anvil...but i can see.

how large is this? and do you have to be a member of abana to go?

i was only going to use this for melting aluminum and lead really. after i heard of the dangers of brass, i thought it would be better if i didnt use it. i plan on stopping by wally world and picking up a respirator like what painters use, will that work?

this was an idea that came to me out of no where guys. i didnt know if this was going to work or not. i didnt plan on using the sword either guys.

so, while watching the best t.v. show of all time (A-Team) i thought hit me for a foundry setup, an old oil drum that i cut in two halves (like a burger, not hot dog) and i drill a hole in the side of it for the air, then i take the lid, and drill a 3in dia. hole in the middle, i was thinking of stuffing the bottom with wood and lighting it, then once it caught, stick the crucible in and pack the sides with wood, then start cranking for a bit. my question is: practical? and: is this too MacGyver to even work?

i like the idea, if i ever do a show, im putting up a tip jar, ill talk to some tin/copper smiths about making one and ill forge a stand for it, hopefully the work will draw someones eye.

i gotta say i like the idea of a foot pedle vice. leaves 2 ahnds to mess with stuff

dodge: i have no idea on length of said item. adam: nope. im free-stylin'!

you may be a blacksmith if the stitching on your gloves goes out after a day.

josh- same age. my only issue with my girl is her dad wants me to make him up an oil drum smoker.... and he wants to pay me for it!!! but i need work. lol. having your own business isnt all its cracked up to be.

bout 2" wide by 3/8" thick.

so, i had a thought, for a long/greatsword, why not get 2 leaf springs off the trailer, forge weld them together and then make them even with eachother, and then, take another two leaf springs and do the same, take the two parts you have, start at the end and forge weld them into one very thick, very long sword. so, is this idea a bust or possible?

you may be a blacksmith if your way of dealing with the mailbox smashers is setting it in i-beams ( a friend of mine up north did this)

ahh josh. them girls get ya into real issues when you gotta work.