Archie Zietman

Dave, I completely agree about the cheapest thing to do being replacing the blower. After an hour of trying to soundproof the little fella (it does look oddly like a siren...hmm...), I gave up, and I'm getting a chunky 60cfm fasco blower. I had an excellent 10cfm fasco which lasted me years before I gave it away, and apparently it's still running and whisper quiet as ever in it's new home, so I'm hopeful. It's rpm are a third of the noisy blower, yet it pushes 3 times the air, and it's a lot quieter (I saw one in action at the forge at a local college) and I can also use it for more than just the small gas forge. I'm not worried about the pressure, as I'm not dealing with coal. Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

My shop is actually open to the air, so putting it outside won't really work. I tried putting it in a box with 3 inches of foam to dampen the sound, but it was still about as loud as a skilsaw, unfortunately. My neighbours are rather crotchety, and don't take kindly to even basic construction, so I'm actually looking into just getting a quieter blower. It would cost me more to return the blower than I paid for it (I have to pay for shipping) so I'm looking into other blowers. Do any of you have experience with this one? I've hear it's quite quiet, the motor turns half as quickly as the little one, so it should be quieter, I am thinking a (60 cfm fasco centrifugal blower) Thanks! Archie bad link removed

Thanks Jerry! I'll look into that.

Heyall, So, I just got, in the mail, a little blower. It is tiny, but supplies a ton of air for it's size, which is excellent, my only problem is that it is as loud as a full sized vaccuum cleaner, or a circular saw. Not pleasant. So, I'm looking into ways to dampen the sound, because if I don't, it will drive me insane. I'm thinking of putting it inside of a heavily padded box, but with air vents so that it doesn't over heat. Sound like a good idea? Any others? Are there commercially available sound dampening paints or somesuch? I don't think that wrapping it with chain will help, unfortunately. Thanks! Arch

Hey Folks, I'm just wondering whether there are solders out there that are copper colored. If I want to solder together a few ornamental copper pieces, is there any way do do it such that the solder doesn't stick out like a big silver thumb, or is that the way of things? thanks in advance, Archi

Hello. So, I have started taking commissions in earnest in my ironwork business (called Ironfish) and am having to think about shop rate. How do you all determine it? Thanks a bunch, Archie

Before even fullering, I'd put the point on the mass you are about to isolate, if they are spearpoint finials. That has saved me tons of trouble many times. best of luck, Archie

It might be a bit of a schlep, but Williams Coal in Braintree MA supplies actual "blacksmith coal" to most of the blacksmiths in New England. I just got 400 lbs of the stuff, and it has very little smoke, and little clinker. You might try them. Chip, the coal guy, is real nice.

You could also take the steel disk, and take a punch about 1/4 or 1/2 inch less in diameter, and sink the center in, so you get that nice raised rim that some buttons have, then dress the edges and drill your holes. Cool project!

I wasn't punching them because the area I was working was extremely small. Going to forge weld on a slightly larger piece of stock, and then I'm going to punch them. You are definitely right about punching being easier. It might seem like a drill is, but you are taking away all of the metal in the hole as opposed to relocating it, which can make it look bad much easier.

A lot. I just almost finished a pair of loop-welded spatula handles. Everything was perfect, and then I went to drill the holes. On a half inch thick piece of steel a millimeter offcenter makes a huge difference. Gonna cut the ends off and forge weld on a slightly thicker piece of stock to try again. I don;t want to throw away the handles if I don't absolutely have to. I really should get a drill press to drill at 90 degrees to the work. thanks for letting me mini-rant, a somewhat put out Archie

What is the website for? Bob's backyard blacksmithing? Bob Ironwork co? That would help as to what calibre of images you need. If you mean photos, I am assuming you have your own shop, if you have an ironwork website. Get someone to do a couple photographs. If your setup en't pretty, do anvil closeups or vise closeups or fire closeups. Or do you mean logos and things? If so, draw some. It's not hard to figure out something original to do with some hammer shapes some people shapes and some anvil shapes. good luck! be merry, Archie

Right now I'm outside under a room with one wall. I really just need a way to keep the smoke around the flame until it is burned, as opposed to being blown away and buffeted by the wind. I'd be very interested in pictures though, thank you.

Thanks everyone for the replies! I think I will keep my coal dry for the moment to avoid yellow-white billowage. I will however put in a 55 style fire-hood-chamber thang. I now prefer cloudy days for forging: Nobody sees the smoke. be merry, Archie

Hello. So, today my forge fire (coal) got smokey on me for the first time in about a month, and, being in a densely populated area, I can't really have that. This got me thinking about wetting my coal. I know it helps the coking process somehow (so says The Blacksmith's Craft manual from the English rural commission) but does that entail more smokiness? slower coke-age? Anyone wet their coal? How does wetted coal compare to dry in terms of smoke and yield of coke? Thanks, Archie

Thanks for all the replies! I used 16 gage, and beveled the front edges for easier slip-under-age. be merry, Archie P.S. Edit: I just realized this was in knifemaking, not blacksmithing...whoops. No wonder I couldn't find it after I posted it.

Wet your coal, and let it coke into a mound. Then cut a little opening in the mound, and insert your metal into that opening. Then, before you put the two pieces together for a weld, flick them towards the ground. Most of the flux and contaminants will spatter on to the ground leaving you with hot, clean surfaces to stick together. If you are hammering to spray the flux out from the joint as well as weld the pieces, then you might either get flux and coal stuck in the joint, or you could hit it too hard and shear the weld. Also hotter is better, I never weld below a white heat (with very light taps, not smacks of the hammer). And clean (start a new fire/clean it out if you're welding) fire. Deeper is better. Good luck!

Really nice sign, I like the lettering. Now you have an excus to make a fancy bracket! Here is Eastern MA we've had rain and clouds and cold for the past few weeks. I can't even remember what the sun looks like. ;)

Hello. If I am using just mild steel for a spatula blade, would 16 gage work well? Also, when is mild steel at its most springy? When air cooled? quenched? I know it can't get terribly springy, but relatively speaking. be merry, Archie

What will you use as an abrasive?

At the local second hand store I picked up one of those little wrenches which you can weld another handle onto for twisting (been wishing I had one for years), and a 1.5 pound brass hammer. I figure I can use it for hot cutting, so as not to ding the hot cut face, any other uses?

Hello. I've read the thread through, though I'm still a bit confused on one thing: You drive the cold-chiseled punch through the metal from one side, and then use a flat punch of the same cross section to knock out the slug from the other side? Or do you use the chisel-punch to cut through from both ends and drift it to the final shape? Thanks, Archie

Responding. There is already the NEB, which is a fairly sizeable organization. Lots of people from Western Mass, not so many from eastern. If we could use the internet though, it would make getting together a whole lot easier. be merry, Archie edit: I live on the North Shore, very few smiths there.

Hullo! I just asked my welder friend to keep an eye out for me for a big hunk o' steel to use as a heavy beater anvil for drawing out heavy stock etc. I have a chunk, 80 lbs or so, 1 foot by 1 foot by 2.5-3 inches thick, but I think it's cast iron. When I whacked a corner the corner chipped off a bit. It has great rebound but has no ring. Reckon it'd still be okay to use it for striker-work? What could I use a chunk 1 foot by 1 foot by 3 inches of cast iron for? thanks, be merry, Archie

my waste oil forge is based on this shape. It's great for blades, not that I do much bladework, and other straight or small pieces. I can get a concentrated 6 or 7 inch heat on straight or slightly wiggly pieces. However, I find that a solid fuel (for me it's charcoal and cut up biomass) is infinitely better for working non-straight pieces, like getting a specific heat on a certain part of a scroll, or for heating small pieces like short hooks without having them drop into the bottom of the forge. Be merry, good luck, Archie