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I Forge Iron

LDW

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Everything posted by LDW

  1. Looks like you have some original stuff there. If you take advantage of being layed off and forge as much as you can, your hammer control gets better, your knowledge of how the metal moves, gets better and you will get better at everything. I got layed off last December, and have done a fair amount of forging. Some on my own and a lot working with Brian. If you can get some #2 Bare copper wire you will be amazed at how much you can learn from forging that. Do not take it to bright red but you can take it to dull red and forge till it gets shiny or starts sounding metallically, then re-heat. I make rings, bracelets or bangels, key fobs, calla lillies, from copper. You see every hammer mark, you learn to keep it square, it just helps all the way around. If your making presents for family members, donating, or giving away items, it does not matter if it takes you all day or days, to make something. If your making items to sell in order to do this for a living the items need to be made as efficiently as possible so you can make the amount of items in a day that can be sold to bring in the income you need to make. Whether they get sold that day is not the issue, but finding an outlet to sell them will be part of the job. Myself, I like to make lots of smaller items in the 10 dollar to 50 dollar range. Efficiency is the key thing Brian always talks about, there is a good reason for it. Looks like your doing good to me, hope it all works to your advantage. Good Luck. Lyle
  2. Saturday I demonstrated at the local farmers market and made a copper ring, a copper calla lilly, several bottle openers, a key finder key ring with a leaf on it that hangs over a pocket or purse so you do not have to search for keys, and a key finder with a flower on it. Sunday afternoon I went to the Craftsmens Guild and made some small copper calla lillies, a feather key finder, another copper ring with a leaf on it, and a steak turner with a bottle opener on the end of it. Had a fun relaxed weekend overall and looking forward to going to Shreveport with Brian and Karen next weekend.
  3. Here are the pics I took while Steven was at Brians. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/StevenBaileyAtBrians Steven has a good ability to recall what he hears, I thought I caught him not paying attention a couple times but he was able to repeat to me what Brian had said word for word. I was impressed with him. It was a pleasure meeting him and his mother.
  4. Brian and I arrived at the Little Log Cabin grounds Wed., afternoon and set up shop. Thursday morning we were off and forging. 10 stations were set up and 20 people were fully involved in some heavy forging. We all had a great time. Good food, good people, and I think every student had a brain resembling a big sponge. We hope they all soaked in as much as they could stand. The people showed great interest, and were very appreciative. I can see why Brian enjoys sharing what he has learned over the years. When people can truly want to learn it shows in what they produce, and these guys produced. Hot Cuts, cupping tools, hammers, punches, top and bottom fullers. It was great. Dave and Arlene opened their home to us, and we truly felt at home. Thanks for everything. I tried to keep getting pics, but it is tough to do sometimes. Here is what I was able to get. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/MinnesotaGuildOfMetalsmiths92011
  5. This may seem silly to a lot of people but I did not realize it till I heard Jim Batson say it one time. He was demonstrating draw filing on a very rough bowie. The smaller the file the finer the teeth. When draw filing you can progressively go to smaller files the same as going to a finer grit sand paper. I was amazed at how fast he was able to put a nice finish on a bowie someone else had forged. For years I had files that people had given me or accumulated somehow. I bought a new file one time from a nice hardware store and could not believe what I had been missing out on.
  6. Heres an eye punch we made on that anvil today. I used my camera again but the pics turned out pretty good. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/HammerEyePunch
  7. Heres a link to a pic of all the tools it takes to make a hammer the way Brian demonstrates at each of the classes. This is one set, less the two hammer blanks, and there is also an extra "cupping tool" or round hammer face swage, We are going to MN in September and will need ten sets of these tools to do the hammer making class there. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/HammerMakingTools#5646783176958364338 From the top Hole Punch Drift Top Fuller From Left to Right Hammer Tongs , Cupping Tool, Hump Tools, Matching bottom fuller The two hammer blanks are 1045, the small one is 1 3/4" x 3 13/16" the larger one is 2" x 4" If I could figure out how to attach a pic to this I would.
  8. Its been about 13 years since I worked in a plating shop, but I used to be a maintenance supervisor at a pretty large plating and anodizing shop. Pre-treatment for anodizing alluminum was an etch in a caustic solution. This resulted in a black smut so after the etch there was a de-smut made up with nitric acid. The alluminum would look clean after coming out of this. Then straight to the anodize tank. BIGGUNDOCTOR is correct about the conductivity so when you would anodize the current would be highest when the metal was put in, you could actually watch the amperage decline as the layer of anodize increases.
  9. I took a few pics, I had left my camera at home so I just used my phone. Its not that great, I only took pics of the end of the handle when I was welding that up because I got so involved in forging I forgot to take pics. KYBOY I have never used a half round swage, but it is pretty easy to weld up with a v-block, or step of the anvil. I cannot imagine it being "much better" than an anvil step. I can forge one of these knives from start to finish in 40 minutes, including starting the fire. Heres the pics I took. https://picasaweb.google.com/wynnhood/CableKmife8292011#
  10. I have welded a lot of cable, I have found if you use a V-block it welds the easiest. If you do not have one you can hammer it into the step of the anvil, this way you will be hammering it on three sides with every blow. I need to make a knife for an order now. When I make it I will take some pics of the process I came up with.
  11. Thanks JeffB I will be looking forward to your post. I have heard about this for years but never saw how it is done. I have always heard it takes talent to know where to hit . The only thing I have straightened is what I am forging. I am still trying to improve my skills on a round bar to cut down on time. I could not imagine tackling a sawmill blade (skill saw blade as far as that goes)
  12. Sorry to hear about your Great Grand-grandmother, please extend my condolence's to your parents. 94 She had probably turned a blower or pumped a bellows herself. We are all proud of you Alec, We have always said the more you learn the more you learn. Just think, in no time you will be passing all of us up. (if you have not already)
  13. Here are some pics of a Unity Candelabra I got asked to build. I was glad Brian was willing to take the lead. We had a lot of fun with it. Did a few things I had never done before. Its all riveted, and looks very nice. You make one piece at a time, then assemble. This whole thing was done shooting from the hip. Thanks Brian, I bet it gets used in more than one wedding. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/Candelabra
  14. Had some more pics on my phone so decided to upload them. Hopefully there is a video on there too. There is a good pic of Frosty on there. It was nice to meet you Frosty. https://picasaweb.google.com/106506050631612810521/PhonePicsOfAlaska8192011
  15. AABS for Association of Alaska Blacksmiths. Hear is the article they did with the local paper while we were there.http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2011/07/23/valley_life/doc4e2b9f8907537734876259.txt Frosty even got a few words in. It was a pleasure to meet you Frosty, ya'll got a good thing going up there. Brian and I got to eat some of that smoked salmon, (sallllmon) its like eating candy. This was one of the best kept secrets Alaska has. Maybe this link will work. http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2011/07/23/valley_life/doc4e2b9f8907537734876259.txt
  16. Brian and I had a great time. We got to see Anchorage, Palmer, Talkeetna, I even got to climb a butte. If you ever get the oppurtunity to go there dont miss out. All the people were great.The blacksmiths were talented. Pat and Sandy, were marvelous hosts. We ate good, slept good, I even got to experience an earth quake while I was there. Between the mountains, of mountains, the glaciers, the wildlife,and the beautiful weather Alaska is not one of those places where you would say it nice to visit but you would not want to live there. You want to visit Alaska and never leave. Here are the pics of the blacksmithing https://picasaweb.go...nn/AABSPictures# and here are the pics of the scenery https://picasaweb.go.../AlaskaPictures# Thank you to everyone, I had a good time, and look forward to coming back one day. Lyle
  17. Hey Ian, let us know if you drop down south. We will get something going here with the MS Forge Council. Email me if you set your sites on Mississippi. ldwynn@gmail.com
  18. Here are the pics I was able to slip in while at the conference. Brian and I had a great time, I got to meet people that will be lifelong friends. Most people have heard of southern hospitality but there is "Upper" Hospitality that is alive and well also. We got to enter a forging contest, and Clifton Ralph partnered up with Gordon Williams. Friday night I got to strike for Nathan Robertson to make a sledge hammer that he put in the auction. We all had a great time, and if I can find other pics I will add a link to them. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/UMBRAConference2011
  19. I was impressed with the amount of knowledge Bryce carries around in his head. He has worked with some impressive people. He has worked in blacksmith shops and fabrication shops and has the opinion that they can go together harmoniously to produce what people want very economically. For someone out there that needs another set of hands to do some nice metal work, you have an oppurtunity to get some good help. He has a plan, and is seeking all the avenues to help bring it together. Forging is only a part of it, he is a good smith. He is learning different things, the things that take a while to perfect he is learning the steps so he can work on them once he has time. I envy his journey.
  20. I added some more pics to the same album, but here is a link to a picture of a smaller steel and silver horse head rings. A lady wanted one so I had to scale them down further. I like making these, but the steel ones are a challenge. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ForgedItemsMadeByUsingElementsOfForgingIHaveLearnedFromBrianBrazeal6192011#5622671768062919266
  21. Heres a few more items. I really like the horse head ring. I am going to make more to try and get better at making them. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ForgedItems6192011 Had fun at the Livingston market, I sold a small cross, a knife made from a file, a couple key finders, a "custom bottle opener", made about 100 dollars. It was worth going to, and enjoyed seeing all the people.
  22. I just browsed through some of the albums and this is what I found first. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/101109LettingJimCatchUP#5391541834993178434 Starting around pic number 135 it shows Brian doing the 2 sided taper making a copper bangle with a leaf. Then at pic 150 it shows how to make the flower. It is on a ring but it is done the same way for a bangle just larger punches. After it is made we heat them up and hammer into wood face down with a ball fuller or ball peen hammer to add life. I do not like the alluminum, it is very easy to melt. I lost one bangle to the fire. I played with alluminum when I took the class with Dave Koenig. Hope this helps, if not just let me know.
  23. Thanks everyone, there are pictures of how to make all this stuff on the web albums I have on Picasa. Alec learned to make rings before he came here just by looking at pictures. Francis Trez Cole thanks for the cable, I have never had any that big before. I arc welded the ends of a piece I put together, and added a handle. It is probably about 2 inches in diameter and I plan to weld it up, make it square, then V it out on the sides to do an accordian fold with it.I have done this before, and found it is the only way to bring a pattern out more for cable. You get to see the end of the cable on the sides of the blade. Last time it resulted in what appeared to be flowers on the side of the blade. I am going to use some v-blocks Brian had me make to go in the treadle hammer to get it started. I'll post picks. Ya'll post some more fun stuff on here.
  24. This is a link to some pics I took the other day. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/ForgedItemsMadeByUsingElementsOfForgingIHaveLearnedFromBrianBrazeal6192011# I have had some time at the MS Craftsmens Guild and made some items in the last few days. I plan on taking them to a new market that has opened up on Thursdays. All of these items are done very efficiently. Most involve using the two sided taper to divide the metal up. I will add pictures to this album as I make new items. Everything on here involves elements of forging that Brian shares with anyone that is willing to learn. Its all fun, but this is mostly small stuff that does not take long.
  25. I had a great time working with Russel and Robert today while Brian led the way making punches, fullers, and hammer tongs. I was able to watch during the tong making so I got some pretty good pics, of what the hammer tongs have evolved to. It was a lot of fun working with such talented people as these two guys are. https://picasaweb.google.com/LDWynn/RusselAndRobertAtBriansForADay
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