Joe C B

If you are involved in Boy Scouts , there is a Metal Working Merit Badge that has a Blacksmithing option. Your local council likly has adult Scouters that are qualified to teach Blacksmithing... I know that our Great Lakes Council has several Joe B

All else being equal, length, diameter, surface finish... square shank nails hold better because the flat side surfaces of the shank grip the wood fibers better than the rounded surfaces of round shank nails. Quality large size boat building nails are square shank. Joe B

This remarkable video will answer the question... Joe B

Thanks for all the good info on pouring babbit. Just a couple of comments... Using DAP glazing puddy for a dam is a great suggestion, I just tried some regular plumber's puddy with molten lead and that seemed to work OK as well. The "old fashoned - add water" wood puddy is Durham's and it's still available at most hardware stores... very versitle stuff for molding and such, just be sure it's completely dry before pouring hot metal. As for the "soot" , this prevents the babbit from sticking to the shaft. Joe B

You are talking the drills with 1/2 inch straight shanks , correct? We have a post drill at the Boy Scout camp smithy, I made a few different size drills from 1/2 inch 0-1 drill rod. Turn down ( or grind or forge ) down to the desired drill size and make into a simple spade drill. Harden , temper and go ... these flute-less spade drills work good, chip extraction is not an issue since most holes are not deep. Joe B

what Dave B said !!! We make them here for the scouts and find that the highest carbon plain steel ( low or no alloy) works best. Files are tops, or we use coil garage door spring, the overhead coil type about 1/4" stock. Flatten the striking dege to about 1/8 " thick. Quench in water for full hard with no tempering has been best. Joe B

Thanks guys, that helps. I'll try hot filing, I do have a couple of old 14" course files. Joe B

Hello all, What's the deal with filing or rasping red hot steel? I have heard of this and seen a quick video clip. Does this technique require a special file? Seems like it would ruin a normal file? I have a couple of pretty good Blacksmithing reference books and neither mentions the subject. Joe B

I missed it too... and I'm the guy that posted the pic. When zpilot said "mouse" , I'm thinking what the heck kinda' tool is a mouse. Then I went back and looked real close at the stump. Joe B

This anvil and tools are not mine. Took the pic at the North American Model Engineering Expo (N.A.M.E.S.) last month in Southgate Michigan. Pretty nice work! NOTE the US ten cent coin (dime) in the pic for scale. Joe B

Thanks for the input. What Mike said .... Ya' I suspected that I was covering too much of the throat. I'll cut the size down some before trying. As of set screws, I had planned to pin it to the shaft with a stainless steel pin. Joe B

Hello all, I'm new here... my first post. I have been working hot iron for a couple of years now but on others coal forges. I just bought a used Centaur forge with a nice cast iron pot, but the tywere damper or "clinker breaker" was missing. Working from pretty vague pictures and sketches I fabed one in the shape of a three winged "ball". My question is, will this work OK? what was the original like? a simple solid triangle shaped ball or a winged ball like I made? Or something completely different. I'll try and post a couple of pix too. Thanks for looking. Joe B