ianinsa

This too may be late in the day for Dylan and Grant, Commercial Import restrictions don't always aply to "presents" and "broken" goods. We occasionally send goods between our shops or projects by DHL. My partner simply sends the parcel from his home adress to my home adress with the note "last time I was at you place I saw your brocken piece of junk so please acsept this as my birthday/chrismas/eid/aniversary/etc. to you. A value is declared and insured for. Depending on the value HMC might even wave duty but are very vigilant on VAT collection. Your note could also say " I bought this but it does'nt seem to work, it's similar to the one that you were using can you fix it?" Please remember to post instructions,receipt and g/tee seperately!You keep the payment a seperate transaction- chrismas gift for Grant's wife? Dylan? On the debate of coal v. gas as previosly noted coal has a flue thet causes a draw. Thus the more efficient the flue the better the draw. The greater the draw the more air drawn through the shop(draft) and unless the shop is in a really hot and dry desert this draft will have a cooling effect on the entire shop. On insulating the roof, first ensure that you have decent ridge ventilation,the hot air rises(escaping through the ridge vents)and also creates draw(a draft) so too helping to cool the shop. Ian

It has been known to badly hurt the 'negligent' shop owners pocket too(do'nt ask) Ian

Mark, "Millionaire? Naw, not me. To many headaches. Rather be a poor($) hobby smith than a rich office guy"??????????????? Why do'nt you just settle for being a rich($) profesional Blacksmith? Ian

He will possibly only be prepared to take it if you send it as "Priority Parcel Fragile" next day delivery - recipient pays postage Ian

Grant, You would have missed out on all those little chalenges! You would have missed the oportunity to keep your lawyer/tax consultant,etc.etc 's kids in good schools! You would have missed dealing with those ungrateful so & so's! You would have missed have use and abuse your goodwill! You would have missed out on heaps of schlep? You would have had far too many sleepfilled nights! You would have had time to spruce up and look after your home! You would have had time to have good long hollidays in interesting places! You would have had time to meet and befreind lots of good people! You would have had time to spend quality time with those you liked/loved...........In short you might have had time to make their lives a misery!................You were probaby better off in business maybe not in $$$(AND YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT AS BAD OFF AS YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN) but deffinitly in Life! Ian

Sorry Bob, I missed this one.........And to think I had you down for a 'Purist' You seem an even better guy than the one I took you for With regards to unfurling the OA hose/torch, we have in our shops a rather special torch(skinflint model)- change the regular cutting nozzle for a split nozzle and substitute the Acetelene with propane = works like a dream and costs much less to run! regards Ian

Hi Jake, as I'm in a looooong moving process I sadly have none with me at present, however I'm on my way to the shop that I partner with in Abu Dhabi on thursday so I'm going to swing past my shop in Kyalami,Johannesburg on wednesday and take some pics of the tooling,I will try to post them when I get back next wednesday. You also noted"I wish I was in a financial spot where I could go work with a traditional smith for a year or more... If I was young and without a mortgage and family that's what I would do... But Im not and I cant.... so I have to figure out how to do things the best I can with what I got. Try and glean as much information and help along the way as possible... I get to play with metal every day... somedays with a milling machine... somedays with a forge... but every day I learn something about the metal and it keeps me coming back for more..."I think it was you anyhow and if I'm mistaken please acsept my apologies. I am in the strange position where I work both in the first world and in the third world and getting to 'cross-over' as well. There are some aspects of my work that would make Bob(I mean this respectfully Bob) shudder and others smile! My customer base ranges from heritage societies, Midle eastern royalty, 5* hotels and comercial property developers to 'Others, those that like golden and shiny,flashy things. The last lot are not my customer of choise but are a significant portion of turnover!(certainly far too large to be ignored) Our set-up in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi caters mostly to this segment of the market, we employ 4 traditional blacksmiths from India and 2 casting specialists from Egypt- all these guys fall into the luddite culture(unknowingly) and we have 1 Egyptian and 2 Syrian smiths that 'drive' the chinese machines. this crowd will make an amaising leaf and then copy cast buckets of aluminium copies with a mild steel stem for arc welding onto a 'framework'. This 'frame' is made up from profilled/textured stock, spat out from a chinese made metal-work machine. The end product is then painted black with Painted gold/copper/bronze acsents(This makes my wife an interior Designer shudder) as per the local market requirements. All this takes place in an uninsulated metal structure ie forging,casting and arc welding with the temp in the shade of 45deg C.We also import for own use from Damascus hundreds of ready made leaves, formed/twisted(I only wish I knew how) tubes etc. We also produce copper roofing with large ornate corbels and wrought iron gates thet would not look out of place on a European palace(typically costing in the region of $100 000) We also produced with the exeption of a few pieces, all the wrought iron and wrought aliminiun furtiture for the 5* One and Only hotel in Dubai.Thi from my shop in Johannesburg. Some of my employees have said things like 'I wo'nt put my hand to shite' when asked to produce what I would consider cheap crappy goods for some customers 'As per their request' and sadly those guys have gone their way! I prefer to make 'nice,Quality products' however in our time I believe that we have to acsept that there are horses for courses ind if you need the turnover you have to be flexible Ian

Hi Again All, In 2003 whilst visiting Cairo I saw a railing in a blacksmiths shop that was amaising, every junction was crisp and clean! When I asked how he did it? He said 'trade secret'. Upon being pressed he conceded that for $100 he would not only show me, but he would make up and provide me with the tools req. Thinking what the heck(I'm on holliday anyhow) I agreed. One of the best $100 ever spent!He had a set of punching dies that punched(cold) in an ecentric press a square hole into a flat bar into which you put the heated end of a square bar. Then punch the corners on the oposite side with a center punch, This spreads and fixes the bar. He then used urine as a flux(we use spitits of salts)and filled the gaps with lead. Now you just clean up with a soaped file. My $100 got me 3 hours of watching 4 incredibly skilled smiths working with some really old tools, 3 self contained die sets to punch 12,16 and 20mm holes in flat bars ranging from 6 x 20mm to 10 x 50mm weight of each dieset =9kg. I collected my die sets 2 weeks later as it had taken him 10 days to make them with his ancient shaper. These lead filled joints are incredibly quick to make up, 'traditional' and are really neat. If your end product is painted these 'invisible welds' are certainly worth a try. Many sceptics will also be surprised as to just how strong they are too. We also use this method when adding punched/drilled flat bars into gates and burglar bars to prevent spreading and have never had a complaint. Ian

Thanks Matt, That helps a great deal, it is the mental refresher that I needed. Your photos are very similar to what I saw! And so off to work we go. Ian

Well this thread has gone full circle and gone meandering off into yonder meadow! Forging is forging and it matters little to most clients weather it is done with a rock on a block or with a powerhammer . I'm not sugesting that one conpares a hand wrought item with a sintered 'copy'. What I am saying is 'that's a fine pair of tongs and I'll use them' not 'those tongs were made by xxxxx on a series of machines using an induction heater(I know I saw the video) and therefore they will contaminate my work'. 'True luddites' would have none of the Powerhammer/induction heater stuff, Therefore I respectfully sugest that the 'extremists' 'bite the bullet' rather than use some new fangled injectable painkiller when they next hurt themselves(which I hope they don't). Mechanisation has been a boon to most, yet sadly it too has killed off many a trade. I Still consider myself a Blacksmith despite having/using Inverters, plasmacutters,bending, folding, stamping,rolling,etc.etc. machines. And I would certainly fight off anyone trying to disposess me of my anvills,hammers,tongsetc.etc. too. Thus I say "down with Luddites and yay to tradisionalists" or was that "down with tradisionalists and yay to Luddites" Fortunatly most of us live where we can and do and say "to each his own" Ian

I would sugest that you check with your insurer, I'm not sure of how they work stateside but here if you take certain precautions in your shop they will actually 'reduce' premiums visa vie lowere fire risk. Ian

Hey Thomas, regarding the dental work, is that some fella that would/could not settle his account? Do you want to come and see some of my customers? Ian

Hi Jacques, It's nice to see another Se'frican active on this site. I've also seen the imported stuff in Garsfontien and Centurion. The price seemed steep so thats why I thought that there would be a market for a local product. I'd be very interested if you found that book! I'm busy with the long slow process of moving my shop to Durban, but my place in Kyalami still has more than 70 machines in it, so if you are interested maybe you might like to pop round for a beer when I'm next up there, I've always thought stealing with your eyes is a great passtime. Ian

Rusty, A+ on that answer! Ian

Plasma-cutter v hammer and chisel, The later can be quite efficient if you have the skill, The former remains just a tad easier, faster and more accurate.(a dash less skill req. too) Modern is also a relative concept so I'll bet the farm that a shaper(modern?) would beat the pants off :man with file. Do'nt get me wrong I love(my wife says obsessed and sometimes me'thinks she exagerates) old tools and equipment. But to be comercially viable we sometimes need the modern kit. Ian

I do'nt know, done heaps of copper work my typical order is for 800kg to 1000kg from the foundry and I have never pickled a piece of copper ever! I do however regularly learn new things! Ian

To me it's patently clear that what you see before you is a thingimabob number 5, I'm surprized at your obvious 'lack of knowledge and/or apreciaton' In my army days the instructors would have responded "Dumb Question Sit!" so it's possibly a DQS5? My goodness Sam, where do you find these things? Please do'nt stop looking--I find this sort of tool facinating, in truth it looks like it might be some sort of shoemakers tool that has been abused at some point? Ian

Hi All, To clarify I am posting tounge in cheek! In this part of the world 'frou' and pronounced the same is an endearing term for "the wife" and verbalising that you have one that needs to sharpen up would possibly get you a 'klap'(a smack of note). Therefore please forgive me if I don't mention wheather mine has a single or double bevel and/or anything about 'weather or not I keep the straight side towards me during use' All I would say is that I would not swap/trade-in nor scrap my frou. I loved this topic!Thanks. Ian

Hi Zig, Welcome,Welcome,Welcome I hope to see heaps of posts in future! Ian

Beth, "yoghurt weaving hippy"???????????????? What in the name of ZARDOZ? Kind of phrase is that? Ian

That toy I like the look of! Nice one, not to be rude but what did that set you back? Ian

Neither did I, Ai'nt it amaizing what you learn on this site? Ian

I remember when you could go to the rural co-op and ask for power parafin for your wolsley water pump and not get one funny look. Ian

That tree looks like a birch, odd specimen though. in time that will proove to be too close to the house, wait till the leaves drop an moove it-piece of old toffie! In the early eighties my home loan rate got as high as 26%. Ian

Jake, As abstract art I like it! As a candle stick I'm not so sure? Ian