yves

ditto

Yes, hearts, learned from Brian Brazeal. Mr Dean, I am sorry I did not reply to your question about the "hearth" when you put it to me. The "follow this topic" button does not seem to work.

Easy also with a hacksaw. Not that much time realy.

Fiery Furnace, Want to thank you for the demo on split crosses. I finaly felt I could try it. Made the first one yesterday.

I like this. What plans for the chimney?

I was invited by the Coop people to present my forgings in what was supposed to look like a fair. That part did not work out. I was finaly the only guy to have something to show. Despite the poor organisation, things went well for me : I had few visitors but they seemed interested in what I forge and I even made some sales that I had not expected at all. What seems to have worked in my favor, was the booth I came up with. People were attracted, curious. Many complimented the presentation. This booth is simple and It takes an hour to set it up completely. I transport the lot in my trailer. I will add to it : a roof, decorate the sides with forgings, tweek details like hiding the plywood sides, topping the puywood on the sides, etc. People did not expect such a presentation. It worked well.

I store my coal on the first floor and there are more floors to go!

I live in a silo, 14 feet in diameter. , .

Never made the connection, Thanks. Realy, thanks!!

The client asked for a candle holder for 5 candles. When I got back to him, I offered five candle holders that were to be shaped in the form of pentagons. The gods of geometry have also declared that five pentagons fitted around a sixth pentagon form in turn another pentagon that would realy look like a five branch candelabra. I sent the client photos of a cardboard pentagon with a mushroom and a candle holder. The mushroom came to mind because the client deals in vegetables, herbs and, yes, mushrooms (credit here to the Brian Brazeal blacksmith video for the technique). The client approved. I forged, I built and the client is happy. Here is the product. The pentagons fit in a circle having a 5 ½” diameter. Each carries a mushroom and a candle holder. The wood is black Peruvian walnut. https://lh3.googleus...XCQ2MOYjoEQCrQk They can be used to illuminate numerous dishes on a table https://lh3.googleus...oRKseXoe9yku2Ns They can form a path of light https://lh3.googleus...f4luRtuU1zXIelw a train of light rushing by https://lh4.googleus...sLpZC-wF0UXXguI a crescent to highlight a particular dish or an object on a table https://lh3.googleus...RVl78HqklxYG840 Possibilities are endless. And of course they can all come together with the mushrooms inside https://lh3.googleus...aSjRbd8T1vYtNX4 or outside https://lh4.googleus...Mbch6lXSD0ALhKc. Thanks for looking. Yves

You could also download a few copies of the Blacksmith Journal archives where Hoffman has drawn a lot of iron, square, twisted and what not. There are a lot of tricks to be gathered in his work.

John B is right SNCF is the french railway company and looking into the MOB catalog, we can see something like your pics show. They call it a mechanic's riveting hammer. You also seem to have a number stamped on the side. I can't read it easily. I tried looking for the number in the MOB catalog. Did not get it. You might have better luck.

I wanted to show friends the small items I forge (door handles, hooks of all trades,etc.). I had mounted them on wood plaques and carried them in a plastic container with a lid, something that has business looks while being rugged. The container had been left in the car. That was a while back. Being mechanically challenged to the utmost, I had to bring my chain saw to the chainsaw garage. It is located in a small town around here I rarely go to. Going through, I noticed a florist’s shop with a sign in the window saying “Gifts” to the sun. I thought of the container with my samples. I stopped the car. I hesitated. I said no, I said yes. I got out of the car telling myself that a reject in this case is nothing personal and generally pumping my courage up, I had never done this. I got to the door, took a deep breath and while I was telling the lady that I am a blacksmith (her eyes widened, I noticed) and that I had objects in my car that might be of interest to her and that I would get them to show her if she allowed me, I looked around for clues as to what might interest her. She agreed. In the back of the car, I took out the door handles, kept the hooks for the plants, removed the door hooks, kept the key fobs and hearths (Brian Brazeal’s Valentine Day hearths). I returned with my stuff and more confidence than when I came in. The call was not cold anymore. She had asked to see my stuff. She was curious, interested. At the end she took five key fobs and no plant hooks and no hearths and I was surprised, not discouraged, surprised. At any rate, my sale paid for the chainsaw garage man who laughed at me again that I could not fix such a trifle problem on my own. Large laughs, small bill and a proportionate sale. When I delivered the key fobs, the florist was very happy and impressed (leafs with a knot in the tail). Again I showed her the hearts and reminded her that she supplied weddings and that a heart around a napkin would be a great gift to the wedding participants. Her eyes got wider still. I pointed to her that the profits she’d make from the hearths would pay her transport and part of the manpower to setup the flowers. Big eyes I got. I thanked her and walked out. I will go back. With more. I am looking into the possibility of offering her a package made from a hearth around a cotton napkin embroidered with the initials of the spouses. I would order the napkins for her. All she would have to do is make the sale. And I'll do this before spring turns loose and bring my plant hangers and plant hooks. A cold call like that one can turn us into a hot item. With a project like the napkin in the hearth, we become partners with the client.

This interests me a lot. I design and make furniture. Ever since I have started forging, I tried to find occasions to marry wood and steel. This tool box is beautifull. It should encourage all of us who are also familliar with wood to use both mediums. It is to this encouragment that I want to add.. I was fortunate lately that a young couple was interested with what I proposed. They thought about it. We worked together and the following pics show what we came up with : a large installation in the living room and storage. It should be noted that the "large" installation actually permitted the customer to gain space in the room and to streamline what often appears as clutter. The storage made with steel is surprisingly light. The use of both mediums enables us to steer away from the boxy look. Two such storages were installed. I was very pleased with the possibilities this commission opened up. Steel as a structural element is so much more flexible than wood. Wood, however brings warmth to the design and, in the case of these shelves, does a better job than steel could do. Are there others out there who mix the two? I would like to see what you do, your ideas. Yves

Brian Brazeal Thanks. These are the prices I was playing with in my mind. After studying your video, I hammered out seven or eight hearts. I will give it a serious try for Valentine's day. While I am here, I want to thank you for your generosity. When I look at your videos or read your posts here on Iforgeiron, going back to my forge, I have more confidence, I try new things and have a feeling of moving forward.These hearts for instance have solved for me the problem of bending square corners. It is so simple, so elegant a solution. I have made squares for a customer to hold records and stuff on a wall. My corners, eventhough they are not seen, do not please me. They are not square enough. I plan on hanging books of mine on the walls of my office space. The quares will have these corners. Again thank you for the hearts, for the slitter geometry and for all your generosity. Yves

The price question: what do you (Brian Brazeal and all of you) sell them for?

The smithy being small the forge table is small. So when I had longer bars than 2 feet or so, I had to hold them while they were heating. No more. This is simple and efficient. A view from the side : Here is a series of dimensions. The first one depends on the opening in the side of your table. The other dimensions are the ones I use. Here is a general view. It stores neatly on the side of my chimney :

Again, thanks to every one. ThomasPowers, I did just that, ask around and a guy I had asked to came over that evening & lubricated the screw with some grease he says he uses all winter on his backhoe, with a smile, a few jokes on me and to "just tell him when I think I need some more". It works smooth and fine and sounds good because it does not make a sound anymore...

Realy got older when a young lady offered her seat in the subway. That's not so bad. You could survive, you could argue, maybe. However, I thanked her and sat down. And then I worried... And this happened a few years back... And I rode on an Indian motorbike, when it was new!

I live in the country. Come autumn, mice try to come in the house. Solution : feed wild cats living in the barn and around the place. That's for outside. Traps inside. No mice in my shops. None in the house.

The tails of the flowers are riveted to the upright bar? Is it a rivet that goes through the lot? I cannot see very well. When you post other pics, a close up of the joinery would be appreciated. Very nice work sir. Yves

MLMartin, Have'nt got the job yet. And I'm in bed for 2 days. But I think of cutting time. That's all I think about. I know I'll have to work on my slitting chisel and then hit the drift hard like I saw blacksmiths doing it on videos. I think I was too considerate for the the drift. I'll slit and drift some more to morrow. I believe I can get down to 15 minutes per hole. I'd be happy with that. And thanks for the encouragement. Yves

I got so deep into the private world of the blacksmith making my hole this morning that I did not realy count the time. It was somethin like 25 minutes maybe less... I hope. Something like twenty odd. But I liked the procedure, slitting with a slitting chisel I made according to the design posted here a few years back by Brian Brazeal (Slitter geometry) and drifting and again my hole was well centered with a little defect on the "bottom". I like doing that work. I'll make a hole a day until I'm happy with the time and the results. I had not posted that the client wanted me to do the job on 8 pieces of rebar. After reading extensively on rebar on Iforeiron, I told him I would not touch the stuff and that he should not touch it either. Rebar belongs in cement not in his garden and I offered him to do the job on new 3/4" square bar and to charge him 3 hours for the job. And he pays the 32 feet of square bar. From his reaction, I believe I will get it. And when I do, in 2 weeks he said, I'll have made quite a few holes. and yes, Phill K. I will let you people know how low I got the time wether I get the job or not. I'll post pics of the holes when I have a few more. The 40 minute one is on the top and now its oval... I was upset with the 40 minutes... I upset the bar... Yves

Thanks every one. I changed methods. I slit and drifted a 5/8" hole in a 3/4" square bar yesterday. I got the time for one hole down to 25 minutes. And it was centered. Going at it again today. I'll probably quote (tonite) 3 hours of work. I do not mind not getting paid for all the time I spend working, the extra time is apprenticeship. Again thank you Yves

I want to offer a potential client to punch and drift 5/8" round holes in 3/4" square bars (both ends of eight 48" bars, 16 holes) I want to charge what it is worth, not more not less. However, being a beginneer, I cannot expect clients to pay for my "apprenticeship". My question is this : How much time to punch & drift with a hammer, a 5/8" round hole in a 3/4"square bar heated in a coal forge. It took me 40 minutes to do it today. How far off the mark am I? I'm pretty sure I take way too much time and I would like to charge the time it should take. I'll pay for my apprentice status. Thanks, Yves