Whittler Kev

It's funny.  I've just put up my Alcosa F50 hand cranked forge for sale as I've never lit it as I use the gas one all the time.  Mines got a round bed on it and a conical tuyre that sticks in about 4"

What do we do about insurance etc as it's stopped me doing some shows?

:D Cheers dude

I can not believe how simple an idea is for the adjustable bending fork. Sorry I'm nicking it :
Seriously, thanks for sharing this excellent knowledge

Have you a contact number for Ian Wallace please? Does it cover you for doing craft shows as well?

Anyone know of any metal spinners near Peterborough in the UK? I'm fascinated by it. Seen umpteen videos on Youtube and would love to watch someone doing it in the flesh

Has anyone near Peterborough, UK got a fly, bearing or hydraulic press sitting gathering dust they want to part with by any chance? :)

In my estimation if you`re attempting to move metal like you would with a hammer and anvil then it`s the wrong tool for the job.
A hammer drill uses relatively light impact with a short stroke to fracture and pulverize things like stone and masonry.It also was designed to rotate while doing this.It`s primary design was for drilling not forming.
That being said,if you have nothing better to do and have worn bits to sacrifice then go for it.If nothing else you`ll learn from the experience.

Mike is going to have a hard time replying,
http://www.navoyageur.org/ameling.htm
but happily these images are in the gallery under his name
http://www.iforgeiro...0-mike-ameling/
and preserved on his website (which I think is still being maintained for reference)
http://www.angelfire.../firefromsteel/

Phil

Just wonderd , has anyone used an SDS drill with a modified end in it in place of a trip hammer? Won't punch too hard but hundreds of hits per minute
Just thought I'd ask before cutting up a drill bit/chisel end

Sorry but the original pics are missing on my PC, Any chance of a repost of them as I like making them as well

The Guild do two forge-ins each year Kev, but there must be others out there. Whereabouts in the country are you BTW?

Oh just seen it Peterborough you could come down for the next one and camp on site for the two days.

Can't decide which one is the best. All absolutely brill. If you want a home for one in Cambridgeshire, UK .... let me know. :lol: :lol:

Well I got news for you... Your a Blacksmith!

I actually had the same worries a few years ago.. I felt like calling myself a blacksmith somehow was being disrespectful to the "true" blacksmiths i knew... I had a situation where I was taking a workshop from Darryl Nelson... And if you dont know who Darryl is well he is a blacksmith for sure.. I was talking to someone else in the class and I had said I dont feel comfortable calling myself a blacksmith... Darryl said something like "Did you drive a car here? Well that makes you a driver... Just because you couldn't win Daytona or Indianapolis.... The act of driving makes you a driver!"
So just because your a blacksmith.. doesn't mean your some expert at the craft.. It just means you hit iron with a hammer...

On a side note I am a firm believer that "thoughts become things" If you think about being a blacksmith... do the things a blacksmith does.. call yourself a blacksmith because that's what you are..

Lovely weather vane and nice scroll work

Brill. Your all winners with this quality work....one day.....one day:rolleyes:

Sorry about that. I had a gander on Youtube and saw what you mean.
I've gone and got all excited and realised that they don't look super hard to make (I know I'll have problems doing it ) and fancy making one.
SWMBO has reminded me that I may have a riot from the neighbours unless I do something about quietening down the noise from the shed:lol: . Maybe completely covering it in expanded polystyrene or foam .............or just moving off of an estate :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That copper overlay makes it gorgeous

Brill work
Oh no the external links been broken :(

Shame I missed this. Look forward to the next forge in. Are there many of them about the UK? :huh:

Brill another trick I've learnt ;)

Cheers for this to both of you. You've opened my eyes a little wider. Good site there with loads of new info for a newbie.
I'll leave it as it is and keep using a bottom fuller in the hardy hole:D

I must be missing something . As a newbie it looks like when you tread on the treadle, it pulls the hammer down, bending the leaf springs, so it hits the anvil. The leaf spring and the treadle spring then returns the hammer to the top again.
It looks like the treadle travel distance is only half of the distance between the hammer and the anvil. The leaf spring seems short as well.
Am I missing something or have I got the principles wrong?:blink:

I need your suggestions as to how to repair an old anvil if possible.
I've just managed to get an anvil (about 2 and 1/2 cwt) locally but it has a chip about half way along the face, and the edges are a little rounded . The face is flat and it rings true.
To make the back edge sharp again, is it better to grind the side or weld first and then grind square, or just leave it as it is?
The chip isn't a problem as it's far enough back so as not to be a problem. I was given a radius and a cut off chisel for the hardy hole, so am using the latter to give 90º sharp bends or I use the leading (front) edge.
As it is, it's loads better than the piece of rail I altered to use as an anvil complete with a horn ground down from a tractor draw bar pin B)

I temper in our electric fan assisted oven at 200ºC (although 01 blades do look a little blue at times), suspended on disposable BBQ trays in the middle of the oven. I tried at 190ºC due to the bluing, but they stayed very brittle so were too hard.
All seem to come out OK at 200ºC ,and hold an edge put on with a Lansky System.