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Welcome to the group Damascus is fun Are you welding the billets by hand or have a press or power hammer? Hand is a lot of work

The blacksmith at Haverhill, Iowa, USA, who died in 1930 used roof tar I wave seen formulas that called for powdered graphite to be added to the finish either was, oil or varnish. Here powdered graphite is bought by the quart used as lubracant when planting corn.

Nathan Robertson, Jackpine forge, does not have a web site. His hammers are more afordable than most custom hammers but a lot more than flea market hammers. If anyone wants his email or phone number email me direct at 780@mchsi.com and I will send it to you

How much are you wiling to spend for either I might have one extra or not 780@mchsi.com

Thank you for the pictures and explanation of the dies I was planning to only use a top die but maybe the bottom is needed to create the wrinkles. I was only planning to texture one side of the material. Was surprised how far apart the teeth appear. Again the vase is very very nice. Thanks

I will be there filming one on the demonstrators Will also be in the tailgate area with the UMBA video library Look for someone riding a bicycle carrying a large anvil. BAM is always a great time. Ussually some type of thunderstorm in the area Camping is near or several hotels I have reservatons at the super 8 which is a couple miles away. As a side note an interesting tour is Sierra bullets on the north side of town. check their web site for address. They give a walk through tour of bullets being made that is quite interesting. Even the non metal wife liked it.They have a seconds room for sale of rifle bullets. Not cheap but by the #

I saw you at the BAM conference with one of your 25# hammers. Really loved the textured vase you had there I am sure Iforgers would be very impressed with it also. Any chance to get a look at a pitcure of your die for doing the texture and a brief description on making the die.

Welcome to the group Some of the locals here are using the motor and speed controller from a used tread mill. Might be a little under powered but from the right junk yard they go for about $10 or you might find one sitting on the curb for free.

Welcome to the group

The scrap yards here in MN are paying $2.60 a # Copper is up again but so is steel Scrap steel is $215 a ton or more here also

I also just returned from LAMA 1250 miles to home but the demonstration and good times were well worth the trip After seeing Brian demonstrate my only regreats were not wathcing him years ago when I had the chance and not being involved in the two day class. I may go to the Mississipppi conference to see him again. Lyle you and your striking was great also. Very rarely do we get to see striking here in the US Thanks for posting the pictures.

Yes that is a 500# LG. One of the pictures shows a 25#, a 50# and the 500# hammers This shop is located South East of Rochester, MN. The reason is is called Tunnel Mill is the proberty is located on a creek with a small land mass between where the creek makes a bend. Not sure what the elevaton change is but the creek runs approx one mile in this bend. In1860s someone blasted a 7 X 7 foot tunnel a few hundred feet through limestone to make a water race for a grinding mill. A dam was put in the creek to make a pond and water was deverted through the race to run the mill. They built the tunnel from both ends and it lined up were close where they met. The original building is the first few pictures. Later in the year they have classes schedualed with the following instructors Tom Latane' Peter Renzetti Kirsten Skiles Bill Fiorini There may still be some openings.

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Scrap wood is usually easy to find construction type material 2 X 4 1X4 ect I tear appart pallets which are in dumpsters all around. Dont put 1 by and 2 by or 4 by material together when making charcoal the small stuff will be burned up before the center of the larger is done. Put the same size material together in each batch. After it is made into charcoal I use a large magnet to harvest the nails otherwise you start seeing sparks and think your work is burning up when it is still black. I believe Tom Latane' who is a well known smith world wide uses some small scaps of wood in the forge. This does make more smoke. As you have difficulties with fires maybe a gas forge is the answer depending on what size and type stock you need to heat. If it is too big it is hard to get it into the gas forge.

Welcome to the group Try checking out Batson's conference at Tannahill State park I think it is April 9-11 I have a conflick and cant make the drive this year from Minnesota.Always had a great time there in the past.

Welcome to the group What type forge you want coal gas? Do you have access to a welder? Coal forge a brake drum, flexible steel pipe and a fan. Control the air by blocking the air intake

Welcome to the group I have been to OK just a couple of times for the Saltfork fall conferences

If you use boarax in the formula and have humidity and dont etch or wash the flux off you are going to have white crud showing up eventually no matter what you add to the mix.

Welcome to the group I am thinking on driving down from MN next month for the LAMA conference at Laffette As for the free metal Heat a piece slightly hotter than nomagnetic and quench in oil Clamp it in the vise and give it a tap with a hammer. be carefull as it could shatter if high carbon. If it bends over reheat and quench in water. Do the same with the vise if it bends with water quench it is mild steel. If it exploses in pieces it is high carbon

When you squared the 3/16 hole it became 1/4 or larger. You need a hole smaller that the parrant stock so it grips above the header to make an upset for the head

I heard Postvilleblacksmith.com has a used 165 Striker for sale I would have been interested in it but have a SayMak 60K and no more room If you do contact them let tell them where yo heard it from. No commission to me but always nice to know what friend help you out.

I think you forgot to tell what the buck and a half was incase those looking dont know. New US quarters. I do mine in a fixture made up of 1 1/2 X 1/4" steel with two 5/16" holes drilled. I drill the holes far enough apart so with the bolts in it can still slide onto the vise jaws. I take up to 15 quarters and gently flatten the little ridge on the outside of the faces of the quarter. This is so they stack better. Put them in the fixture and tighten the bolts as tight as they go then put in the vise and tighten some more. I then heat in the forge. I use charcoal but any high heat will do. I heated till red and then they sort of flashed. If you see little beads of material forming between the layers of quarters get them out of the heat now or you might get a puddle. I turn them over once in the heat process to get an even heat. Once they are hot enough bring out of the fire put in vise and squeeze again. This squeeze should be as thick as a quarter of greater. Once cold I take out of fixture and belt sand off the ridges in the side of the stack other wise it may be a cold shut which would be a flaw. I then reduce the height of the stack about 1/2, then drill, grind file ect a pattern on one side Ie top or bottom. Heat and quench to soften or work hot to thin the stack. You can continue to patern by drilling ect. When drilling dont drill deeper that the angle of the bit. IE larger bit you can drill deeper smaller less deep. The Nickel silver content of the quarter only wants to work our soo far then edges of quaters start forming in the pattern. I have thaught about doing a smaller stack of quarters working them to the size of 50 cent pieces then fusing that stack to about 3 or 4 half dollars then working down and paterning to get a bigger billed. Last year at SOFA Ryan Johnson showed this process. He did not clean the quarters or anything just put them in tongs. He said this type mokume at his house was for when he gets up in the morning and remembers he has to go to a birthday party that day and did not get a gift and it was time to make mokume. He patterened his into a heart about the size of an old silver dollar There is a DVD somewhere of him doing this and making tomahawks at SOFA

I cut the threads off large bolts. Heat the treaded portion and standing the bolt up on the hammer dies upset so the threads are closer togeter and the bolt is larger around. If the diamater is too small or length too long it wants to fold instead of upsetting. Once I get it to the thicknes I need a punch a tappered hole in the top for a candle. Lots wonder what material you started out with until you tell them treaded rod

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