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I agree with the first answer about touching two roads together.
With your cable hot place a piece of rod that has been drawn to a point into the forge. When both are the same color toch the end of he rod to the cable. If they dont stick on the forge they wont stick out of it.

Maybe you are going the other way and having it too hot also.
Either way the touch rod is the way to go with a gasser

James had a little hammer at BAM this spring.
I was very impressed with the work he had on his display table

I take it you want to run it on 1ph power, if so you need a phase converter either comercial or home made.

Welcome
California has a very active blacksmith group that has several beginers hands on training

Welcome
Where are you from and your interests?

Welcome back

welcome to the group
Your area has a couple of active blacksmith chapters
check them out on this home page click on Blacksmithing Groups

Welcome to the group
I believe there are a lot of members from down under

Did you actually mean to make the Iron material itself or as the public has been trianed to believe wrought iron is a fabricated railing you buy at Home Depot.

Darn I was hoping you did not have a way to play them and was going to volinteer to transfer them to DVD

Roger Degner
UMBA video librarian

This advise is more for a gas forge fire but will work in coal also

heat the piece to weld, near the end of the heat, heat up a piece of 3/16 round that has been tappeared to a point. When both are the same color and still in the fire touch the 3/16 to the other piece. If at the right heat you should feel them try to stick to each other. If it does not stick in the fire it will not stick on the anvil.

A friend told me the old guy who taught him said to bring you mteals to heat, turn off the blower, go to the door to see if any customers are comong in the door and then go back and make the weld. This was telling him to let the steel get an even heat.

Other demonstrators I watched said welding used to be so easy before everyone told him how hard it was and Bob Patrick said welding was like Olympic skating you cand do it once a month and expect to win. Soo keep trying once you get it figured out and keep practicing welding will be no problem

GOOD LUCK

I use the open barrel method and ussually get 40 to 50% return by volume.
If I use smaller than 2X4 I get less
You want the same thickness material raw wood not a mixture of sizes
I use 2 X material about a foot longer than the barrel.
I let this burn about 1 hour + or - depending on the wind.
When mostly burned through or when you grap with a tongs it breaks I plug the 4 holes in the side and cover the top
I then wet donw the sides and top of the barrel to cool and put out the flame.
It is a battle of not burning long enough which leaves heavy chunks whick I either add to the end of the next burn or use them in the fore anyway if small or burning too long and getting less charcoal

Try burning less time

IN resopnse to the ? about the DVDs I dont ussally talk about them here but will bring them with. Close to 170 of them now. Need to get the new ones listed on the web site as it has been a buisy year going to conferences.

As for Clay Spencer.
Saw him at Pontiac, IL a coupe weeks ago. He was wearing a pink ABANA T-shirt and Clifton Ralph asked him about it and Clay said he bought a case of them.
I remember the morning he saw his hammer pink and he did not look too happy but seems to have gone with the flow quite nicely.
Clay is the man for tooling under a Treadle hammer or power hammer.
He has helped 100s of smiths go from just a hand hammer to foot or mechanical power.

Not sure if we will get there Wed night or Thursday night
Nathan Robertson has vollunteered some space in his trailer if I get carried away with the tailgate purchases. The problem is he probably has told that to a dozen other also.

I have converted some of the Pill punches to hot steel punches from two years ago tail gate but havent used any of the race car axels.
Now if I would just make a list of the letter stamps I am missing and put it in the van to have when I get there to complete a few sets.

They are mine
I made 3 anvils and a swage block
Gave one to a local group who auctioned it off for less than I would sell one for. One or the other has been pictured in a lot of blacksmith newsletters with some one holding it.

Try to get the woman or kids to pick it up in the tailgate area.
Every once in a while some one will ask if they can carry it to the truck can they have it. Of course you know the answer because a little kid can carry it.

The largest one is made from 22 gauge sheet and the smaller one 18 gauge.

Couple years ago someone showed it to Mr Postman and he said it did not have Peter Wright feet whick is OK because they are marked PETER WRONG

Stop by and have your picture taken
I go to about 17 conferences a year so they get around.
You would think everyone had saw them by now but can always fool some one.

I msue a mig with .023 wire and less voltage
Oxy accetlyne would also work if ou have a torch

I went ot the link posted above
Unfortunately I have already wathced all of the demonstrators except the hawk demonstrator.
Of course this will not stop my attending as just the tailgating and BSing is worth he trip
See ou there.
Look for me riding a bicycle with a 427# Peter Wrong anvil
roger degner

How hot did the copper get?

Did you burn it up is why it is bad
Get it too hot and it is junk

Copper gets as soft with a slow cool as a quench.
Whith a quench yo get to work it sooner

I will be driving in from Minnesota
Roger Degner

Welcome to the group
I am traveling through Wis on my way toward you for this weekends Pontiac regional conference

Welcome to the group
Any chance you will be at Pontiac, IL this weekend?
I am leaving tomorrow afternoon from MN

Welcome to the group

I agree to use the fire at the end of forging so less heat is needed.
As for smothering it put it in a tin can with a tight fitting lid such as a cookie or popcorn tin. I dont worry about wasting charcoal as I make my own from free wood.

The couple of times I saw Clay Spencer demonstrate with a tire hammer I was impressed. They were the best running 50# Little giant type hammer I have ever watched run but most of the LG are old and tired and in poor tuned shape.

A KA75 is a different animal than a traditonal power hammer.
I have a friend who has made 2500 hammers or so on his KA. Need less to say he has the system down pat and has wore out a couple of KAs

Welcomt to the forum
Go to the home page and click on groups look for one near you for personal contact

There are several active groups near you in PA

I would hate to make charcoal 5 gal at a time.
I use 55 gal barrels and burn 3 at at time using 2 by boards as the fuel.
I use the direct method and start with the lumber sticking out ot the barrel about a foot. After an hour or so of burning it has shrunk down into the barrel.

I would think retort would be less offensive to neighbors as the smoke is burned as fuel correct.

In my method the barrels smoke for a few minutes until the wood is going good but I dont have close neighbors to offend