Old N Rusty

If You think you can stand the heat of south Louisiana. Do drop by , we will have tea.

Come to Baton Rouge Louisiana U.S.A.

Those filings and bits of steel don't go into the trash! Save a bucket full and add weight to the next truckload of scrap you haul off. Every pound counts , "Don't you know there is a war on?"

Like Born Too Late, I buy from Buddy Leonard, The distance to Buddy's shop, and the cost of truck fuel, has me looking for an alternative source. I can store twenty tons indoors on concrete, and sell bags. Might get a truckload of Glenn's #15K . Buddy is getting old (aren't we all?) .

Let us confine this thread to the living and practising Master Blacksmiths of today. I would really like to spend time with Frank Turley, Brian Brazeal, and even though I have no interest in making knives, Rich Hale , he's cool!

What do the bottoms of the tanks look like? The large cylinders have a great dish in them a fine shape for cold forming depressions. If your shop has a dirt floor you can set one upside down in a hole the right height for you to comfortably hammer on it, no cutting required.

Beware the darkside of blacksmithing, weapons and especially the long, sharp, pointy thingys are CURSED!! It seems you might be turned to the arty side , so I offer warning. But, if it is already too late, you will profit greatly from Lessons from Mr. Bush, we have met, and I was very impressed with his shop. And his work. I have a good friend there in Kent, Godfrey South WWW Darenth Valley Forge U.K. Godfrey is soon to emmigrate to Canada, and will be flogging a lot of blacksmith gear. Good Luck!

An austra alien joke. :D

Welcome to IFI, there is plenty smiths from downunder on here, A little searching will get you to the OZ roundup, say hey! and find out about hammerins going down near you. I can imagine you pulling up with a bus full of ROWDY high school students to an event at Glenn Moon's shop unannounced !

Beautiful knife Rich ! I 'll bet it shaves too.

Will the Drill Dr. machine sharpen 1/8" short (stubbies) bits?

Please tell us you got $34,999.00, and the client has to buy the leather,and glass.

Welcome to IFI ! Where are you? Baton Rouge La. here, Arnold @ Anvil Blacksmiths. Drop by!

Make scrolls out of it.

I wonder, do you get wages? Or just the scrap copper, about the same, with todays prices for scrap anything, and inflation .

Don't be afraid! Come back and play with the L.G.!! Nobody comes to Open Forge, thereby denying me the warm cuddly feeling of GIVING things to the deserving. In my career as a blacksmith, I have been given MANY things, been helped in many ways, it is PAYBACK TIME! Y'all come!

Every car came with a lug wrench, many junkers still have them. Good tool steel.

The floor will do if you are able to do it, I am so Old n Rusty getting back up is difficult. Far better is a layout table. My main fab table is 96" x 96" x 2-1/4" thick flat and level 36" in height from the floor, For gates that will fit this table, I lay them out on the steel, and fab without much drawing, I feel doing a big drawing on paper is a waste of time and a trap. how are you going to build anything on top of paper? A client who makes wood doors with inset glass has me make wrought iron panels, He sends a plywood full size drawing for each most are 6'+- tall and 34"+- wide. I build one on top of this board and the other half of the pair on top of it. Ensuring a matched right and left side. For REALLY large driveway gates I have a pair of tables made of 1/4" plate, one is 8'x8' and can be pushed alongside a table that is 10' x 8' making a large layout table 18' x 8'.These tables are also 36" high and if needed can be pushed against the main fab table making a layout table 26' long x 8'. the shop is all concrete floor 80' x 80'. big enough.

crickets, I hear the buzz all the time. The only time I am aware of talking to myself, is when I find myself at the other end of the shop and have forgotten what i came for.

Whatever is at the bottom of my quench tank is sure to be old n rusty.

And M.T. Richardson "Practical Blacksmithing".

I found some soft rubber sole shoes, Brazos brand, in Academy Sports .Size 12 feels very comfy ,slip on , steel toe , and cheap! $ 20.00 pair

Leaks? was the cutting lever depressed ? I use Victor equipment and it is the same , If you have a long hose it will take a while to get full pressure and hiss a while at the regulator. Make some sudsy water and leak test all possible places that could leak . From what you posted I cannot say you doing anything wrong . Be Safe!

i put dry (unused) kitty litter clay on the floor of my whisper daddy gas forge.It has stopped the erosion and glows very hot.

Safe glasses and good steel toe boots.