Dogsoldat

True enough matto.  Forget at times just how plastic iron is to work in especially with a little heat

The roses are very nice.   and my burning question for the day is... how are you attaching the thorns?  they must be mig welded and dressed.  Unless your just that good and they are forge welded.  :)

What hasn't been mentioned is getting the plates welded together minimizing warpage.  I'm sure someone with more experience can give you better advice on this,  but I would try to get everything tacked together solid and equalize the welding stresses  by working a little on each side and work at each end and the middle. 

Option A or Option B   that is the question.  either sounds like a worthwhile experiment.  have heard of iron around fruit trees to make them grow better but can't remember my source on that one so it could be sketchy  (  word doesn't look right but anyways...)

To add a  little more to the fire  ;)  My great Grandfather use to use fir bark off the fire wood.  Doesn't burn to fast and chunks can be used to keep the heat confined.  I've seen my dad use his little rivet forge this way a  few times  so it does work.

Find a used corner bit from a D-8  the hole will be 1"  sq and the cutting edge will be 1 1/4 thick.  Most grader blades are 3/4 thick and take a 5/8" bolt.  So it works out to a 3/4" sq hole for the plow bolt.  The D-8 corner bit could be stood on edge and make a decent anvil as well.   I used a piece to make a small bick.  It hardened nicely in water.

Very nice job,  can't wait to see what else you make now!  Bet a power hammer will be in the works before you know it.

Better mail that one out to me and try again  :)    Looks like very fine piece. 

Had a nice long post all written up and now it went poof! 

Heres a few pics of the dragonflies I worked on today.  #1  wings failed due to cold shuts  #2  guillotine tool I made up  necked the neck down to much so it broke off when I nearly had it to shape.  #3  modified the guillotine a bit kept the neck a little thicker.  but ran out of time to play in the shop  as the wife demanded I go hunting and she gets to go for a drive in the woods.  Tried to find my way up to the blacksmith cabin we found years ago on the backside of the mountain  but never did find quite the right road.  Saw a few grouse, rabbit and deer.  Only thing I brought home were a few shaggy manes that fried up into a nice dinner.  I'm really wanting to get back up to the cabin...

yeah your right Glenn I should have done that...  been one of those weeks I think.    Thanks for the reminder  :)

Been looking for a few different ways to do dragonflies and the only hit I can seem to come up with lately is BIll Epps  you tube video.  That and a million blacksmith shops with dragonfly in the name.  I want to  make a small bullrush  and have a  divot on the bottom of the dragonfly that it balances on.  and set the dragon fly on the point of the bulrush so it can move in the breeze.  Well at least that's the vision.

So anyone else have any links handy or been looking into them.

Appreciate any help.

After watching Bill Epps video a few times.  I am rather impressed with how thin his hot cut chisel is. 

Was looking around at guillotine tools and came across this page.  Some wonderful work.  

Most of the  way down the forged details section is an interesting wedged band for an anvil stump

The bridge work and riveting is cool stuff.  Anyways here is the link and enjoy.

off site link removed

One thing that hasn't been mentioned that can make a real difference on low amp welding is how clean the surface is that you ground to.  I'm sure your cleaning your surfaces well,  but it is worth mentioning.  Sounds like I have a bunch of googling to do on bronzr welding.  

Had to cut nearly every coil to take the pressure off the spring.  wowsers some serious power in that thing.  there was also a smaller inner spring to go with it.  Anyways heres a few pics before my thread gets to hijacked  :)

As well as an axe I started out of a sliver logging truck spring.  truck spring is tough stuff to move.  And a side job of the bosses at work.  An old T bar pulley from his property that needs the hub welded back in.  He has plans to turn it into a sign at the gate to his place.

Hah! Stash sounds like a perfect setup to invite the boyfriends to be into the shop and casually point out the bloodstains...  Strangest creature I have is the neighbours boy.  Comes to play with my girls and ends up watching me tinker in my shop.  It's good for a 10 year old boy to learn a few hands on things.  kinda nice to have someone to show that's a little interested.

A little too busy to take a pic or two at work but have some scrap springs coming my way.  They are track tensioner springs off of a D-8 Cat.  Each coil is maybe 12" in dia the stock is around 2" dia  and they are around 4' overall length.  I have dreams of hammers.  maybe if I have a moment I can grab the camera and take a few pics.  Another neat part is the caging rod that runs down the center of the spring.  The round end is threaded for a nut that takes a 2 3/16" socket.  Then stepes up to a fairly large square cross section for a foot or so then has a 1"thick 3" dia maybe end on it.  looks like a nicely shaped stake anvil.  Just needs to be cut off and a taper forged on it.  Anyways that my excitement for the day  :)

  Thanks.  Wonder if it came from a local mine,  Certainly enough of them around.  Found part of a riveted chimney next to a deep trench that led to a shaft when buddies and I were out riding our bikes one time.  There was a small pad for some sort of power plant and a 45 gal drum with a handle like a pail on it.   I should go for a ride and get a few pics and go up the other side of the mountain from the open pit where the blacksmith cabin was. Really need to check it out again now that I kinda know what I am looking at. 

 Had a buddy over watching me make something the other day Swede,  he was wearing sandals :)  every now and again it was the hop skip and dance away.  I know better than to throw heavy stuff around with my little piggies poking out.  always seem to get them if I do.  

I had thought I  had seen racoon mentioned somewhere. 

man oh man that is inspiring Basher.   What kind of range were you getting with it?   REALLY makes me want to hop on a plane and poke though all the corners of your shop and see what wonderous devices are there.

That's the rails off of an excavator or cat. the pads bolt up to them to make the tracks.  tough stuff and very wear resistant

the track pins are supposed to be really good hammer material is the dia is large enough.

The super tiny carbide drill bits that some dremel kits have work a real treat for making a relief hole in a finger nail.  You have to be real gentle on the last little bit of nail and membrane as they are sharp and jump thru that last little bit in a hurry and makes for a bit more of an ouch factor. 

I have a nice small spring off the steering axle of a Peterbilt.  Keep dreaming of a compound ballista  myself.  One day if the wife lets me collect enough bits.   :)

hitting the broadside of the barn is easy  :)   just have to think inside the box on this on

http://www.digitarc.com/Steelprods.html

an old link I had sitting on my desktop from when I was looking into things.  may give you a few ideas

Well I ended up with it.  Wife was messaging the guy.  He dropped the price a few time and she said lets go for a drive...  $15 later it's sitting in my truck.  It needs a little TLC  been used enough with out jaws it a little deformed there and it has been welded back together by the main pivot point.  I'll try to get a few better picks up soonest.