rusty_iron

Gday Hd, Be careful with the plating, the fumes are toxic. Great idea, I love it.

:o oops sorry or = our DOH

LOL Glen. I can give you or winning lotto numbers if you want? Its awful Ice, the blood rushes to my head.

Gday everyone, Happy new year to you all. May it be prosperous and productive. Its barely 2 hours old here and I'm already thinking blacksmithing Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Guys, Congrats on the success, its a nice feeling ain't it? I've just got my first birds mouth weld to work, so I understand your joy. Just keep trying, it gets easier the more you practice, now that you know what your looking for. A hint, I've noticed that the flame colour changes in the fire when your using borax and you have reached a welding heat. It gets a bit of a greenish hue to it - atleast with the glasses I use. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Imagedude, nice fuller, well made and looks very useful. Now you just have to make a bunch of different profiles......:-) How about a few sizes of your parts? Thanks. I didn't think H13 had to be tempered, just aircooled? Or have I got it wrong? Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Archie, Thanks Mate, it helps a lot, thanks very much. Looks like an interesting project to build. No home depot here, but I'll find a valve somewhere when I get to it. Kind regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Archie Thanks for sharing. How do you light your burner? Do you have to pre-heat the chamber to get it going? Did you buy the needle valve new or did you salvage it from somewhere and if you did, what sort of machine did it come from?(so those who would want to make a burner like yours know where to look). What sort of shut down procedure do you use? Questions, questions.... they never cease... Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Glen, I heat slowly to between 550-650C, hold at that temp and cool slowly......;-) You did say stress relieving :-D (welding humor) Actually I beat hot steel for stress relief from my normal work & life. Regards Rusty_iron, Brisbane, Oz.

Nice Matt, Your very talented. I love the press. Regards Rusty_iron, Brisbane, Oz.

Gday jimmyw404, Good choice for a project, its 'relatively' easy and will allow you to make other things. Those bolt tongs are some of the most useful in the shop. You can make a punch & drift. A drift is just a length of steel with a long taper at one end and a short taper at the other. I often make a quick drift from the material I want to put in the hole. Lets say you want a 3/8" hole for 3/8" stock, just put a longish say 1" to 2" taper on one end of the 3/8" bar, cut it off about 4 to 5" long and put a taper on the cut end that is just longer then the thickness of the material its going through. Thats a simple drift. It can be mild steel, it will work just fine for a while. Make the end of the long taper just a bit smaller then the hole you punch or drill, so it will fit in easy. A punch, well thats just like a drift, execpt the end of the long taper is flat. This too can be made from mild steel, it will work for a while. If you use mild steel, you don't need to harden and temper them. Just be warned, they bend easy and mushroom easy too. Both these tools can be round, square or any shape you like. Thats 2 easy tools, you learn a lot by making your own tools. Also try looking up "quickie tongs" they are in A Blacksmiths Primer, page 97. They are the simplest tongs you can make, and will let you start, you can even make them without a forge. If you can't find them, I'll explain how to make them. Good luck and keep trying. Regards Rusty_iron, Brisbane, Oz.

your welcome. Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday tecnovist, I use Borax. you should find it with the laundary items in the supermarket. Yes there are commercial fluxes, but generally they are expensive and contain borax as the main ingredient. try reading this site: What is Borax? Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Sam, I sunk a post in the ground about 2.5', its don't move when packed down good and hard, but you can't move the vice around. However....... I have managed to "loosen" the 1/2" coach screws that I fixed it with you get that with twisting and hammering on 11/4"*1/2", especilly if you let it cool too much Doh. I like your vice stand by the way. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday all, The worst bit, knowing that something can be made or done, but not being able to figure out how to do it.... The best bit, when something works out and people say "WOW" about it. Goodluck Regards Rusty_iron, Brisbane, Oz.

Gday all I paid AUD$2.50 a pound for a 400 pounder, in near perfect condition, recently at auction. Yes its a lot of money, but cheaper than they want on Ebay for an anvil thats very well worn/broken. I know I'll get my money back if I ever want to sell it. $6/pound sounds way to dear for something broken/damaged. Check out the prices of a new anvil then figure out what its really worth. If you wait a bargin will come along. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

By hammer and hand, Do all the trades stand! Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

My new 400# (182kg) anvil. Make is as yet underermined. Got it at a farm clearing sale on saturday. It belonged to the fellows grandfather. Condition is nearly perfect, barely a mark on the face. Cost AUD$999. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=4981&cat=500

Gday Jimbob, Thats the original drawing I saw years ago in a newsletter someone had. Glad its still around. As I said in the blueprint, it wasn't my original idea :-) thanks for the link. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane,Oz.

Gday all, Makes great hardies and fullers, its very tough steel. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.

Gday Evfreek & HWooldridge, Ev & HW, I attended a week long class by Brent Bailey in 2006, he described a Zimbabwe hot cut/hack made from a car spring. the handle was rod, but attached by punching 2 holes in the blade and passing it through each hole, then wrapping the end around the handle just behind the blade. From memory the blade was at right angles to the handle, but you could do it any way you want. I think there is a pic on Brents website of this tool. Regards Rusty_iron brisbane, Oz.

Gday Pete, Another hint, put a center punch mark in the end of the punch you are making, it makes it easier to locate the ball bearing or round punch when you place the punch over the bearing - its very hard to be sure you have it centered when it yellow hot and your in a hurry. the center punch mark means you can feel when you have it in position - simple and quick. Get yourself several of each ball bearing size, you do loose them at the most inopportune time :-) you can make the eye punch 'eye' shaped by squashing it a little - side to side. When using car coil springs, I now water quench - no I have not had any break - instead of oil quenching, as they were just too soft -perhaps I need a thinner oil???. I draw to a dark straw/bronze, but have used punches drawn past blue. Try the oil first if you are using car spring, you can always reharden and temper if its too soft. Regards Rusty_iron Brisbane, Oz.