Ric Furrer

Hello All, What do you figure this hammer is? http://science.discovery.com/videos/how-its-made-augers.html The one used in the beginning of the video for sizing the material prior to twisting. Ric

Cute hammer Ric

I very much enjoy other shops and the solutions to storage issues..my 2,000 pound layout tables on wheels weigh 6,000 now due to under table storage, my stock racks are 20 foot long and far too full in the first two to five feet..all the stock leaning in the corners is creeping out into the work areas now....and can fall to the ground at times when the 3B is working hard. The best thing I have found is to have it all on the ground and walk on it...or rather..that is where it ends up anyway. I envy those with clean shops....most days I can not tell you for certainty that I, in fact, have a floor. Ric

Yogi Bera

The blister steel bars I make can be broken with bare hands..large bars take bear hands...and the grain is like gravel. Forge this down by 50% using good forge practice and the issue is resolved. Once welded into shear steel the issues are all the same as any other steel laminate. Ric

http://persimmonforge.blogspot.com/2011/07/trenton-fisher-vise-chain-repair.html This may help. Ric

Well heck, I just spent quite a bit of time doing this with the brochures I have..wish I had known you already did this.... http://www.doorcountyforgeworks.com/Nazel_C_hammer.html Click on the pictures on the bottom for larger images Ric

Ralph, Thus far nobody has shown me a repair manual..I do not have one at least....well...other than Mark Krause's book....and the video by Bob Bergman ....and the online information and plans by somebody with your name..... As soon as I can figure it out I'll be listing the booklets and other odd info I have in PDF form on my website so folk can download the info...nothing proprietary like the above, but older nazel and chambersburg lit I have. It would be nice to keep track of where the existing hammers are...or rather.. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW...when I am interested in another hammer.....totally self serving I admit. I know a 2B was just rebuilt and went from WI to NH to live another generation....I recently saw pictures of it airborne coming off the truck. Sorry I can't help... Ric

I suggest going to one of the classes that Owen Bush teaches: http://owenbush.co.uk/events/damascus-steel-weekend/ The short of it is..clean steel,fluxed, reducing atmosphere and wait for the flux to get active and then hit the stack like pounding a nail. Work down the billet with overlapping blows.... then repeat. Ric

How about these at Scot Forge? http://www.scotforge.com/videos/sf_press320_240.mpg http://www.scotforge.com/videos.htm I have seen 24 ton presses that we use in shops with a cycle rate that was very fast...and micro switches which allowed the press to cycle between given distances...much faster than a human could do. I guess the idea is what are you doing and what tool best gets you there. I would think a 2" cylinder could work like a 25 little giant off a 2 HP motor and micro switches to a solenoid.....maybe hard on the cylinder over time, but they are cheap. If you set it up to work off a short stroke 1/8" to 1/2" and then set the upper and lower limit would make short work of even small bars. Actually if you did not need to eat large pieces you could set it all up inside an "I" beam and make it rather portable....the issue as you said is heat...you would need to cool the oil or have a large container. Ric

For single blows you may wish to look at larger drop hammers or friction presses....or maybe even a faster acting (or very large) hydraulic press. Hard to say as we do not know the application, but .... As to the utility I have not found a spec sheet, but here are some comparable machines and a few photos for rough ideas. If you need an exact 14" min then it appears that you need larger than a 300 weight. What about this hammer? 300 lb. Chambersburg #3CH, pneu,4"x 8"upper die,16.5"str,14.5"thr,180SPM,'78, #57209 its on ebay for $25G http://www.wheatlandmachine.com/Steam%20Hammer/Hammer.htm 200 utility http://www.forgemagic.com/bsgview.php?photo=1861&cat=M&by= 200 hammer of Welder Jim Ric

OK..that is on the list if I win the lottery..which I don't play...seems the odds are about the same either way. RIc

http://www.advancedtechnicalprod.com/Default.aspx I have several of their products (stainless, titanium,steel) and for the most part like them...do get the right temp stuff though as the lower temp materials do not like getting too hot. If you are reducing very big to little in many heats then you will need to re-apply. It lubes real good and this maybe very good to closed die work as the metal will fill just that much more. It sure makes getting a big bite in the rolling mill difficult. Ric

The coating I use prevents that brittleness..as well as proper forging temps. If you treat it correctly..I like to forge around 2,000F it can be a good material to work with, but like anything else you have to know the alloy and learn its peculiarities. You can also solid phase weld it: http://www.doorcountyforgeworks.com/Titanium_Laminate.html Ric

Hayden can you use different words? Carbide is a structure of carbon and some other element...titanium/tungsten/silicon/iron..etc Unless the tool was metal spray coated or plasma deposited in some way...and there is no reason for this....then I think you are using the wrong word to describe what you see. Do you mean an electric weld? On the flip side...it is good to see that Grant does not know something....I suggest we pin this one! Ric

I use a clay slurry from Advanced Technical Products which both makes it simpler to finish later as it keeps oxides down and it also acts as a lube. I use a gas forge and would not recommend a cola/coke forge for this...unless you are rather good at maintaining atmospheres and temps. Ric

George, That site popped up when I did a photo search for presses on craigslist..it was pretty and blue and a four poster so I clicked on it...the sight is a joke..literally...it reads as untrue and that human head on the side is actually a five foot sculpture that a British guy made a few years ago...it was a big deal in some circles so I remembered it.... I like presses and am envious of all the deals I see folk get who live in, what are becoming, post industrial areas...Milwaukee, Chicago an the Twin Cities (largest ones close to me) were wiped years ago so all the cool tools are long gone. I found two 12" cylinders a year back and then bough new steel for the frame...still hoping to find a complete unit before I take the fabricating plunge to built it....of course had I just made the thing last year I'd already have very large press...... Ric

Small hand held samples are a good idea. I know some shops that have three foot rail sections hung on a stand like posters at a college town store...so the client can flip through the designs. One foot bars of texture with a riveted cross piece or six samples of twists or what not go a long way. If I am making a house call to meet for the first time I bring a camera,a box of samples (twists,scrolls,textures..a bar tied into a knot), paper/pencil,portfolio and a tape measure....and try to find a pair of jeans with the least amount of holes. The camera has saved me a lot of time..I put the tape against the space and shoot the numbers AND write them down. I like to get in before the drywall goes up so I can map the studs for attachment points for railings and such...never works, but I try. I have yet to be at a place with actual 16" or 24" on center studs...hint...use a magnet on a string to find the nails...seems to work better than a stud finder. Something else to consider. What is impressive to you may not be so to the client. Upset square corners may be fun and challenging to you, but they are just a corner to the client. I get many who want it "simple"..this means "cheap" in their mind, but this is not always so. Had a few jobs in Florida were they wanted aluminum with hard edges..took for ever to get out every ding and dent...from then on we often offered forged "texture" at no extra cost. When I deal with the: Homeowner I ask what they want to see.. Architect I ask the budget set for the ironwork Contractor...what is the deadline and has the owner they been late on a payment (if the contractor is having me a subcontractor I ask the other subs if they have been late on payment) .....if anything seems odd its often 30 (start)-30 (mid or finished fabrication and they can come see)- final 40...the 40 is due upon install paid with cashiers check or bank transfer when I show up...NOT when I am done with the install. Most laws state that once the work is affixed to the home it is a crime for me to remove..even if I am not paid for the work.....so the leverage you have BEFORE install is far more than after. This happened to some in Florida..I have not heard of it elsewhere. Sure you can sue or put a lean or stand there and look mean or whatever, but the fact is that you may never see that money. Ric

Hurray! except for the temp Ric

Grant and others have done this Chris: I recall a one armed smith wrote a NOMMA article about this maybe 15 years ago.....though I do not recall anything specific. Ric

Larry, Laughter holds back the tears. Ric

This water casting is common for Japanese copper work...as copper has a great affinity for oxygen it is one of the only "primitive" ways to get a good clean ingot: Ric

Eric, This is the closest I can come to that request: http://www.compacteddignity.com/ Ric

John, My website is not one to hold up as an example, but the iWeb I use on my iMac is just fine for what I do. Your may wish to have a look at the basic Apple package. So far I am OK with it...nothing is perfect though. I recently altered every page..took 40 minutes. I can add video links to uploaded youtube videos in minutes and re-arrange the page from standard settings. All the basic stuff ones needs. Ric

There are eight good videos here. Other than safety glasses I like them very much...makes me want a larger hammer. Ric