bipolarskizo

I had the hose about 3 feet back and blowing through a crack. got it to a bright yellow heat and throwing sparks in about 7 minutes or so. Version 2 is going to be a hole in a big dirt pile. pipe rammed up from the bottom for the tueyer and vented from the top for smoke control. I'm so excited for this weekend. On the topic of the track clips... I didn't pick one up that was thrown into the ditch out of curiosity. Not at all.

I knew going into it that the briquettes weren't ideal. they were just something to get me started. I'm still looking into making my own lump stuff. As for the forged down head, I pounded it flat after it kept spinning in my pliers and almost hitting my leg, but it does look pretty.

My apologies, i was being facetious. The rail barons around here are rabid about keeping anyone from taking anything from the tracks' right of way, but never seem to get around to picking up any of it. They replaced a lot of rail by my place a couple years ago, and left a lot of the old spikes on the edge of the gravel. waste not want not.

apologies for the massive pic. I can't seem to resize it with my bare bones editing software

didn't get it hot enough the first 3 or so heats, but i got the hang of it right before i ran out of charcoal briquettes. Probably a good thing since the sulfur was getting to me .

@ Bentiron: I'm using a mongo trailer hitch standing on it's end. polished it up a little. I'm hitting with a 3lb drilling hammer, and i'm liking the weight so far. @ Phil: I'm thinking i might as well spend my next day off cobbing together a charcoal retort (grammar?) and making my own. I work as an arborist and have access to more hardwood chips than I could ever use. But i do have a Lowes nearby in case i can't scrounge the metal drums...

After months of lurking, i finally got off my butt and started beating some hot metal. I can't call it smithing yet, but in another week or so i should be able to hit it square and not have it fall on my foot. I started out taking a saunter along the tracks looking for some poor lost spikes. Only made it a third of a mile or so before i had to turn back due to the 35lb of iron i adopted. Poor things, being abandoned by the rail company I got back and built a box out of firebricks from an uncle's old pottery kiln, piled it full of charcoal, and plugged in the shop vac. I see now why everyone says to use lump charcoal. I don't know what they put in this cr*p, but after every heat, i spent 10 seconds scraping off slag. not scale, slag. It cooled off and glued my firebricks together, and i broke a couple trying to chip it off. Any idea what this stuff might be? I gave up on finishing my spike knife for today. It's on hold until i can get/make some decent charcoal and forge myself some tongs with reigns a bit longer than the 6" channel lock pliers i used. Just because i can't feel my fingers doesn't mean i should abuse them more than I already do.

Try to contact Shelburne Museum, if you're in the chittenden county area. If you're in Southern VT, i know there is a smith in Woodstock/Queechee. You're not likely to find anything in the way of professional education, but I'm sure there's someone in the state willing to pay for your labor with knowledge and experience.