Dan P.

I find it a bit easier to make a tapered hardy shank. Also, some anvils have tapered hardy holes. Other than that, the advantage of a tapered shank is that the hardy tool meets the anvil at the shoulder, and is unlikely to get jammed. However straight shanks are fine too.

I don't disagree, Colleen! What I said was that I see "blacksmiths" trying to make their art conform to a "blacksmith" definition and identity. What is, to my mind, more natural and "artisitc" is the artist as a person, a human being, realizing an artistic vision by, essentially, any means necessary. Of course, then there is the question of taste, artisitic sensibility, even ability etc. but to my mind when I see "art" that has very prominent "blacksmithy" elements; big rivets, collars, big tenons, it looks contrived. I should point out that I am talking about "fine art" here, rather than applied art.

I do both ways, and I boogie primarily to keep stock in section. I haven't noticed any difference in speed, per se, just in the ability to keep stock in section, which I suppose equates to speed, ultimately.

I have seen some real crud in some quite prominent places which I presume got there purely because the "artist" was a blacksmith. Blacksmithing is defined by technique, and I think anyone trying to shoe-horn their artistic impulse into a category defined by technique rather than intellectual (emotional/conceptual) content is barking up the wrong tree in a fairly major way.

Valiant!

A copy of a not-so-great English pattern. I would avoid it.

Chestnuts, anyone?

Top and bottom tools are different tools, too. Which is to say, I think you've answered your own question.

No steel or iron needs to be sparkling when you weld it. As already noted, if you are trying to do anything other than make semi-disposable tools, coil spring is about the last thing you want to be using. It is known to (often) be a real pig.

I think the time and mess/fumes involved in using or cleaning coated bars would outweigh the cost, i.e. I wouldn't use it. Steel is not as cheap as it was, but it is still pretty cheap when all things are considered.

A particularly nice/charming looking one.

OllyO, I had a speed controller like your one, it had metal casing and no earth. It had been used continually for 60 years or more with no one getting zapped, but who wants to be the first?

VaughnT, I don't know if you use it much, but the coke that mechanicsage is talking about has actually had the useful compounds (gas/alcohols/oils/tar) removed from it by heating in an inert atmosphere. What is left is carbon, and the various silicates and other crud which turn into clinkers. Which is to say, you will get plenty of clinkers from coke, and will therefore presumably need a clinker breaker.

Why don't you need a clinker breaker with coke?

English smiths are as different from each other as American smiths, or any other kind of smith. Do this if it makes sense to you, if not, don't. Personally, as an English smith, I do this from time to time, when accuracy is unimportant.

I don't know how this sucker goes out through my roof. Every day my roof stays where it is is considered a blessing; Or this one, except I know that it leaked into my sand blast cabinet, making it a sludge blast cabinet. It goes out there through the roof somewhere, though;

Hi Joe, Fire welding is bound to the laws of physics. Know the physics, know how to fire weld. A simple balance of iron, oxygen and carbon. It's really as simple as that. If you need elaboration, ask any of the tutors up there at Hereford.

Olly, a few things; First of all, as far as treating the inside of your tue/bosh goes, I wouldn't worry about it, it'll be fine for years. My mate has a set up which is over a decade old where the back bosh is mostly made of fossilized rust and it's not a problem. The heavier gauge the better, but you cannot expect something that has one side exposed to white hot fire and the other exposed to water at a rolling boil to last forever. When it fails, you patch it up or replace it. Second; Cast refractory has one main problem for our applications, which is that clinkers will stick to it and eat into it, and removing them can be destructive to the casting. Keep it away from clinkers, though, and it will be fine. Lastly, concerning the dimensions of your hearth, I would suggest that it should be roughly the height of your anvil, and the hood should be as low as possible while still being able to see the heart of your fire. If you are in an open sided space, you might want to enclose it as much as possible, because if you have ever been camping you will know that wind will always blow smoke in your face and up your nose if you give it half a chance. To the same end, the higher the flue, the better.

The swage was perhaps for straightening some machine component that got bent a lot. Interesting finds!

Very nice, and not so easily done.

John, I was thinking of borax being corrosive in the fire, as is boric acid, another popular additive in flux mixtures. I might be wrong, but hot + acidic would suggest corrosive. I think its corrosive properties are what make it effective in eating away any oxides in the joint, but that might be "blacksmith science", aka gibberish. Beth, you'd be most welcome, but please let me know when you might be round as I am not always in.

Beth, I use anhydrous borax. It is corrosive, but not so that anyone would notice. Using borax you can quite happily weld at an orange heat. The main problem faced when fire welding is the idea that more blast=more heat=fire weld. My forge makes a pleasing roar when the balance is just right, and that's usually when I've pulled back on the blast. Next time you are in the area pop in and I will show you my version of fire-welding, with and without flux.

The honest answer to your question is that sparks indicate the material is burning, which you don't generally want, but in the case of this video, it doesn't actually make much odds as it is ornamental work. Flux will help stop burning, if not wastage (borax is corrosive to iron/steel, if I remember correctly). I do not particularly want to attract criticism by saying so, but, for the record, it is generally the habit of traditionally trained smiths in this country to dig their work down to find the welding heat. This method can cause oxidation of the work, on top of which it is more difficult to see whether it is burning or not. In my experience if you bring the heat up to the work, away from the blast, there is no need for sparks. It is about balancing the oxygen in the blast and the fuel to create a neutral or reducing atmosphere.

Nice collection, thanks for sharing. Love the angry tongs. Will be staying away from the ball tongs!

Bottom half can just hang down. The top chamber usually had a little chain so you could hook it up when not in use. An old boy told me they used to bung a bit of soap up the bottom valve so the mice would eat that and not the valve hinge.