Dan P.

That particular hammer is, I believe, a sheet metal hammer. Which doesn't tell you much, but the configuration is commonly found on Japanese mechanical hammers, and older US and European hammers.

http://damascus.free.fr/f_damas/f_hist/perret.htm

Timur; a good Turkish name for a good Turkish hammer. Also happens come from the word "temir", which means "iron". or you could call it Rudolph. .

I haven't read all the posts, but I feel okay offering my opinions anyway; First off, I would like to inform our colleagues in the US that there is no blacksmith guild system here in the UK, and outside of, I think, London and Edinburgh, there never has been. The guild system, in its true manifestation, was little more than a racket, simple as that. Secondly, pertaining to the NOS in the UK, if blacksmithing is your business, like any other business, you sink or swim. Unless you make the ridiculous proposition that all ironwork be made by "certified" blacksmiths, outside of specific heritage work, you will be competing with the cut-and-tack boys anyway. If you want to do anything, regulate who calls themselves fabricators first, and you would wipe out a vast swathe of competition in an instant. Of course, we would have to have the necessary qualifications ourselves which, ahem, not all of us do... Third, having a few "safe use of machines" industrial certifications myself, I can tell you that, with very few exceptions (such as the oily-rag-on-the-oxy bottle thing), they are qualifications which for which you need either a) very basic common sense or b. the ability to remember the criteria needed for passing the test. So I don't think they should be held up as a defence against things going wrong and people getting hurt.

I always suspected that the "wrought iron must be welded at a higher temperature" theory came from old farts who weren't that good at welding to begin with. Does anyone remember the "you can't fire-weld mild steel" theory? I think it probably came from the same place, but was just harder to sustain. The main thing wrong with welding wrought to other things, particularly when it comes to pattern welding, is that wrought is much softer and will give you problems because of it. Pertaining to the timeline of pattern-welding, its disappearance or otherwise, one book will set everybody straight; Damascus Steel, by Manfred Sachse. It's a book that shows how pattern welding has been in constant use in continental Europe since the 18th (?) century, and presumably a long time before that, and is fully illustrated with examples. It's a book that should put to shame any idle boasters claiming to have re-discovered pattern welding!

I was recently crowned World Champion Blacksmith at the World Champion Blacksmith Competition that took place last weekend at Didbrook, Gloucestershire, UK. Oh, you didn't get invited to compete? You didn't hear about it? And you didn't, either? And nor did you? Oh, that's weird.

Post edited for excessive gloom.

Ace!

John, the brass collars, gold leaf etc. sound quite Skidmore-ish. The scrolls were quite solidly riveted together. I think you moght be able to see the rivet in the "before" photo?

I've a friend with many relatives who worked in the rail yards at Swindon. They have all died or are in the process of dying of asbestosis. Just thought I'd cheer you up with that thought.

Cool videos. Bruce Wilcock is/was an occasional contributer to these forums.

John- that's hard core; there's a big difference in scariness between molten lead and molten brass! I wonder why they would do it that way? Woody, as in Ian in SA said, epoxy is great until you want to undo it!

I was looking at one of these some time ago. Many horror stories ensued about what happens when one of these is used for a purpose outside of that intended.

Cast in place or pre-cast, John? Another thing recommending lead is that I can go to the scrap merchant and buy it and be pretty sure that it is lead. Other metals I am not so familiar with.

...yet!

Interesting, thanks for that, Ian. My Dutch buddy said that he has done this just using clay as a mould. I guess it must have been bigger stuff because it didn't work on these guys. Too fiddly. But as you say, if they don't work, just hot them up and start again.

What else could I do? I actually made up the contoured bar in mild steel with a mind to fabricate them, but then I thought "I've got to do 30 odd of these suckers. That means about 250 perfect 45 degree angles, and a lot of fiddly tig welding". So, as usual, the "proper" way turned out to be quicker.

Phil, this was done in-shop, and I didn't do anything to make it stick or not stick to the work or mould respectively. It didn't even occur to me that it would be an issue. Perhaps my innocence protected me (wouldn't be the first time!)?

Thanks for the kind words, everybody. I actually like lead. Lead is my friend. However, I should have added the necessary "outside voice" caveat; NEVER USE OR BE AROUND MELTING OR MOLTEN LEAD WITHOUT A FACE SHIELD AND RESPIRATOR! Or at least goggles (not safety specs), and definitely a respirator.

Flash cut of with knife and chisel, cleaned up with EDM stone, et voila!

mould off;

Sprue cut off; (the sprue is where you pour molten metal in)

Lead poured

Jam it in all the nooks

Clay!