metalmangeler

a forgemaster blacksmith model will get to welding temp no problem. This is the forge that was once and for all I know may still be the most popular in the farrier competions when useing propane. Bar shoes are a pretty common shoe to forge.

Try just closeing down the air intake some with some duct tape (easy choke). It sounds like it should be welding.

In the prayer section Glenn said that he had heard from Phillip.

Hi Bryce If you do a google serch for air cylinders you will get a number of co. that want to sell you stuff, find one near you, likley the personel there can help you with the valveing. And determining what you really want for sizing of the components. If you don't have one yet a copy of Ron Kinyon's book would be a good idea. There is a you tube video on changeing the switch to be more dynamic on a kinyon hammer look there, I think the improvements are worth while unless all you are doing is drawing things out then I wouldn't bother. I also think that your compressor may not be enough, but I would always try what I have before buying something more. If you don't need that much room between your dies a 10 inch long cylinder will need about 17% less air.

Hi Frosty I know that you have seen my forges, the VV is on a 18" X 36" table which gives me more options, I think, I only use that forge when I have an odd size project as the liner is less efficiant than my spanish lake forge. because of this haveing the large table makes dealing with large or long parts nicer (they don't sagg from bridgeing). You may not remember that the top is fiber board and I am really happy how that has worked, I rarely lay anything on the inside top so it is holding up well. I have every confidence that your forge will be much nicer than mine just a few thoughts.

What is he forgeing, it looks like parts are coming off. Looks like the hammer is working good though.:)

Nice gates Colleen. I have been working on a stairway railing lately which I didn't quote nearly enough money to do. Also I have been working on some tooling for my power hammer to make animal tracks on flat bar with, I am happy with how that is going but am to inept to post any pictures.

Hi Wulfgar Forging a section of flat bar 1/4X2 on edge should be pretty rough as the edges want to move more than the middle you are likely ending up with a small I beam. If you can keep the width to thickness rato 1:3 things work much better, then as you aproach the end of the project make it thinner. Perhaps starting with a heavy coil spring or spliting the leaf spring would work better. If I were trying to get 2 inchs of leaf spring down to 1 inch with only hand tools I would get someone to strike and use a hot set with an offset handle. Be sure to put a cutting plate on your anvil so you don't wreck it or your tool. Also be sure to have fun.:)

I have also been a farrier for to long. I noticed that there are a number of us listed in what is your other job. I think in the USA most of our blacksmiths 100 years ago were also farriers and did a lot more with plowshares than what we might think of as art. If you look at our iron art a lot of it is cast. To get on my hobby horse just this once. I have noticed that if a demo is done making a horse shoe the vast majority of blacksmiths don't want to watch it as they think that it has nothing to do with them. Yet they might see someone 1 forge weld,2 upset a specific amount of steel 3 measure and know how much that steel will grow, 4 forge a clip which could be used for other purposes, 5 forge an arc to within 1/16 inch of the right size, 6 punch 6 or more holes in a piece of steel rather rapidly of a very precise size, 7 put a grove around the edge of the arced bar uniformly and match it on the other side 8 make a short square corner, 9 make a bevel with enough hammer control that you see no hammer marks. I could add more but that would get into double digits far to complicated for me. Now that blacksmith who won't watch this will gladly watch another person warm up for his demo if he is making a nail after all he is drawing and upsetting steel.:)

I'd think $18.00 for a 20' stick would be a little high. We get a better price per foot buying whole sticks here.

Hi markh As you are aware cylinder size increases power both for lifting and striking. The surface of the inside of the cylinder of the 3.25 Big Blu is 8.29 the surface area of a 4 inch cylinder would be 12.56 if I did my math correctly. Certainly either one will move a 200lb. ram. If you multiply the surface area by your air pressure that will tell you how much power you have to move your hammer. The problem is how much air will the compresser give you if I were in your situation I would go with the 4 inch cylinder, but it will really use more air.

I buy nice straight smooth bars and when I am done they are not that way any more. Some people like what I have done to the bars they help pay my bills, and also for the next nice bars. Also I would rather understate than over state.

I have forged grade 5 Ti some. It is absorbing oxygen as you heat it and after it is out of the fire so you would do best with a reducing fire and get the job done with a minimum number of heats. It forges best when pretty hot and starts getting hard when you think it should still be hot enough (or at least that is what I thought). Quenching in water does not seem to effect hardness/brittleness from my personal tests. To make tongs I would punch my rivet hole as it may be difficult to drill.

If I just stick with this a little longer it will finely really pay off.:rolleyes:

Hammerkid sometimes to get the right birthday gift you need to be the giver as well as the receiver.

Hey Philip Try looking up Newhouse trap. They made the best ones, the others were cheap immitations I have thought about making them to sell to tourists for years just never got around to it. The grizzly bear traps were 16" across the jaws when open and wieghed about 50 lbs. if you heat treat the springs be carefull.:D

How about a door latch.

Maybe also notice that he is a YOUNG man, not one that has been doing that for 30 years. Sam I am glad to hear that you are taking care of yourself. The other side of this coin is that I started putting my thumb on top of my hammer after observing Bob Marshal useing his hammer that way, last I knew he was still doing it. I do beleive that it can and often does cause dammage so I stopped.

Nice hammer. I would try to break the habit of putting your thumb on top of your handle. Habits can be stubborn and I have seen those I respect a lot use their hammer that way.

Nice score on the interview, sometimes they produce customers and in my experince sometimes they don't but either way it is really good PR for you and the craft in general. It could even help make a sale for someone as far away as I am, thanks. Your products looked good. As far as the price that depends on if you are making enough to stay in buisness, not what others may think, you want to be so effient that everyone thinks there is no way they could compete with you but you think that you are making a killing. As Frosty mentioned having a small bladder can cause you all sorts of grief.

Another thing to think about is that shaping horse shoes is very exact if the farrier is skilled, so what is likely to end up happening is you clinch nails and finish feet for awhile before you are likely to be doing anything in the fire. On the other hand shoeing pays really well for the time spent actually under the horse, you might want to consider it as a part time job, if not I think you would get farther in forging by buying as many videos as you can find and copy making EVERYTHING you see done on them.

Hi Creek Take a wire brush and clean off the side of the anvil that is not showing in the picture that is where the name is likely to be. Also you could rub the side with the side of a stick of chalk that may help you see things.

It looks to me like she is doing great for starting. You could either make a hammer and not harden it which is what I do for the less skilled who want to hit something in my shop, or you could anneal a cheap hammer not only will this protect your anvil but they will bounce less so she might have all her teeth when she is done. :rolleyes:

Hey R.C. If you put the key way in your tongs as you are making them use a very blunt chisel or narrow fuller with the tong hot, then redrift the hole. Also line your notches up with the handle and jaw of the tongs so you don't create a weak spot.

I'll pray for him also especially on the 14th.