Jump to content
I Forge Iron

Blakksmyth

Members
  • Posts

    85
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Blakksmyth

  1. Quenched in oil from 900ºC from cyanide salt bath then double tempered at 220ºC
  2. Only heat treating it. It was very popular with toolmakers for punches and dies and we hardened to 58 - 60 HRC.
  3. Start forging at 1010ºC to 1095ºC. Stop forging when temperature hits 925ºC (ASM International Guidelines)
  4. Over here in South Australia we use forge coke @ $30($A) for 25 kg bag or $450 a ton Unleaded 91 RON is $4.63($A) per US Gallon and Diesel $4.30($A) per US Gallon
  5. We had a fellow from the states, called Steve Christiansen, who showed us the water can trick. I use an empty 'homebrew' extract can that holds a litre of water with holes punched through the bottom. I forge with coke, and when forging small items I use the shower can to cool the outside of the fire, as it spreads out wider than I need. I have found that it saves a heck of a lot of coke as well. I like to give the fire a light sprinkle over the top when welding, as it contains the heat, stops excess radiation and saves fuel. The only downside is the intense sulphur smell in the steam. A good flue will help in that department. Rob- A.B.A.S.A
  6. We have a lot of very talented blacksmiths in Australia, but the only one I know of, that I would call a Master, is Malcolm Paine. Malcolm began blacksmithing in 1945 and is a nominated member of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. To watch Malcolm work in a forge, is to see a man who is so at one with his working environment, it sends shivers up your spine. He creates magnificent forged work that leaves you breathless in it's complexity and skill. It is a rare privilege to have been in his company on a few occasions.
  7. Hi, I bought a Unimig Sitecut 10 with built in compressor. It cuts up to 10mm but prefers 8mm and below. One recommendation though, make sure it comes with a stainless steel electrode and not copper if you intend to push the unit fairly heavily. I learnt the hard way when the copper electrode fused itself into the brass holder and I had to replace entire hand set. Rob
  8. If you want to work in 3d then you can try Freecad Parametric (Opensource). For 2d cad, you can try LibreCad (opensource). Both packages offer heaps of tutorials on youtube. I personally use Rhinoceros 5, which is an organic Nurbs modeller. It isn't free, but offers a 90 day trial.
  9. From what I've found out on various machining forums, the shaft material is either 4140 high tensile or 1045 carbon steel. Most commonly chrome plated or nitrided, for environmental reasons. Either one will make good hammer making stock.
  10. Another alternative you may want to consider is the humble push button public bathroom hand dryer. One of our members bought a pile of them from a machinery disposal yard for peanuts. They may require a bit of metal fab for a suitable casing to adapt to your circumstances but they blow a lot of air and would be cheap to run(once you disconnect the heater element) Rob K A.B.A.S.A
  11. I have been using CAD for 15 years and I've tried the cheap,the free, parametric and the big name packages and I have settled on Rhinoceros Nurbs as the best package for blacksmithing, especially for organic modeling. You can download it from McNeels site and try it. It gives you 25 saves in demo mode and is reasonably priced should you buy it. Rob K
  12. We have a couple of forges setup outside at our current workshop. They are fitted with a hood and chimney that were originally used as inside forges. We find that having the flues keeps the heat and sparks etc out of your face even though the outlets are only a couple of feet above our heads. Cheers, Rob Kenning Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia.
  13. Hi, I have been using Rhinoceros 3d since it's inception. It is up to version 5 now and version 4 can be downloaded and has 25 saves. http://www.rhino3d.com/ The program is medium priced at $995 US and with a decent render program like Keyshot http://www.keyshot.com/, can generate photo realistic shots of your designs that you can show to a customer and get a sale before you even light the forge. Not only that, but Rhino it can measure your design for weight, center of gravity, Interference and bill of materials. Another program that is free is Google sketchup for 3d design, although it may be a trial to draw artistic scrolls and ornamental work. Finally, another freebie 2d draft program is Draftsight http://www.3ds.com/p...sight/overview/ to generate working drawings. I should mention that with Rhino you can scan your hand drawings into the program and over lay with lines, splines, solids and surfaces. Good Hunting. Rob Kenning Treasurer Artistic Blacksmiths Association South Australia
  14. At just over $2.00 a pound, it sounds like a good price.
  15. What about the Iron Mountain Flux? From what I've seen on youtube that stuff seems to be the cats whiskers of flux's
  16. Hi Lee, I don't know of anyone in South Australia that is looking for help, but will keep my ear to the ground. You are very welcome to pay us a visit if you are over here. We hold workshops twice a month and have had another Lee from the UK do some forging demonstrations. He was also a graduate form Hereford and was in Oz for quite awhile before returning to the UK. The Victorian, Western Australian, New South Wales and Queensland associations may be able to offer some incite into the current availability of openings. Let me know if you wish to contact any of them, or they may spot this post and offer up some news. Best of luck and I hope we catch up one day. Regards, Rob Kenning-Secretary-Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia.
  17. G'Day Joe, Hope the hints and tricks are helping you out. Where abouts are you in S.A. We have an association with 60 members if you wish to work in with other smiths locally. Check out our site at www.artistblacksmithsa.org.au if you need someone to contact. Cheers, Rob Kenning Secretary Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia.
  18. Hi David, We are unsure of the size and condition of the bellows. We will discover that in a few weeks. I would be very surprised if they are functional, as they have most likely come from farm property forges that have been out of action for many years. Most of our country forges have large bellows suspended from the ceiling and are purely for display, replaced with hand blowers. I also like using bellows, as there is a fluid rhythm and economy in their use and I know the spectators like seeing them in action. If we need to make repairs to them I'll certainly call out for your help. Thanks. Regards, Rob
  19. Hi Andrew, We are pretty lucky with our host of country forges as far as crowds go. The Moonta Mines forge has a set of bleachers to hold twenty odd people. Angaston can host a fair crowd standing up as does Riverton, Tailem Bend and in the near future, we are opening up the Roseworthy Agricultural College forge. So many forges and not enough weekends! And Woody- we have the Booleroo Steam and Traction rally this Sunday, so I'll put in a word about the traction engine. Cheers, Rob
  20. Hi All, I am happy to report that progress at Mannums Museum is progressing at a good clip and the framework of the forge is nearing completion. The reason for the long delay is that the museum experienced problems in hiring a builder. They now have a local builder contracted to follow on with the construction, and he is doing a marvellous job so far. Myself and the President of A.B.A.S.A paid a visit today to advise on equipment location within the forge area and touch on a few points to do with ventilation and fencing off the forge. The forge area is approximately 18' x 12' and should accommodate two blacksmiths quite easily. The museum has rounded up post vices, 2 bellows, an anvil and a forge. I happen to have a good sized cast iron buffalo forge I'm donating so we will have two forges. Anyway, I'll follow up in a few weeks when we are ready to fit it out. Regards, Rob Kenning Secretary Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia
  21. Another item that is very handy to have is an all steel heavy duty work table or bench. At least 5' x 4' in size. You can hang a post vice off it and it's vital for laying out your projects for welding and assembly. It saves your back and knees if you're getting on in years. RobK
  22. It's good to hear that there is another group of smiths geting together. You probably know you've got the NSW Artist Blacksmiths and the Peel River group in Tamworth to network with. We over in SA wish you the best of luck, and slightly envious you have a ready supply of fuel for your forges. If we can help out anytime, give us a hoy. Regards, Rob Kenning Secretary Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia.
  23. That's probably the nicest knife I've seen out of rebar. Good work. Regards, Rob
  24. Hi Oscer, David Robertson at artistblacksmith.com has a dvd on Gas Forge construction that may be worth investigating. Our association will be looking into building a few gas forges down the track as coke is getting difficult to procure. We are lucky to have the expertise of a couple of senior smiths who have built gas forges over the years and I intend to cover the construction of a gas forge when we begin the the project next year. Best Regards and Good luck, Rob Kenning Secretary Artist Blacksmiths Association South Australia.
×
×
  • Create New...