David Gaddis

moving up to propane forge is not such an expensive addition, although feeding the thing can be . Your first set of tongs is right on track, so you have made yourself a great keepsake. After you went to all this trouble start looking into others youtube videos on the subject to find out about all those special moves in their construction so that your next set may be easier. Many videos do not point out the subtle moves or strange positions when forging tongs, or other things. A hint here would be to look at Brian Brazeals video on tongs. Where I live I am lucky enough to have a few great smiths that will point out such things, after they are convinced I have done my homework on the project. Many smiths are the same way. Do your homework and try to work out the project. Show what you have done to your mentor and he will most likely point out the better method. Carry on

My great-great grandpappy was a blacksmith on a submarine....told me the other day that the worst thing he picked up was a hairy "bird" at a bar in downtown Memphis on Sunday evening in the rain.

Very nice indeed! And you are truly a fisherman's trainer. Hope the both of you have an increasing Spirit while in your work. Carry on

They look to me to be much larger than the posted weights... I bet they will be a nice collection when completed. Now I am looking forward to making some hammers under my power hammer, since friends have given me the information about adjusting my hammer. It sure works better now. But first will be to make a flatter for the powerhammer carry on

Now that is a neat video ! carry on

years ago I was helping a friend work on a cotton gin. He had not nearly the education I had but was he was crafty and a well trained valve fitter and boiler maker. He taught me to weld properly and a whole lots more. On this particular job we had to rebuild a bunch of air flow tubes 30 feet in the air, cahanging all their directions, etc. How are we gonna do this? TRIG...Try In Git It Trig he replied. Before long a plumb bob from those exposed tubes (outlines) we determined the original dimensions and some.7071 calculations for the angles to get the latitudes and departures. Some here will understand that .7071 is a mathmatical proportion to that very same triangle. Go look it up if you do not know. So that man and i as a young helper installed many thousands of dollars of new tubing, ordered from a supplier, and everything fit...with the use of a prybar and alighnment tool. Moral of this story is you may learn something from a lesser educated person...if you are willing to do so. appreciation....you bet I will never be able to repay him the real math I learned. The math that was down in the dirt from a plumb bob! Carry on

Where did you find the 9264 stuff?

Dodge...I am glad you provided that link for us. As one who has ground a bunch of hammers before I met Brian and Lyle, this is a good example of alternatives on hardened hammer heads. Some newer people to the craft are learning about hammer face shapes and unfortunately may not have mentors or organizations to attend. Rich's examples are a good beginning, if not a great beginning for a smith or blade guy. Carry on

A very neat detail to be used carry on

Man this is different from the way Brian does it! So...take the handle out of the HF hammer...throw it in the fire / charcoal...but not too hot. Yep red hot. Let the fire go out on its own...no blowers on. Make yourself some handle drifts to shape and support the eye. And this step is optional, but preferred. Clean up the now cold hammer and lets warm her up to forging temp and insert the drift. Forge the face to your desired shape, whether ball, vertical peen, cross peen, or rounding. Forging the rounding hammer is best accomplished in the rounding die while the back is forced with the flatter! But lets face it...the idea is to move the hot metal into the shape you desire. A single smith can do this quite handsomely with another hammer by differential heating. Heat only the end you want to change the most in the hot coals and bang away as necessary. The drift will keep the body from collapsing (VERY IMPORTANT). So now we are through forging. Next starts the grind. SIMPLE when shown by Brian. Look at the hammer face on...imagine a clock. And that is how we grind. Start from the 12 oclock and grind down straight across to the 6. Then 6 to the 12. Then 9 to the 3 o'clock and back. Then 10:30 to 4:30 and back, and the 1:30 to the 7:30 and return, What is happening is you are averaging out the little inundations from the forging. This can be done with angle grinder (flap disc) or the belt grinder. I have done this myself so I know from experience. Remember this is soft metal to be re-heat treated later. Grind with med size particals then on down to fine grain. Use plenty of water and do wear gloves. A jig is not required. Heat until non-magnetic...douse into CLEAN water with agitation continuously for quite a while. You will quite likely hear the hammer "cry" two times in the water as the heat treatment is being accomplished. NEVER bring the hammer out of water until it is cold enough to hold by hand under water! Brian uses a bucket that is a bit larger than 5 gallons and always clean water. Then I secondary treat in my wife's oven on a cookie sheet for 4 hours at 400 degrees. Somehow the metal does not seem to react to the same temps as does the cookies that used to be there...colder. A nice golden color will be all over the hammer. So then you will have the sexiest hammer in your shop or neighborhood. NOTED:1)making a rounding die is not too complicated and can be accomplished by a single person. It is also most likely not on your desired to-do list. 2)HF does have some good , in-expensive hammers that take to heat treatment. Maybe not all. I know from experience that the ball peens I bought were good quality! 3)Heat treating will bring up many discussions as to use veggie oil, water, or miracle mud , etc . It is a HF hammers so just go for it. 4)Removing the handle will require you to learn another skill that is well needed. SO think about the shape of handle you are gonna replace it with and start from there. Get the basic shape started and insert, then finish to your desire. Time required to do this project...for me: Late pm remove the handle and put in the fire..consume proper guidance fluid...let die down over that night or evening. Forge the head after heat is started...30 minutes after reshaping hammer eyes to my drifts Cool under a fan and then wire brush...1 hour Grind as necessary.....1 hour ...maybe....depends on guidance fluid Heat treating...30 min max Polish grind with fine material ....15 min Oven treat....4 hours install handle....shape...grind..oil...shape...smooth...1 hour maybe more. Rewards: YOU HAVE just completed your first hammer build. Now go build you some Mark Avery hammers, or Brian Brazeal type (best done in his presence and instruction). enjoy. CARRY ON

I thought totoro was spanish for that little dog..the one where the little girl in the movie that clicked her heels together...Yes...the one from Kansas

You have yourself a fine machine! I used one of those for many years without any problem whatsoever. The stated duty cycle is not so high, like the Thunderbolt's, but in reality it will run -run-run. If you continue with those small rods it will never tax the true duty cycle. One of the nice things about the machine is the OCV (open current voltage)...what is available when you strike a rod to start...then it drops to true operating voltage. Pretty smooth for your economics. Yes there are more "precise" units with much more highly specialized values..but the dollar value goes up tremendously. Get yourself a few 1/8" 6010's and 7018's a let a good neighbot help you to appreciate your machine. If you get lazy that unit will run 5/32" and 3/16" to fill a big gap quickly. Be aware...those larger rods generate a whole lot of heat...on the work surface..in the shop...and on the operator! For a small shop you will have a jam-up nice machine. Consider running your ground to a common ground in the building...you only have to drag out a small connector grounding wire to the work, and one long electrode cable. That may not pass code but many shops do that to reduce amount of cables on the floor. Enjoy! Carry on

Lyle Wynn suggested that I make some chisel aids for some upcoming projects. Some are 60 degree x 30 degree, some assorted with combinations 45 degree and 60 degree vertical, etc. Since I have not started doing the Trolls or Dragons etc my question is which one of these is a person most likely to use when chiselling / forming?

Proportions are right on track too!

one of the most overlooked pieces of paperwork goes along with policy...no not the insurance policy. It has to do with not only acceptance.of responsibility but understanding what is going on and how it may affect their lives. They must understand that a mistake on their part can cause themselves pain or worse.

the best part about having angles from 8 to 10 degrees means that the length of the leg is. ..for blacksmith purposes...the same measurement as the height...unless you wanna cut a silly millimeter. this is one step before rocketeering. I do however appreciate the well designed example. Carry on

If you want to find out how much the noise reduction is you should try the sand and oil treatment installed in heavy wall tubing. I am the guy that made that striking anvil that the Youngsmiths used at ABANA. It was filled after the comparison was made. Brian used a striking anvil with chains, sand and oil. Upon demonstration of the quietness we drill, tapped, filled the new striking anvil with sunken pipe plugs. That is very easy to accomplish. And Alec is very right about the rigidity of a good stand....for striking. Where we are we are lucky to see heavy striking very often. Most people never use an anvil to strike so intently as Brian, Lyle, or Alec, or many of the newer smiths. Not that some will not but lets face it, those striking anvils are just that. They are so greatly abused that they MUST be made with good geometry, and attachment. Heck the concrete better be good too. Some people will sware by the mounting the anvil on a near 30 degree leg, measured from off vertical. For most or many that is a good formula. But a less vibrating way is with the legs 8, 9, or 10 degrees. And most people will argue about the height of their anvil until the cows come home. It would seem to me that if you had a anvil mounted 30 something inches high one must be with very bad eye sight or 9 feet tall. It is greatly rewarding to use an anvil that is attached to the concrete. It sure does reflect all the energy available back to the workpiece. The only other thing that could make it better is to own one of those monster sized anvils that could be freefloating on a bucket of sand. Carry on

Most times when I needed to use ACME threads the problem came from the nut and not the threaded shaft. All sorts of places stock and sell the stuff but again the nut is where the problem occurs. One of the writers is so correct about brazing on the stuffing box end. If one decides to machine the box then he is going to be sorely surprised about the amount of time required there. But again if someone was to purchase a threaded rod, ACME, BUTTRESS, Mod BUTTRESS or whatever, he can pretty easily forge or braze the beginning to a box, then braze that box to a steel forging that fits the frame. It will be slow in action...very slow. Okay for machinist ...too slow for hot work. How about posting some pics of what you do have so you can get a thousand more opinions. I would like to see what you have though. My lathe only goes down to 3 1/2 threads per. carry on

Looks like you have an excellent project on the way. I could not help but add this bit of information about your shop. Since you are using a band saw to cut your large stuff be aware that in due time the band saw will get out of tune and start cutting errant shapes. I have a large band saw I put away for several years until I came across a website the other day concerning such a tune-up. My point is this, google the system about tune-ups for bandsaws so that you will be ahead of the game in the process. A bandsaw is a lot more economical than a cold saw to operate, but not nearly as fast. If the bandsaw is in proper alignment it can cut as accurate as a coldcut saw. and enjoy that nice looking work surface. Carry on

That seems to be a really neat hammer! Almost kind of antique-like. Anyway it should become a private treasure and to be well used by yourself. Yeah Brian may make a prettier one, but yours looks just fine to me. If you have any kids they too will want to keep that thing as a special memory object. Carry on

The repair is not so bad to accomplish. You need to be able to communicate with a machinist about just exactly how the thing works. There will be the problem as many machinist think themselve to be quite smart themselves, in that using modern approach is better! If they see another model and work with it just a little while then they will be more informed. Years ago when I worked in a machine shop a lot I rebuilt a leg vise screw myself. This is before I became interested in blacksmithing. The owner wanted it to work just like an original so that is what I did. After grinding the correct cutters, which is really not so hard, an appropriate piece of shaft was threaded. It still is operational today but not at a professional pace. Now this job may not be economical for all but with a lathe the job should be easily accomplished, square threads (modified buttress threads) and all. Carry on

I watched Brian and Kaenan punch through 2 1/2 round stock Saturday by hand. Remember that the first punch is quite fat in appearance as well as being a bit stubby. So that means it is very strong. After a pretty darn deep penetration he switches over to a more slim design. The thinner, slimmer design has much less resistance going into the metal because most of the sides are not in contact ! After the hole has been made then the drifting process begins for the basic eye form. BTW that was for a flatter that weighs about 6 1/4 pounds. They made two in one day out of some tough mystery metal. They still used a cupping tool along with the flatters...and a whole lot-a-banging. Carry on

a beautiful production you have made. I bet there are some other folks that think your work looks alive. For one I sure do. Ride on Jaffa and Taylor...

Some people have LOTS-a extra buckaroos! Good for the economy.

i watched brian b work on that thing a couple months ago. in his project with tod 1/2inch or 5/8, he finished the rail end into a full taper after fullering and butchering for those petal things on the side. the little tapered end was the center of a spiral and as the rod wrapped around the spiral all those petals radiated the circumference like a daisy. the full size rod became the stem. i like the example shown as it has lots of class with this project. one of the difficulties is calculating the number of petals and the size so that they radiate the circle nicely. multiples of the same in the picture are pleasing to the eye. in my opionion. carry on