LeeMcKee

No.... Sorry if it is misleading. the registration is part of the class fee. 

One Day - $35 Registration + $50 day of the class = $85

Two Days - $70 Registration + $80 day of the class = $150

Hope to see you There!

Here's a tip or two.... Get it hot, Hit it Hard, know when to stop, and most importantly don't get ate by dingos!

Good Luck!

 Here we go again! This time we will be holding a hammer head making class with world traveler and professional iron smasher, Matt Garton! Matt will be working with us to make a NEW TANNEHILL STYLE HAMMER! Each workshop goer will go home with a new hammer and the knowledge to make more. There will be a Boston Butt BBQ served with all the fixin's for lunch. The cost of this workshop will be only $85 and will include everything. There will be Iron In the Hat to pay for lunch, so bring something nice!

 

​ Registration info is as follows:

Hello Fellow Blacksmiths,

Now is the time that we will begin taking registration for our Hammer making Class that will take place on Jun 22nd and 23rd. 

The cost will be as follows:
One Day (either Sat OR Sunday) - $85
You are guaranteed at least one hammer of the size of the three you would like... If time permits you may make two
Two Days - $150
You are guaranteed two hammers of your choice and if at all possible you will leave with a full set of three
The hammers will be made of 4140 tool steel and feature a square face and your choice of peen. There will be some aesthetic work to our hammers but, how far you go is up to you 

There is free camping to those in tents however you must pay the gate fee of $3. RVs will have to camp at normal pricing in the designated camp ground.
There are many hotels in the area if that is more your style...Contact me and I will send you links.

Now for registration..... Everyone that receives this email is because they have said that they are wanting to be part of this class. YOU MUST SEND IN A MATERIAL DEPOSIT BEFORE YOU ARE REGISTERED! this tools steel is too expensive just to buy it for some one that doesn't show up

If you are attending one day the registration is $35... For two days is $70
Please send a check or money order to:
Lee McKee
4118 Lindsey Loop Road, 
Bessemer AL, 35022
 

Please let me now if you are going to camp or stay in a cabin, also let me know if BBQ wont work for you, we can make tofu or something
Any question can be directed to me...
Thanks, Hammer On!
Lee McKee
Resident Artist, Blacksmith / Tannehill Historic Ironworks State Park
Program Developer / Alabama Art Casting

*If you have time check out our links!*
Tannehill Historic Ironwork State Park
www.tannehill.org
Iron and Steel Museum of Alabama
https://www.facebook.com/IronSteelMuseum?fref=ts
Tannehill Forge school of Blacksmithing 
www.facebook.com/pages/Tannehill-Forge-School-of-Blacksmithing/223833204346445
Alabama Art Casting
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alabama-Art-Casting/158958187458472
www.alabamaartcasting.org

 

Did you go to David Lobdel's Iron Tribe event in AZ? That is how we do ours over here in Bama. The Bonded sand works very well and is cheap. In college we used Portland Cement and river sand.... You can get any cheaper than that and the wax is reclaimable.

The first issue is the petro bond.... This is not 1942, we have new products that will do a much better job. My advise to you is to make your plaster mother mould to produce the waxes. Take the waxes and arrange them into a configuration that you can cast a few at one time and make a match plate for the job. If you are making multiples this would be the way to go, melt outs take a long time to make any sort of quantity. Once you have a good matchplate (in Aluminum) you need to use a good resin type bonded sand like Alpha Set or Chemcast "O". This will allow you to make many moulds and pour them all at one time. Petrobond will not allow you to spend weeks making moulds in preparation for the pour. You need to use appropriate risers and spruing to ensure casting shrinkage will not be an issue...nothing is worse that a hollow anvil, or half an anvil... 
  I'm actually making some Little Anvils now myself and would be happy to document my techniques...

 

If someone brought that to me and commissioned me to reproduce it I'd have to charge right around $250 to see the job through... The ring is easy enough to cast given the amount of material that is left unbroken. Nice blower by the way.... It may be worth saving as I have never seen one quite like it either...

Have you thought of using an investment type material like Ludo? Basically just have sand and half plaster. It works very well for non-ferrous metals. It is the traditional way of doing lost wax melt outs and it is very cheap... Good luck! 

You could add a pour cup to the mould as it would increase you hyperstatic flow pressure as well as acting as a riser for shrinkage. you could also cut blind risers into the mould off to the side and cut them off before turning on the lathe. Not bad for your first casting.... If you need a bigger crucible you can weld one up out of steel as the 1300 degree heat will not phase it.

If you are ever down South you are more than welcome to come to Tannehill Ironworks State Park and the Tannehill Forge School of Blacksmithing. We are in McCalla Alabama and offer a visiting artist program. You receive no money but, If you work certain number of hours a week for the Forge you can have free use of the Blacksmith's shop and foundry as well as free room and board. You can sell anything you make on your own time for extra money... Let me know if you are interested 

Sort of off topic but, Tannehill Ironworks and the Alabama Forge Council will be holding workshops in cast your own swedge blocks and mandrels out of ductile cast iron this Fall if anyone is interested you can message me or email mckeemetalarts@yahoo.com...

Hey Ronin... 

  I'm one of the resident artists at Tannehill and can say that you are always welcome up here... Join our Face Book pages for more info on us...

That being said, contact Joe Strange from Fairhope. 16821 StateHwy181 is his address and phone is 251-990-8789 or 251-379-3855

He is a big force in the Bay forge and should be able to help....

Good Luck!

we get them at Tannehill every once in a while..... we just tell our students that it is the past resident blacksmith Bill Shoemaker playing practical jokes on us from beyond the grave... It happens at our forges when the wind blows over the top of the forge for anytime pushing the gasses up the pipe going to the blower... it normally happens while we are letting our forges "coke up" a little. and yes, you may need to change your pants after it goes off like a shotgun

indeed...too bad we cant set then up an iforge account and internet access as well...

Great Job! better watch out it is a bit addictive!
-L-

I had a ton of car rims to render down into ingots....here is my ingot moulds and such

Im doing a festival in Orange Beach Alabama next month with a good friend of mine. we are setting up one forge that we will both share...its so much work that I'm happy to have help...what he sells, he keeps....what I sell, I keep... its a two day event so that is 14hours of forging....
Nothing would be more of a draw than three anvils ringing during your event if you guys could get together....you would most likely sell more together than anyone of you would seperately

I'd go and teach a little smithery! good job Hoosier Nasty Guard!

sometimes I cheat and use 16 penny nails (uncoated).... it makes a nice uniform back side and you can dome the finished end or make it look a bit more handmade and square it up with hammer...
If you make a tool similar to a nail header with the head side to dimention and the bottom side flaired out you will have no problem getting the rivet out after heading it.

Here is a close up of the "flamethower" set up I use.....Lots of fun for a small price...

I agree Thomas... In fact, lower temp metals such as Aluminum or even Pewter will cause MORE damage than cast iron. when it does hit you it sticks instead of being forced away by the steam it creates like iron would....there is nothing worse than having to sit there and take the pain as you slowly put down the ladle before "peeling" the metal off of you, with plenty of skin of course....
Ramsies... Forge a small ladle and melt a couple of small chunks of Aluminum over the forge. wear safety glasses, welding gloves and an apron when doing so. You can make a mould out of a cuttlefish bone that can be purchased at any pet supply for birds. Read, Read, Read, as much info about casting as possible and particularly concerning foundry safety. Start small and work your way up as you skills increase. There are people in your area that cast professionally for sure... go and tour their foundry and if you interested enough ask to apprentice there. That is the only way to learn...

They sell small Jewlers cucibles that could fit in most any gas forge... If you have a larger forge then one could hold a bigger cucible. unless you are messing around with brass or iron you can make a crucible out of a thick walled section of steel pipe and 1/2 inch plate welded for a bottom.... Aluminum melts at a much lower temp than you would need to forge weld (1250 If I remember correctly). You are dealing with exactly the same kind of "technology" for the most part with both crafts... Just scaled up for foundry use.

I want one!

Here is a few shots of my furnace.... I know its verticle but I still use it to forge larger bowls every once in a while I'll take some photos of my flamethower today and post them so you can see what I'm talking about...
Be safe and Have Fun!

we just throw a cast iron skillet on our coal forge to melt a little AL... If your doing small peices its great way to do it with little effort. If you want to pour larger stuff or brass etc... then you would be better off with a crucible furnace. The most important peice of equipment would be a home made "flamethrower" Basicly a small squirell cage fan and plumbing parts with a 3/16 inlet for your gas. This one peice of equipment can be used in hundreds of ways and don't cost that much to build.... I wouldn't worry too much about the floor or walls of your shop... run the furnace outdoors and for the most part molten non-ferrous stuff won't cause too many issues on cement... The temps are not high enough.