GVR-4579

I am thinking of the light becasue i usually get blinded from watching the iron in the fire. I was trying a 500 watt halogen at about a 45 degree onto it for a little bit and it semed to work well, i could see the iron color pretty decent imo. I just hate everything looking so dark when you turn away from the fire and it definatly helped. We have always had power in the shop but there was a large pause in connection after we terminated the overhead lines so its nice to have it back especially since i switched to an electric blower so i can work better on my own.

Well i finally got my shop hardwired VIA underground cables so i can remove the extension cord from the other shop. Now i can really go crazy with the lights and such. I am planning on a spotlight directly on the anvil and 6 lights just to light the general shop.

I had read once that if you use a file you will get many small imperfections from the teeth leaving air bubles. Any indication of this or was the article i read wrong? I am looking forward to seeing what kind fo pattern you get nonetheless.

When I started my dad gave me some metal and said make it hot and hit it, now that i want to improve my skills and make stuff that looks like something or is functional i have been sticking my nose in books and everything. I agree if you want to smith do you research so you dont ask all sorts of wuestions that could be answered from reading 10 pages from a book. I am however happy to answer questions regardless, perhaps some people just dont have acess to the books or dont understand the way they are worded.

I did the dakota county fair, if you are asking me

sounds like a great find, i have all my great grandfathers stuff i could forage out of the family shop, forge, blower, a few hammer heads a pair of tongs or two. Funny thing is out of all the tongs we have me and my like the old ones the best

JPH i also quit the fair i used to work at, they were becoming too big of babies about stuff.

Wish i could help more, all i know is they use a damascas that is hard-soft-hard so the center keeps the blade from being too brittle, and the outside stays sharp. im not to the point of being able to weld or make damascas yet so i have no experience there.

Got mine from a car i had and now i use it on all forums

Ahh ok then, my dad had not seen one of these either so i had to ask. Thanks for the information.

I have two belt drive blowers, they are however original setups from long ago. One is mounted to the bottom of my forge that is in use with a lever to ratchet system driving it. The other is much larger with the drive still being a lever and ratchet but on its own stand and everything which would them be connected to the forge VIA piping. Both of them use flat leather belts. The kinds of pulleys that are on my blowers and drives are very simple and could easily be made.

So I have never seen one of these, is it just a cheap version of a trip hammer?

I have a green river vice as well, if ind it handy.

I started when i was just big enough to use a hammer. My dad and grandfather both did it some and so i did too. I live on a farm and we used to also have a steam traction engine, and many other things that are fire realated. I also used to demo blacksmithing at a local fair until they got to foo foo for me.

I used to make alot of simple non functional horseshoe shaped pieces when i was just starting

I made a throwing hawk from a RR spike a few days ago, turned out pretty well except I got the drift a little off center. It would have been functional, it just didn't look "right", my oldest boy claimed it. I will probably do another one in the next few days just for giggles.

Thanks
Steve

I only wear gloves when i need to and then i will use leather welder's gloves. I make sure they can come off fast and i usually have 2 pairs or so sitting near so that if one gets hot i can switch it out for a cool one,

Hi there everyone, I just signed up and will be mostly just browsing through for information and ideas. I am a machinist and mechanic, i restore antique tractors for a living. I have a simple setup in an old garage for my blacksmithing shop. Just a small coal forge recently updated with an electric blower, 125lb Anvil, a nice swedge block, and a good variety of hammers and tongs are what i have to work with now. I am working on a line shaft and setting up my 50lb little giant trip hammer and a few other line tools. I plan to have the line shaft capable of running on an old gas engine but also to have an electic motor available for ease or use. Anyways i have been blacksmithing on and off since i was big enough to use a hammer, but havent been serious enough to accumulate alot of talent. I have been going pretty strong now forging every day for the last month or so and am seeing alot of improvement.

Look forward to meeting you all, Erik