Ten Hammers

Keep at it. Looks good. Remember the procedures on the heat treat. Keep a notebook of future and past procedures. Dates you did the forgings. If something is working on the heat treat, continue it ! If things break, make notes. Use ink on the notes. Small drawings help to understand process sometimes. A LIST of future tools to make is nice to cross off what you have done.

I saw charcoal mentioned in a post and I also saw no replies or thoughts on it. Here in the states we can buy commercial charcoal (lump). This is made easily enough I guess but I just buy it. It works well enough in a coal forge but a pot designed for charcoal works better. Crank or bellows fine but power blower is ok too with an airgate. I have no experience in oil forges. You mentioned gas as being expensive.

Charcoal can be used as coal with a few minor differences. Small learning curve. Just my thoughts.

" Sometimes though, we like to struggle and problem-solve on site."

Frank, THIS would be the story of my life. Nice work on the tools.

Stay with it bud. Good work.

Well John, it's the weekend. Hope you got some fire time.

The simple excuse for sanitary napkins ( aka Multi trauma dressing ) is to stop blood along with direct pressure.

These days one of the FIRST items in the kit would be a cell phone.

Good quality band-aids, eye wash (one use, pitch it), duct tape ( ok laugh if you want ). Peroxide, baby wipes. GOOD QUALITY tweezers. Ice packs. Good antiseptic in a tube ( since they took mecurichrome and merthiolate from us ).

These are all things you can use on yourself but the second line is for when you need more than yourself. I have been infected more than once. I have been burned more than once and used Silvadine more than once. Everyones mileage will vary. Capillary and venous bleeds are one thing. Duct tape and a clean shop rag will stop (slow) an arterial bleed until help arrives. You don't have emergency lights on your personal vehicle and not only that driving injured is hazardous.


Mass merchandisers sell kits. Don't forget fire extinguishers.

Mr. Newman, you will indeed like the vise. Consider it a third hand in one sense. Mine is not bolted down but if you have a floor plan that allows definite setup you may so choose. You can twist bloody hot 1/2 square with ease, isolate (quench) and reverse twist in one heat. I just use tongs. Repetitive starts on forgings ( chalk mark ) for bends. The toothed upright allows for absolute same starts on bends. Yes, mine has been slapped around with the hammer on hot metal and is still one tool that is indispensable when needed.

" keyboard commandos " :)

Howdy Jerry ! nice to see ya. Here is a picture of my vise. Priceless when you need it.

KAlexander, good you can make the connection. Check your PM at the upper right of the browser please.

This will depend entirely on your ability to hear. Drop of sweat from you nose on the anvil. Put a piece of 1/4 x 1 flat on it and strike it. May or may not sound like a rifle. Sometimes welds have sound and sometimes you can feel them too ( ok call me touched).

Holstrum said in his book that " good iron crumbles under the hammer ". Some of these things have to be experienced.

Frank, that is indeed a find.

Good call DKlunker. Good sized harrie though. Post above you would be right too though. Ole timey wood harrie is different. I've pulled a 14' fold out for a few hours. Headed teeth but smaller than the ones starting this thread.

" This repair was not pretty, but it stayed straight and it is sound metal "

You want both ? (lol) I happen to think the repair is outstanding and looks fine. I grew up around farm machinery and other equipment being repaired in this fashion ( although likely brazed ) and the old welders would have been proud of this work. Good job.

Number one i am not an old pipeline welder. I have had fair luck welding is places like you described with 7014 although 6011 would certainly be the choice as well. 6010 (dc) vert up has worked well for me.

Jeremy, just as you described on the phone. Nice work bud. WIP. Looking forward to seeing the hardware. BTW, sweet little anvil !

My catalog and book lists these as sharpening hammers. I use mine to forge sheet into different tooling. Just another size of rounding hammer I have available (that happens to have a cross pien on it). Sorry no input on the original question.

I'm gonna agree with Ptree. Speed is highly underrated. By changing one of two pullys I can make either of my mechanical hammers faster or slower. One has an idler to take up the belt slack and the other, the motor slots. Judson makes the final statement ( and I myself have not run one of these hammers in the vid). To each his own. Seems like a fair bit of money though.

Understood. Sometimes things just gotta happen. For me, it is the real meaning of forged. A very powerful statement.

no doubt will agree with you Timothy on the forge scale (or mill scale for that matter)

Thank you Tim.

I have a small block of granite used in the past for warming the feets. I have never of course even considered hammering on it.

In the study of 9th and 10th century settlement of Iceland, blacksmith shops are part of the few original drawings I have seen ( site maps if you please ). What a treat it would be to see a museum with some tools in it from this era.

Ian spoke of seeing stone anvils and hammers (in use) while in either Norway or Sweden.

Here is an example. Table built to fit my needs. Here in the US we can buy new 3" vent pipe and adjustable elbows. I have more pics if you wish showing the hook up for the air supply. Like Thomas said, you have the guts you need.

Build your table to height that you can rest long stock on anvil height if necessary. This height is also handy for fatigue.

Perhaps the threads are left handed on that nut to remove the fan.

Allen, welcome aboard.

It sounds like you may have more information now than when you made the post above. Visiting a shop where the owner is freely giving information to folks interested in learning is nice. Clearly you will see evidence of the owners skills if you only look around. I have been blessed to visit a few shops myself. I hope you are learning.

Some folks live where it gets colder than 40º and stays that way for a while. I grew up with bag balm in the barn. Try this stuff:

http://www.goldbondultimate.com/healing-lotion.html

It makes my hands so that I don't snag long sleeved tee shirts when I put them on. It is just plain old stuff, no perfume really. Cracked fingers no fun. This of course is US available and may not be world wide.