Ten Hammers

Dad used to put a 100 watt lamp on top of his battery when it got COLD (read below zero).  Indeed kept it warm for better starts.  Attached you will see the wet coal bin beside the forge.  Heat tape goes under it.

I have ( years ago) experience with grinder blades ( plastic regrind).  They were serialized D2 that was sent back for sharpening until they were out of spec.  I heated them to like George Jetson hot and kept them there for eons.  I then buried them in oil dry for ever and they still were WAY HARD and mizerable.  One did get used for a guillotine top tool ( cutter).  I ain't seen them for quite a while.  I may have buried them someplace.  Lesson learned.

I use a floating tank heater for the slack tub.  Have never heated the anvil (even below zero) but I have used heat tape on the wet coal bin.

yes on the cold worked ( sounds like you knew this ).  Am curious if the steel you are using is hot or cold rolled.  Sometimes cold finished ( keystock) can be grumpy.  YES newer steel is sometimes substandard. 

You da man Jeremy.  Outstanding werk.

"  This is a newer style. Probably really malleable. Didn't get a chance to work on the forge this weekend, but Im gonna play with the material and see..."

newer style meaning it is metric shafting ?  Standard PTO is square or rectangular for the large part ( this is US I'm speaking of ).

My stake hammer has a welded pipe handle on it.  Was a gift from a friend 30+ years ago.  It is not a nice hammer to use but it drives stakes and has been in the bucket for a long time.  I have shaved handles on a lot of hammers.  They are very nice.  3 years ago at Threshers, a woman pointed out that my 3# handle was cracked.  I noted this and planned to replace it.  It still is used today and I have pointed countless tripod legs and other forging with it ( since I forgot the thing was cracked ).  A forgiving handle ( shaved) makes for a heck of a nice hammer.  You can feel it but I have no idea if you can see it move ( will have to try and remember to ask Joe to watch sometime).  I use a 4 in hand rasp ( like Junior did) to shave mine.

I have ( I think ) 6 of his hammers.  Outstanding material.

wow, thats some fine werk !

Exceptional work !  The last forge braze work I did was on cowbells, years ago.  Once again, nice work.

I weld copper with the torch.  Sometimes You need rod ( use whatever sized wire you need ) sometimes not.  IF you set the fillet up properly, you can just tack and then weld nicely.  Good idea to keep several sizes of drop stranded and solid wire on hand.

After re-reading, I see you are attaching copper to steel ?

Outstanding work Beth.  thank you for the pics and commentary.

May the road rise to meet you Dan.  Be well.

and many wheels have wood screws through the tire to hold them on.  We set tire each year at Threshers and many times have to hacksaw screws off so we can shrink and set the tire back to proper size.  Yes, there are factory made bolts for wheels too.

Timothy really covered it for me.  Skill building is the thing.

Absolutely Timothy.  There ARE times and issues yes.  Depending on the needs,

I tell folks that they MUST hand wash my utensils.  Unfortunately many have never used anything but stainless tools for the kitchen.  I also keep some utensils in the trailer over the winter just to show how the steel reacts ( a smidge of rust sometimes).  I then just hit that rust with a bit of blue towel or scotchbrite soaked in a smidge of olive oil and then heat the piece and wipe it off.  This kills the rust and reworks the finish.  It's all about how to maintain and once the customer learns this they are happy.  either that or they NEVER use the piece again and hang it on the wall rack.  It's all good.

"  It takes just as long to walk to the saw as it does to use a hot cut. "  thanks Timothy. 

In reality, the vise and hacksaw are on one side, the chopsaw on the other (the portaband is normally close to the vise but never know ).  Like Frank sez, a piece of angle and some drilling and welding makes many different fixtures to bend from.  A piece of angle and a 1/2" close nipple welded to a hole ( making the nipple vertical from the vise jaws ) and you can now make different radius screw in fixtures.  Use couplers to weld to the center of various pipe pieces.  I make rings (example 12" diameter from 3/16x3/4 stock) in the vise cold.  Weld the joint with the mig and true up on either the cone mandrel or a duece and a half brake drum.  MANY things made cold (fixtures, jigs, process parts, finished goods).  I use the torch and gas saver to make a lot of small stuff but of course the forges are the tools for most things.

My mentor died in 1995.  He would be the FIRST to ask me " Steve, why would you waste your time doing that the old fashioned way when you have power tools ? "  I might reply that it is nice to know the old ways.  He might say that you can drill 6 holes with a power drill in the time it takes to use that old fashioned drill pushed up against your chest for one hole.

We use what we use to get the job done.  Some will think there is no other way than traditional ( whatever that means).  I ABSOLUTELY use forge welding when necessary.  I also use the mig, stick and weld with the torch.  Rust and rivets are honest.  Many wives tales exist.  Sorry if I hijacked the thread. 

I have burned olive oil on de-scaled metal for years.  Once burned ( carmelized if you please ) this finish is outstanding.  IT WILL RUST YES.  Any ferrous metal utensil will.  The olive oil finish is not spec food grade but I have hundreds of utensils with it.  The finish is heated in a charcoal or gas fire.

Outstanding vid !  Nice use of tooling ( built for purpose ) and very nice teamwork.  Thanks for posting  PTree.

Old shafting is one thing.  REALLY old is another.  My experience has been with cold shafting that is dead on ( perhaps .003-005 under).  For example, GRA100 nppb bearing ( 1" pillow block bearing, greasable) will measure dead on 1".  The older stuff than me ( and I'll be 60 this year) may have been smaller (shafting) but not in my experience.  This is how I learn.  Had never heard of undersized. 

Hot rolled of course can vary large.  It (in my experience) has scale on it and is FINE for forging.  Mostly will be close in diameter but of course no need for close tolerance ( to fit bearings).  It USED to be about half the price of cold but anymore it's closer than that. This is round or square stock.

I was taught stick at a young age, torch welding in high school.  MIG I picked up myself.  I have a Miller 172, a Wards 210 amp stick and of course the torch ( Victor and Dillon torches, welds with the Dillon ).  School will be your best bet yes unless you have someone like Harold, David, Frank or Frosty for a neighbor.  TIG is a breeze once you get oxyfuel welding.  Stay with a major brand mig ( Miller, Lincoln, ESAB, Hobart, etc) for here in the states.  I use 75/25 gas for the mig here at home.  I have welded with 95/5, 90/10, stargon for stainless and C02.  I have welded with flux core and flux with gas over (in the wind).  Guess I will always use 75/25 at home.  You have a LARGE window of experience in this thread.  I will always use 7018 stick for powershafts and other AG work although the mig is fine for some of it.  Torch welding rusty stuff is fine and so is forge scaled stuff.  All process is handy to have and some are more important than others depending on the situation.  School should teach you about the dangers of bottles and the need to have a good rock grinder to make stack welds among other things.  a good ground is important.  Like has been mentioned, get a GOOD helmet.  you will learn if you like green, red or gold lens.  You will also learn to keep some clean top covers for the helmet.  I have a Jackson old school and a Huntsman automatic (both on shade 10 although I like 9 better sometimes).  I weld oxyfuel with shade 5 shades.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=39501

Gives you an idea of what is possible.

http://www.kcci.com/weather/you-wont-believe-these-5-day-rainfall-totals/-/9358602/20361272/-/aylab7z/-/index.html

What a difference a year makes.  I KNOW south Texas is upside down ( San Antonio and south ) with rain.

I have welded hardox.  Norton cup wheel and a 7" grinder to remove millscale pre weld.  Yes we used 400 amp pulse programmed welders ( roughly 500" wire and above).  Tough stuff yes.