Ten Hammers

My shop, my needs. I can see NO need for me to use any cold rolled for any of my business ( exception being 3/16 square which I cannot source in hot). Do I use cold ? Yes simply because it find it cheap or occasionally it is given to me. The corners on cold square are nice and sharp and from time to time it make a much nicer looking handle but in general, hot rolled is what I use. Some sources of hot rolled will have junk metal. My supplier doesn't get from them. Yes you will find some steel these days ( last 20 years indeed ) that is marginal when forged. The rest I will leave to the experts.

Hollis is indeed correct. My improper use of those bellows resulted in the accident BUT a check ( flap ) valve might have prevented the issue. Flashback ( blowback ) will no doubt blow 3" vent pipe off the forge and blower !

My 5¢ worth. Get some drops from a fab place. Bar stock if you can or plate. 3/16 or 1/4 is good choice but free drops is free drops if you can get them. Tack them together with a space of the electrode. Flat. If you have a good saw, make yourself up some of these. Also, make some Tee ( with no space ). Weld these all in position ( read flat on the table). Tack one to the edge of the table and weld with nothing under it. Flip and weld the other side while hot. Like David says, you will learn not to strangle the electrode holder with time. Another thing, make sure you have a GOOD ground connection. 6011 runs like water for the most part. I personally like 7014 as well. 7018 of course is the standard and is used in industry. Also mentioned is the need for 7018 AC rod if you have no DC welder. Let the puddle fill. Get a good chipping hammer and wire brush. As an afterthought, 7018 will be a nice drag rod ( meaning no pattern, just straight pull ) but it can be patterned as well. 6011 likes to be patterned ( moved side to side slowly and allowed to fill). 7014 will stay mostly on top ( some call it farmer or idiot rod). I learned to build hay racks from cattle panels and a low boy ( for small round bale throwers) in the mid late 60's. Was taught to just drag 6011 in one inch welds, allowing to fill. this is fast production work. This was from a SEEBEE that had welded in Viet Nam. Burn some rod. Take notes. Your welder, your skills will build. Keep a GOOD ground. Green lens looks different from red and gold. Keep your lenses clean and keep some spare lens covers. Have fun. good luck. These gloves ROCK but they will teach you to have your hand back from the puddle or you will burn them.

I built a 2 x 48 belt grinder several years ago. It is my only grinder ( besides the drill doc and some side grinders). This said I still could use a rock (pedestal or bench ) occasionally. Good, clean dressed rock wheels do stuff in a fast manner but yes they can be dangerous. I still have the arbors I used in the past but never have added new wheels. Most importantly, good rests and guards.

I have experience working bellows. I also have caught bellows on fire ( due largely to bad flaps but mostly to not enough weight on top and working too fast). This was coal. The bellows are in the Threshers shop (Old shop that is still in use). They no longer have problems due to repairs. No nozzle valve was added. Be patient and let the bellows work. As a post script, do as you please of course and if you feel the need, add the nozzle valve.

Just find some anchor chain and strap it to that. Nice work Melchoir. Looks like what you have is a light defensive weapon that opens bottles. :P

very nice work. How you de-scale it ?

Losing our parents is likely the toughest part of our lives. Take care of your Dad Jimmy and know that prayers from Iowa are with you folks.

Farm store here has engineers hammers of varying sizes. Several years ago I took one in the vise and just crowned one face a bit. The other side I made a ball end. All with a flap wheel on a side grinder. Use a nice comfortable stool to set on and take your time. As a note, there is no relief behind the ball on mine ( read no fullered part like a ball pien) just a rounded end. THIS with the crowned face on the other side has served me well. I WOULD like to have one of Brians hammers too.

Far as I'm concerned you have an outstanding fork made. Now make a dozen more and use the skills you built on this one.

Like I said, 15 year old saw. as with anything you got to act like you got some sense. 4" 1/2 wall angle, whatever. This saw suits my needs but like I said, it's dirty.

Richard, space is the thing in my shop. Will see if I can get pic on here... I have to open the door to cut long stock but it is a good saw.

I have a 15 year old Makita chop saw. the dust is hard on me and the plasma and mig BUT, it cuts what i want. Top cutter and bottom hardy (with a striker) works well too for the bigger stuff.

If i had one, it would be used for display on the table at rondys. " this is the one that gets used when folks order and don't pay ".

My shop, my ways. Fiberglass splinters are hard to find. I have nothing with fiberglass. Dad and the old dogs liked glass in maul handles simply because it would out last wood in some cases. i like the way thinned wood feels on forging hammers.

" In too many instances, in everything from grinding wheels to electrical safety, opinion seems to be given the same weight as knowledge, that is a dangerous thing. " BigRed. if I understand the basic jist of your thread this is indeed an issue. One thing will be said for the most part. If false information is posted here someone will likely challenge the information. I have passed a few tests and have welded (briefly) x-ray. I have welded a lot of other stuff from car crushers to hand trucks (professionally). In smithing I am LARGE self taught but this self taught is from observing others in many instances. I have however burned my share of coal, charcoal and gas making mistakes (which indeed taught me). It is refreshing to see that your observations here are accurate. This is for a large part a very well orchestrated group of friends and many skilled smiths come here. I am honored to be in their presence and a few have been to my shop. I have been to some of their shops but not a lot. Belly up to the fire and grab a cup. Welcome.

Thanks Randy. Now I remember why I want to build a press with sufficient guts.

In the cycling industry alone there are tons of different threads. Std English, whitworth and BS. Std Italian (and some old MASI ). Std French, Motobecane, Frejus had some special threads. Bottom brackets and headsets are the common things in this vein but dropouts and seat pin stays also are issues. I haven't even mentioned tubing size issues. Of course there is NC ? NF here in the US plus national arbor thread(s), standard coaster and/or quick release. Schwinn had some of it's own threads in the past. So did Sears Roebuck Timothy, I hope you find the use(s) for those taps. I used to have books that told MOST various. cycling threads. That was 35 years ago. Never mind English sports cars or the Italian stuff. Good luck my friend. Morse tells me it was intended for machine use. Gun threads were mentioned and that indeed is a whole other plate of enchiladas.

I'm gonna mirror what Thomas and other have said. I have used these grinders. 12 x 2 wheels on a 3 horse motor (double " B " belt fully enclosed). About 2" of wheel exposed only. 7 guage side guards fully enclosing the wheels and large plate rests to grind on. this was in my mentors shop. Problem is, when you get your wheels shipped, you do not know if they were dropped and when you fire it up, you may have catastrophic failure. Gilmour used this grinder for years and kept it dressed. He DID speak of the dangers but used it till the end. Please use caution.

Welcome aboard. I live just over the line in Iowa. Nice shop.

The connections made on the site are ( to say the least ) astounding. I have met many.

Bigred, welcome aboard.

I look at the steel on the suppliers rack before I buy it ( be it bar, rod or sheet).

I am not now nor have I ever been employed by ANYONE in smithing. I do as I please, make my own mistakes and benefit from my experience. Am I King ? Of course not. Do I know everything ? Of course not. I will not be bound by opinion. My teachers were the men that made things happen in my youth along with many others in the past 24 years. Some were new guys.

Nobody will tackle that one Jeremy. If it WERE written in stone, someone like yourself or me would just forge a chisel and change the verbiage on the stone.