Ten Hammers

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.

I think the work is outstanding. Quit when you done.

Your own forge and your own fire building skills will be the thing that teaches you ( along with what Rich and Thomas have typed).

Beth, to answer your question ( but you asked Mark I know ), the mallet is simply a top tool. If you have a nice smooth place on the bottom (like the horn or radiused edge) you get some of the predicted result. I still like using a nice smooth faced steel hammer for finishing but use a mallet for some things (dry and yes it may smoke if the stock is too hot ).

" I am more process oriented than product oriented. " Ok hope this ain't a hijack....

Frank, that is a mouthful indeed. When you showed us your scarfing method, it took a while for me to get my head around it (hence the need for the calls). Once we ( on the bus) develop process in given areas, we use the process to build (or create if you please). Once practiced, process becomes habit or skill (like tying your shoes). This may indeed become like music (classic, jazz. rock) and is reflected in our work.

Godspeed Jerry. One day at a time.

Two options. Both work well. Both are for the trailer shop. Both keep (most) of the smoke off me and BOTH conserve fuel in good winds. Both have sliding back doors for long stock and both were built by me in the shop at home. Both have 6" (removable) stovepipe out the top.

Your purchase of pipe can easily be used in ANY similar hood enclosure ( setting ON the forge or having legs to the floor or whatever). Your pipe purchase appears to be long enough to go through the roof (which is fine).

There will be drawbacks with an enclosed hood but all in all, it works for me. The home shop hood draws straight up as well ( using 12" auger pipe through the roof).

10 blacksmiths, 10 answers. :P

Sometimes I hacksaw, sometimes I hot cut. Bigger stuff, sometimes I use the chopsaw. Regardless, I heat bloody hot and fold one tine back. Forge the other by pointing first. I use the holes in the anvil for length references. One other thing, I use a piece of bar stock that has been ground on the end to drive into the crotch of the fork ( yes I have 1/4x1, 3/8x1 and 1/2 x1 to use). I call them radius tools and have written on them with a paint marker. They have holes drilled in them to hang form the table. I also have these in trailer shop box(es). These tools allow me to have a nice smooth transition from tine to tine. This action is of course done in the vise HOT. I have found that doing fork work at lower temps can cause problems (ok final slapping to even up is ok at lower temps sometimes). Will see if I can find and post a pic.

Your fork looks very nice for a first time. Keep it up.

I might add that when you drive the radius tool into the fork, you should use care. Slipping and driving a red (at least) hot sharp tine into your hand is distracting to say the least.

Edit, the pic shows the smooth crotch on the fork (which is made from 3/4 COLD rolled and is about 4 feet long)

What you are dealing with is electricity. Wire size, fuse size, voltage, conductor length, voltage drop (to be specific on a few things but I am NOT an electrician). My advice would be to get a competent licensed electrician to inspect the setting.

The internet is an interesting place. Advice gleaned here is fine but your home insurance (not to mention national and local laws) may be in conflict with any actions you may or may not take. Yeah, sounds like lawyer talk but you should know the league you are in before you make decisions. Ultimately, fire is the big thing but there are of course other personal health and machine life issues.

Miller Thunderbolt is a good starter machine. Good leads, good connections.