teejay

You are basically setting up a work cell, Time studies in a machine shop work cell shows a circle works the best.My forging area is set that way going clockwise is forge,vise,anvil power hammer , swedge block no more than 2 to 3 steps to any one thing .The less distance traveled saves time and having to take an extra heat.

ambidextrous myself, maybe favor the right a little more. learned that from an old farmer when I first got started smithing. Now all my shirts fit right!

For a nice small hammer about an 8lb head weight that hits like a 25lb hammer go to the blue prints BP0063. Its Jr. Strasil's baby helve hammer and it a great little machine! If you are good at finding stuff it will run you less than $400

I use a 2 1/2lb Plumb crosspein for just about everything

Go ahead and learn the bladesmithing the knowledge will be benifical to you , But remember there are more knife makers than knife buyers

bases for a hammer rack,a third hand for long stock. Brake rotors are cast iron

Take a magnet and a file with you carbon steel is magnetic, 300 series stainless is not ,400 series is slightly magnetic,not as much as carbon, should be able to tell cast iron with the file.Now some alloy stainless is as magnetic as carbon such as 17-4,18-8 stainless that you just have to spark test or forge.

My forge in the shop uses a champion 400 blower

When I demo I use the tear dropped bellows

A local industrial supply house will have them or can order them for you but you have to buy a whole box at a time. The last time I bought I gave $8;00 for 100 1/4x 1in round head rivits

bushings ,shafts to rebuild blowers,pulleys and rollers for shop built belt sanders,screw for a fly press,screw and box nut for post vices the choices are endless.

When a married man makes a mistake he should forget them









No use both of you remembering them for a lifetime!

I sell them as salt spoons,in the 1700's salt was expensive and it was kept in a salt cellar a small square glass or silver box with a lid. The jig I use is a spring swedge the base is a rivit set that fits the pritchel hole with a ball bearing welded on the upper side.

If you smell something Stupid burning ,let go of it its HOT!

My shops name is Iron Feather Forge the reasons
1 I live in Indian Territory (OKLA.)
2 I'm part Choctaw
3 iron feathers are my 2nd biggest seller

I don't have a shop, I have a 30'x 30' toolbox!

Buy some black pipe and paint it silver,that keeps everyone healthy!!

The top cover off a mid size to large size diaphragm valve. The covers that I get are 1/8in stamped plate in bowl shape 2in deep with a 1in lip around it.total dia. of the cover is around 12in for the mid size and and 18 for the large

Have been a machinist for the last 28yrs

I use a 2 1/2 lb cross pein for almost everything,sometimes I use a 3lb rounding hammer thats homemade

you have a file for non-ferrous metals and body filler (lead), I have a couple at work marked Alum.that has the same tooth configuration.It is a fast cutting file so be careful when doing finish work.

the 5/16 I use for Russian roses or rolled rose,use the 3/16 for leaf key rings,lettering or just about anything you can think of

The one thing I did nit see mentioned is,DO you lay your thumb on top of the hammer handle? If you do it acts like a shock asborber and jars the muscle right to the elbow then up in your neck, and it acts like a pinched nerve! Look real close at how you hold your hammer you may be surprised .

WE buy coal by the semi-load about 20tons, We lay down heavy sheet plastic with plywood sides and open top as we use it just take down a panel and so on. Don't let it mix with too much dirt or you will be winning clinker contests!Inside the shop I use a 30gal. plastic barrel

make a friend at a fab shop, or a garage that does real work, also let everyone you know that you like old metal...u will be suprized what shows up on your door step

Just be sure you own a pickup to haul off the unwanted treasures,smudge pot,tractor radiators and some odd looking pieces of farm equip. I think,

But some good stuff shows up also 2' schd. 80 pipe,sucker rod, hay rake teeth ect.
As a machinist I get to dumpster dive at work bar stock up to 12ft long flat stock and some tool steel the only steel I have to buy is for a special project or if it is under 1/2" dia.

If you live in a small town as I do be SURE you let the Old Farts Coffee club know you like scrap steel!

Pete Ive made grave crosses that way out of 1 1/4 in square. To make crosses larger than the 3.5 inches in the plans ,over lap the saw cut 1 1/4 times the width of the matl.It seems to work out pretty well that way.