anvil

I get as much satisfaction out of a simple nail or "s" hook as doing a major gate or railing.

Sheesh, what a topic. 30 some years a traditional smith. More projects than not filling your description. Been rode hard, put away wet for this last bit of time but always kept the forge hot. A great man once said/told me-"proper setup, proper tools, proper job". Setup's about done, tooling figured out, a long winter's personal project coming up. By hammer in hand, lock, stock and barrel, a flint lock rifle. How do you say thanks to all who have made this possible? So thanks to all, from the beginning to now,, our craft Rocks! May your fires always be hot, and your clinkers small. Special thanks to you, Glen, for this great site!

Craig May is -up the road/ down the road/ across the road. Look him up. Good smith and good people. Also check out the "Rocky mtn Smiths". Good people too. Oh, and welcome to Colorado, land of " Rocky mtn high". I'm north of the land of enchantment (N.M), Mancos, Co. don't ask where its at--- even the people of Mancos don't know where Mancos is. Lol

Excelleñt joinery! Congrats!

This will flash when you mix it in the forge if you get it too hot. If so I remove it, the gallon paint can w handle from the fire and put the lid on. When it cools a bit put back on the forge if the beeswax hasnr melted. It will boil and not flash, but you'r close. When you apply it, the turps thins the linseed oil and the beeswax stays liquid. The final mix is very light, not any near like athick paste. At the correct black heat temp this soaks into the pores of the iron and smokes off the surface. If its grey, you were too hot and if the surface is wet or tacky, your iron was too cold. Since the black heat range is a big one, it takes a bit to hit the best temp, but it ain't rocket science. The mix penetrates deep and the beeswax fills the pores and you will be amazed at how clean the surface is. I always wipe with a cloth and alcohol especially if its for inside use. If you buff it a bit, this also will bring out a hint of brightwork to the surface which adds to the finish. The final touch is to rub with Johnsons paste wax or any good carnuba based furniture polish. The final benefit of this finish is that beeswax has rhe ability to transfer body heat very quickly,instantly, to the iron, so if this is used on fire tools or door, drawer pulls, will creat the effect that the iron is not a "cold thang" but a warm, moving creation. There are 3 misconceptions, well at least 3, with iron. Its Cold, its Hard, and its Immovable. The forging creats flowing movement, this finish process makes it look soft, and the beeswax creats a warmth on touching it. For me this finish process is quick, simple, least expensive, durable within limits, minimal chemicals and just beautiful I'm in Colorado and between 5000-10,000 ft seems to hold up about a year outside with no maintance. For yearly maintance, I have my clients use the same mix wo the beeswax and add "a healthy" pour of jappan dryer in its place. A healthy pour is like a pinch of salt. It dries the linseedturps "right now" so no tacky residue to worry about. I've used this on exterior rails and by the time you finish a 10' section, the beginning is dry. Hope this helps.

Interesting enough, if the beeswax is left out, there's a major difference in the look, feel ,and durability of this finish. It also works very well on wood.

Just a thought on beeswax. I'm not sure just how you are using it so that it ends up tacky. I've never had this problem. Here's my way. I mix a qt of turps and a qt of linseed oil in a gallon can. I put this in my fire with about a walnut to egg sized piece of beeswax cut up into smaller pieces. Heat with low air blast. If it flashes, put the lid back on the gallon paint can. When the beeswax is melted, put back into the qt cans and keep the lid on. This will not be tacky. I apply this hot, then when cool wipe down w alcohol, and if desired, rub in a light coat of johnson's paste wax. Buff and call her done. On hinges I follow the same procedure and whilst still warm rub my beeswax block over the barrel area. Follow the post cleanup above. Still not tacky and adds a layer of beeswax to the inside of the barrel. This tightens my hinge a tad and they open and shut sweet as a y "swing "ya ever set your eyes on. This finish is good outside as long as your client is willing to lightly oil it once a year or so and over time develops a beautiful patina.

You got the answer. Linseed, turps, & beeswax applied hot and wipe down with any oil when done using. This will creat a nice highlighted finish over time that can't be beat.

Back on topic,, I've used the commercial types and 20 mule team borax on and off for years, all with good success. For the last few years I've been using 20 mule team borax with anywhere from 10% to 30% boriac acid measured by eye. I'm sold on this combo. It works as well or better than the finest commercial "finish" types. Boriác acid is cheap and available at the pharmacy off the shelf and pure. 20 muel team borax is at the same grocery store. Do a search here for boriac acid. Lots of good stuff on this and fluxes in general. anvil

There was an article in the Anvils Ring many years ago by Wally Yeater on straightening rr tracks. Sheesh, but he did it by himself! Crazy we are. If you find it, do it in reverse. anvil

Sorry for the multi posts, funky phone anvil

I upset the round bar, cut and roll the flat bar to fit the round bar,no scarf here and 1/8" short. Then bring the round bar to a good yellow. Slip the flat onto the round. Here I usually bevel the round bar, set the flat ring on my anvil face and tap them in. Tighten up on anvil face, flux well, put back into the fire and bring the whole to a forgewelding heat. I like Turley's idea of tapping the back side on the anvil as this is the most likely place for a coldshut. I usually start my weld beyond 90 degrees from the gap and lightly forge around to the gap. Then same procedure from the other side. This starts my weld furtherst away from the gap on both sides. Then wirebrush, reflux and back in the fire for another welding heat. The critical step is to bring the shaft to a good yellow first. This transfers heat outwards to the collar, and insures the center is hot enough to make a welding heat without burning the collar. Most failures are due to a too cold center, no matter how hot the collar gets. You can leave a bit of the round bar protruding out of the collar if you want then upset at a welding heat to give a bit more material to play with at the top. I've done this with 1" round and 1/2"x1" for acorn finials down to 1/4" x1/4" for special bolt heads as well as balls, faceted "crystals", and various ovals. Square to square is much harder as its very hard to get the corners welded up. If you weld one flat then bend the sides up is very awkward, imprecise and time consuming. If you use a square headed nut or piece of drilled square bar, hacksaw one side, bring the threaded round to a yellow, set the nut on your anvil and gently set the round into/ thru the nut on the flat or over the pritichel hole tighten up the two with light hammer, flux, bring to welding heat and weld her up. Nice square headed bolt. The actual weld is round to round and the hacksaw cut gives enough gap for the weld. The round bar can be threaded or not. The reason for the gap is to give the collar somewhere to go as you forgeweld and actually draw it out to a slightly longer length. Otherwise the solid collar, or butted ends will move the collar away from the round bar and an incomplete weld will result. If you want a square shaft, upset the end of the square bar, round it up, making sure the round end is larger dia then the diag of the square. Follow the above steps and clean up the transition below collar to square bar beneath. Have fun.

I upset the round bar, cut and roll the flat bar to fit the round bar,no scarf here and 1/8" short. Then bring the round bar to a good yellow. Slip the flat onto the round. Here I usually bevel the round bar, set the flat ring on my anvil face and tap them in. Tighten up on anvil face, flux well, put back into the fire and bring the whole to a forgewelding heat. I like Turley's idea of tapping the back side on the anvil as this is the most likely place for a coldshut. I usually start my weld beyond 90 degrees from the gap and lightly forge around to the gap. Then same procedure from the other side. This starts my weld furtherst away from the gap on both sides. Then wirebrush, reflux and back in the fire for another welding heat. The critical step is to bring the shaft to a good yellow first. This transfers heat outwards to the collar, and insures the center is hot enough to make a welding heat without burning the collar. Most failures are due to a too cold center, no matter how hot the collar gets. You can leave a bit of the round bar protruding out of the collar if you want then upset at a welding heat to give a bit more material to play with at the top. I've done this with 1" round and 1/2"x1" for acorn finials down to 1/4" x1/4" for special bolt heads as well as balls, faceted "crystals", and various ovals. Square to square is much harder as its very hard to get the corners welded up. If you weld one flat then bend the sides up is very awkward, imprecise and time consuming. If you use a square headed nut or piece of drilled square bar, hacksaw one side, bring the threaded round to a yellow, set the nut on your anvil and gently set the round into/ thru the nut on the flat or over the pritichel hole tighten up the two with light hammer, flux, bring to welding heat and weld her up. Nice square headed bolt. The actual weld is round to round and the hacksaw cut gives enough gap for the weld. The round bar can be threaded or not. The reason for the gap is to give the collar somewhere to go as you forgeweld and actually draw it out to a slightly longer length. Otherwise the solid collar, or butted ends will move the collar away from the round bar and an incomplete weld will result. If you want a square shaft, upset the end of the square bar, round it up, making sure the round end is larger dia then the diag of the square. Follow the above steps and clean up the transition below collar to square bar beneath. Have fun.

I upset the round bar, cut and roll the flat bar to fit the round bar,no scarf here and 1/8" short. Then bring the round bar to a good yellow. Slip the flat onto the round. Here I usually bevel the round bar, set the flat ring on my anvil face and tap them in. Tighten up on anvil face, flux well, put back into the fire and bring the whole to a forgewelding heat. I like Turley's idea of tapping the back side on the anvil as this is the most likely place for a coldshut. I usually start my weld beyond 90 degrees from the gap and lightly forge around to the gap. Then same procedure from the other side. This starts my weld furtherst away from the gap on both sides. Then wirebrush, reflux and back in the fire for another welding heat. The critical step is to bring the shaft to a good yellow first. This transfers heat outwards to the collar, and insures the center is hot enough to make a welding heat without burning the collar. Most failures are due to a too cold center, no matter how hot the collar gets. You can leave a bit of the round bar protruding out of the collar if you want then upset at a welding heat to give a bit more material to play with at the top. I've done this with 1" round and 1/2"x1" for acorn finials down to 1/4" x1/4" for special bolt heads as well as balls, faceted "crystals", and various ovals. Square to square is much harder as its very hard to get the corners welded up. If you weld one flat then bend the sides up is very awkward, imprecise and time consuming. If you use a square headed nut or piece of drilled square bar, hacksaw one side, bring the threaded round to a yellow, set the nut on your anvil and gently set the round into/ thru the nut on the flat or over the pritichel hole tighten up the two with light hammer, flux, bring to welding heat and weld her up. Nice square headed bolt. The actual weld is round to round and the hacksaw cut gives enough gap for the weld. The round bar can be threaded or not. The reason for the gap is to give the collar somewhere to go as you forgeweld and actually draw it out to a slightly longer length. Otherwise the solid collar, or butted ends will move the collar away from the round bar and an incomplete weld will result. If you want a square shaft, upset the end of the square bar, round it up, making sure the round end is larger dia then the diag of the square. Follow the above steps and clean up the transition below collar to square bar beneath. Have fun.

Howdy, thought I'd add my 2bits. My experience is much like Frank's. Started shoeing in '66. I used a 2-1/2# roundinghammer. Went to Turley forge '79 or 80. Been a full time smith ever since.y primary hammers are my 3# crosspien,9# singlejack, and a 1-1/2# crosspien from an old Willys axle. I have a 25# little giant. I like long hammer handles and choke them up. I like the counterbalance it gives me. I do not let the handle rest against my forearm. I got into the "joy of movement" idea when shoeing horses. Basically this means keep your whole body loose and make it all be part of each swing. Turley introduced the idea of Tai Chi. It's a bit more formal, but the same basic concepts. Each hammer blow is "from your toes to your nose". Probably that came from Frank, not sure any more. I had a 2 year slow time due to personal situation. When I tackled my next job, I noticed my grip was weaker. I actually nearly lost my hammer a few times. My tong hand hurt as did my tong upper arm. I had been a rollover. I was told that I needed to fuse the last four neck bones. I didn't. This was the problem I thought. After about two months, all was back to normal. I have to be careful of high overhead stuff due to my neck, but normal range of motion for hammer swing is no problem. I believe staying in shape is critical for me. Hope this helps.

Any suggestions on removing grey tarnish from metal folding rulers w/o removing the black numbers?

I watched Russ Swider forge a hollow sphere out of 1/4" x ? plate and turn it into a container for a kerosine light. Very cool. This was in the mid 80's. I believe he sunk it into a swedge block and then upset the top edges as he rolled it into a ball. Seems it ended up around 2-3" dia. Maby some old SWABA guys might remember as well anvil

Looks like the guy demoing in front of the kids, has his thumb on top so he won't cut it off on the hardy tool,,,:)

Yay to that!! FWIW, I do not consider hardware from the box stores to be anywhere near the epitome Or standard for perfect. ;) And isn't it all hammer texture, from a clean finish to deeply textured when done "with hammer in hand"? So we should make it clear, we are talking of stray hammermarks, no matter where yer thumb is. The only place your thumb should never be is between hammer and anvil. ;)

By the way, did they ever resolve the debate on how many angels fit on the head of a hammer? ;) that's what determines where yer thumb goes... Other thoughts on this topic. when you serve an apprenticeship his purpose is to teach you his way. this way you match his style, which is what his customers are paying for. When you are a Journeyman, the purpose is to learn the ways of many Masters in order to matc h their work. When you become a master in your own wright, you choose, from the sum of all your experiences how best to do your own work. This you pass on to your own students. And don't forget, nothing is written in stone, but the tools Are forged in iron. ;)

I use a tin can with a handle I made. Poke a half dozen holes about a third of the way down on both sides. Then you can pour from the top if you need a lot of water, or sprinkle from either side to control your fire as needed. This keeps your hand away from the fire, and each side of the can works best for one or the other side of the fire. Easily replace can once a year or so as needed. The handle is a simple ring at the working end the same size as can you use and the other end becomes the handle of your choice connected by a shaft. The total length is similar to your poker and rake. I used 1/4 x3/4 for parent stock.

macbruce, is that a pic of Francis Whitaker? Sure looks like him. If so, seems he learned from a Polish guy. ;)

Yup, at the end of the day,, its still just a piece of iron. ;) It really gets cool when you realize it wasn't a mistake, but a new detail for another application!!

To repeat Frank,,, get it hot. When its yellow its mellow. When red its dead. Yellow is a forging heat, red is a finishing heat.

Oops that should have been pre A36. Also the boric acid is from a local drug store. It's cheap and 100% boric acid