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I Forge Iron

thingmaker3

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Posts posted by thingmaker3

  1. After verifying it on the phone, then driving a hour in the worst weather of the month, that 'HUGE wrought iron blacksmith's anvil in pristine condition' that was advertised on CL is either a un-altered chunk of torch severed RR rail, or a 70 pound cast iron ASO with a face that looks like the 82nd Airborne used it for target practice for the last decade.

     

    And they still "won't take a penny less than $300, cause that's what they sell for on the 'Bay".

    Works for metal cutting lathes too. Must be a CL thing...

  2. Respirators are all well and good, but protective gear should always be the last line of defense. It should be a suppliment to - never a replacement for - what are called "engineering controls." Examples include the exhaust systems described in this thread.

  3. Good Morning,

    In your area is a very active Blacksmith group, North West Blacksmith Association (NWBA). check out www.blacksmith.org

    There is a Spring Conference May 14-18 at the Fairggrounds in Longview.

    NWBA have a monthly get together at Longview, last Sunday of every Month. Open to all. You night even contact someone and share a ride from the Seattle area.

    Don't be shy, there are lots of places near you to get access to workspace and learning.

    Neil

    Actually, our Mentoring Center session are on the fourth Saturday. The hands-on and open forge are members-only (liability...) but you can watch the demos as a guest of a member. And yeah, we're pretty spiffy! Our website is blacksmith.org.
  4. I don't know anything about video games, but at our NWBA conferences, we often have real blacksmith competitions. In the past we've had:

     

    "threading the needle" where one tapers one end of a bar and punches the other, then threads the taper through the hole. Three-heat limit plus time limit. Most length through wins.

     

    contest to see who can make the biggest diameter spoon blank from standard stock

     

    "Ironwood Derby" was like the Boyscouts Pinewood Derby, but with steel instead of pinewood, and a five pound limit instead of a five ounce limit.

     

    This coming April will be the hammer making contest (already in progress - will be judged at the conference) and there's been word of a tong-making contest on-site.

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