56FordGuy

I'll trade you a shirt for just one of the vises. :)

Thanks for the ideas guys. I've never tried to make a curtain rod this long, if that isn't obvious. :P I looked at some tube today that might work. Mr. Coke's suggestion of putting a vertical bar along the pipe is an excellent idea, and if the pipe itself isn't structurally sufficient. Sounds like it should be though!

Alright y'all, I'm looking for some ideas on this one. I have a customer that wants a curtain rod for a sliding glass door. The door measure 80" wide, and the overall length of the rod would be 92". The catch is they want to be able to slide the curtain all the way to either side. That means the wall brackets have to go on the very ends with no center support. I'm having trouble coming up with something that can span an almost 8' distance without sagging in the middle. Solid rod is out, and I'm not sure tube would make that stretch either. It might, but I'm not sure what diameter and wall thickness it would have to be. Any other suggestions?

Surely you don't mean you paid $100 for all of that. That would be a deal of a lifetime!

Congratulations, Dave! That's certainly a well deserved honor.

The concrete footers would also allow for a taller building with the timbers you already have.

Does he have any neighbors that might have a tractor or skid steer? When I moved one, we had a neighbor come over and he loaded it with a hay spear on the loader.

They're both here on IFI. Dave is FieryFurnace, and Chase posts as Trip. A little while back I had the opportunity to take a class from Dave and we made a roughly 4 lb hammer. I learned an awful lot, and had a great time. Can't say enough good things about the experience. Got a nice hammer, too! :)

I have the Blacksmith version. Almost went for the Metalsmith, but decided to use my coal forge for anything too large or awkward. Keep us updated on how your forge works out for you. I've burned through two 100 lb tanks with mine, it's had a few small hiccups so far but nothing too bad.

If you're near Lebanon, every Tuesday night the Fiddler's Grove Blacksmith Association holds beginner's classes at the Wilson County Fairgrounds from 7-9:00 PM. You'll cut quite a bit off the learning curve by working with other smiths. I'd highly recommend you check out the classes if you're in the area. :)

The absolute best way for you to learn what you want to know is to work with some other blacksmiths. There are a handful of smithing groups around middle TN, including the FIddler's Grove Blacksmith Association in Lebanon/ Wilson County. They hold beginner's classes every Tuesday night (excluding holidays) from 7:00-9:00 PM in the blacksmith shop at the Wilson County Fairgrounds. I believe there is also a smith's group in Murfreesboro, and one near Smithville. Those would be worth checking into as well, if you're closer to those areas.

I'm not Thomas, but yes. Just call one or two local scrap yards and find out the going rate for scrap steel.

It might also help to mention why you want it. A lot of places with steel drops or scraps get hounded by scrap metal guys, and get tired of being asked. If you make sure they know you actually want to use it and not just haul it off for scrap you may have better luck.

Those tongs look good! If you're scrolling small material, does it try to slide into the wider opening in the scroll tongs?

When we pull them at work, we often have to whack the outer end of the axle shaft with a hammer to get it to pop loose. Leave one or two of the bolts in, but loose when you do that. Keeps the axle from flying all the way out. Expect it to leak some oil once the seal on the end of the axle breaks, usually less than a quart.