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I Forge Iron

drakes4moose

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Everything posted by drakes4moose

  1. Thanks for the response Steve. So am I reading your resonse correctly, that no one will insure knifemakers? Or did you just have to change companies and if so is it a national company you would be willing to share the name of?
  2. Rockstar, they said they viewed my social media and since I do more than ornamental ironwork I am not within their appetite, or something very close to that as I don't have the email in front of me. I am assuming it is the knives as that is all I have posted other than standard forged items. I have asked the broker and he is suppose to find out more specifically. I checked with my local blacksmith group and they did not have any specific names of agencies in the area that provide coverage. refactory girl, I thought I had found a specialty carrier in Industrial Coverage as they even had a specific form asking questions about forges and powerhammers. I should have struck while the iron was hot when they first offered me coverage and not waited. I suppose they could have just dropped me though anyways when they changed policies???
  3. Thanks Glenn, I currently have an email in to them.
  4. I am trying to get insurance coverage for my shop and tools and for demonstrations at local festivals. I had gotten a quote from Industrial Coverage (got the name from searching here and ABANA) a while back and it seemed good, at least compared to the local agencies I tried. I finally decided to pull the trigger and they got back to me saying they would not cover me now since viewing my social media accounts they said I do more than ornamental ironwork and am not within their "appetite". I had clearly disclosed that i made knives and axes on the application they provided but either something has changed or they did not read the application. The broker is still looking into things but while I am waiting, does anyone have the name of any insurance agencies that they have been successful in getting reasonable quotes. I found some older posts and have written down the names I seen but that was mostly from 2011 and where I had gotten Industrial Coverage. I am located in Pennsylvania if that has a bearing. Thanks
  5. Thanks for all the tips Gerald and Latticino! Here are some pics of a couple axes made since I posted. They are getting better.
  6. Thanks for the follow up Gerald. I looked up pics of the cape chisels. Should have referenced Mark’s book as all three are on my shelf. Here is a pic of the shoulders of one that I worked on tonight prior to the fold. Quit shortly after that as my 100lb propane tank got too low in fuel to get the forge to welding temps. Lots of great tips!!
  7. I will have to research what a cape chisel is, but thanks for all the advice. I have attached some pics of the preform of the axe in the initial pic. When I try again using your guys tips I will post some pics of hopefully a clean eye!
  8. Thank-you Gerald. I never thought of putting it in the vise. My weld seemed fair at the time but I need more practice with them. I certainly could have been drifting too aggressive also. I will slow down. That is a great tutorial you put together on YouTube. I have made quite a few different axes using that approach but have always struggled with eye weld. thanks again, Cody
  9. Mild steel for the axe body. 1075 for the bit. The bit weld seems to be good but then again that weld is not being tested by a drift. iron mountain flux to set weld, then borax
  10. Been making axes following Gerald Boggs tutorial on Mark Asperys YouTube channel and having trouble with the weld closest to the eye splitting when I do the final drift for the eye. Prior to drifting I was able to hammer the edges with no splitting and grinded the welded area and the weld looked good. But when I drift it splits. Any words of advice other than practice my forge welding which is my current plan? Is this a common problem? Will this type of weld hold against an aggressive drift? I tried to attach a pic of the step I am referencing. Thanks Cody
  11. Appreciate the responses, has been helpful.
  12. Thanks for the quick response, looks like a trip to the auto parts store tonight is in order. I have looked around Lowes and Home Depot, with no luck, but I usually never find what I am looking for in those places.
  13. I am looking for a source or an idea of where I can get flexible metal hose/pipe/tubing that would be 3-inch outside diameter to connect my blower to my forge. I am currently using dryer vent hose, which is working, but is not ideal. I have been searching the internet and local hardware stores, but haven't found what I am looking for. Would probably work better if I actually knew exactly what I was looking for!! Thanks, Cody Have you looked in the section about blowers for this information? we will relocate this there.
  14. Thanks for the responses. I am not looking to replace springs or use (at least not regularly) the traps I make. It is just a project I am trying out. My plan is to make a double long spring trap in the size of a number one single long spring just for fun and who knows maybe I can sell a few at the trappers rendevous. I looked through all the suppliers websites listed in the knife section and did not find the size and steel I referenced above. Maybe I missed it somewhere. Anyone else already know where this may be found? I will keep searching and if I can't find it, I think the sheet I found would work with the ideas for cutting from above. I am mainly just a lurker on here because when I have a question usually all it takes is a little searching. In this case though I have only found two posts regarding trap forging on the site. The search will continue!
  15. Did not think of a shear or plasma cutter since I do not own, but my boss has both I think, I will have to look into that. I have not tried to heat treat a spring, but have read some and have a local contact who is experienced in spring making (mostly for muzzelloaders), I plan on contacting him for guidance in that department. If I understand what I have read, to temper for a spring I would be in the 700-800 degrees area, a lot hotter than my oven can get. I will check the knife resource list and heat treating sections tonight. I checked for spring steel, the only two places I am familiar with Aldo and Kelly Cupples and then went to McMaster-Carr. Thanks
  16. I have been looking around on the internet for spring steel used for trap springs and have not had much success. I have seen some reference to using 5160 which makes sense with my limited knowledge. I am looking for a spring steel to purchase close to the size of the end product which would be ~1" wide by 0.10" thick. Does anyone know where I could purchase this approximate size in a spring steel (5160 or equivalent steel that would function for a spring)? Upon further reading over lunch, I see 1095 is called spring steel on McMater-Carr and is available in the ~0.10" thickness but comes in a 8" x 12" sheet if I am reading things correctly. Not sure how I would efficiently get 1" strips out of this other than cold or hot chiseling. I does say you can get it annealed. I have no powered metal saw, only a hacksaw. Does anyone know what trap manufacturers are using for their springs? Any and all help appreciated in educating me! Thanks Cody
  17. Thanks for the responses. Rich, I agree, the anvil is a little low. I set that stump for him a year ago and he has grown like a weed since. Need to kick some gravel under it. He is definitely of the video game era but not as bad the last year, he and myself have been active in the scouts since he was a tiger cubscout. We have a very active troop in boy scouts with an outing once a month so that helps. Just had the first two scouts earn their metalworking merit badge at my shop. The projects they completed were center punches, roasting forks and a shepards type hook for hanging lanterns. Got three more lined up to start soon. When we finish the knives I will post a pic, but not sure how soon as it takes me a while once the fun part (forging) is over. All the scouts ask if they can make knives, obviously, but I tell them there are lots of other useful items that are quicker and fun to make. Now if one shows determination, I suppose I could be talked into it but not for the merit badge. Cody
  18. My son (12 yrs) and me roughed out some knives today using files. We we're suppose to be making cabinet handles for our new kitchen but got sidetracked a little bit! I think this might be my first post, so to introduce myself, I have been a hobby blacksmith for about four yrs now in western PA. Make knives and hawks occasionally but not much, mostly just tinker with this and that. Campfire tools, bottle openers, hooks, rings, gardening tools, etc. Cody
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