HWooldridge

Frogvalley, That wasn't a rant but it was informative - I know nada about interferometers, thank you for the knowledge. For the machining part, I stick by my original suggestion of wire EDM although I am not sure of the practical tolerances over that distance. It may need to be lapped and air gauged to check for the proper dimensions/tolerances. I worked in plastic injection molding for 18 years and know a small amount about MIM. Any of the normal production methods will not really be suitable for a one-off job. Plunge EDM is another option but would be more cumbersome than wire. Wire is tailor-made for cutting pockets in plates, which is essentially what is needed in this app. The hole could be cut undersize by 3-5 thou and lapped to size.

I still sharpen plow points occasionally and don't harden or temper them. I forge to final shape and toss them on the floor to cool. They seem to hold up although the farmers eventually come back for a re-sharpen after some number of acres are plowed. They don't complain so I suppose it's 'gud enuff', as "Wilhem" would say... So what I'm really saying is: make your tools from that plow disc steel or something similar and use without hardening.

The only thing I have heard "Luster Die" refer to are mold and die steels - usually 4140. It would help if you can provide a bit more info - is it steel, hard or soft, etc?

Everyone has different pain thresholds but I can't imagine you would be frying yourself with heat and still continuing to work at all. Sounds like you might just have very dry skin from a little cold weather compounded by the work/heat. I also took karate as a youngster and once had very hard hands but they become more tender as I grow older - no more board breaking. :cry: However, the calluses from the hammer and tongs remain. My old standby is Neutrogena lotion. It is the best I have found to keep your hands in good shape. I do not like gloves of any sort (except when arc welding) because my hands give me the best tactile sense of what I am doing. In addition, gloves can be downright dangerous in the wrong place so I don't like putting them on out of habit. However, my son also works hard with his hands but likes a pigskin glove on the left hand so everyone has their own preference. Trouble is that he now has a raft of new, right handed gloves lying around... :D

Dang fine idea, Jr. I am going to build a few this weekend between Christmas activities.

1. Wear eye protection! 2. Remove ALL burrs! 3. Get it very hot if you need to move it. 4. Do the work cold if it doesn't harm the finished product. 5. Make a tool every time you go to the shop. In a year, you'll have a bunch of tools. 6. Don't worry the piece like a dog on a bone - forge and finish the work in a minimum number of heats. This doesn't imply taking shortcuts - but the work should be completed in the most economical way possible. 7. Drill holes unless punching is necessary for a desired look or function - they will be more precise when it comes to assembly time. 8. Warm up your arm, elbow, wrist and shoulder before hammering. 9. Rotate tasks - don't stand at the anvil and hammer for 8 hours straight. 10. Enjoy yourself.

I use D-Limonene, which is a citrus oil based solvent. Will cut most anything, not hazardous to handle and not readily flammable. It will burn if started on a cloth but doesn't flash. I bought some at the local chemical solvent company in a 55 gal drum. However, I do have one caution to share. I had been using and replenishing my tank for a number of months and during that time, I washed a variety of parts, some of which had traces of other solvents. One day, I noticed that the paint inside the tank was peeling, but I continued to use the solvent. Later that evening, I noticed a bad chemical burn on my hands that took several weeks to heal and you can still see faint scars. Something had reacted with the other materials and caused a toxic brew. Of course, I probably could never recreate the precise mix but it's worth changing the solution every so often - which is another good reason to use a chemical service company that does it for a living. Something to consider... :wink:

Slightly OT but related to the topic: A buddy of mine went to Japan on vacation a few years ago and was able to watch a traditional knifemaker at work. This smith primarily made kitchen knives for the public, some with a welded edge but most out of homogenous steel. He bought his steel normalized and cut out the blanks with a band saw. My friend did not know what type of steel but said the smith used the typical Japanese clay technique for coating the blade prior to quenching and he did not draw a temper. He bought the blade he watched the smith make and uses it daily in the kitchen. It is straight ground and holds an edge very well. Looks like a small chef's knife (maybe 5" blade) and has a temper line - plain wood handle scales with two rivets. The interesting thing is that after the smith was done forging, he would heat the blade and curl it like a leaf in one direction, then straighten it, curl in the opposite way and straighten again. After this, it was tossed on the floor and allowed to cool before the hardening step. Although the language translation was poor, my friend said he understood the smith to say that this "stretched" the blade in each direction and helped keep it from warping in the quench. Have any of you blade forgers heard of this technique?

When I demo for the public, I inquire about insurance and liability for the particular site. If I don't like the answer, I may make changes to my demo (like no forge welding or larger cordoned area) or just make a point not to come back in the future. I have not seen one yet where I had to walk away but you never know... I have hosted public workshops at my home shop and our blacksmithing group coverage applied. We make attendees sign a release but we also have the insurance and it is supposed to cover any member in good standing to host a meeting. These meetings were for group members only and the general public was not invited. Other than my four grown sons and one long-time friend, I don't let anyone else work in my shop or watch me work. I have let customers come through on inspections so they could see it really is a blacksmith shop, but they aren't allowed to stay while I work.

If the outlet is really 6" or so in diameter, it may be a grain or chaff blower. These are often used in farm environments and will push quite a bit of air at high pressures - much more than needed for a forge. You will definitely need a damper and the thing may actually need some back pressure to keep from overheating the motor. A simple slide gate should work. If the motor has brushes, you should be able to control the fan speed to a degree with a rheostat but it might be easier to just do on/off and use the damper. I have a portable forge that has an old Champion electric blower which works just exactly like I described - a light switch for on/off and a slide damper to control the fire, from nothing to full blast. Have fun - looks like you scored!

I think Strine meant not using string that might have a "set" because that could influence where "Plum Bob" points. My grandfather had a steel bob - it was hollow and the string went inside. A cap was screwed on and had a hole for the string to exit. I think they use brass now because it's easier to machine and needs no finishing to prevent rust. The pie illustration is good and it would be relatively easy to calculate (on something with scientific notation to take care of the zeroes) the amount that two lines are out of parallel for a given distance apart. A triangle is formed so plumb line A will point to the center of the earth as will plumb line B. I did some quick calcs without checking any reference material (so I might well be wrong) but two points one degree apart on a radius of 4000 miles to the earth's center should be 68 miles from each other so for all practical purposes, two plumb lines within any reasonable distance apart can probably be considered parallel. What say ye, Strine?

I know this will start a lively discussion...I am not a knifemaker but I USE knives a lot - mostly to skin and butcher. I use Henckels in the kitchen but have been looking for the elusive hunting knife that will hold an edge thru one whole deer or hog and they don't seem to exist. Some years ago, I bought one of Cold Steel's 'hunter series' in their "Carbon V" material. Was supposed to be their best edge holding knife but would not make it thru a hog without being touched up. I got disgusted with it and gave it to one of my sons. I then went back to the knife shop where I bought it and complained to the salesman. They recommended a 'Katz' folder so I bought one. This blade was hollow ground and pure xxxx to get sharp but it holds an edge better that the Cold Steel model. The blade is stamped "Made in Japan" and "XT80", which I assume is some proprietary steel that may simply be 440C, 420, etc. I can completely skin a deer without touchup but I haven't tried a hog yet. What do you guys who make 'em think the best steel is, grind style and hardness? I don't mind spending time sharpening thru various grits and plain carbon steel is fine because I take care of a blade after use. Should I try to find one in 1095 or is 52100 a good choice? I just wish I could skin and gut a 200 lb hog without having to stop 3-4 times to sharpen a blade. I also posted this over on Forge Magic but perhaps some different opinions may surface here.

The 400 says so on the front of the fan case - and the fan runs at right angles to the handle on a shaft with a worm gear. They are made like a Rolls Royce and if cared for, should last for 1000 years... You probably have a smaller one so the straight cut gears are all running parallel with the handle and the fan - everything is in the same plane. Take a hand file and get rid of the mushrooming on the shafts. You should be able to remove the fan after that but it may be that the fan is only clipping something as it runs and may not be centered in the case. Some Buffalo blowers were designed to run in one direction only but I am not sure that Champion made any that way. However, I have usually found that most blowers make less noise in a particular direction - so if they blow equally by cranking either way, then I pick the one that makes the least noise and stick to it. The brass shim is a good idea if you can get the fan off and make something to fit. Another option is to wrap a piece of shim around the shaft and slip it into the bore. May be just enough to stop the rattle.

Many years ago, I bought a 25 LG in pieces for $150. I put it back together, made a few modifications per the Kern book and ran it for a long time. I owned my 100 lb Beaudry at the same time so had drawing dies on the LG and flat dies on the big hammer. It was great to pull down the stock with the small hammer and flatten out the bumps with the big one. However, in the need for "the next thing", I traded it for a brand new tandem axle trailer. The bigger hammer does all I want but I certainly would not turn down a small LG. In fact, although I love big hammers, I think a 50 lb mechanical is a very good all-round size for the average hobby smith. Conversely, as Ed stated, is $XXXX.XX amount of dollars better spent on an old LG or a new make? That question must be left to the individual smith - since each person should know their own mechanical aptitude and ability to either fix an old hammer or spend time forging on a new one. The old ones have "character" but the question is whether you can fix it and/or keep it running. I had access to a lathe and mill at the time so wasn't worried if I ran into machining problems but not everyone has that luxury...to each his own. :wink:

I'll share a secret on blowers. The compound gearing that makes the fan spin merrily with only a few turns of the handle also works in reverse. That means you can often reach inside the housing and turn the fan long before you will budge the handle. Most blowers are not worn out because they were made well and used fairly little in many instances. The problems happen when the thing is tipped over in the dirt or sits under a tree for 75 years. I typically remove the handle and put the blower in a bucket, pour in diesel until it's covered then let it sit for a week. A friend of mine once brought one to the shop that was buried in sand for at least 30 years and frozen tight. We soaked it in diesel for several days and were then able to open the housing just enough to wash the sand from the gear box. It was then reassembled and oiled - he is still using it. You should be able to fix most any common blacksmithing tool if you have some mechanical aptitude and basic hand tools. They are pretty straight forward.

It's interesting what sells and what doesn't. I participate in a large handmade crafts show every month and all the vendors must make their own pieces. Very nice stuff is available at every space. Most of the 80 or so vendors do more than $1000 on a weekend - I have not done that much yet but came close a couple of times. Last weekend, my neighbor (who does wood work) sold 43 cutting boards for $20 each in 1-1/2 hours. He only sells about 6-7 lines of items with the highest thing around $400 and regularly goes over $1000 in a weekend - this time he did $2250 and Sunday was lousy for everyone because of the weather. I tell all of this to illustrate what someone at a craft show can do if the public wants their product. I offer some unique, forged cross designs that I have not seen elsewhere. I place them on the edge of the table closest to the walkway and everyone who stops to handle them comments positively. The price has always been $40 and I sell 3 or 4 during every show. However, over the past weekend, I didn't sell a single one on Saturday. Sunday morning, I dropped the price to $30 and sold 5 in about 3 hours. It appears I found the pain threshold for this item but the question now is whether I can make any money selling at this price. An acquaintance of mine does not go to craft shows. He makes a line of simple crosses that are similar to mine in size and sells them for $120 each. Another friend sells high end knives - they start at $1500 and go up. Both of these guys subscribe to the philosophy that they only have to sell to a select few people who don't care if the piece is $100 or $200 - it's disposable income in either case. I sell about 25 to 30 different lines of product at this craft show and no one thing does better or worse than another, although I have a few stinkers that have never sold. I give these away to my relatives... :D

Ralph, After about 30-45 minutes of forging heats, I'll have a clinker that will cover the bottom of the firepot, which will be about 4 inches square and a half inch or so thick. The blower also sprays it everywhere so the iron gets little pieces sticking here and there plus it clogs the blast and cools the fire. Some of the reasons for clinker formation are in the coal itself - I have some really junky stuff but it cokes well and gets very hot (and it was pretty cheap when I bought it).

Murphy has plenty of siblings - down here, we call his brother "Pinche Cabron" - some of you may get that one... Leah, your experiences have paralleled mine on a number of occasions. If I miss the first time, I usually can't get a weld to take on subsequent attempts unless it is well cleaned before I try again. I let the scarfs cool and grind down to bare metal before going back into a CLEAN fire. One day, I was doing nothing but forge welding for several hours and found I could only do about 7 or 8 before the fire got so dirty the next one wouldn't take. If I followed my observations and cleaned the fire, I could keep going with good results but failing to clean periodically caused much more delays. I often make traditional scarfs and tack them with the MIG to facilitate handling. Old time shops had help standing around to be the third arm but most of us work alone so I don't think it's cheating - especially if the final look is the same...H

RDC, I built four Sandia-style forges some years ago for myself and three friends. These were fabbed from 16 ga hot rolled sheet and mine has been in more or less continuous use since then. The only corroded area on mine is a small spot on an outside edge near the door where the "dragon's breath" has eaten it away. I formed the steel by clamping a piece of angle iron onto a work table and bending the edges up with a hand hammer. I then used self tapping 'purlin' type screws to put it all together. The only power tool used was a small, electric hand drill. The insulation was 2600 Insulboard - I think it came from AP Green in Houston. Originally, they were all naturally aspirated but I later converted mine to a small blower and it will now reach welding temperature, which was inconsistent before. No welder required or any other exotic tools... :wink:

Some years ago, Richard Kern published 'The Little Giant Power Hammer', which might be helpful to you - except I don't know if it is still in print.

Karl, Your English is much better than our Swedish (at least mine). Do you want to forge the railroad spike or the rail? In other words, do you want to use the big nails that hold the track or what the train rides on? Railroad track or rail is good steel and can be forged into many useful things. The spikes are not as high in carbon but are convenient and can be made into both sculpture and some types of tools. Your teacher probably was talking about the railroad track, which is harder to forge than the spikes.

For a one-off job at the forge, I basically follow Ed's process. I draw my sketch on the work table, cut the material at 3.2 times desired diameter, heat one end and curve to match the drawing, then reverse and repeat. At this point, I have a long "C" with a flat back. Depending on material and circle size, I either finish cold or hot - the former preferred for ease of handling and consistent movement. This is for a butt weld ring - a forge weld needs extra added for the scarf. No hard spots in the bar and a consistent temp will make a smooth bend - one of the reasons a long orange heat is often better for bending than an isolated hot spot. Ed will throw darts at my portrait for saying this but another good way of making rings is to cut them from the appropriate size pipe. Of course, this is very common in production shops but a good smith can add sufficient texture to make them look hand made. :wink:

Forge it very hot or it may split under heavy forging - very bright yellow to white is a good color. You can finish at lower heats but don't try to move much material.

Hobby Lobby or something similar sells the letters. You can use other etches besides ferric chloride if you can't find it - diluted nitric is a good substitute.

It's a great tool and a good price. If it were me, I'd bring it home quickly. You can always sell it later and you should be able to get a bit more than scrap from another user.