HWooldridge

That original post was over two years old. I hope he's got it fixed by now.

You are quite skilled at ax making - how long does it typically take you to complete one?

Can you share how you wrapped the mail on the handle so it would be secure and not "creep" when gripped?

The slide showing the drawings from Danish burial sites would tend to dispel any doubt in my mind. I wonder if they wrapped the plain tangs in leather for comfort in the hand? (Dang it, why did I go and bring up another question for more speculation!).

Smukke arbejde!

Not sure if I can find the article now from the Precision Machined Parts Association but steel bullets were produced primarily for aircraft rounds and the practice began around 1943 during the height of World War 2. I assume the ballistics would not be good at long range but most aircraft combat was not conducted at extreme yardages. I have no idea how many slugs were ultimately made but the article I read showed an old picture of the setup and parts/bullets coming off an Acme. And I agree with your closing comments...

.50 cal projectiles were lathe turned from WW2 until Vietnam from mild steel, on multispindle cam machines such as Acme and New Britain. If I was going to make any type of hard bullet, whether bronze, steel or whatever, I would aim to do it on a lathe. Of course, I neither recommend or condone doing so...

The piece that popped and hit you was probably steam driven from internal moisture. I usually start the fire with coal then feed from the side with coke so it gets warm enough to drive off the moisture prior to actually landing in the fire.

11.34 kg.

That cuts pretty good on a rotten tomato. Great job all around - you will only get better going forward.

I just counted and there are 149 knives listed. If we use $1000 as an average (and I'm certain some are worth far more than that), that's $150K in losses - at minimum. I hope they are recovered by the rightful owner.

My God...that's a huge number of knives. It would have to far exceed $100K in losses.

I've welded several pieces of wrought with both E6011 and MIG - none of the repairs could be seen visually after they had aged a bit.

Weld caps for black pipe make good firepots. You can go to the local plumbing supply house and buy a 10" sch 40 weld end for not much money. Cut a 3/4"x3" slot in the pot bottom and use a couple pieces of 3" pipe (or short nipples) for ash dump and blast pipe. A piece of flat iron on the bottom of the ash pipe and you are done.

Since you have used both, please allow me to ask you for an opinion - I bought a large quantity of coal about 25 years ago and still have about a ton or so left. It is quite hot and cokes well but is very dirty; in my bottom blast Buffalo firepot, the fire will clinker up about 15-20 minutes after it's burning freely. I can usually get 4-8 good heats (depending on the work) then it's best to let the fire cool and clean it. I've learned to use this fuel over the years but it's still a pain to stop and tear up the fire for cleaning. How much longer would you estimate I could work with a sideblast before having to stop? If the difference is five or tenfold, it would be worth having both types in the shop.

Your reasoning is sound but mass and the potential for electrolysis will also have an effect. Canada likely has a higher corrosion rate than Arizona simply based on frequency of moisture so you probably have to design for worst case. Rather than zinc, you could consider insulating with an inert material (nonmetallic). I think the best natural patina would be initiated by chemically or mechanically cleaning the copper so it is evenly exposed to the elements in the immediate area. You would be amazed at what patterns can develop from tarnish. Leaves and other detritus can affect it - water drainage onto the awning will also be a variable. The clients might change their mind about natural patina after a few years of exposure.

I would be worried about drawing the temper in the faceplate - but - you could fab a cooling collar out of aluminum or copper tubing and run some water through it to keep the heat frow the body. Aside from that concern, I see no reason not to try it if you are inclined - although welding it up with MIG and grinding is another option. With regard to forging, can you get it between power hammer dies and use a slapper die to point it?

I go straight to sketching in chalk on my big steel layout table to full scale size. If I need multiple elements, such as so many identical scrolls (or whatever) then I estimate the amount of material and make one piece, adjusting as necessary to match the design. After that, it becomes a production job to replicate the pieces prior to assembly. When making window grilles or fireplace screens or anything that has to fit an opening, I always try to build a frame and attach all the elements inside the borders. If that is not possible in the finished installation, I will usually build a frame to act as a fixture and assemble the pieces inside.

Probably because that's all they do with it - I think it might be more accurately described as a post anvil with interchangeable faces.

Similar to a carriage bolt.

It's a die tryout press. When setting up stamping dies or molds, the toolmaker can bolt it into the press and check alignment or shutoffs without putting it into a production machine. I'm sure you can adapt it to blacksmithing.

I happen to have a lot of H13 and use it for slitting chisels. It holds up well when hot and can be driven deeply when punching or cutting. You might be able to salvage your die in a couple of ways - one would be to straighten out the existing blades and use it only for marking; once the basic lines are cut in the stock, the cuts are completed with a separate chisel. You could also insert the blades as hot work chisels (using S7 or H13 as Judson suggested) and either tack weld into place or lock with set screws. You can then replace the cutting edges when necessary and save the 4140 die blocks.

Very nice work - your uncle is a lucky man.

My new favorite TV show is "Vikings" on the History Channel (my mother's family hails from Denmark so figured there might be some connection). Not sure if anyone else here watches it but the producers are aiming for realism in all of their set design and have quite a few shots of blacksmiths working on various items. One shot clearly showed a square anvil so at least they didn't put any London patterns in the background. Of course, there are lots of axes, swords and shields everywhere. Someone with better eyes can probably pick out a lot more details. At any rate, it's a fun way to spend an hour if you have the time to spare.

I built a power hammer die similar to this by drilling two holes side by side in a horizontal figure 8 - and it does work to make a feature which looks like 4 rods. You need to relieve front and back of the die or the ends will bite into the stock and leave jagged cuts.