J W Bennett

I mounted mine to a piece of plate welded to the handle on the cart. I came off my regulators with Y connector shut of valves. One side of each valve goes to the gas saver with a short section of hose then from the gas saver to the torch that is set up for welding tips and rosebuds. The other side of the Y valves goes to a torch set up for cutting. The valves to the gas saver are painted red so I don't get confused about which torch I'm supplying gas to. The hoses from the gas saver to the heating torch are about 10 ft long because I use it mainly for bench work. The hoses to the cutting torch are 50 ft so I can reach out and cut something when I need to. Everything is mounted on a rolling cart made from an old hand truck.

I have a KA75 and a Big Blu 110. I use both of them. The KA75 is great for working with tooling. The only complaint I have had with it is the cheap airline they use on it. Once I replaced ALL of it I had no more problems. By the way it takes more air to run the KA than it does to run the Big Blu. If I was looking for a hammer to do a lot of drawing out and general forging I would look for a reciprocating hammer. If I was looking to imitate the work performed by a striker I'd get the KA75.

My 2 cents,

John

Beth,
John is correct there is a 7/16" ball bearing inside. The veining swage came from Off-Center.

The rose is a russian rose. It is forged from a single piece of 3/8" round stock 13" long. It has a leaf forged on one end and a rose rolled up on the other end.

Bells are 10 ga and 1/4" rod. Rose is leftover from another project forged from 3/8" round rod. This is my first time working with leather. I remember why I work with steel...if I cut it to short or punch a hole in the wrong place I can weld it up and dress it then try it again. Leather and wood you can't do that.

John

Hey I got two pictures to post before I got error 500

Happy Birthday as well, Something about being born in a tavern always has appealed to me

Semper Fi!

Josh,
These are not my idea they came from an article in ABANA's Hammers Blow I believe in 2009. Lots of good stuff in there. The finish is heat, brass brush and 3 coats of clear enamel.

John

1st batch of 10 for Christmas 2011, It's that time of year....

A set of 8 Napkin Rings. Each ring is forged from a single piece of 3/8" round bar 13" long. Finish is brass brush and clear enamel. Went into town this morning to buy some fancy cloth napkins for the photo's. went several places. I got a kick out of the sales lady's expressions when I asked for help. Guess they aren't used to having a 280 pound man in bibs and work boots coming in looking for fancy napkins. Never did find the napkins but I got a good chuckle...

Beautiful work, I really like the detail in them.

John

Steve,
Good work putting it all together in more ways than one!

John

D.J. Blanton built this hammer in 1991. He is retiring so I bought it from him yesterday. I rebushed the spring arms, wire brushed & painted it blue(it was green). Then I added the safety chain and arm on top. Finished the day out bolting it to the wall posts . Tomorrow I'll finish bolting it to the floor.
Can't wait to try it out.

John

I want to thank everyone who has e-mailed me asking for a copy of the "how to" I am getting behind but will get them out to you. Once again thanks. I have also had two Blacksmithing newsletter editors e-mail me asking permission to put them in their newsletters. I feel pretty good right now.

Thanks Everyone,

John

I have a step by step written up that I handed out at the demo. I have offered it to the IBA newsletter. If you e-mail me @ johnbennett1959@gmail.com and I will send you a copy of the pdf. Steve thanks for the kind words.

John

Nothing is ever perfect, If you think it is your only fooling yourself, The question is did you put your best into it?

Good day yesterday with the Wabash Valley Blacksmiths at Fowler Park south of Terre Haute In.They hosted the October meeting of the Indiana Blacksmiths Association. I had the honor of demonstrating how to forge a whitetail deer antler shed to a group of about 30 fellow blacksmiths from all over the state. I had real good participation from the group and I received a lot of positive feedback at the end of the demo. (The food was mighty fine too I might add). I didn't get any pics of the demo(to busy doing the demo)...but here are some pics of the finished shed.

Once I attached the legs to the top ring and then bent them to the desired angle I took 3 pieces of 1/2" by 10' square stock and clamped one to the inside of the angled portion of each leg starting at the ground. Where they intersected at the top(teepee fashion) I tied them up with wire. Then I measured from that intersection down to the planned center line of the tapered hoop on each leg. That measurement was 48 5/8" I cleared a place on the shop floor and scribed a 180 degree arc with a 48 5/8"radius on the floor. Then I took the circumference of the center line off the hoop and added 4" on each end to allow for the Flypress tooling. that came to 86". I cut a piece of 1 1/2' x 1/8" x 86" . Then I made reference lines at each inch interval. Then I placed the stock on edge and run it through the flypress lightly bending it at each mark. You don't take to much ata time and then you lay it on the floor on your arc and make the inside of your piece match the mark on the floor. You keep running it through and checking it till it matches.If you get it too tight you hammer the inside where it's to tight to bend it back out. Once you get it to match your arc then you lay it flat on the fly press and roll it like you would a normal ring. Once you get your ring formed you double check your finished diameter and fit and then cut the excess off one end. Hope this is clear enough. There is a good example of the technique in Francis Whitakers "Blacksmith's Cookbook" on page 101.I have also added a picture of the bending fixture.
John

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. It may not have been the motor magnets but something happened. I have tried two different readers on two different computers and nothing comes up. I have re-shot what I had so I'm ready for round 2 this weekend.
I am forging a display piece for each step and also taking pictures of each step. Should be a good demo for those in attendance.

John

Customer wanted a spider for his copper kettle that he keeps firewood in next to the fireplace. Wanted something nice but not fancy. The customer wants to apply the finish himself.
Top ring is 1 1/2" x 1/4" 22 1/2" Dia. Bottom tapered Hoop is 1 1/2" x 1/8" 25" Dia. Legs are 1 1/2" x 18" x 1/4". The tapered hoop was quite a challenge. Rolled both the ring and the hoop with the fly press.

John

Spent the day Forging step by step pieces for the antler demonstration Oct 8th at Fowler park in Terre Haute for the IBA meeting. Took pictures as I went to put together a handout for those in attendance. Was down to the last 2 steps for the day and went to take a picture and the camera flashed "ERR...card not formatted" Looked down at the table and realized I'd sat the camera up against the 9" side arm grinder. Magnets in the motor wiped out the memory card. Everything gone & card ruined.
Guess I don't have to sort through pictures tonight. :</

Been working on this off and on for awhile. Candle Pans and base are 1/4"x6"x6" Mild steel, supports are 3/4" mild steel square bar. Not sure what finish to put on it yet.

John

Looks good! Anytime I am fastening Copper to steel and can't use a rivet I braze it on. But It looks good with steel pans.The customer should be very happy.

Hey George,
What's wrong with hoot owls and chickens? They hang out in that tree you snapped the pix of :D