Bruce Beamish

That's great Jason and you've reminded me of the name on my mates (he's in Tasmania, so I couldn't just duck round for a look) it is a Selectron. A 186 a for $150 that's an absolute bargain. That is a toolmaker's try out press, I fiddled about on one of them an missed our, it was in perfect condition too, could've gone straight back into the toolroom. It was $ 800 dollars though, the old story one that got away. So i ended up with a John Heine 86 a series 2 ^ ton for about the same money delivered from Sydney. Of course it wasn't as good as the one that got away but it is a bit lighter to move around the shop. I had enough by then though and I've made good use of it. I then picked up a 7 or 8 ton AP lever for $ 150 also a little rough but fine for the Blacksmiths shop. I've just checked ebay and there's a press for sale about 15 Km from here so I might have to go and have a look. I've got the bug! What I really need now is 3 to 4 ton unit to complete the group. I do find it handy being able to have two presses set up for sequencial operations and if the shank sizes are the same it is easy to swap and change as needed. Cheers, Bruce.

Hello Jason, I don't see anything wrong with the fabricated frame types. The ones I've seen haven't shown any damage but maybe they were looked after. A mate of mine has one that he said was a 12 ton press and it didn't look any bigger than a 6 ton to me but he showed me the maker's id plate and sure enough 12 tons. In general if there are any issues a fabricated frame is going to be easier to repair and probably a better repair, back to original if your welds are good. This particular press you are looking at has the removable cap for clamping the shank of the tooling a highly desirable feature. It provides positive clamping on the shank with no danger of damaging it or the machine. This is unlike other presses (some of them well known names and highly sought after) which have a simple theaded hole in the head in which a bolt or grub screw goes into and clamps directly onto the shank of the tooling. Obviously overtime burrs or other damage can occur to the sha k of the tool or the bolt making it difficult to extract the tool and at worst cause scoring or galling on the inside of the head where the shank is recieved. It only takes a bit of overzealous or careless tightening to do this. Both John Heine and APLever presses manufactured in Australia and the fabricated ones I've seen here have the removable cap feature. The one you're looking at looks a fine well built machine with plenty of steel wher it matters and as I found out you maybe surprised at it's capacity. Good luck with the press you'll find it invaluable. Cheers

Does NFG stand for what I think it does? :D

To expand on Dales recent posts (thanks for your efforts Dale) This is an update on the Tree Project in Victoria Australia. Many ABANA members and Smiths around the world donated leaves and gumnuts to be attached to the memorial tree we are building for the 2009 Bushfire victims and their families. We have a website : http://www.treeproject.abavic.org.au/news.html a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/BlacksmithTreeProject and our recently launched Pozible campaign (crowd funding) http://www.pozible.com/index.php/archive/index/4997/description/0/0 We went down the track of crowd funding because we are still short of funds to get the project over the line. This project has just grown and grown from what was to be a small shrub in our minds to a full scale tree 9 metres tall (29’ 6”). Our current progress is this so far, the leaves have been collated and photographed, all branches, twigs and twiglets forged, trunk forged (we’re still short of gumnuts) and we’re still fielding the occasional request for sponsored leaves, which we will continue to do right up to the last moment before completion so as many people as possible can be accommodated. Our aim is to have the tree installed in March 2013 Two videos of the Branch and Trunk forging can be found on our youtube site : http://www.youtube.com/user/AusBlacksmiths/videos?flow=grid&view=0 Plans are afoot for an interactive map of the tree and an smartphone app to enable people to identify their leaves on the tree after it is erected. We still need to assemble and install the tree, roots need to be forged, fence and seating for the garden area made, hence the launch of our pozible campaign for further funding, if you can help in anyway please do. Along the way we became involved with a sister project – The Iron Roses for Norway another fine endeavour where of our worldwide Blacksmithing community has put in to help others. These projects show that we as individuals and collectively can make a difference and help ease suffering of victims of such tragedies and assist in rebuilding affected communities. Thank you,

The Bradley is a 300 and as for the Massey 1 cwt it did a fine job of forging 2 " 304 stainless steel and finishing off the 3'' 304 branches. The main issues we had with the Branch forging were getting the branches hot in the coke forges and few electrical gremlins. The little Massey is a pretty old version with a horizontal valve mechanism we do have another 1 cwt Massey at the Barn which has a the more familiar vertical valving but it is out for maintenance.

Hello, Fellow Smiths form South Africa, The Waterside Metal Artworkers Group in Melbourne Australia are hosting a International Blacksmith Festival in March 2013 In Melbourne. I am helping out by volunteering to promote the festival. I've attached the promotional material. If you feel like coming along and having some fun, please do. You'll be made most welcome. It will be nice to see an International Blacksmithing Festival in the Southern Hemisphere. The details are in the dropbox file below. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/90sjgfr8uw3mtoq/DsfX3FjqTk Cheers, Bruce Beamish.

This is a first class publication. The photography is good and the water colour illustrations are excellent. Not a lesson based book but it certainly shows you how to it. Lots of good ideas for tools, tooling and techniques for decorative ironwork, the text is in German, French and English but it is kept to a minimum and only used where needed. I've had my copy for over 20 years I was distraught that I'd thought it was lost it over a year ago, however it turned up and it was like an old friend had returned after a long absence.

This is a quality publication and when you think of when it was first published, the photography is first class. I agree with the first reviewer by the time you mastered all the lessons in this book you would well beyond the beginner level. It is not a book about decorative blacksmithing it is engineering blacksmithing being taught. Some of the information reflects the era of post second world war England when there were still small rural shops making agricultural equipment for their local area. The skills illustrated in the lessons however are still relevant of decorative today and are well worth 'sticking at it' to learn.

This is a really neat book, in fact it is one of my favourites. Mr.Tucker brings a real warmth and humour to his writing and the projects range from beginner level to more advanced skills. Even if you're a more experienced smith don't underestimate this book, there are some great ideas there and Mr Tucker's style of work and drawings have a life of their own. In the book Mr.Tucker refers to his teaching of Blacksmithing to youngsters and adults. I wonder if any of the Iforgeiron members took his classes? If you can pick this book up (I think it is out of print) it would be a worthwhile addition to your library even if you only get a few ideas out of it, its a good read.

The Anvil maker John Brooks of Stourbridge UK made very fine anvils, I suspect that this is the maker that was mentioned as being absorbed by Vaughans as there were located in the same area of the West Midlands, The Black Country in fact. An area with a fine tradtion of metal working of all sorts. I own a small John Brooks double piked anvil weighing 61 lbs which I use for demos, in fact the anvil block I use is quite a bit heavier than the anvil. Because of its unusual shape it does provide a talking point at demos.

Hi Eyrian, great job! To echo Frosty, now's the time to get smithing, don't worry about the best of the best tools, they'll come in time if and when you need them. Some of the great things about Blacksmithing are that Blacksmiths a good scroungers and visualisers of something useful and useable out of what others think is just rubbish. I think part of the visualisation skill comes from the work we do, seeing the finished object in the raw material and working out how to do it, making the tools and jigs you need to get the job done. Good forging and have fun.

Both Irnsrgn and Larry make valid points. I was just trying to point out that the system I use is different and what works for me may not work with a traditional setup, I've not used these blowers with a single outlet tuyere either bottom or side blast. My handcranked Lancaster blower that I use on my portable demo forge (with the same grate system) is capable of a lot more pressure at the outlet but when the forge is burning well I hardly have the handle turning over. Cheers.

Hi Eyrian, As I promised here's the photos of my setup with the air gate on the inlet side of the blower. The old blower I've been using for about 6 years with no problems and it's very quiet and hardly gets any warmer than about 75-80 degrees F after a full day. I've included photos of a new blower so you can see what it's like inside and it's label, the blower casing is about 5" inches in diameter, the ruler is a 12". The model I use is a Fasco EB80.I've checked the Fasco USA site and I couldn't find it so its probably an Australia only model. However it is an 80cfm single phase centrifugal blower and there some of them on the Fasco USA site they look a little different but I reckon they're basically the same blower. A US supplier sells this model for $66.00 (That's about half what I pay in Australia for the EB80). Now to clarify further the air delivery (tuyere)system I use is a modified German system with a grate (the coals burn on top of the grate) and I use only coke or charcoal as a fuel, not coal. There is little restriction to the air flow from the blower and the air coming out of the grate is fairly low pressure but at good volume. If you are using a more traditional single outlet tuyere in your forge this may alter your blower requirements from mine. I'm sure Fasco will have something to suit as they manufacture blowers and motors for just about anything and are OEM suppliers for many manufacturers. I hope this helps, and the photos work,its my first effort at an upload. Cheers.

Thanks Frosty, Maybe it was Frostbite! No the truth is they reckon I'm too slow to be a three toed sloth so therefore I must have only two toes. Cheers.

Hi Eyrian, a simple restriction device on the air inlet side like an adjustable flap will work fine. Take note of Frosty's advice though 'as long as the motor doesn't rely on blower air for cooling'. I've used such a system for years at home and at classes I run, no problems. I'll get out to the shed later today and take a photo of my setup and you'll get the idea. Your blower maybe different to mine. I'll also post the details of the blower because I believe there will be a US verson available. Cheers

Kallsm'en, Nice sledge hammer, when I was an apprentice at a shipyard we had a straight peen sledge that was 28 lb(12.7kg) and you could actually swing it at the anvil but it mainly got used for driving the keys (wedges) on the power hammer blocks. There had been a 56lb(25.5kg) straight peen sledge (what it was ever used for I don't know) in the shop but one of the strikers (hammer man)was asked to swing it by the leading hand on a job one day and they had an argument about it. Then it was morning tea break and the striker wheeled it down to the end of the pier on a hand trolley and threw it in the water never to be seen again. When he was questioned by the leading hand about it his reply was along the lines of "That's the last time I'm going to swing that so and so hammer". The leading hand huffed and puffed and went red in the face and all the other Blacksmiths and strikers told him if he really wanted it so much he'd better go and find it or make a new one and that was the end of the matter. In the photos you posted of you working on the grey power hammer (how big is it by the way?) I can't see any hand controls and you're too far away to use the treadle, surely the driver is not on the other side of the hammer to you? Keep up the good work. Cheers, Bruce

Hello Hofi, Sorry I've been calling you Uri and you sign off as Hofi, I hope I've not caused you any offence. Very interesting a pure tungsten chisel, that must take some forging and heat treatment. So could you tell us how you went about it? Cheers, Bruce.

Thank you Uri, Ellen and Hw you are all correct in what you say but not all of us have easy access to the types of tool steels you mention. There would certainly not be any shops or suppliers in the rural area where I live that would have offcuts of h13 or s7 etc. It is not available via mail order in short lengths like it is in the USA. The last time I purchased some hot die steel I had to travel 130 kilometres (80 miles) each way and the cost was $28 a kilogram (2.2lb)for the steel and it is certain to be more than that now. Generally the shortest length in small bar sizes you can buy is 1 metre plus cutting charge ($5). As I said in my original post I took the request to be for a cheap source of tool steel for someone starting out to get some experience with. Cheers, Bruce

I agree with your points Uri, I took the original request to mean a cheap source of tool steel for someone starting out. So rather going and buying new steel at fairly high prices a new starter could gain some experience by using some cheap recycled materials. Cheers, Bruce

That's interesting Thomas. It is certainly not my experience of Jackhammer bits in Australia. I believe that the ones I have come across over the years (nearly 30 since I started my apprenticeship as an Engineering Blacksmith) whilst they may not have been all S1 they would've most certainly been harder and tougher than .50% straight carbon steel (1050). That is what I baased my comments upon. However if they bits that are available are made from 1050 whilst they are not ideal for punches and chisels, in the larger sizes they can still be used for general anvil tooling, swages, flatters, bickerns, and the smaller sizes can be used for drifts etc. My comments about the potential for a little work to come your way is still valid in either case. I know this for a fact as I have been doing Jackhammer points and chisels for several local hire firms for years. Cheers, Bruce.

See the discussion on Cold Shuts in this section, Dodge gives a good description of what I know as a Gall in the first part of his answer on cold shuts. Also you can see my reply there for further info. Cheers, Bruce

Interesting, to me a cold shut is a foundry term for an incompletely fused casting ie when there is an interrupted pour and the first part is nearly frozen when the second part of the pour occurs. What you call a cold shut in forging I wold call a gall. Cheers, Bruce

I would say that 24 Rockwell would be way too soft to be of much use as anvil for very long. Are you sure that the O'Dwyer anvils are SG iron and not cast steel? I've not used one but I've seen plenty of farriers with them and we know how farriers like to shape shoes cold (or very near). If they are only 24 Rockwell they'd be damged in no time. Cheers, Bruce.

Another source of cheap tool steel is your local hire shop ask if they have any broken Jackhammer bits or ones that are too short to re-use or reforge. The smaller ones say 5/8" to 3/4" would be ideal for punches etc. The 1" and 1 1/4" and bigger are ok for anvil tools, hot setts, hammers. Most of the time they are S1 or equivalent, so no real heat treating dramas. When they find out your a 'smith they might want some good ones sharpened and Heat treated. Cheers, Bruce

If all the edges are sealed (welded shut) there would be very little free oxygen in the centre of the layers to form scale and I suggest that these areas would still weld ok up at the correct temperature and pressure. I'm thinking along the lines of a steel ingot with a hollow sealed cavity or void in it will weld up during subsequent forging or rolling (if I remember my basic metallurgy studies correctly). Cheers, Bruce.