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I Forge Iron

billyO

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Everything posted by billyO

  1. Hi all! Sorry, but I forgot to post an update...here's a link ti how they turned out:
  2. Let's continue this conversation by promising NOT to mock one another's beliefs. While I agree that this attitude has not prevailed universally (for then we would call this place 'Paradise'. 'Heaven on Earth', 'The Garden of Eden', 'Nirvana', etc.), there have been, and continue to be, a number of communities who have done their best to live up to these ideals. The point to the story is, if everyone took only what they needed, then there would be no needy to provide for. You do realize, this is a matter of perspective, right? I'd be willing to wager you could find plenty of folks on this planet who would disagree As far as collecting anvils, cars, trinkets, etc., I agree 100% that people should be free to choose how to live and let live. I'm not judging anyone's actions or motivations. That's not my job.
  3. I've seen that before, and it's something that happens with forge welding at times. Properly normalizing the steel usually takes care of it. Another trick I've heard of to avoid this is to coat the pieces with graphite spray before welding together.
  4. Thanks, but not much help. Haven't had a TV (or VCR) for the past 14 years.....No 10 year-olds nearby either. I'll figure it out.
  5. Thanks, Chris. That's the hope anyway. A little intimidated by the TAP controller (having been weaned before computers), but excited to get it programmed for all HT processes.
  6. Didn't really follow me home, but I did go to the freight company to pick this up. Can't wait to get it plugged in and running.
  7. Hello all. Here are the final products. Fun learning experience and I may have to do more in the future. \
  8. ...to the whole of society, not just the availability of anvils. "There was a time when man took no more than he needed. That time is gone... There was at time when he gave something back. That time is gone... There was a time when he worshiped the Creator and honored creation. That time too is gone... And now the waters are polluted, our natural resources are all but gone, and creation is dying. It is time. . . to find our way back to the Earth" -Kevin Thunderhorse Wright (My signature line on the other blacksmithing/bladesmithing forums I frequent)
  9. Gotcha! Good point. To avoid this, what I do is heat my forge with a normal mix (running around 3-4 lbs of pressure) working on other things, then when ready to forge weld, bump the flow up to about 8-9 lbs without adding any more air.
  10. Please don't read this as being argumentative and I apologize if I'm not following where you are going, but isn't this the whole point? Provided that the forge is at welding temps, you want more fuel than there is available oxygen in the forge (to ensure an oxygen free environment) so that the fuel will burn outside the forge, where there is adequate oxygen for a flame.
  11. Do you mean Vercelli? For some reason that sounds familiar and if I remember correctly, that's a beautiful part of the country. When I visited my extended family 20 years ago, we spent a few days at Lago di Como, staying in Bellagio before heading up to Andermatt, Switzerland for a couple of days. I can't remember if we then spent a day in Vercelli on our way back to Rome, or if I'm thinking of a restaurant we used to frequent in Chicago when I was a kid called Vercellio's. Anyway, have a good day!
  12. While this is true, if you've got a few inches of fire (AKA dragon's breath) coming out of the forge, you should have a sufficiently rich environment and no need for the extra coal. I'd guess it was a problem with having only one heat which merely "set" the weld and no forging heats following...
  13. If I had that laying around, I'd use it in damascus for little 3-finger EDC knives, but would use 3-4 layers of the 1095 for every layer of 15N20. My 15N20 stock is in .0680" and .0720" thicknesses. Or you could make some damascus billets 1/2" square, twist, then do some smaller multibar knives.
  14. Buon, giorno, Matthew! Where in Italy are you? My grandparents are from Sassoferatto (just outside of Fabriano) and I still have cousins there. Loving that handle on the pukko.
  15. Got it, Frosty, thanks. I was just commenting on my understanding (which is very limited in this area of metal working, as was made apparent by my use of the wire brush initially) and looking to open up a discussion to increase my knowledge. (I didn't think you were being argumentative, btw)
  16. Here's the 2nd one... I really like watching the colors form, I may have to do more.....
  17. After a couple hours grinding and sanding, here's what the exterior of the 1st bowl looks like. I used a q-tip as a paintbrush on the (-) pole. and started with the high voltage and worked my way down. It's a heck of a lot of fun watching the colors appear, especially when 'painting' over prior colors and having them not change. Now I need to decide what design for the next 2 and if I should do the interior of the bowls...
  18. Thanks. I've already experimented, and although it works to a point, it doesn't give the control or variety of colors that anodizing does. It was explained to me that it's called anodizing because the titanium is attached to the (+) terminal of the battery. (It's my understanding that in an electrolytic cell, the (+) side is the anode, whereas in a voltaic cell it would be the cathode) Here's a link to a quick instructional on the process: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?395316-A-guide-to-Anodize-Titanium-on-a-budget
  19. Thanks Frosty! Re: wire brushing - That was my conclusion. It seems to me that it has left a film on it....I'll do the google search as suggested. Coloring the non-forged scraps was relatively easy using various numbers of 9V batteries in series and TSP. Oy....after doing a bit of reading looks like I need to see how much it'll cost to get these electropolished....or spend a lot of time sanding, I suppose.
  20. Hello all. I recently forged a couple of bowls out of titanium, and am having a bit of difficulty electro-anodizing them for the colors. I practiced on some scraps that didn't see the heat of the forge and was successful, but am not having luck on the forged pieces. I used my angle grinder to wire-brush all the scale off the pieces, but there must still be some oxidation or something else preventing the colors from showing. I then used an an grinding disc on the flat bottom and this worked, but there is no way I'll be able to get into all the nooks of the bowl with it. I'm hoping someone has a liquid I can soak the pieces in to remove whatever is preventing the anodizing (I'm thinking about how I soak a damascus billet in vinegar overnight to remove the forge scale before cutting/re-stacking/and welding again). Thanks.
  21. Hmmmm.....I hadn't thought of that, Irondragon. I just may take that idea.....Thanks
  22. Hello all. I've got an older Onan generator/welder similar to this: that's on a cart with 4" dia metal wheels. Great for concrete floors, but I no longer have that shop, and will most likely end up with a shop with dirt floors. I'm thinking about getting a Harbor Freight 1000 lb lawn cart with pneumatic wheels. I'm wondering if it'll be too: (a) top heavy, and if so, would it be too difficult to widen the wheelbase or (b) too heavy in general and if so would it be too difficult to reinforce the structure? Any thoughts/suggestions? Thanks
  23. Looks good Rashelle! How's the summer? Hope all the instructors are working out this year. (I'm hoping to move to Newberg soon....fingers crossed) You planning on being at Swaptoberfest?
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