Ratel10mm

Paint & floor coatings for commercial use are still quite often in metal tins here (Queensland) maybe hit up your local painters, epoxy flooring contractors, etc. on the off chance they have some. 

The place I'm thinking of catered to the hobby / artist market. I have a vague idea it was somewhere in the Sunnyside to Union Buildings area. It was a long time ago, it wouldn't surprise me if it's no longer there. 

Have you tried ringing the industrial places? They'd know of any suitable suppliers for sure. 

That's the Transvaal, right?

There used to be a pottery supplies place in Pretoria, sorry, can't recall exactly where, if they don't stick kiln components they'd know where to go. 

12 hours ago, George Geist said:

To a large extent I think so for this reason. I can't remember the name of it but I saw some years ago a movie about Beethoven. In one scene he was giving a piano lesson to a student. After the student finished playing a piece Beethoven told him I think you need to find another occupation. Music is not for you. The student got angry and asked how he could say that especially being deaf and unable to even hear what he played? Beethoven then said what I thought the best line in the film. He said " I can't hear but i CAN see, and I see you have no passion"! "If you have no passion for what you do you'll never be good at it and you're wasting your time"!

I think this applies to the trade as well. You gotta love it. It's a lifestyle first and foremost. It's not what you do it's what you are.        If you don't have that connection or see it as a business with a buck to be made, definitely find something else. You won't last regardless of talent level.   

LOL! Only in America!

George

I wish!

i was in Cheltenham (U.K.) a couple of years back & saw some shyster selling badly fabricated, badly welded fire pokers & similar - using over heavy rebar as stock - as a 'blacksmith'! And charging ok money for his items too! 

Felt like I should've reported him to Trading Standards!

G'day Bodger 

There's a chap in Brisvegas who has some good crane rail, if you have means of getting it to you. It masses around 79kg/m. Happy to put you in touch of it helps?

Ausfire, great idea for getting charcoal.

@Dale Russell Hey, Cuz Dale, where are you bloke?

Bodger, and any other Aussies who haven't yet - please add yourselves to Dale's Oz Roll Call thread?

 

I didn't think about using a half round swage either. I'll see if I have anything large enough to make one with a close enough radius to be usable. 

 

I'm not real sure how that'll help forge a rounding hammer. I've tried that trick before when dishing sheet metal and it works a treat for that. 

I was thinking if you dished heavy enough sheet, perhaps you could make a cupping tool.

 

I don't want a sewage block lol

(Sorry I had to)

Lol! Blasted auto correct!

A friend of mine uses various sizes of ring for making bowls, in lieu of having a ladle / cupping tool on a sewage block. 

That works pretty well. The rings are made from suitable sizes of round stock. 

Hello Dale.

Nicely put, Forging Fool. 

As a field tech in my day job, I find I enjoy using good quality tools. They give better results (for e.g. repeatability in measurements), are better finished, more precise, don't slip anywhere near as often, have better ergonomics (although that is subjective - for example a lot of colleagues use Wera screwdrivers, but I find them a bit awkward & prefer KWB) and make it easier for me to do a quality job. I LOVE my Stahlwille spanners for example. 

BUT!! In the field, it can be

a. difficult to avoid losses

b. if you don't have the right tool, there may not be a good tool shop near by

c. you need to modify a tool - I don't want to bend a Stahlwille if I can bend a Kinchrome or, if I'm really out if luck, whatever monkey metal, vaguely-close-to-the-size-it-claims-to-be piece of junk. 

a. is partially alleviated by selecting unusual, good quality tools. Hence KWB. I also like plenty of other brands such as pre-Stanley ownership Facom & Britool. It helps keep an eye on them if you're the only one with that brand.

As for hammers, like many tools it comes down to ergonomics, material, heat treating, and finish/aesthetics. I've used a hammer made of 1045 or similar, and the rebound was terrific. Going back to my cast head cross peen was not pleasant. 

Plus, I find many cheap hammer makers seem to have no idea about ergonomics. The bigger the hammer, the bigger the handle (so that its in proportion?)

 That cast hammer is 3lb. I have quite large hands, but the handle was WAAAAY too fat to be comfortable. Counter intuitively, I found I was gripping it harder to try and control it. Having thinned it out a lot, it's better. Still want to have a go at making a hammer from Spring steel, because this one feels pretty heavy / dead at the anvil.

In short, I expect any quality tool to both look and perform better than a cheap version, and given an option I will go quality every time. 

Sorry gang, I'll have to miss it this year. Same reason as last year - I'm in the wrong b#%>>y country at the time!

Hey Phil, it looks like your website is down?

Well, it looks like I'll still be in the UK in September, so that's one hurdle cleared. 

It'd be great to see Mr. Budd again, so I definitely want to attend if for no other reason. 

Dave, what are we looking at for attendance fees please?

I've contacted Alec about the tools course. 

I'd love to come, work permitting. And funds permitting, to take Alec's course. 

Denise: " I don't know a lot."

ROFL!!!!!!

Don't listen to her Alex, she's a blimmin good smith!

Hello Dale.

LawnJockey, that's some interesting and useful information there.
Would you mind explaining the legal terms please? I think I've 'got it' but I want to see if these principles hold in the UK as well, and the yerms may be different?

Hey Moony, maybe we need to make a plan for 2015 mate. :)

I'm learning a lot from this series of threads. Thanks very much. :)

That is a pity. But it's still going to be a superb event.

Well, there's a possibility that I may be in the UK at this time. If I am, and can get away for a day, I'll drop down at the weekend.
It'd be great to see old acquaintances again, and creative juices flowing. :)

Excellent post, thank you. :)

Or tap the hole itself if the material will take the load without shearing the threads?

WOW! That is a very cool spanner!!! :)

Thanks Jeremy. That's a great video. :)

Hi Jeremy, could you put up a link please? The embedded code isn't working for me. :(

Probably can't make it this year, we plan to be in the UK.
Might be going to the Capital soon-ish. If we drive I'll try to drop by if that's ok.
Phil, have you come & got that PH yet?

If you're in an art gallery or similar, you'll usually see signs saying 'please respect the artist's copyright - no photography' or something similar.
I was always taught not to take photos without the artist's permission, and that theremin a great difference between taking inspiration from others' work, and simply copying others' work.
If you get prrmission to copy the work, then that's fine. :)