Ratel10mm

I have no idea how easy it is to make or what you'd need to do so.
For what it may be worth, I remembered today where I'd smelled come as a child. It was the miniature railway in Fountains Valley, outside Pretoria. I thought it was oil fired, but the scent of coke today brough that memory back very strongly. So maybe if you're near there ring them & ask?
Good luck. :)

Wow! That's one of your very best yet, Owen mate! We need a drooling smiley on this forum!

Although your photo's are very good, I agree that professional photos would make it even more beautiful.

Is this a very recent piece? I've always loved your work, but it seems to me that you've improved even more since hosting your sword courses.

All the best
Matt Russell

Hi Andrew & welcome. Better put your name down for 'Get Hammered' too, before all the places are taken. :D

Nice photos Andrew, I've always wondered how they go together & there's the answer. Thanks very much. :)

I'd love to mate, but no WAY will I be allowed to. And probably got too much on with sprog anyway. Let me know of any others please?

I reckon as an appy I could probably earn similar to what I'm on now, once you take O/T into account! lol

But I also reckon Phil's right. Experience (mostly others') has taught me that - as a general rule - although youngsters need more hand holding at first, if they're any use they'll be easier to deal with over the long term than someone who thinks their previous experience means they're smart enough to do things their way.
I'm lucky at present, my adult apprentice is pretty blimmin' good.

Get in line Uncle Chop Chop! :)

Should be able to do it mate.

Any of the others in yet?

Dale, Shazz says NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

Ian, thanks mate.

The bits of possible wrought are from a local park. This spot used to be the farm blacksmith shop about 100-130 years ago. Actually from the bits I've found I suspect this exact spot was the scrap pile! Lots of small pieces & some horse shoes, all useful for small projects. Even if it turns out to be mild, it'll still be useful for the textures, with careful planning.
It's all buried & shows up on the surface bit by bit. As it's a public park nowadays I don't dig it up or anything, just pick up the odd piece when walking the dog.

Thanks guys His name Is Isaac & yes, we're pretty pleased with ourselves! Utterly knackered but mostly loving every minute. Of course, it's early days yet!

Properly on topic, I've had a small amount of very rusty possibly wrought follow me home recently, as well as a small air tank for a gas forge body,.

My future slave/apprentice arrived home yesterday...



Sorry, couldn't resist! :D

That is simply stunning! :)

Hi Ian. Yes, I'm a Brit that was brought up (mostly) in the R.S.A. Before we returned to the U.K. Married an Aussie girl & live here now. In many ways it feels like SA, lifestyle wise, where we live. Beaches, braais, camping, outdoors & sports.
Not been back yet myself, but family who have report it's best to pretend it's your first trip due to the MASSIVE changes since 1986.

Man, my Afrikaans has got really poor - I had to read the translation to make sure I'd read you right!

Presumably there are power hammers in SA, there used to be plenty of manufacturing. I'd be interested to know if anyone built them locally.

Which hammer plans did you end up choosing & why, if I may ask?
Sorry for the partial hijack.
Matt

I'm not the fastest thinker, but if I had been at that point, I may have asked him if be could make them better, & show me how! It's called 'going the power' & is often an effective way of getting people like that onto your side.
If be was just a jerk even given that opportunity, them by all means politely persuade him to foxtrot oscar! ;)

I'll add beer if you'll drive that Series 3 up here! :D

I believe it's because these days we want instant gratification. We want it now and the best way to ensure we get it now is to make it fast, cheap and easily accessable. Hence the big box stores with limitless supplies of instant take me home now stuff. If we have to wait until we can afford a good one we get impatient and settle for fast and cheap. Make sense?

Mark<><

What Imagedude said. A mutual friend of ours has a number 6 (yes, I know it doesn't mean anything without the maker's name but I can't remember it) which many of us used with great success for welding billets until Jack got a Blacker PH. Come to think of it, the press still gets used for that at Jack's hammerins as there's too many making billets at once to all use the Blacker.
I haven't tried it on My no. 2 press yet, but I figure it'll probably do it with a smaller radius fuller.
The main thing to remember is to think of it as a human powered mechanical hammer instead of a press. As Imagedude says, go fast & firm-to-hard, not slow and squishy.

What??? It's already Easter & there's only 12 definites for Get Hammered????

COME ON BLOKES, YOU'D BE NUTS TO MISS THIS!

Dale, do we have an international attendee this year?

Thanks a lot for the pointers gentlemen. :)

Hmmm, that's not a dissimilar size to mine, which came without a checknut. The previous owner must have required a specific depth as there's a section of pipe dropped over the screw to act as a non-adjustable depth stop.

Good luck with the bidding Ian. :)

Those are very, very nice indeed.
May I ask, how do you get an exhibition like that? Do you have an agent, do you approach galleries personally? It's something of a goal of mine to be in a gallery like that one day.

Ideally with enormous price tags on, too! :lol:

Dale beat me again!

Welcome to the forum Nick. Watch out for Dale, he's more tinnies than steel. ;)

On my first blacksmith course I had it made clear that you DO NOT take a photo of another artist's / craftsman's / etc. work without asking first. It's just ettiquette.

From the point of view of owners getting up you though, that seems a bit extreme.
Personally I'd call myself an artist before a blacksmith for 2 reasons - mainly because I'm just a beginner, secondly because in Oz there are still qualifications to earn to become a blacksmith.

I hope one day to be able to refer to myself as an artist blacksmith or blacksmith artist & feel comfortable, but I won't do so in the company of blacksmiths I respect until I feel - been told - I've earned it. For customers, it's different as telling them you're just starting out is not going to get you the job!

And properly on topic, I agree with the statement that to be truly an artist taking credit for your work, you MUST have done the work, or at least the great majority of it.

Why not heat treat the anvil itself to gett the face hardness you want?