americansckcmo

I love it four different methods,! Thought I'd do a little research before I HT my new hammer tomorrow, and glad I did. I am using old carriage axle steel on my hammers and no way to get spec sheet, so , I wing it carefully. This is only my third made hammer and the last one I got lucky on for it's still not deformed and only needs a dress occasionally. Wish I could mix all four methods.

Thanks everyone for your input. Thought I'd follow up with a post event report for you. Last Friday night I did my demo event and learned a few things about lighting I want to pass on. Most important lesson- TIME, give an equal time allowance to light set up as you do to equipment set up ! Second lesson- TIME, the event I worked had a completely different ambient light quality as my home space where I rehearsed event lighting. This required adjustment of lighting at event that cost TIME. Would I do a night event again, no, unless the money talks loud enough. Attached is event lighting pic. Ed

Bugs ! Yes there would be bugs. Here is photo of set up with a high florescent for general lighting, and a few incandescent cans for directional light on both anvils and vise table.. Welded successfully under this system this week, so I must be getting there. Ten more days and it"s showtime. Keep the suggestions coming. Thanks, E

Ethan BB is not the only game in town. Listen to the experience and skill represented in these responses. Good topic.

Hey, some great suggestions. I like the sheet filter, the up lighting, lanterns, headlamp and will try all out. Forgot I have a couple of light tree rigs too. The other thing that is very important is ease of set up/ break down. Thanks for the help and keep it coming. Ed Photo shows 2" flourecent hung in peak of canopy,

Hi all, I have a night demo coming up soon and have been experimenting with my under canopy lighting system. This event is semi sodium lit for the onlookers but under canopy lights must function for me to actively forge.My regular light source is shaded daylight which makes it even harder.. A florescent light hung up high in the canopy was terrible, all went flat, and the anvils faces shone too bright. Incandescent light cans down lit is a bit better but having trouble getting directional shadow on the pieces I'm forging..Two anvils and a vise table need to be functional. My set up is three sides of a square facing front of forge. Any suggestions ? Thanks Ed

Thanks Glenn, I dig it. Don't worry. Ten Hammers I could no more give up than to quit painting. Over the winter I have made some solid changes/improvements, 1. I lifted my forge hearth height and my two anvils by about 5 inches. 2. Adjusted 2nd anvil to better light orientation. 3. Implemented a shorter hammer handle to compensate for power loss ( higher anvil shorter stroke ). My best discovery is working into the square with my cotagonal down off side on the die anvil allows me to hammer up into the square ( edge clear as bell ) and not worry about not seing the exact shape of the octagonal. This is working well for me. Another cool thing I found is when notching four sides if I set my hammer down gently where I want to have an accurate blow than my first hard blow is always true, a bit slow and heat wasteful but it seems tomy work. Ed Shop pic shows higher anvils and if you look close at right hand anvil you can see where the stand add on is, four bolts and I have kid workshop/striker height stand.

1920's Hay Budden 1849 William Foster, identical stand as HB.

Thank you Gentlemen, both for suggestions and for treating my question with respect. You have blown my mind with possibilities ! Adapt or Accomodate, Accomodate or Adapt I apprieciate the professional permission to mix and choose freely for what works for me. When I was a high school kid I took some bsmithing lessons from Nol Putnam and the first day he told me I hammered all wrong and was a bit dissmissive about my future potential as a smith, this had a lasting damaging psycological effect on me and wasted some prime learning ops for me.. He did not know my incorrectable vision was a big reason why and back then I did not have the courage to be out about my vision and stand up for my self. Today I do have that courage and you have really helped me. I will start to rethink my whole shop set up immediately, I might jack up the forge too. The idea of square tiled hand tools [ square by braile ] is really cool. Yes I will talk with eye doctor about scripted safety sheild. Thanks again, Ed Storey Free Wind Forge

Kind of an unusual question but to all of you with normal ( correctable ) vision , can you see the finer surface shape of your steel and your hammer blow facets at working temps ? I can see the general shape of my hot steel but can see no fine detail, like hammer marks, untill the steel is rose colored or below. What can all of you see ? .