Jim Coke

Greetings Elemental,

I have found a large dose of elbow grease works well,   Chemistry only takes off oxides and does not make it shine. 

Jim

Greetings Wesley,

I think its great that a young man like yourself is so involved in blacksmithing..  I had an a sprout like you spend the summer with me and he is now employed at a friends shop with a full years project on the table...   You are an asset to our craft...   Dragons are fun to make ... Test your skills and make one like Dan Boon.... 

Keep a knockin and teachin

Jim

Greetings Justin,

You best figure out the rpm and hp of the motor you are going to use....  I have an old Hawkeye that is a lawn ornament now that I was going to run in my line shaft shop for show and tell...  To dangerous for the kids and folks so I aborted...  Typically these old fellows ran of a line shaft that only ran about 250 rpms...  I suggest you get ahold of Tom from above he says he has one on the line....   If you must use a small diameter pulley on your motor I suggest you use a paper drive off the pto from older tractors ...   ( International )

Keep it thumpin....  Jim

Greetings  John,

What does kds stand for?  I have been using this system for a long time and called it the Jim system...  Same as Big Blue....

Jim       Your round dies are too aggressive..  BIG SQUISH.... HARD TO TAPER

Greetings Chester,

No you guys got it all wrong... The 130.00 dollar one is quenched with cool aid made from the clear water from Lake Huron... 

Spend the bucks

Greetings Tan,

Keep your taper square...   If your rings are a one time installation you can drill a small pilot hole in the wood than put some barbs on the square edges of your square taper ...  THAN JUST TAP IT IN.. This was common in the old days....

Jim

Greetings Cowboy,

God does not hate you...  Just count your blessings that you will have another day to forge....  Sounds like what I call a normal day...

Keep the faith

Jim

Greetings Tan,

If you only have a few to do...   Square  up on a taper...  File to a smooth finish..   even twist....  Triangle file to finish the threads...    IT WORKS

Jim

Control the twist with water cooling...

Greetings Mac,

I have several set ups for my vises but I will pass on one that works well for me in one of my shops that requires portability...  This set up is easily moved with a shop cart and the small top shelf is great for clamping or tools and punches....  The Cole vise removes with ease and the large pads on the legs make it quite stable...  Good luck you will get many suggestions on which is best as we all have our favorites..

Hammer on

Jim                 

Greetings Daniel,

You are indeed a skilled young man. I wish I could have you come to my shops and share ideas..  You are allways welcome...  Keep up the great work.

Jim

Welcome,,

Looks like you have a coal forge in your pickup....   It won't take long and your forge will be smokin like your pickup..  

Jim

Greetings Daynee,

Thats a neet saw... Its called a drag saw.  I have 3 ..  2 running in my line shaft shop and one for looks......  Miller falls 1902 that self disengages when the cut is done .... and a 40 ish Marvel....  Put a little bees wax on your blade and you will see an inproved cut....   Looks like your havin fun..

Carry on.

Jim

Greetings 5 star,

Looks like tooltime to me...  Flypress ... anvil tools ...  fullers.... OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY....   I can't get over how neat you are my stuff is in a box SOMEWHERE.....

Jim

Macbruce,

I'll give you 50 bucks so you can make 100% profit....   We all have great finds because we see value in anything iron....  I would be ashamed to tell you what I paid for the Champion power hammer I found and bought on April 1...    Listed as yet another power hammer...  Lets just say I came home with most of the money I took...   They should put us on TV as BLACKSMITH PICKERS...

Have a great day,

Jim

DK If you are feeling power hammer envy and have the bucks a KA 75 only takes up 3 square feet. And than if you wish you can make big hooks from 4in square Offer of help still stands Jim

Greetings DK,

Sounds to me like you are suffering artist slump...  We all can accomplish the same result on the anvil or with hand tools it just takes longer...   I have power hammers but some of my best work is done in one of my studios that is hand tools only..  I design many tools that just make things easer or more productive.  You can dig a ditch with a spoon or a backhoe...  In the end ya got a ditch....   If you can find some of the publicatons from the Blacksmith Journal most of Jerrys neet things are done on the anvil....  You say you went to SOFA..  If you look at the fine art that was displayed most were accomplished without the use of a power hammer...   If you can dream it you can make it on the anvil.....  What do you want to make and how can I help. 

Jim

Greetings,

           Best get some help from the the boys on this forum...  First show us your plans for your forge.....  I agree with John .. Contact your local group... I'm sure you will get alot of help....    If your in a rush you can get a railroad track section on ebay for 50 bucks....   Your idea of a plate on a board stinks ..  All it would accomplish is a dull thud....  Take your time or you will just get frustrated...

Jim

Greetings Harris,

Boy thank you thank you for all the valuable info......  I retired from my blacksmith shop a few years ago and did alot of the same type of work as you..

I put my whole story on what got you into blacksmithing....  All I have in hammers now are a KA75 and a LG 25..  I passed my Big Blue on to my apprentist.  By the data that you povided the hammer should run at 133 rpms..????  .   My next question is the dies..  Are the set a a 45 or are they straight like yours...  

Thanx again  I owe you a bunch     Jim

Greetings Doc,

Its a mistery..  It had a dirve clutch off a reversing unit for a lathe...  It could not have worked... All I can think of is this unit was shipped with a long shaft for the customer to drive it a will.....  Its original the shaft has not been changed....   Still doing research.....  Shaft bearings are like new..  From what I see its design is a pulley between the webs but no signs of a lock down on the shaft....    I got it on April 1 and I'm fooled about the pulley..

Jim

Greetings All,
 
I tried to post this in It followed me home and it did not work...   I answered and add for an anvil and after I bought it the seller sent me an E-mail of a friend that had a power hammer for sale...  I don't need yet another hammer BUTTTTT I just could not pass this up...    Yep fire up the truck and off to blacksmiths pickers...  It looks to be a great hammer with little wear.. It has not been run in 45 years...
 
Lucky Jim

Greetings All,

As if I need yet another power hammer BUTTTT  I just could not pass up on this one ..  It has not run in 45 years ..  It has a few minor problems but by the look of the wear on the parts it has not been used much..   Things turn up when you least expect them...   I answered an ad for a anvil for just an extra for the students and after I bought it the seller sent me an e-mail on his friend that had the hammer and wanted to sell...   Fire up the truck and I'm off for yet another picker adventure....      

Lucky Jim

Greetings H&H,

A split cross works well.. Bring some extra samples of its progression..  Plain stock... saw cut...  than partial open...  Let you customers play with them while you are dooing your thing...

You will do fine...

Jim

Greetings newbie,

If you have the original crank and auto feed lever I would consider going back to a  manual operation...   I have several and they work great just as they are..

And the best part they are cordless with no battery required...

Crank on

Jim

Greetings 25,

Nice work....  I see that you have done some brass brushing...  You have to consider this in your final finish... Gun blue or any oxide top will bleed of into your rubbings...  It will be hard to blend in what you have done....   I suggest a natural finish with a Renaissance wax finish.  It will last forever...

Good luck

Jim

Greetings,

Words of wisdom...  Don't drive up in moms Cadillac.... Wear you oldest grubby jeans..... Smile and tell the seller your a new smith just getting started and on a limited budget....   bring cash in small denominations.. 10s and 20s   .....  Smile and make your best offer....    The truth is its worth what he is asking...

Welcom to anvil pickers....