KjZitur

Back when I was tuning up my 150lb. Fairbanks hammer, I made several springs for it using all types of different truck coil springs. Uncoiling the springs and then recoiling them to the size I needed and then heat treating them to fit my hammer. This is how we did it in the blacksmith shop when I worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad as a blacksmith, except we used a forklift to pull the spring. The advantage to straightening the entire spring is that unwinds itself almost straight so there is very little forging to do. Straightening small springs isn't hard as it might sound. Here are a couple of pictures of straightening a spring. I use a tractor on the heavy ones but you could use any device you have for pulling........ken

I never use any formulas, if it don't go, get a bigger, longer pry bar!!!..LOL

On smaller springs (3/8" diameter wireor less) I place a round rod (3/4" or whatever the spring will slide over) in the hardy hole of my anvil (my anvil is attached to a stump in the ground), heat up the spring, toss it over the rod, grab the bottom end of the spring with a vise grip and pull! On larger springs I weld a ring on to one end of the spring so that I can chain that end to my anvil stump. The spring is placed on a 2" diameter shaft which is chained to the forks of my tractor, which is then used to pull out the heated spring. All thats left to do is a little straightening of the spring on the anvil or under the power hammer.

If you measure where the band is going on the barrel and do a full scale layout as per this quick drawing, you can edge bend your bar stock by using a crosspeen or straightpeen hammer on the outside edge to get the proper edge bend before you roll it. The edge bending and rolling can be done cold.........ken

By tapered bands do you mean bands like those on a wooden barrel?

Ram weight should also be at least 50 lbs. or more or a single blow won't be very effective.

And I we should mention that the acetylene tank should only be opened a quarter turn. And leave the "T" handle on the valve in case you need to shut down quickly!

The proper way to use your oxy-acet. tanks is first make sure the oxygen gauge is pionting in a downward angle. I've seen alot of gauges pionting up so that it' easier to read but if the threads on the bolt ever let go you'll get it right in the face! I also see alot of guys shutting ther tanks off improperly. When you shut off your torch you close the acetylene valve on the torch first and then the oxygen valve on the torch. Then shut off the acetylene tank and then the oxygen tank. Now open up the acetylene valve and bleed the line and then do the same to the oxygen valve. The last step is to back off on the regulators of both tanks so that they just turn freely.

I have also used Smith torches for the last 30 years. I find them very dependable. And Ten Hammers makes a very good point about getting educated in the use of oxy/acetylene. These can be very dangerous if used improperly.

I would have to vote for red wing boots without steel toes. For me my feet are always cold in them. But according to MythBusters, the steel toed boots are definitely much safer! As for pants Carharts are #1 and Dickies "T" shirts(I love my Dickies!! :) )

I made alot of grab irons (the rungs on the ladders) lifting rods, carrier straps, brake rods and lots of straightening.......it was a fun place to work, like working in a museum...........and I would like to say you have a great web site going here Glenn! Keep up the good work............ken

Hello everybody.....just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Ken Zitur. I started blacksmithing in 1976 for the Burlington Northern Railroad at the boxcar repair facility in Waite Park, Minnesota. After completing a four year apprenticeship and receiving a diploma from the Railway Educational Bureau I worked as a railroad blacksmith for ten years. In 1980, I also had the opportunity to work with Paul Hubler, a prominent blacksmith from Rockford, Minnesota. It was in Paul