Francis Trez Cole

the problem with all stainless and forging is just keeping it hot enough. I have forged a bunch I did not like doing it under the power hammer got to cool to fast. start out with some of the other stainless steels like 304 to get use to how the work. its more forgiving.

I just stamp my tools. I have only lost one in 4 years. it was just a set of tongs for 1" stock. They will show up at an other event folks around here are good about making sure you get your stuff back. even had a set of tongs mailed back to me.

I make a good many hammers out of 4130. In Mark Aspery's book there is a great section on hammer making. Spreading the sides of the hammer is a style but not a necessary. There are a good many hammer makers that are making hammers and that do not reduce the sides of the hammer. You will develop your own style as you grow in blacksmithing. I always add a half of an inch to the hammer blank. on page 7 of this clinker breaker there is a weight chart. that will come in handy http://www.blacksmithing.org/CB-Archive/2001/2001-02-cb.pdf

Vaught you bring up cooking as an example in the US there is a test for cook, sous chef, head chef, executive chef, and master chef. that was set up years ago. The Idea behind the test of basics would be to set a standard. Like any group people like to strive to reach a goal. And a level of achievement. In cooking I strive and worked for many years to reach Executive chef. Then I worked on obtaining the level of Master Chef I have completed all requirements to take the test. But at this point in my life I my focus has changed to blacksmithing. I see the benefit of the value of a rating system I my area I have to fix metal work that was poorly made all the time. These companies are thought of as Blacksmith's but they hammer no metal they buy all the pre-made items they need. That skill of craftsmanship is pushed to the side over profits. When you see old iron work being destroyed by the adding of "its close to the original". its sad

Frank I would agree there are some thing on that list that need to be put in a better order first. I some one is walking in to my shop I want them to demonstrate shop safety first. Then some things can be combined and clarified. I did a re write a few weeks ago this is what I came up with. Journeyman Blacksmith Skill standard 1. Shop safety: understand first aid for burns, cuts and overheating. Personal protection items, Safety glasses, ear protection, clothing and shoes. Why they are necessary. Show how to use good ergonomics in the use of an hammer and anvil. 2. Fire and fuel: understand the forge you are using. Coal forge and the different types of coal how to maintain a fire. Gas forge storage of fuel and how to safely use the forge. 3. Basic metallurgy: know the properties and use of wrought iron, mild steel, carbon and tool steel, cast iron, brass, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum. And able to identify them. 4. Drawing out: Draw a 2 sided sided short taper. Draw a 2 sided square long taper. Draw a 4 sided short taper and a 4 sided long taper. Draw a short and long round taper. 5. Spreading: show how to spread stock with a peen and using the edge of the hammer 6. Twisting: show 2 different types of twist in square stock 7. Upsetting: upset a bar 1 ½ times its size at the end and the middle. 8. Bending: make a round ring out of stock. Forge a square corner into a right angle with square and round stock. 9. Heat treating: demonstrate how to anneal, harden, and temper tool steel. Know how to case harden steel. Demonstrate the color change in relation to tempering. 10. Punching, slitting and drifting: demonstrate making a decorative punch. Demonstrate making a slitting punch. Slit and drift a square hole a round hole and a diamond hole. Using a chisel cut a slit in the middle and end of a bar. 11. Cutting: show how to use a hot cut, cold cut, hacksaw, and tin snips. How to cut with a torch. 12. Mortise and tenon: make and assemble at least 2 types of separate pieces using the techniques and demonstrate making a monkey tool square and round tenon. Show how to use a set hammer to establish the tenon. 13. Collaring: make and assemble 2 separate pieces holding at least 3 pieces of metal in a collar. 14. Scrolls: Forge at least 3 types of scrolls using the elements from line 4,5,and 7. 15. Fullering, grooving, and veining swedging: demonstrate the tools needed for these processes and how to make them and how to use them. Make a leave and a decorative pattern for a balustrade. 16. Riveting: Make a shovel and rivet the shovel to the handle. 17. Forge welding: Show three different types of welds. 18. Arc welding: show how to Braze, solder, and stick or mig weld. 19. Shrinking raising metal: show how to make a hemispherical or hollow object. From a piece of sheet metal. 20. Grinding: show how to use a angle grinder and a bench grinder or sander with abrasive belts and the proper use of a file. 21. Drilling tap and die work: show how to properly drill a hole in bar stock and tape the hole and thread a rod to fit in the hole. 22. Heading: head 2 bolts one square and hexagon. A nail and a rivet. 23. Jigs and dies: make a jig and a die for doing repetitive production work and show examples of work produces with them. 24.

thats a good start. keep at it

James is a great person when I went through the search for my power hammer he had great follow through and when I get a bigger hammer it will be an Anyang. I recommend him to all my friends. Even though I found an old hammer a champion. He was gracious.

I moved my power hammer around the shop using solid round bar. I tipped it with a crowbar and slid in rollers. it worked great even on concrete pavers and sand to fill the cracks.

I use 1 1/4" stock to make my drifts about 1' of stock and draw it down to 3/8" leaving about 4" at 1 1/4". first make it square then round and then flatted 2 sides. It works well.

Diablo makes a metal cutting blade that fits in a circular saw the are great will cut up to 1 inch thick steel the only suggestion I would make is ware long selves face shield and ear plugs http://www.diablotools.com//products?c=Saw_Blade&material=Metal_Cutting

very nicely done

very interesting

those tongs would work well with a Mark Aspery punch because they have a flat spot in the center.

I use 4140 or 4340 both work real well I like the way they heat treat. s-7 makes good punches and chisel S-7 is an air or oil hardening tool steel that is characterized by very high impact toughness. The combination of strength and high toughness makes S-7 tool steel a candidate for a wide variety of tooling applications. S-7 tool steel can be used successfully for both cold and hot work applications. Applications: Blanking Dies Brake Dies Chisels Die Casting Dies - Zinc Forming Dies Gripper Dies Header Dies Heading Dies - Hot Master Hobs Plastic Mold Dies Punches Rivet Sets Shear Blades D-2 tool steel is a versatile high-carbon, high-chromium, air-hardening tool steel that is characterized by a relatively high attainable hardness and numerous, large, chromium rich alloy carbides in the microstructure. These carbides provide good resistance to wear from sliding contact with other metals and abrasive materials. Although other steels with improved toughness or improved wear resistance are available, D-2 provides an effective combination of wear resistance and toughness, tool performance, price, and a wide variety of product forms.. I use D-2 for dies Applications: Blanking Dies Burnishing Tools Coining Dies Drawing Dies Extrusion Dies Forming Rolls Gauges Knurls Lamination Dies Lathe Centers Master Parts Punches Seaming Rolls Shear Blades Slitters Swaging Dies Threaded Rolling Dies Trimming Dies it holds up under the power hammer well.

that is a good bunch of questions. I put some of my heart in every thing I make and as it comes to life I see the feeling and care that I put in it. I do ring the anvil 3 times at the start of a project for the friends that that have passed to thank them for the wisdom that they freely shared with me. As blacksmith we are in control of the elements, earth, air, fire and water. and by combining them we bring pieces to life buy love, force and balance of will and might.

First welcome to the addiction. Second The old Russian anvils that the use to sell were pretty good. I have had good luck with there hammers. And you cant beat the price. I tell my new students find a metal supplier and pick up a block of steel. Until they can find a serviceable anvil. Your location would be helpful our local group help new blacksmith get anvils all the time.

I use coal dust(you should have some) and finely ground scale (you have that also) it works great. it is important to remove the punch after each hit.

Paul that is a great looking hammer it is the same way I have made mine for years

if you look there are other threads on champion power hammer I put the patten number and there is a lot of good information in the other pages '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

from my experience fullering to separate the face dose nothing. You can only hit with a hammer 5 ways flat, left edge, right edge, toe and heal. It is more of a design.

I ran across a smith that has re pursed a set of Besco battery pliers. They hold the head of a railroad spike well. http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/other-makers.html#besco

yes small those blowers take a lot of effort they do not put out a lot of air, not like a champion 400

its funny you start out with a few tools and it grows and grows

that is a scythe hammer used for peening an edge on a scythe

I have an alo vera plant out side the shop for just those times