Ed Thomas

Anybody from this board headed to that event this year? I'll probably take my iforge T-shirt. That way people can see from either direction who to avoid. :D

Bruce: Welders are tools. Use them. The only problem with using an arc welder in a blacksmith shop is when you substitute arc welding shortcuts to forging projects in an attempt to AVOID forging. When you forge, forge. When you fabricate, fabricate. Be very careful about mixing the two. Make sure it is by choice and not because you don't know the forging alternatives.

Okay, now we're going to have to ask Glenn to open up yet another section: "Extra Silly" rolling coasters, ferrous wheels, Mary: go round...

Hollis: Since the screen came rolled up, did you try calling the distributor or manufacturer to see what they recommended? They probably have some idea how their customers typically deal with it. Your solution sounds good to me, as usual.

Hollis: I didn't want you to think we were ignoring you. We just plain don't know. :oops: However, is there a way to forge the frame so that screen is attached to members that draw it tight against the frame? I've done that with homemade house screens. Drill and tap the outer frame, and pull the inner frame using machine screws or bolts. Sorry I'm not much help. :(

So Glen... what are you using for fire extinguishers? That's what I'm asking here. I do try to be safe. I think I'd have the most peace of mind with a fire hydrant and charged 3" hose right there where alll I have to do is grab the nozzle, flip the bail and hang on. Next to that... what is a good fire extinguisher for the type of work we do? Just asking that question makes me think about the number and where to put them, too. Hmmm....

Hollis: Boy Howdy, you got that right about the hard-hitting. This hammer is something of an oddity. The frame is the size of a #3 and the anvil is about 11" too tall -- as I understand it, the plans called for burying the bottom of the anvil on it's own pad, the way they did on the big hammers. :shock: You no doubt remember my surprise at the weight of the hammer and upper die when I finally got around to checking it. Since I didn't understand some of that when I first got it, I didn't raise the hammer frame enough above the anvil before. So all the adjustments were really at the top of the limits and still not quite right. This time I did lots of measuring and adjusting, and set it where I think is in the middle of ideal. Now I can put that blow exactly where I want it and how hard I want it. Simply amazing what something like 2" change in height will do. You got me looking at the brake pads now. Didn't we discuss this once? What did you find works best and where do you get it?

Thanks all. I think I'd still better do a little more research.

Hollis: I know this is an old post, but I thought I'd bump it to the front because it is pertinent to me. As you remember, I've been picking your brains about the Beaudry hammers before this forum ever started. My smaller (150#) Beaudry is installed and running in the new shop. I really only intended to get it mounted and useful so I'd have the leisure to work on the bigger one. But I couldn't resist doing all the little modifications I've been putting off. Since everything affects everything else, it was two weeks before I got it groomed. But the difference is unconsious. It feels like it hits twice as hard with 10 times the control. So thanks for the help :!:

gypsy: That is boron and is brazed, not welded. I think you should be able to just melt it off with a torch if you are determined to use those shoes. It is meant to wear harder than road surfaces so a grinder isn't going to compete with it.

I always keep a few of those small household extinguishers around the shop. But I'd really like to install some that are effective and appropriate for the work we do as blacksmiths in a fair-sized shop. Any thoughts :?:

Personally, I'd have been bored stiff beating on some practice material. I had lots of people tell me to beat on a board and clay and stuff. If you heat up some iron, it behaves amazingly like hot iron when you hit it. I also do push the benefit of practicing anything, but just as important is to get it right from the very beginning by finding someone who really knows what they are doing and watch them. Have them watch you. If you can't find someone, get videos and mimic the good smiths in those.

You'll get at least somebody that's seen and used these if you publish it on the practical machinist board. The traffic on there is unconscious. http://www.practicalmachinist.com/

joelon: I like what you said and the way you think. As I understand it, you recognize that you want to make the most of what little time you do have. 1) Anything that requires practice requires frequent repetition and focus. You will benefit more from 30 minutes every day than 4 hours once a week. It might not feel like it, but it is true. With practice, In less than 10 minutes, you can clean out a coal forge, light a fire and have a 5/8" bar at welding heat. In the remaining 20 minutes, you can make several parts to a bigger project, or several individual things such as hooks. At the end of one week you will have seven times that many parts or individual items, and you will have had the benefit of daily attention to your skill. The difference will be dramatic. Thirty minutes is a long time, and we squander it routinely. If you only hammer once a week, you will progress MUCh more slowly because an awful lot of that time will be trying to catch back up to what you lost over the week. 2) Ralph was right on. Find someone else GOOD who you can learn from. Go as far as necessary to do this. You will learn bad habits and mediocre skills from mediocre blacksmiths as surely as you will learn bad spelling and grammar from uneducated people. On the other hand, a short time with a good blacksmith will last you for two weeks or more of practicing to assimilate it all. 3) Nobody is requiring you to do this, so it is almost guaranteed to be fun. There are zillions of other people having fun forging. There is almost nothing more fun with your clothes on than a forge fest with other blacksmiths. Join a group. Form a group. Build fires. Have fun. 4) Do searches on this board for answers to your questions. Read what others asked and how it was answered by different people. Pay attention to the recommendations on what beginner books to buy. You should get at least one or two GOOD beginner books. They will have far better instructions on starting out than we will give here. Look on us as a resource of supplemental material for specific questions. 5) Welcome :!: :D

Newlad: Excellent. I laughed when I read your original post, and probably should have said something.

Strine: Very, very excellent, sir. 8)

Hollis: I saw that article also. I remember that you summed it all up as something like: "It was fun, but don't do it to save money!" Or words to that effect. :P

Hollis: I doubt I could get that tool made in even twice the time. But thanks for the kind words. You probably remember that I made the tool for two reasons. For one thing, it was to show what could be done with one of those RR springs I got from JerryV. But the real reason to make a tool like that is if the top of the groove matters. In my case, I had something in mind where I wanted to drive the tool clear down to get the 1/2 round trim. If you weld a guide on, you can't use it that way. As it turns out, I use the tool as a grooving tool more than I expected when I made it.

meco3hp: Here are some shots I posted before this board went down. At the time, Hollis and I were sharing information on tongs more than the tooling. As you can see, the tongs are designed to hold the tool easily for use under the treadle hammer. Groovy Tool held in Tongs Groovy Tool Getting in the Groove Groovy Tool Showing Its Profile As you can see, the long edge of the tool is used as a guide on the forged object. It is relieved everywhere so there are no sharp cuts as you move it along. If you go deep enough in this one, you can see that it will form a rounded edge. I usually prefer to make separate tools for separate jobs, rather than one adjustable tool. The adjustable stuff just never seems QUITE right. I like to make tools like this if I have the time. But if you are in a hurry, you can just weld a guide bar on the side of a cutter and it will do the same thing.

Hollis: I don't think I'd go with a collar. It probably doesn't matter since this is a candle holder. But the structural purpose of the duo-foil (???) is to support the top bar... to keep it from sagging. Traditional joinery is really just that -- structural joinery. A collar would let the support member slide up and down, which defeats the practical point of having it there. A rivet is more appropriate. This would be a bigger issue for shelf brackets where there would be a real load. Besides, you never know when your wife is going to try to put a 600# candle on it. :mrgreen: You can decorate the head of the rivet if you feel like it's too plain.

I just did a quick check of the song on the piano. If you can play simple hymns, you're in there. The words aren't exactly... er... well, let's say it probably sounds better in a bar. :P

Strine: Check to see if ABANA still has that issue for sale. http://www.bookmasters.com/abana/ringspecial.htm It looks as though it still is. All these back issues are available for $1 each. I don't know if they check membership status or not. Meanwhile, I'm going to check and see if I can get permission to post a copy of the song.

I was reading Volume 20 Number 3 (Winter 1992-93) of The Anvil's Ring... okay... I was looking at the pitchers... and found Hollis Wooldridge had a garden gate entered. Purty darn nice looking gate, Hollis! Is it coincidence that your entry is in the same issue as the musical score to "The Blacksmith's Song"? According to the Anvil's Ring, this song was first performed in 1828 at the "George and Vulture" tavern, and was approved and adopted by the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths. I think I was sick that night. Dang.

Hollis: VERY nice. Thanks for sharing that. Without altering the back to leave space, I don't think you can properly collar the support. But a rivet would be extra nice. I like your solution for the 't'. My only reservation would be if this bracket is viewed equally from both sides. The theme would make terrific shelf brackets.

Dang, Hollis. You sure got this picture thing down pat. VERY cool :!: Now if I could just talk you into shrinking them a bit so I can see the whole thing... ?