Ed Thomas

Strine: Can you send me your hat? I can't seem to find ANYTHING that fine. :mrgreen: The lady in charge of the "Court Square Days" called me yesterday to make sure Lanny and I were actually going to be there. I assured her I was looking forward to it (June 11). Better get busy on my 1850 - 1860 looking attire.

There are two blacksmithing sources that are superb for getting up to speed in a hurry. One is the Blacksmith Journal: http://www.blacksmithjournal.com/ It took me awhile to save up the money, but I bought every back issue of this magazine, that's how strongly I felt about its usefulness. Jerry originally intended to only do the Journal enough to have a fairly comprehensive book, but the demand for his articles remains too high for him to abandon us. I never let this subscription lapse. Maybe even more indispensible to me now is The Artist Blacksmith Quarterly: http://artist-blacksmith.org George Dixon is the best of the best in every category that counts, I think. He is the consummate metal artisan, his illustrations are art all by themselves, his explanations are accessible and lucid, and his teaching style is without peer. And I'm running out of superlatives. I think his quarterly is the biggest boon to serious blacksmith community that it has ever had. Both these sites have connections to their particular preferences for additional resources.

Bruce: All good blacksmiths that I know welcome questions as long as they come from a sincere desire to learn the craft. I challenge you to try to get under our skins here! 8) I have never gone to that conference. I usually head north to the Ohio conference (Quad State) every Fall, and attend a handful of events closer to home for me. The timing for the Madison event will always conflict with obligations I have here. But I'm sure it is a great one to start you off. Here is the deal -- the absolute BEST time to stand at an anvil with a seriously competent blacksmith such as anon_smith is when you are just starting out, as you are. It is so much more efficient to be shown how to hammer safely and intelligently, how to control the fire, how to think of the iron and get it to do what you want it to do...etc., etc. ... from the very beginning. BEFORE you develop bad habits. Like every great skill, modern forging is based on centuries of experience. Why not take advantage of that? Would you try to master the violin to play in Carnegie Hall without using a teacher? This really isn't any different. Except there aren't any strings on the anvil. And you don't use a bow. And you don't have to read music. And the violin isn't as dirty. This is falling apart pretty fast. :roll:

Bruce: Of course Mr. Anon-Smith is exaggerating my worth and downplaying his own. He has been a "beginner" for about 30 years, and once upon a time made his living at forging. Successfully. If you are able to attend a workshop by him, make sure you push and pull your way right to the front and grab a hammer and anvil. There is no better way to learn than to do the forging actively under the watchful eye and tutelage of someone like Anon. Too often, folks think they can watch and learn, but once they get home 90% of what they were taught has been gone for the last 2 days, and the remaining 10% doesn't make any sense. Of course if you just want to SAY you are a blacksmith, that is a different story. Stand in the back, smile knowingly with all the other spitters and chewers, make clever remarks, and buy some old ironwork to prove you are an expert. That does just fine for a lot of folks. The best way to get good fast is to pay attention, pester the experts, take advantage of working sessions by generous people like Anon....and practice practice practice. And when you were done with that, practice some more. At some time, we were all beginners. Except for Irnsgrn -- he was born with a hammer in one hand and a welding rod in the other. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Bruce: This is what I replied to the same question you posted on the ABANA site: --------------- "... for this type of work" you use a forge, not an electric welder. The look and feel of forged metal work is markedly different from fabricated work, and combining the two techniques shouldn't be done casually. When forging iron, there is a mechanical joint or forge-weld solution for every instance you might be tempted to use an arc weld. Study current GOOD ironwork by truly good artisans and read lots of books. Always look for ways to improve the integrity of what you make. ---------------- It is still true, even several days later and on a different forum. The path to learning good forged architectural ironwork is worth pursuing, but it is not a short or easy one. If you leap right out there and try to find all the shortcuts and fabricated substitutes... that is what your work will look like... a big mess of shortcuts and fabricated imitations. You should take the time to learn the difference. Then if you choose to do tasteful fabricated work, CALL it that... but NOT "hand-forged wrought iron". It is a disservice to the craft and to those that have spent so much time trying to educate the public on the difference. You should not pass up that offer by Anon-smith. (mobjak). He is among the most skilled in fundamentals you will probably ever meet. Plus, he will steer you well on how to dress right. :shock:

Bruce: Are you the same Bruce that posted a few times on the ABANA site? You might want to check here: http://magichammer.freeservers.com/abana_image_map.htm and see if there is any group near enough to you to contact. There are many blacksmiths in both FL and NC, so you should be able to to contact a group near you. I can attest that there is life after the Navy, digital technology, DOD, and education. You have already secured the most important element -- a working spouse. :P

Strine: It is probably something with your browser. If you used to see the pictures and don't now, then something is not quite right with your settings. Re-booting does take care of that sometimes because it reloads your browser which may correct the missing graphic device. What browser are you using? Mozilla? MS Internet Explorer? Netscape? You can check to see what those little crosses are connected to by right-clicking your mouse on top of them. Then select "properties" from the pop-up box. It should show you what the link is that the cross represents. Since everyone else (including me) can see the pictures, I'm going to assume you'll get a valid address when you do that. Keep trying and let us know.

Jerry Carroll and Ten Hammers: What Hollis was talking about was not O/A welding... fusing by puddling. He was talking about bringing pieces to welding temperature and fusing by forging. That is a bit trickier. The torch doesn't provide the same oven-surround that you get from a coal or gas forge. Bringing those small pieces to an even heat, and being quick enough to forge weld them, probably took some practice. I didn't know it was a viable method, actually. I like the torch for welding also. I have a railing I'm supposed to do... okay, I admit it... it's for my mother... :oops: :oops: It is for curved exterior brick steps that one of my brothers did some time ago. I decided to hedge my bets for success by making a scrap model frame, but there is no easy arc welder plug access. By taking my torch set along, I had no problem at all welding a mockup. For my purposes, the torch is much more valuable than my stick or MIG welders. That's why I was fascinated that Hollis was able to add one more option to this most useful tool.

Strine: Don't get me wrong... the Gallery is an awfully nice feature. I was just showing you how to imbed pictures that exist offsite. But the same technique works by using the Gallery itself. If I go to your awesomely fine picture "My Hat" in the gallery I can right click on the picture and select "copy image location". Then I come back here and paste it right here... http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10028/My%20hat.jpg Then I highlight that and go and click on the "Img" button: Which put the image markers on either end of the internet address of your gallery picture. Voila! Instant hat in message! I really do love this forum design. The beauty of it is that as you can see, you can either just leave the address as a link so people can choose to look or not, or you can force your very lovely sculpture on them first thing in the morning with their post breakfast coffee. Personally, I think such creation as yours should be thrust on the public without choice.

Strine: I can hardly wait. The way to post pictures in the body of the message is to stash them somewhere accessible on the internet and point to them here. If it is a picture of your own, you have to upload it to some location that accepts pictures in a public gallery. I usually use: http://www.metalworking.com Click on the "Dropbox Files" button to see a list of all the files (including mine) that are there. Click on "Using the Dropbox" to see how to get a picture there. Basically you send them an email with your picture as an attachment, and a text file as an attachment that has a description of the file. You should name them the same thing. I once got a picture deleted because the text file was too far away in name from picture I uploaded, I think. There are plenty of other places, including a free photo site, but I like this one for all the metal-related pictures. Once you have a picture openly on the internet, you provide its address in your message, highlight that whole addresss, and click on the "Img" button above the little window you typed your message into. That will put "" at the end, which tells the forum that directions to a picture are located there... go find it. If you want another example, just right click on the hat picture in my message above. You can do anything in that pop-up menu, including copy image location. Click on "Properties" and you can see the address of the picture and details of the picture itself. This is especially handy if you want to go look at where somebody got a link. For instance, you could use the link on that hat to see all the other outrageous hats that welders think are so cool. :)

My business is Brushy Run Blacksmith because Brushy Run is the name of the stream that runs along and through my property. It just sort of happened when I needed a name real fast for business cards at a show. I do have a word of caution. Cute names are fine, unless you want to be taken more seriously. It all depends on the scale at which you work, and the clientele you to which you hope to cater. If you are a hobbyist and prefer to stay at the trinket level for any sales item, you can call yourself anything you want.... and you should. But if you hope to do any large scale work requiring significant outlay of money from a customer, you might want to have a name that inspires confidence in your ability and standards. I opted for safe and boring. :|

Irn: Thanks for the rigging hints. I still have a vertical Gorton milling machine that probably weighs almost as much as the hammer and isn't so conveniently bottom heavy. I will look at ways to incorporate your advice. I do want to say that impatience drove some of my decision to move the Beaudry this way. The ground is not very level and it all slopes down fairly quickly beyond the area right in front of the shop. The Beaudry was already sitting on two I-beams in the pole barn from when I off-loaded it from the back of the trailer. So I decided to use the skid ramps and beams because I could then keep the hammer at the same height. It is always easy to let a large object down, but it can be a bear to raise it if there isn't any place to get purchase and leverage. By myself, I actually prefer the way I did things. It is less scary because the hammer only moves in small increments. I used a small chain hoist so I could feel the resistences better. The beams and ramps provided a stable and fairly level surface. I just greased their surfaces and the hammer slid along them. I didn't have to do any extra rigging to ensure the hammer remained vertical or didn't take off down the hill. Just inched it along fairly complacently. Once I start moving it around in the shop, I will definitely go back to boards and rollers because the floor is smooth and level.

Ten Hammers: Yes, I have a stash of round stock pieces ready just to do as you suggested. A friend of mine taught me that trick when I moved my smaller hammer so I'm counting on it for this one. Other than pouring a foundation and getting it on that, I'm in good shape now (I hope). Jr: Of course not! I could see you grinning while you typed that! I thought it was pretty funny. Even with these Emoticons, it's hard to type in the humor. I was trying to joke right back. Sorry it came out wrong. You've been nothing be encouragement and help on this board! Sometimes I really think what I said... "not too bright, but persistent". When I want to do something, I think about it for awhile and just DO it. Then along comes a friend and says: "You know, if you'da just..." Oops. I do a LOT of things the hard way. I was grateful you posted anything at all, Jr!

I've found that, if at all possible, this sort of thing is best done by myself with nobody around. That way I am not distracted and can stay alert to all the things that can go wrong the whole time. The only times I've ever gotten hurt were with "help". :oops:

Well dang, Jr... where were you today when I needed you. :mrgreen: I wasn't going to post more pictures, but heck... you practically DARED me with your last comments. I can move things all around on a concrete floor, too... it's getting it TO the flat hard places that is a challenge. So here is proof that I may not be too bright, but at least I'm persistent: Here is the anchor I forged from a jackhammer bit to snag the 6" concrete pad at the far end of the shop (the forging area is gravel). It was originally more 'U' shaped... but that Beaudry put up a fight. This was the hardest part actually, because it is slightly uphill and the chain on the concrete pad was pulling slightly downward. So the hammer wanted to dig into the beams rather than move. I helped it along with the car jack you see in front of it. Tedious but effective. Home free.

I wear clear Safety Glasses and use the 1/2 size clip-on welding glasses that I bought from Centaur a few years ago. They don't sell them anymore... they sell some didydiddlesomething clip-ons for $127. However, you can go here and see what I'm talking about: http://www.fendall.com/fendall/products/eyewear/filterlens_mn.html The only place I could find on the internet that sells them now is here: http://www.waleapparatus.com/categories/eyewear.asp Click on "Shaded Glass Clip-on Flip-ups" They are a bit salty, but I've been using the same pair for at least 6 years and they are still fine. The reason I like them is because you can ease them up or down depending on how much you are looking in the fire, and as you bring stuff out of the fire, you can clearly see from the bottom half of your glasses.... more if you have them flipped up slightly. I've worn them on my prescription glasses and clear safety glasses. I can take them off when I'm not forging. They are much easier to get used to than bifocals. One thing to be careful of... the springs are wire and will scratch the glass if you aren't careful with them. Since I have dedicated safety glasses for forging, it doesn't make any difference to me. You have to get used to the tinted glass masking the real color of the pieces coming up to heat, but it was easy enough to adjust to that. What I particularly like is being able to look into the fire and bring stuff out of the fire without having a blind spot from the glare just as I'm trying to forge weld.

Strine: I'd have to wait about 80 years for a tree to grow in that direction. Maybe plant one in the shop now and check in 2090? You know, we actually talked about your idea of building around the hammer, back when it was still on the trailer and the shop was just a gleam in my eye. Anon: Yes, that is a tire chain. There is another one wrapped around the tree. And I had to use a third one to get long enough to get out of the barn. These are tractor and semi chains. Stronger than some of the tow chains in the link. I didn't really want to take the time to forge one chain long enough to do the job.

Strine: I bet the woodworker is asking for the saw-tooth because it's easier to use, not because he thinks it's any more authentic.

View of the hammer leaving its storage location in the pole barn. View of the hammer where it sits as I figure out how to change direction INTO the shop. View showing the mighty :?: oak which anchored the chainhoist to pull the hammer. I must say I kept an eye out to see which would move. The hammer blinked first.

Just WAY too cool. When's the next bus to the Shetlands? I can't wait for the pictures!

Dan, If you are having trouble locating a chunk of steel for an anvil, then you should consider getting in touch with a blacksmith group near you. This group will almost certainly have someone near enough to you for you to visit and get some pointers. I can tell you that if someone showed up at my shop with your needs, they'd leave with at least SOMETHING substantial to bang on. So I'm sure the blacksmiths up there will be just as helpful or more so. Email or call the contacts you see here: NEW ENGLAND BLACKSMITHS Pres: Owen Bostram 99 Chase Hill Road Ashaway, RI 02804 (410) 377-2611 obostrom@cox.net Ed: Fred Mikkelson 23 Waterman Drive North Scituate, RI 02857-2036 (401)647-3086 fred@trollshammerforge.com You can also go to their site at: www.newenglandblacksmiths.org

Woodtick: Congratulations :!: :!: :!: :!: (I still think we need an applause Emoticon 8) )

Hollis: Ain't that the truth! After all that work, I just can't bear to cut into it. :P

Glenn, I think it has the wrong everything for Virginia at that time. :lol:

primtechsmith: Thanks. It has a long way to go, but at least I'm more weather-resistant now. irn: Yes, I knew of those tools even before we started. Only an idiot would do it the way we did it. Okay... TWO idiots. We just HAD to do it with our very own tools... just because. Although it didn't really make sense on this roof since it is brand new and very even, the old method we used is still preferable for replacing old roofs. From what I've been told, the electric seamers don't like the irregular, uneven seams that occur on old sagging, rough lath roofs. That was the case on my Mom's roof, where brother Dave learned the fundamentals last year.