Nobody Special

Not sure if you're addressing me Mister Powers, I was answering Joe111, definitely not arguing with you. You've given me nothing but good advice. Also, still to Joe111, I believe you've made lots and lots of iron, that's a fair, if simple description of melting iron, and that's a lovely cupola, but you're missing the point. I'm not making a puddling furnace, I'm not doing a cupola, reverbatory furnace, a Bessemer process blast furnace, or even a Catalan furnace. I'm trying to make a bloom, using a bloomery. I am familiar with cupolas. And making different grades of iron by adding carbon or burning it out with the oxygen. Really. I'm not vastly experienced with using them, but familiar with how they work. Deliberately primitive. Deliberately semi-primitive methods and full of slaggy crud and silicates. I thought about using a kite bellows, and clay tuyeres, but really, really didn't feel like pumping for hours on end. The fact that it's made of clay instead of a metal or firebrick shell is a big indicator. While I enjoy casting metal, goal this time - bloomy bloomy. Consolidate/knock slag out, forge weld. Cut, fold, weld again to refine. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. I say again, no melty melty.

Joe, First, of all, I'm not trying to melt the ore. I'm making a bloom, just melting off the slag, which that much at least it did in abundance, and let the iron sinter together. I can melt steel or make pig iron now with coal, it's not what I'm after. If it's like most blooms, I'll probably get varying amounts of carbon, mostly wrought iron, but some all the way to some cast iron depending on location in relation to the tuyere. This one failed for a couple of reasons. One. Hard to maintain temperature. My fault, not enough oxygen, it needed a larger tuyere, or better yet more and larger tuyeres. So the tuyere would get blocked up, and the temp would fall. I'd clear it, and it would go back up to a light lemony yellow for 10 minutes or so, then fall off and have to be cleared again. Two. Didn't go long enough. I got hit by a thunderstorm. Nothing was wrong with the clay, it held up fine......until 50 degree raindrops hit the side of a 2100 degree furnace during a hour and a half downpour. If ya read the earlier post, I used red Georgia clay and sand, fireclay, and some wood chips for the burnout material. I had failed structural integrity from thermal differences with the rain making the walls spall. I might have run out of charcoal anyways, but I had enough for two or three more hours at least. Three, I'm a newb at bloomeries, and it was a first try. I'm tickled pink as much went right as it did. Inexperience and trying to do it on my own. Basically, I ended up with some half-cooked hematite, that was a LOT more magnetic/reduced when it was done, with a few pieces that had some metallic streaks through 'em in places when ground, but not a decent bloom. Oh well, I saved it, slag and all, will improve the tuyere design, use thicker walls, plan for weather better, and take more of Steve Sells' advice prior to running it again. He was spot on on what went wrong. I'll try to set in on a bloomery or two with someone more experienced than I, then post my next experiment when I get the inclination and have made way too much charcoal, probably in a couple of months or so.

I found the adjustable reg for my casting furnace at a mom and pop hardware store that had a lot of gas and pipe fittings. It was naturally aspirated (one burner) and I think it usually ran at about 12 or 13 psi. Not sure, my wife "lost" it during a previous move. Also, go army. Beat navy.

Mine's not as smoothly executed, but i like the troll cross with twists. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37390-troll-cross/ Cheese slicers are easy and look cool too.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37420-chefs-knife/ So......a long while back, before I discovered IFI, I made a good ole lawnmower kitchen knife blank.......and it's been sitting there......and sitting there, while I made other stuff, including the occaisional spearhead or Knife Like Object. Finally decided, forget it. It's not perfect, don't sand or polish further, put a simple handle on it, stick it in the kitchen and use it. So, several knives later........my "first" knife. And before it comes up, I've been reading the knifemaking lessons and tips.......and they've been extremely helpful, just too late for this one. Knife is from 1080-ish (i think) lawnmower blade, Handle is pecan cordwood from my firewood stack, and the pins are cut down from a stainless steel peg from my pegboard. Probably woulda looked better with a simple bolster.

Buffalo Forge? Not sure if they used hundredweight though.

If the eye is to the rear of the axe, and he hasn't gone too thin on one side, could he -cut it near the front corner of the eye - -bend it straight - draw "sides" to same thickness - rebend around a bar or the anvil horn - reweld at front of eye and then drift? Similar to making the eye by wrapping flattish bar stock around a oval or round bar and welding, instead of using punch and then drifting. Grant you, for that much work, I'd probably toss it and start fresh. (and I really am asking, not suggesting, I haven't tried it yet, and might need it for my mess ups if it works)

That's about what mine is. Couldn't say as to most. Nice find, Blake.

My wife got the surgery, lost some strength initially, but it came back, and much more control without the constant pain.

Well, I joined the Alex Bealer group this weekend.....and what do you suppose they had in their loaner library? Fantastic read. I started forging with not a lot more than the Weygers book and youtube. They got me excited and on the forge, but......... This however was like having someone standing next to me explaining all the little things that thus far I've picked up by reading and watching, and rereading, and asking a milion annoying questions, and then going out on the forge and messing up repeatedly until I figured it out. Crystal clear. Wish I'd picked this book up a lot earlier. I don't think it's bombastic at all. Educated, yes. Passionate, yes. Has a lot of historical bits, yep (and I love them, btw). But, loud, obnoxious and pompous? No way. Gonna take a second read through in a day or two, and hit Amazon for my own copy shortly after.

Dcraven, the anvil is a very comfy chair........until you lean/sit on it hot. Not that I've done that or anything.......... I'm very much an amateur........but it makes me happy. Art, craft, the act of creation. Fire, an ancient symbol for life. Very elemental. I love the shaping that takes place under my hands. So little of what I normally do during the day leaves something visible and tangible, and lasting. When I change a piece of iron, it stays changed, and I can see it. And, when I make something I see or use every day, even just a kitchen knife or a hook with a few twists in it, it lifts my spirits. On the other hand, being an amateur, I've had some days on the forge that'll definitely make you believe in the Devil. :)

I only get to forge once or twice a week, and have only sold a few little bits and pieces, but if I keep practicing, and someday get to grow up and be a real blacksmith, I guess I'll need a name for mine. Small and Pathetic Backyard Forge probably won't attract customers. :rolleyes: My wife has a small chicken hatchery, so I'm thinking about Yardbird Forge, with a rooster perched on an anvil as a touchmark/sign.

It's sometimes a cool effect to let let the glass crack and craze deliberately. I read it on one of the forums and tried it a couple of months ago while working on my first split crosses. Just be careful, especially if doing it by quenching. It can spall and have pieces of glass break off violently.

The fruit's not so messy, annoying if you hit it with a lawn mower. (my grandmother had one) Bodark trees are common in the midwest, they were planted in hedges by the WPA during the Great Depression in hedges as windbreaks against the Dust Bowl. Also supposed to be a good wood for bows (as the name would imply, bois-d'arc = bow wood). If you're looking for wood right now, might ask trying-it (stan), I believe he said he's got a bunch of osage, he's often on chat during the day, and might be willing to make a deal. I've had good luck for handles with pecan wood (closely related to hickory), but doubt that's very common in San Diego.

Love it. Going to try it soon. Going to definitely burn up more than one before I get it right. Thanks for the vid!

http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/37075-post-vice/ My vise. Pretty typical stuff. Pre-cleaning, Not bad for setting out in the elements for the last 10 years. Works well after I cleaned it and lubed it. Still trying to decide if I want to commit the sin of painting it with Ford Motor Company blue engine paint.

Well, not sure when it fumes, melts in upper 700s, so definitely by that point. Maybe earlier? Not even really hot enough to put out light. Could be that hot, and you wouldn't even see it. I've known of people to burn off the zinc by tossing galvanized steel into a fire, getting clear and keeping it hot, BUT......I've also heard of plenty of cases where someone didn't wait long enough, didn't get it all, didn't have enough ventilation, etc and gave themselves very bad cases of zinc poisoning. Got it once while casting brass, and don't care to repeat the experience. Safety first.

Jigs or no jigs, nice scroll, cool dog. Nice to meet ya.

Not sure about how clay hardening would affect it, but varying hardness would not necessarily be completely undesirable in a cymbal unless it affected structural integrity. It would definitely affect a "ring" by limiting vibration and production of overtones over entire surface (i.e. a deadening effect), but would be desirable for producing different overtones during the "clash/crash", much as in playing on the edge or center of a commercially produced brass cymbal, or the differing tension spots in a drum head. It's not uncommon for brass cymbals to become "work hardened" over certain parts over time, usually leading to the inevitable cracked cymbals after a strong hit. Would think that steel cymbals, since stiffer, would be more prone to produced long wave, standing overtones (a cleaner ring) than a crash. Also depends how it's to be played, striking two together by hand? By mechanical action? One suspended by center and struck by stick? Or two and a stick, like a gong. And besides, less vibration by no means indicates that it will be quiet. Horn's not as hard as the rest of the anvil, but it still rings. Former music major, out!

no hammering? ummm.......ground a kind of hot chisel in a pinch out of a bit of leaf spring, punches on a bench grinder a couple of times, a cone mandrel out of a thick tie rod for forming sockets around in a vice. Bent a transmission kick down lever on a 73 mustang to better shape with heat, a vice and yanking on the far end.

The 55's easy, lots of options and variations. Here's mine, first one I built after a "hole in the ground". Made out of a lawnmower, brake disc, and some homemade refractory. I think I spent 20 bucks with pipe fittings and fireclay for the refractory. Another 10 for a cheap blow dryer. (and 10 much later for a rheostat and step switch). http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/36989-cam00121/