FieryFurnace

Try a member search for the location or try a search in the tailgating section using the items he had for sale as your search words!

 

Tailgating posts are deleted after 30 days, or after sale is final

I would love to attend, but getting it home would be a bit much. Someone needs to do one of these in/near Wisconsin!

The footprint of these things is 2 foot square. Stand it up in the back of a pick-up truck. Long drive from Wisconsin though! I drove 12 hours one way to attend the workshop I went to. Well worth it!

Most shops that are equipped with the tools to make a power hammer and that need a power hammer have a reasonable scrap pile. The hammer alignment jig is just a small piece of any type of tubing welded to two plates that have bolt holes that correspond with the holes in the head and anvil. You could fabricate a good alignment jig in 30 minutes I'm guessing. I built my hammer in one of the workshops so we just used Clay's jigs.

Where is he located at?

Traditional Irish folk, British folk, some bluegrass. Love instrumental Irish songs too. I've got an assortment of very conservative Christian songs too. On Saturdays I listen to thistle and shamrock Irish radio. If I'm forging late at night, I like to listen to the classical on the radio.

If I'm doing serious layout, forging to dimensions, and that sort f thing, I keep the music off. It's too easy to get measurements mixed up if you ar singing "by the rising of the moon" while you are working.

Nice! What sort of bolts are they?

So I forged some of my 304 stainless yesterday!

Someone mentioned pickling in citric acid. (Got plenty of that.) what ratio of water to acid should I use? I read online that 4-10% was good? Should I mix it with warm water or cold, or does it matter?

What should I expect the pickling to accomplish? How long should this take?

I need to pick up the scotch bright wheels still, but I want to go ahead and get the first steps rolling.


Thanks soooooo much guys!

Uhhhhh correction! It's 304 that I got! *bangs head against brick wall repeatedly, vowing to start remembering number designations.*

It forged quite nicely, but not below a brightish red heat.

This is a question that you can ask 100 different blacksmiths and get 50 different answers for. I'll weigh in my two cents worth.

I'm right handed. I work, horn to the right.
I work with my right hip touching the horn or very close to it. I stand so that my swing is, more or less, parallel with the near and far edges of the anvil.


If your stand, in any way, prevents you from getting very close to your anvil while you work, you need a new anvil stand.

I like the horn to the right because I feel it gives me more open access to the horn, and it allows me to safely continue forging with a tool in the hardy hole.

These are matters of technique and not of strict right or wrong habits, most of the time. Do what feels comfortable for you.

Well.....I picked up some stainless! It's 404, and is all the yard offers / has. $65 for 12-foot of 5/8-inch square! Now the fun begins!

As far as color range, am I still looking for a bright yellow forging temperature when I take it out of the fire? I should return it to the fire sooner than steel though, correct?

I am going to cut a small piece, forge it down to maybe 3/8-inch, and make some leaves / flowers for practice.

I consider myself both, though more a craftsmen. In circles where I can hold my own amongst other smiths / potential clientele, I use the term "artist blacksmith." In circles like IFI, the ABANA conference, etc, I don't like to use the term, as I am nowhere near the talent level of some of the guys on here.

Just like in my shop I'm the master blacksmith, but in another skilled smith's shop, I am an apprentice or MAYBE journeyman level workman.

That's the way I look at it.

Good idea! It also works well as a way to make modern square head bolt hardware look larger. I had a client with some enormous hand forge bolts. He wanted new ones but couldn't afford hand forged. The heads on store bought ones are WAY too small! However, if you texture your small bolt head, and place a big square washer behind it, from a few feet away, it passes off quite well.

I like the black dome head screw. Where are you getting those? Is it just a course thread wood screw?

Here is a picture of my booth! I do some fairly high end shows throughout KY, and it works for me!

If you want to make money doing shows make A LOT of misc items!

URL=http://s1302.photobucket.com/user/blacksmithdave/media/image_zps87c77bd5.jpg.html]

Thanks guys! I'll probably hit the steel yard Monday and see what they have! We are going to be making hammers again in a week, so I've got to get some 4140 and 1045 too! Should be a real cheap bill! :)

make a key and a lock, that should keep your mind busy

Hey I can do that.....it's the part where the key has to unlock the lock that gets me!

candle 3.jpgcandle 4.jpgcandle 2.jpgGreetings Mac,
 
You ask for it.. Make this with only 1 piece of 1/2 x1/2 stock 24 in long without any forge welding of any kind or welding .  No breaks and only one rivet..   Except for 1 small copper drip pan and a match.
 
You ask for a challenge      Jim

You mind if I ask what kind of time you have invested in a piece like this?

In my recent thread on matching nickel hardware, we talked about forging stainless to fake the nickel look. So my next question is, what alloys of stainless can be forged and what can't? My steel yard has stainless, but I want to make sure I get the right stuff.

The client wants to see stainless samples.

If you can get to Tannehill to see these guys and gal work, certainly do so. They are traveling a long way, sacrificing a lot of time, and working really hard to bring a good show, demonstrate some awesome technique, and make some interesting items.

Last year's young smiths 2012 team did well, was well received, and was the first organized team to support youth in blacksmithing at such a large event.

This year's team is much more organized and I know it will show in the quality of demonstrations, and the quality of work. Support these guys by your presence if you can. U


To the demonstrators:
When you demonstrate, speak UP. It is hard to hear over all the other noise. Speak loudly, slowly, and clearly. (Alec, your accent makes it difficult to understand sometimes.......be mindful to speak more slowly than normal.)
NEVER assume your audience knows what you are talking about. ALWAYS explain special terms when you use them. If you say, "half hammer face blow on the near side," explain what you mean. There may be someone in the audience who is not familiar with blacksmithing terms.
You will have differences of opinion while working with you other team members. DO NOT settle those in front of your audience during a demo. Be professional!
Finally, if you are running two or more work stations this year, like we did last year, do not try to talk about what you are doing at your station, while someone else is talking about what they are doing in their station.

These are some things that make a GREAT demonstration. Don't be average......be GREAT! Take it from a young smith 2012 member who's has been demonstrating for six years to anyone from 2nd graders to full time professional blacksmiths.

Good luck guys!

Search for Elmer Roush through google. He makes some AWESOME locks.

Suggestion one: try the chain and magnets
Suggestion two: bolt that thing down to whatever base you have, and bolt it down good. If someone nukes our anvil, make sure it ain't coming off the stand! Then bolt or stake your stand to the ground. 1/2-inch rebar stakes, our feet long, work well. A firm mount will reduce vibration. A thin rubber pad between your anvil and stand wouldn't hurt. Tire tube works well. Do that, and then just keep a constant eye out of local deals. Put wanted adds out everywhere. Let your barber know you want an anvil. You get the idea!

Thanks Timothy! I always look forward to your input on these type questions because of your experience, professionalism, and to-the-point honesty. I will look into the copper/nickel idea. I've forged copper enough to know how to handle it. I'm assuming that a copper nickel alloy would forge similar to it.
You wouldn't happen to have a small quantity you would be willing to part with, would you? A couple feet of 3/4-inch round or square bar, and one square foot of plate, say 1/4-inch plate, would do the trick.

I like the idea of forging the stainless. I think plating is goings be too expensive for my client, not to mention never having done it before.
I can get stainless locally, but I've never forged it before. Does it work pretty much the same as steel as far as temperature and forging technique?
I can get scotch bright wheels for my drill gun, and maybe for my bench grinder.....that shouldn't be a problem. What about citic acid though? Anybody know where I can pick that up stateside?
What exactly does the pickling do?

What sort of finish should I go with on SS. I usually use oil, wax, or krylon clear coat. SS is going to be more rust proof than steel obviously, but should I plan on clear coating it to preserve the surface finish of the material?

Finally, does anyone have any pictures of SS finished in this way, or similarly? I'd like an idea of what it should/will look like.

I don't have much time to comment on what all has been presented thus far. I appreciate the input and will peruse it as time allows.

 

Here are a few pictures. I haven't even looked at them closely to determine a general idea of design or proportion. I've got a few other jobs to get going, as well as this one.

 

 

 

Hi guys! Need some help.

I have a potential client with a large, dark (probably stained walnut) door. He wants a door knocker. His current hardware (handle, lock, and hinges) is nicer range, mass produced, brushed nickel.

Do any of you guys have any ideas of how to match that finish in the door knocker? Or am I complicating simplicity, and should just stick with natural steel black?

I'll upload some pics of the door in a bit....maybe that will help.

Thanks!

I'm with Brian Brazeal here. This fleur-de-lis is simply square stock bent and forged to accentuate the diamond. Or do you need a completely flat backside to the piece?