ironrosefarms

My day er I mean Night job is as a supervisor over 40 production employees. If I have learned anything about human nature and safety it is this... if it isn't fairly comfortable the danger eventually won't matter and the safety gear will be left behind. Now since I am charged at work with making sure people have their safety gear and are properly using it, I am a bit ashamed to say that it has only been in the past year that I begun wearing safety glasses or hearing protection every time while working metal. I have no idea how I survived 18 years without it other than God looks after children and dummies??? The fact is before I had not found a pair of glasses I could keep on my face that either didn't hurt, cause sweat to run into my eyes, or fog so bad I couldn't see. When I finally went to a local welding supplier where they allowed me to try them on and was able to get real advice, was I able to find a pair that are easy and comfortable enough to keep on. So, if your like I was and tend to leave the safety glasses on the work bench because of issues of comfort and such PLEASE, go to a supplier that has knowledgeable folks who outfit professionals, not necessarily the local hardware, lumber yard, or box store... By the way the safety glasses I purchased from the welding supply store cost less per pair than any of the other single pair I purchased from other places that did not fit well or were of poor quality... go figure... ~O^O~ get em on!!!

When I seen the rail on the slack tub I thought it was a safety device to keep ones self from falling in or something :D

As you prepare to go get some safety glasses, you might want to go and see what the local welding supply house has on hand. That is where I finally found a pair that are actually comfortable enough to keep on while working up a good sweat I got a standard clear pair and the other set are shade 3 so they also protect the eyes from a good deal of the radiation from the forge as well. Something I found recently is from the American Welding Society American Welding Society Safety and Health worksheets, they have a ton of good safety material that carries over into many of the activities we do as smiths. Here is a link to their safety articles, the ANSI Z49.1 PDF file is worth looking at as well, gives a break down on what lens shading is needed for different activities along with a lot of other good information.

I don't really need one of these but reading this I got a big time desire to build one. Thanks for adding another item to my projects list :D

If I was in need of a forge I might try it. However this forge looks like it has holes in the pan, missing a leg drive wheel, pull arm and linkage along with misc. other stuff. Might be easier to build the 55 forge BP0133 than to fix this one up?

In the process of coming back to smithing after a motorcycle wreck a couple years ago the idea of form and ergonomics (two things I did not even think about before the wreck) have been heavy on my mind. As I was reading another thread it dawned on me that although I may think I'm in good form, standing close to the anvil, upright and using good technique as I hammer... the reality may be very different... When I first started shooting archery it was suggested to video tape myself shooting so I could see my form and the reaction the bow made depending on how I was standing or how I drew the string etc... What I seen in that video experiment improved my marksmanship like nothing else I did. It taught me a great deal in a very short time. So I am wondering how many (or if any) of you have set up a camera for the purpose of looking at your form and ergonomics for smithing? Is this something anyone here has done? It is definitely something I have on my list of things to accomplish in the near future... If you have done this (or not) what camera angles would be the most beneficial? Any video's out there that you would use to compare yourself too? Thanks James

Fionnbharr, great post... I've always hated wearing gloves and honestly though I have gone to buy a pair of mechanics gloves twice I have yet to purchase a pair... I keep thinking I'm going to get some forge time in but it just hasn't been possible. Your post brought up an idea about form and I'm going to start a new thread to get some ideas on it. As for the hofi style handle, it seems bazaar to most but I have been playing with that hammer a lot... I keep telling my self that it's because it's new, because of the cost, because, because, because... but I really am drawn to the feel of that handle and the weight distribution. If I don't get to lay it into some hot iron soon, I may go nutz... alright I am already nutz but it's a good kind of nutz! James

Caught a good deal on a vegetable tanned "blacksmiths" side 15 or 16 years ago, very tough and stiff cow hide. I beat the living day lights out of that thing to soften it up a bit then braided a strap to go around the neck and waist with a nice dear antler button to fasten the waist through the braid. When I bought my leather, the guy asked what I was planning to make, once I told him he took me to his garage and gave me a post vice and a blower... Which made the whole deal an absolute steel... James

Jan the picture I used isn't my hand, just a model to put a circle on to show where the pain runs. It feels like it is bruised when it acts up. Life has taken over for the moment and I haven't had a chance to get out to the forge so as soon as I do I'll report back on use of the Hofi hammer, and any other things I do... James

Firegnome, oooh I'm afraid this ones not for me. I tried a similar product with menthal and it set me on fire or so it felt. My wife kept saying it's supposed to feel that way, so I tried to cope for about 10 minutes then I couldn't get it washed off fast enough and it wasn't easy to get off. Everyplace it was placed was a bright cherry red for nearly a week after that. Don't know why it effected me that way, my wife uses it and flexall with no problems, but not me... Recently my wife had used some flexall after mowing and without thinking she put her hand on my bare shoulder and it started to burn, washed immediately and you could see the pink hand print of where her hand had touched me for a couple days... James

Corn... hmmmm I might have trouble keeping my cows away from my forge but this is something I want to try. I may have a good source for storage burnt corn (corn that got to hot in a grain bin to be sold at market, already a bit brown and brittle) This sounds like fun... James

Jayco that is an awesome story and a great little knife

I am under the assumption that each person that comes here to I Forge Iron does so for different reasons. So I thought it might be a neat idea to take a moment or two and tell what part of IFI we like most and why... James PS... I would really like to see the moderators and administrators chime in on this one as well... So everyone think about it and let us in on your what and why...:cool:

Scratch I think it is fine, if you think about it the air may get swirled a bit finding it's way but it really only has one way out. However, with the curve going down it won't allow ash or other debris to enter into the airway going toward the blower. So I think that is the thought process on this design, keeping the junk going down toward the junk outlet... James

The first time I tried to forge weld it stuck perfectly, being young and all I got a bit of a big head. Well the next day I tried 30 times and failed each one of them. That was with an experienced smith in the shop and available. As I remember he laughed and hee hawed quite a bit... so sometimes it might be better with out quite so much "experience" in the shop with you! It was about 2 months until I really got it down pat, now I've been off from the forge for a couple years and I have not tried to forge weld as I just don't want to deal with the frustration if it doesn't stick yet. I'll continue working on my hammer control and building my strength and stamina back up and when I'm feeling all big and confident, I'll let the forge welding bring me back down to size again... Good news is all it really takes is a bit of practice so it will come again, just as you'll get it too... James

I appreciate the input, I just got my Hofi 2.75 pound hammer and the handle is a bit more boxy than my others, but I notice it causes me to hold it a bit different. I can't find my biker gel gloves that I think I have around. I'll probably go and pick up a pair of mechanics gloves this week, but will still try the Hofi handle without gloves too to see how the shape of it compared to what I am using now. I tend to gravitate toward my lighter hammers but one thing I had to do is replace the handle on my favorite little cross pein, I didn't throw away the old handle yet so I may compare it to the new one and see if it is drastically different. Might have to take it to the grinder? I like the bees wax idea as well, I usually lightly sand the shellac off when I use a store bought handle as I don't like the feel of it. Lots of good ideas and I'll post in as I try them out...

I'll try to get pictures but went to a friends yard sale and picked up a milk crate about half full of horse shoes for $1 and another milk crate filled with misc tools and widgets for another $5 including a decent little cross pein, a large punch, about 10 wood handled screw drivers, a medium sized pair of channel lock brand channel locks, 2 pairs of real vise grip brand locking pliers and I don't know what all. The man also deals in scrap metals and I now have him tuned in to hammer heads and such for me, so maybe, just maybe there is more to come?

I too buy my pneumatic die grinders at Harbor Freight and if you watch for them to go on sale I have got them cheap as $10. Plenty of power and for a cheap tool I am well pleased, I have used expensive ones from Snap On and the Matco dealer and was no more satisfied with performance of them. I have both the right angle and straight versions and both are very useful. James

Thanks Racer3j, I've read the Hofi tutorial but maybe I need to go back and read again??? Had not thought about the gel bike gloves either, I might have a pair around, I think I got a pair for Christmas several years back...

I'm having some pain after hammering and wondering if anyone has had similar issues and can give some suggestions on ways to reduce he discomfort. After hammering for some time my hand on the palm side just below the middle finger and ring finger (mostly below the middle) will tend to feel almost bruised. It is also not uncommon for those two fingers and occasionally the index finger as well to feel stiff after hammering or a few other activities. Since I am still working myself back from being away for 2 years following a motorcycle wreck and dealing with hand and other issues, I have thought maybe I am simply holding the hammer to tight? I've tried to loosen my grip intentionally but I don't really know that it helps and there is something uncomfortable about it as well plus it did not seem to make it better. I don't typically wear gloves at the forge but have thought about trying some what I've seen called mechanics gloves that have some padding in that and other parts of the hand. Anyone else with similar issues? If you click on the picture it has a red circle of the area of discomfort...

If you go out to my rose bushes right now the only flowers that are left are looking just like your rose, very open and in their last stages before they begin loosing their petals. So personally I like the look, it shows another segment in a roses life other than the bud or the open but tight design most of us make. Bravo!

I stumbled upon a US Army manual called TC9-237 Welding Theory and application. It is listed as public domain and is available in a few different places as a PDF file. I found it at MetalWebNews (other reference materials are also listed here including a few specific to blacksmithing) The file it self is at army-welding.pdf Warning it is a 975 page monster It might be best if you right click this one and save it first. I have learned several things that I did not know and look forward to printing portions for shop reference material. James

LORE ~ the part of history that makes it fun...

It was mentioned that powder coat doesn't handle temperature changes well. I used powder coat on valve covers, oil filter covers, engine tags, and exhaust fittings on my motorcycle. These parts would many times go from 20 degrees F to normal engine temperatures above the 200 F mark or in the case of the exhaust parts well above that. Never had a separation problem. Being sure the powder coat that is being used is the proper product for the job at hand is a big part in making sure it lasts long term. Check out the website I posted above, some of the breakthroughs they have come up with in the past several years in how flexible and adherent powder coat can be is amazing. I hope you'll let us see the final result regardless of the method of preservation used... James

Great draft, thank you for taking the time to take and post the pictures.