GNJC

Thanks all of you. Veg' oil and beeswax I know but I'd not heard of the paste wax until this post, it is not easy to here in the UK though. Veg' oil I have by the bucket. The only way I see beeswax is in small blocks at crazy prices, any suggestions at to an economic source of beeswax over here Dave?

Hello all, I’ll be doing some demonstrations at shows over the next few months and, being new to this, want advice as to the best 'instant' finish to put on newly-forged items. Usually I give my work a good wire brushing and then coat the decorative stuff in Renaissance Wax and the eating stuff in a food-oil. At shows I’m not going to have time to brush as thoroughly as usual, so I want a fast, attractive finish. I’ve done a search but haven’t found anything specifically on ‘instant’ finishes so please advise on what you think is suitable to go on a briefly brushed item and at what sort of heat it should be applied. Thanks in advance. G.

My understanding - John, please correct me if I am wrong - is that if you are a member of the Blacksmiths' Guild and you are attending a show as part of the Guild (i.e. selling & giving demo's etc.), you will be covered by the Guild's insurance. That is assuming, of course, that you act reasonably and follow 'Health & Safety' norms.

In his DVD, Peter Parkinson uses the John B method, simple and quick.

Interesting thread. A few mentions have been made of women being 'historically' excluded from the craft here in the UK. In fact a woman could have and work in her own workshop, almost as Phil has said.; the loophole was for widows, any woman whose husband died and left her a business had exactly the same rights and reponsibilities in law as a man, even to the point of employing a daughter! The only area this did not apply was in the three professions (Church, Bar & Medicine). There certainly are some things that men are, generally, better at than women and vice versa, but smithing is clearly not one of them. I think it is just a case of numbers - fewer women smiths means fewer top women smiths q.e.d..

Here, as promised, are pic's of the stand I use for my regular block and the add-on that allows use of the new block too. As you can see, I like a waist-height for working. I used 2"x2" because I was given a lot for nothing, but any size from that up would probably be fine. I prefer wood stands to metal ones.

Ha! I'll be sure to put a large, red, block capital note on my 'instruction sheet' advising against use with power hammers. :)

Thanks for that Owen. There is no doubt that cast iron can be vulnerable in the situation you give; fortunately, the block in normal use won’t be under tension and would need a colossal blow to break it even then. I, too, have had cast iron break on me; but it has always been fairly thin e.g. pipe or motor casing. The thinnest place on the block that may take a stray hammer strike is pushing 2” thick; also, during working there will be soft metal between the hammer and the block; I'll also be surprised if anyone is daft enough to use a large hammer for the sort of work that the block has been designed for. I have really whacked what I think are the most vulnerable areas, using a 7lb hammer and have had no effect other than to produce dents. The block I have will go back for melting when I finish playing around with it, but before I take it back – Friday week – I shall get my wife to film me hitting it with my short-handled 14lb hammer and my long-handled 8lb hammer; a sort of destructive test. It may go first whack, or last forever. I’ll pass this on to any interested party. Colleen, I think the 4” thickness of a block will make a difference to its resilience, but I don’t know, so I’ll also try dropping it in the test above… before or after whacking? I’m often at friends’ places around Tring (near Ivinghoe Beacon and Aldbury), so I’ll happily drop a block off as and when. Is your chum a professional smith by any chance…? I intend to use the block on an adapted ‘table’ fitted on my current swage block stand. I’ll post a pic’ of my current stand tomorrow and one of the ‘table’ once I have made it. It will allow me to work at about navel height.

Hmm… Colleen, Sections 13 & 14 Supply of Goods and Services Act and the Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumer Reg's (2002) give you full protection… I am / was a lawyer! (Guy, this covers all goods sold in & from the UK, so you’ll be covered by it too.) Joking apart, yes, of course; any block that fails under fair use or because of poor manufacture will be replaced. I can’t say that no block will ever break, but I will say that a block that has no casting flaws will easily stand up to the intended job. I won’t go to the expense of having blocks x-rayed or ultrasound tested, so there will always be the chance of internal flaws; but I think that is a very low risk. I think that most of us (including me until yesterday) have it in our heads that cast iron = brittle / weak. But my heavy hammering has proven to my satisfaction that this is not the case, still less so when it is a big solid lump like my blocks. Also, I designed them very carefully, taking into account direction of hammer blows relative to each feature – I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that before. What is reasonable use? Common sense really, but from a purely legal perspective, ‘reasonable use’ is an objective test not a subjective one; so, basically, if a given use would be considered ‘reasonable’ by most smiths it would be so. If most considered it daft, it wouldn’t. So, don’t try and dish cold ½” plate using a 14lb hammer! Mick, Beth, Dave and everyone else, the above will obviously apply to all blocks. Woodsmith10, thanks; always interested in meeting other smiths around here for advice & kit ideas, I’m a few miles East of Chesham, whereabouts are you? (PM?) G.

Right… I spent an hour or so at the foundry this afternoon and have mixed news; though, overall, it is good. Despite attempting castings using SG Iron over the last few days, with variously sized & placed risers (some VERY large) my design will not cast well in SG Iron. Apparently SG is not as fluid as regular cast iron and ‘draws’ more. I was warned this might be the case and it is; again and again the upper surface was ‘dished’. The problem could probably be overcome by using even bigger risers or by the existence of some through-holes in the block – allowing more feed-in of metal. Both options would seriously affect my design and the features I have included, this is something I do not want. The boss at the foundry also cast a block using a regular, modern (i.e. low phosphorus) cast iron; a mix that he thought could be relied upon to do what is necessary. This block cast very well – but an idiot with a grinder damaged it when taking the extraneous riser metal off. All features are spot on. When I was told of this block, I was wary, believing ‘normal’ cast iron to be unsuitable. But, the foundryman passed me a 7lb hammer and said ’try and break it’. I did try, and, other than a lot of small dents there is no damage. I am, therefore, satisfied that the iron used is definitely strong enough for the job. If I had known how resilient a solid block of modern cast iron can be, it would have been my material of choice from the start. (I also gave the failed SG block a good few whacks and the effect was slightly more evident on it, SG being a bit softer.) That all being said / written, if anyone involved is unhappy with the idea of the blocks not being in SG Iron, please let me know. But I must tell you that, having brought the damaged block home ‘to play with’, and having given it some more serious abuse, I am perfectly happy to have my name on the regular cast iron blocks – as it will be! By the way, the block weight is 79lbs / 36kg; there is also the advantage that the price will go down a bit. I’ve asked them to hold off casting until next week, once I know how many are still happy we’ll proceed then. Pic's of the 'damaged' block I have are below. G.

Hello all, I've just returned from the foundry; I visited to prove that I still exist & as a subtle hint that casting some blocks pretty soon would be a good thing in my books. Sand-moulds have now been made from the pattern for sample castings. Samples are necessary to find the best place for the ‘risers’ during casting. The risers are where excess molten metal goes during pouring then, as the metal cools and contracts, the extra stuff in the risers is drawn down to ensure that the mould remains full and that a good casting is made. Casting will be on Monday – so they said…! Hopefully this means that at least one block will be ready for Tuesday (JF!) & that a full run will be soon after. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel’s length has yet to be established… :rolleyes: G. p.s. Thanks Owen.

Update… Beth may be right…! The foundry has informed me that a proving sample is more likely to be cast early next week, not this week… irritating, but such is life. On a related matter, I have been told of - and am now hunting - what I hope is a cone mandrel pattern… but may be a solid bollard. It is said to be ‘a few feet long’ and over a foot wide at the base. However, the chap who had it died a few years ago and nobody seems to know where it, and some other patterns, are now. Assuming these patterns have not been destroyed or acquired by a third party, I shall have a good go at finding them and, if still of use and usable, casting from them. G.

joshua.M I think they are round tuits, it is astonishing what can be accomplished if you can get one , sadly many people don't.

Beth, don't underestimate yourself or what you can show! (...?) I intend to take only a few things: simple stuff to sell, some equipment I have made and used regularly to cook over fires with (for a small period cooking display) to show what I can do and... just to do some basic stuff for the crowds while learning a bit from the other smiths who turn up. Give it a go. G.

I collected the pattern today and took it to the foundry, all is well and good. But - and this seems to happen a lot - the foundry have just been given a big job to do... so the first 'test-casting' will take place next week.

John, since you have written 'at whatever skill level' I could be interested in maybe half a dozen of those. I'll PM you. G.

herchammer, did it get made, if so how is it?

KYBOY, it is an irony that I have had to just start producing the only 'Artist' blocks here in the UK (& europe for that matter) because they could only be got from North America... whereas, we have a huge number of industrial blocks here (12"x12" & bigger) that often go for well under £100 (US$150)! Such is life...

Hello, At their request, I visited the pattern-makers this morning to watch the last part of the pattern’s cutting and to approve the final effort. At first I was surprised. It was strange to see the pattern as 1) a physical 3D object, and 2) in two parts, rather than as a single block (the resin is cut to allow top & bottom sand mouldings which are then placed over one another before casting). Also, the minor features seemed much smaller than they’ve been in my mind’s eye. But, after reassuring myself with a Vernier caliper, I can write that all is well. The pattern-makers didn’t mind this because, they said, they were used to seeing people - unfamiliar with modern patterns - finding a pattern somewhat strange. Nonetheless, it has now been cut. It does still need to be ’finished’ and boxed; ‘finishing’ involves some further smoothing and treating of the outer surfaces, boxing means fitting a wooden frame box around the pattern to allow for the packing and containment of sand to form casting moulds. This will take a couple of days. Real-world commitments mean I am unavailable to collect it until, probably, next Wednesday. I intend to take it straight to the foundry and casting will begin as soon as possible after that. G.

I use a block often - they have a lot more uses that many realise - which makes me think that the first question you need to ask yourself is... how easily am I going to be able to move a block of this size? It must weigh at least 2cwt (224lbs). If you have the strength or equipment to move it easily then get it if the price is fair for your region. Looking at a comment from another chap, in your thread about your floor mandrel, if the price is right you could just get it anyway and trade it later for something you want.

Good size, good condition & good price. As said above, if you need to make 'true' rings it's the only tool for the job.

Thanks Timothy, the reason for my thinking they were cast was the presence of what looked like a seam or the remains of casting flash. I'll do a trial - well, myself and a friend will give a block of SG a lot of hammering - to see of it is up to the job. I have a strong feeling you re right, but if I don't ask / do a test, I shan't know.

Hello all, I am considering producing some spring swages with interchangeable heads, not one-offs, so casting rather than machining is preferred. The swages I have seen (commercial ones) have been cast, but I’m not certain of the metal used. I have made / machined a couple of similar one-off things in tool steel, these work well. Following my experiences with swage blocks, SG iron seems like an obvious choice since it is very strong and casts well. But, is it appropriate? Can only tool steel be used for these? I've done a web search (on here too) but to no avail in answering this specific question. Thanks for advice offered. G.

Back from the pattern-maker, no problem in making the two, small alterations I wanted, the plans are now complete. But, a possible delay in cutting the pattern… a ‘rush’ job has come in. They will still try to finish it this week, but no promises… rather annoying, but – to be fair – I am getting the pattern made at a pretty good rate and they did warn of the chance of this. I shall post further news as and when it comes. (You may be interested to know that we also discussed possible future patterns – for floor mandrels, spring swages, various hardy tools etc. – and that they all look like realistic and economic ideas, I just need to do a bit research on the correct metal for each tool first.) G.

John, I have PMed you with more details, but for now I will say that the standard price (i.e. to those who were not involved from the start) including vat & delivery will be something around £300. How much over / under will depend on the block’s precise volume / mass and the best on-going deal I can get with a courier. I hope that will be acceptable to most people; it certainly is very competitive when compared to those (standard blocks) on offer at well-known blacksmithing suppliers. I have some other ideas for future tool production, cone mandrels etc. and, if the block pays for itself, these will be next in line. I think that there has been a near-monopoly on new blacksmithing tools in this country for some time and I am minded to produce good tools at fair prices to the benefit of the craft. G.