Johnnie C.

I tempered them at 450 for an hour and a half. They were cool to the touch when I put them in the oven.

I had the oppertunity to go watch the Guntner's at a demo in Pery, OK last month. Chad Guntner was holding his punch with a set of tongs, I was talking to him about why he did it that way, and he said that you can keep your hands away from the work and it saves room on tooling. I liked the idea and took it and ran with it. Now I'm having trouble, I'm using 01 tool steel and I think I heat treated everything right. I heated to around 1600 degrees, then quinched it oil. Then I bake it in the oven at 450 degrees, until the steel turned a straw color. I was pretty excited to use them today. When I started to use them is when I ran into trouble, they broke in the troat. How might I prevent this from happening again? I have put the rest aside until I can come up with a solution, or before I hurt myself. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I have made a few of my tongs, but usualy I'm too busy filling order or making other tools. Its easier for me to buy them. My experience is I spend more time and money trying to make them, its easier to buy them.

My experience is that what I see and what the customer sees is completely different. The inperfection that I beat myself over, 9 times out of 10 nobody will even notice.

Saturday I had to work at my job. Today I finished cleaning a blower and work on a rivet forge that was given to me.

I'm a union pipe welder and I do a lot of tig welding. I run my argon between 30-35 cfm.

very nice work. I might try something like that some day.

I attached the hat with a few squirts from my mig gun.

I saw civilwarblacksmith's cowboy hat in the gallery, and the blacksmith group I'm a member of has a monthly meeting that is next weekend and the trade item is a bar-b-que utensil so this is what I came up with. Its made from a piece of 1/2 in square stock, and the hat is a piece of sheet metal.

I've learned that everyday you fire up your forge you learn something new. It may be a better way to do some something or modifing a pair of plier to help keep from burning your hands (which is a good idea, thats on my list of things to make now). Just don't let fustration overcome you and keep on hammering.

I made a gun rack for my dad for fathers day that are cat tails with two ducks that hang from it, and my wife a set of pansys out of copper and brass for our aniversary. Each year that we are married just gets a new flower in her arrangement.

5x7 Picture Frame with a Copper and Brass Rose. The frame is made from 1inx1/4in flat bar, the stem is 3/8in round stock, the leaves are 3/8in sq stock, and the center border is 3/32 twisted tig wire.

Here are a few of my latest projects other than making tools. They are selfstanding flowers that many people seem to like. I made a Calla Lilly, a Day Lilly, and a Rose. I have to thank dish network for the metal I made the petals out of.

I will send a few leaves from the flat state of Kansas

I found this 3/4 horse motor with 12in disc for $10 at a yardsale. This is a homemade job. I rewired the motor, made a base and a platform, then if put it work. It works great and I couldn't be happier with.

Most of my projects that required welding I use a mig welder. I haven't learned how to forge weld yet.

Here are two of my latest projects. The coat rack I made for my wife and me (I hope she likes it). This is my first longhorn that I made for some friends of mine. I think it turned out ok.

I build a lot of fences and I use 3in X 14ga square tubing for my post, 2inX1in 14ga for my top rail and 1in for my blisters. If you go to my photo gallery I have fence I built posted. My customers seem to be happy with the material I use.

I just renewed my lease on my 3 bottles, Oxy/Act,and argon. I spent about $300 that not including my torch and gages wich cost about $300 as well.

Well guys I haven't comming around near as much as I use to, but I haven't gave up blacksmithing. Here are a few things that I have made in the last few days. I have posted these images in the members gallery if you want a discription. If I'm not back before Chirstmas, I wish everyone a Merry Christams and may God be with you.

I have been incorporating copper with some of the flowers I make. I neck the pipe down about 2 in from the ends and then use silver sodier to get it to hold to the carbon. You can see the flowers in the members gallery.

I use a air die grinder, its a little cheaper than a elcectric and a lot smaller. I use electric die grinder at work and they seem to be a little too big to handle sometime. The RPM's are higher on an electric than air. Another tool you may look at is a naumatic file. I have one that I use a lot. It takes a 3/8 x 13 in belt and works good for corners and such. You find them at Nothern Tool or Harbor Freight.

I usually wear dark safety glasses with I cut and O/A weld. Since you wear prescription glasses the best way to go is cutting goggles. In my oppinion they are all uncomfurtable. If you do a lot of welding I would suggest a atuo darkening lens that you can adjust the the lense darkness. I hope this helps a little.

For $75 i would give it a go. Make sure the leads are good and it welds. I use to have one and it is a workhorse. They are good welders and the price seems to be right.

I am looking for a good rounding hammer. I looked at new one but they are too pricey. I was wondering if anyone had one they are willing to sell? Weight dosen't really matter as long its in good working condition. I'm looking spend $0 - $40.

Thanks

Johnnie