arkie

I had to replace a handle on my bench vice once. Used 3/4" round bar, welded a big nut on each end, ground smooth. Works great!

​With things like your turners, not a problem. I've drawn/fullered 3/4" bar stock on the horn. Just don't use a sledge on the tip!!!!!!

Nice looking and sturdy forge, Kevin. Congratulations on a good build. You mentioned you were adding a stack (hood, I assume); that is pretty much a necessity; how about sideboards of some sort to keep the coal banked up on the table? Mine is about the same size as yours, and I very soon found I needed to add some sides, in my case 1/8" x 3" bar stock with tabs that let me just "clip" them on the side. These pics are with the hood removed for clarity.

I like your handle and end caps ...

Practice with good rods ! If you use bad rods, then you might not be able to tell if it's your welding or the rods causing the problem(s). We ALL need more practice. Some days, I just rig up some scrap and burn a bunch of rods. Surprising how the "groove" can get away from you.

Don't let the bad juju take control!!! "Forge" your own destiny.....

Vaughn, One item that was not addressed in your welding predicament is steel type. I don't know what or where you acquired the steel, but if you happened to use some scrap AR400 steel instead of regular mild A36, then that may be part of the problem. AR400 is a hard steel commonly used in blades, buckets, etc. on earth moving equipment. I thought maybe you ran across some of that as scrap for your tool. That steel definitely requires preheat and lots of amps to burn in a good bead. Also, there are of course, other steel alloys that are harder and more difficult to weld than A36, which we blacksmiths may run across when digging through scrap piles.

norrin, nice looking combo, turner and opener. I fuller/draw out long lengths hammering against the horn. Goes faster and is smooth. Try it sometime.

Just weld the pieces together. The bushhog blade is tough steel and you'll be flattening hot steel, therefore hardening is not needed. Be sure to preheat the two pieces with a propane torch or O/A for a better weld. I heated my two pieces on the weld surfaces for about 2-3 minutes, that at least is better than a cold weld. I used 3/32" 7018.

​T.M.I.

Don't see why you couldn't. Case hardening is surface hardening; it doesn't go completely through the steel piece. You can make a quick and dirty flatter like this. I used a 3/8" bush hog blade and piece of an axle welded together. Works fine. Your 3/4" thick piece is even better.

​That potato trick for a heat stop/heat sink is a great idea. Gotta remember that for lots of things, not just knives.

Frosty, you need to start shaving your eyebrows!!!!!!!!!! You can always paint them on like the ladies do.

Tony, one of the best and smartest things you did was come to a forum where you could get some advice from a consensus of folks rather than wing it on your own and maybe end up with some really BAD results...

I use a HD bathroom fan, hardly run it wide open, $15 new.

Wrap a chain around the waist of the anvil or stick a big magnet on the side; those usually work. Silicone instead of neoprene would probably be better. Good price on the Fisher, if it's in decent shape.

Bondo, if two pages of replies by experienced smiths in this thread telling you to leave the anvil alone and work with it as it doesn't soak in, then Thomas' previous comment should seriously be taken to heart.

​He is currently using a toaster oven. I believe this is a new project he has undertaken.

​Great info, thanks! I'll pass it on to him.

I can burn metal with the best of 'em!!! Forge welding, well..............let's say I'm still working on that one. With the fart fan I'm using, most forging is done with the blast gate open only 1/4, heavy stuff maybe 1/2.

Thomas, he is a blacksmith who does his heating and quenching via his forge, but apparently wants to use this old oven/furnace to temper. I was given some links for heat treating oven controllers, but I don't know if he is willing to spend the $ for some of the equipment.

Frosty, thanks for the insight on the furnace. I haven't seen the beast, but your analogy of the AA fuel dragster and Civic might be a real problem for him. He does have a toaster oven, but wanted to try to put this big one to use. There is a first class electrical shop and supplier in town that I suggested he drop by and talk to as well. I recall in labs in school that we used large rheostats or voltage controllers that had a dial and big black knobs on them (how scientific is that, fer ya???) to control some equipment, but I don't think they were ovens...too many years ago.

I posted this question on another forum, but it probably applies more to topics here. It is more of an electrical question than blacksmithing. A friend has a small oven about the size of a microwave. Where he got it, I don't recall. The oven was a high temperature type used by a company to test the residual ash content of coal after baking out the volatile components. He indicated it has only one heat, and that is HIGH...about 2000 deg. F or somewhere in that neighborhood. Beyond that, I know nothing else about it. He would like to use it to heat treat and temper knives and other steel to temps of anywhere from 400 deg to 600 deg instead of the one high heat. Is there a type of rheostat or controller that he can place inline to regulate it to a lower temperature?

Nice rose and forging work! Carries recycling to the max. I'll think of that piece of work next time I see an old steel drum.

Shamus, When you are building your forge, no matter what the design, I STRONGLY recommend making a hood for it. They are worth a fortune to get the smoke and a lot of heat out of your face. I ran my forge for nearly two years before I got around (lazy, I guess) to putting one on and have never regretted it. I got so tired of having smoke swirling around and choking or blinding me. Plus, my wife has stopped complaining when I wash my face and the washcloths are no longer black! There are a myriad of designs and fabrications out there, from fancy stainless steel to scrap sheet metal. Whatever you can cob up, go for it. I found a design for a rectangular one made of sheet metal that I fabbed up and stuck on mine. I think I got the design drawing/photo from some post on IFI.