Charles R. Stevens

I think the idea of grain structure improvement by forging comes from wrought iron that has a regiment wood like grain and definitely benefits from being forged. Such as the grain going around a not hole in a wooden plank. As pointed out modern steel is homogeneous and dosen't give a hoot if it is forged or machined. But forging has advantages. It conserves material and has greater aesthetic value.

To find cheap steel just take a walk their are tons of scrap abandoned in the US. Older car springs, axles and steering parts are high carbon (good for tools) reabar is fairly high carbon, but just a mix of scrap to mete a performance spec. Structeral steel scrap can be anything from old wraut iron to modern A36. Untell you get a feel for what scrap is and what you can do with it you will have faillors, but that's part of the learning prosses. And the ancients worked with inconsistent materials some testing was required.

I have sported a full beard for some 20 odd years. It gets trimmed occasinaly( some times involinteraly ).
As to respirators, the german military and fire services don't seem to have a isue with beards. Food for thaught.

I use bees wax as it is not messy to hall in my shoeing rig. Melts wen the hot tool is dipped in it.

Great job, an example of what one can do wen he has more time than money.
I bet you have the vice on the right corner (left if you are a south paw) if you move it to the left end the pull wil force the vice end of the vice into the wall and it will take more work to lever the the other end. If you still move the bench try rotating the bender so you pull the handle doun parrelell to the bench.
I have vice mounted to a draw bare that fits in the receiver hitch on my truck. If one has to get realy primeivil.

What we call Ag steel especialy the square axles from disk harrows works well as it is shock resistant. I also use the large square bars from load leveling hitches for hammer like tools. I use rounded struck ends and soft faced hammers.

All kinds of good steel in a car, the halfshaft that come attached to those CV joints, sway bars, springs, steering linkage, the rods out of shockabsorbers, axle shafts, imput and output shafts in transmitions, baring races, stickshifts. Then their is all the sheet metal and cast iron, aluminum and copper for the foundrymen.

Ladys when I was in their wher only green, black and maroon berrets, and I bet their arenold grunts that remember when their wher only green.
Back on subject. If you wait untilenyou are thirst it's to late. Drink a quart of water an hour when it is hot and you are working hard. Take breaks to cool down, at least 10'min out of every hr.
One comon denominator of us military types. We lost our belife in can't and try. We now only belive in do.

I was raised in Phoenix, served in the army and worked for the forest service as an emt.
Cold water lowers your core temp, but to much to fast and you cramp and ore your body generates more heat. Cool water, not ice water is the trick.
Your gut absorbs about a cup of water in 15 min, and eny thing over 2 cups in your gut slows absorbsion. That said I regularly consume 2-24oz glasses of cool water at a time.
Sugar slows the absorbsian of water, and alcohol flat dehydrated you so as good as it taste lay of the sweet tea and cold beer during hot heavy work weeks.
If like most of us you have a uninsulated shop, especialy a tin roof, radiant heat will raze the inside temp by 20-30 deg.F.
I work in long sleeves and a headrag. With a fan. The long sleeves and bandanna conserve the sweat. Look for thin cotton shirts, the Polly blends like Dickie uses don't seam to work as well.
Look into insulating and venting your shop ceiling for next year.
Of corse yore portable rig and a shade tree cand help.
Sorry I started rambling, must be the heat...

I've Ben out of the industry for 15 years.most of the asian non vented rotors I delt with as well as some utopian models such as BMW and volkswagon use cast steal. Some oventhe high end stuffmuse aluminum break hats with steal disks.

Yeap that's a "vented rotor" the square channels reduce the weight, radiate heat and move air like a fan. "unsprung weight" or weight below the springs is detimental to the ride quality of a car. Of corse lighter cars get beter milage and have lower material costs.
As to material, some are cast steal, some cast iron and others forged. Depends on what the engineers thought sous get the job done for the least weight and cost..
Sorry, the exmechanic is coming out.

I'v ben to Geralds place twice, realy good peaple.
Glad to se I'm not the only tech challenged person hear.
Not sher about the conference as I have a family get together in AZ in Oct.
But it is time to buckle doun and start some serous forging. I need a slew of tools and hardware for our new/old house.

&$@!! IPhone treys to correct my losy spelling and realy makes it wors.

I've ben a member for anyear or so but haven't posted and haven't realy kept up until just the Nast week or so.
I shoe and train horses in Bradley Oklahoma so I'm not unfamiliar with hammer and tongs but shoing, even corrective, therapeutic and hand made shoes is very one demential as far as smithing is concerned.
I have Ben a member of the salt fork craftsmen for a year but again I find my self staing close to home.
Eny one close to me?

Ok, my spelling sucks and the iPhone makes a mess when it trys to help. Substitute showes for shouts.

I'm not a "bare foot" zealot but I suggest www.hopefosoundness.com and Dave Butlers book "The Pricipiles of Horseshoing"' . Dave butler not only shouts you how to forge shoes but gives you a sound knowledge of the living structure you are working with.