Avadon

I'm gonna bookmark this thread. Where does one find H13 Rod for making pin punches to forge with and I assume I can weld this type of rod to chunks of steel to put on handles correct? I looked in the MSC blue book 2008 Catalog and couldn't find any reference to "H13". (MSC is where I normally order, unless someone has a better idea) I guess no one sells sets of like common size pin punches for blacksmiths out of H13?

I'm handy enough that if someone can give me a general idea of the concept I can construct something to fit my specific needs. I live on prolly 3/4 acre property and forges, backyard bbq's and the like, I know I can get away with, but if I just have a monstrous thing sitting there with flames in a pit that might get someone calling, but if I can build something where the fire is quite contained and that's teaming out of this thing is smoke then that should be a non issue. :)

Can someone give me a breakdown of how this works? I guess I sorta understand the idea here. Is it that the exhaust gasses from the wood are come off a chamber (in this case a drum) are put back into the heating area and ignited underneath it to avoid lost energy in the process? I guess I like this idea but in the area I live I can't have an exposed fire sitting on the ground. So even if I used a drum setup, (which I really don't want to because in this area I think i'd have to buy one. I don't even have a truck to pick one up.) I'd still have to enclose the fire underneath it in some kind of box. What are all the valves for?

okay cool.. i'm sure others will have some input in the meantime. Looking forward to seeing your reply. I'm sure I couldn't be the first to actually decide to "fabricate something" for this purpose to get a better yield, in a safer more enclosed way then a drum, with more controllability and results.

YIKES! I've never heard of that.. sounds scary. Well these punches only go up to 1/4" But when would one ever be quenching the punches in question. Seems like you would use them quickly and then hang them back up. Do people put them in water sometimes to quickly cool them to get ready to go again? Is that what your talking about?

I just found this thread http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/h-13-a-7060/ and was reading it.. So will normal punches crack pretty fast? Is it the heat differential that destroys them? Do they actually crack or do they bend?

Well these are Dasco punches. They don't give a rating on the package. I don't understand why it would need to be special steel if it's going through hot metal. Seems like it shouldn't take a whole lot to get through it as it's not like one is cold working tryinig to punch through the metal.

I've read a few threads on here about making charcoal in drums but I was wondering if anyone ever built anything like a backyard charcoal making machine. Something perhaps on wheels that might be like an enclosed metal fire box with a chamber inside it and above for loading wood into. Sorta like a fine tuned charcoal making setup. Are there any pictures or plans or diagrams of people who've made something like this? All I could find was people lighting fires in drums. :confused:

I'm going to be welding an array of punches onto small little billet shapes like in the Vaughans (hope works) catalog. I can make those easy enough so no need to order them from half way around the world. I just wanted to make sure i was using the right punches and it sounds like I am. I need these so I can make my forging tongs and get busy with my nemesis custom forge :)

Excellent info.. thanks for the help. Just wanted to make sure I was on the right track ;)

For making holes in hot steel what kind of punches should one be using. What kind shape works best. I thought of usnig pin punches but I wonder do these push the metal out of the way well or would something tapered like a center punch be better. Which has a tendency to create the least bulge or deformation of the surrounding area?

Air is always higher quality over electric. It is cheaper, creates less heat, vibration, and overall cost of ownership. The expensive part is getting the compressor to run it. This can cost hundreds into the thousands depending on your needs. Mostly 90PSI @ 10-15CFM or thereabout is a minimum if I have it right. But you can't beat air. I really wouldn't waste your money on electric die grinders as they don't make 90dgs electric die grinders and that is what you'll want.

I like that dark house!!

melt it down into ingots? (I'm not sure how high the quailty of the tubing is though.

Cool, thank you for the info :)

So Glenn, refractory doesn't give any better insulation then steel?

Bump.. anyone know the answer to these? Is it necessary when making this kind of forge to use a pipe greater then standard sch 40black iron? (such as the kind you get from home depot/lowes) Will that hold up? Cause that is a thin wall and I always thought the bottom of a forge should be 1/4" to 1/2"? Also I'm curious, is the refractory any better then just welding plate steel sides? Do you get any heat from the refractory that you wouldn't get from plate?

Yes Jmercier, they're all for armour. If I beat them up smithing stuff i'll go and repolish them with 3m mini abrasive pads and my buffer. You would really be surprised at how small scratches or nicks in tooling transfers to sheet metal. So at the very least a 350-400grit matte finish on sheet metal tools is necessary to keep from transfering any blemish on the tool to the material.

Phil, no offence to mccmaster-carr but you should call up J&L industrial and ask to speak to one of their experienced machinists/tech's and describe them your saw and your process. Seriously, you will be glad you did. I used to live by a J&L in chicago, there were impeccable with answering machining questions like this. Chances are you are not using the right blade/lubrication/power/speed requirement. Cutting billet Titanium is an advanced process and if it is taking 6 hrs to cut through that billet your blade is most likely work hardening the material as it is cutting. Titanium also has a springy quality which can result in oscilation during cutting and end up with rather light cuts and a byproduct of excess heat. You may even notice that your cut on your saw is not that clean of a cut due to the inefficiencies in your cutting method. Check out this link and then i would try J&L or even KBC and talk to an experienced machinist. Cool Tips for Cutting Titanium Cheers, Av

That ole addage "Good help is hard to find" never goes out of style does it? The new model of hiring (which i'm sure you've seen) is temp to perm. You might want to look into this Valentin. You simply hire a temp agency which puts your specific requirements out there and then they temp with you for x amount of weeks or months at the end your under no obligation to hire and the employee knows this. It is much easier to let them go at the end if they aren't up to grade. As for my own shop value.. it's priceless.. namely because I make occult items and thus part of a "spirituality" (if i dare use that term, as I don't believe in spirits or the supernatural) is within my shop, tools, and all that I make. The day I stop hammering will be the day I either die or solely sculpt with clay You need another hobby Valentin, or spend time with your wife/family if you have either. Find outlets to de-centrify your shops concern. If you enjoy other aspects of your life I think it will overall graduate your ability to handle stress at the shop. If the stress at the shop interferes with all other aspects of your life then it will only perpetuate until your burnt out and can't do anything you love. Trust me when I say burn-out is real, I burned out of the computer industry and it got so bad that I literally couldn't even help my friends with their computers, and I used to LOVE computers. Now I can handle them marginally but the interest will never be there like it was. Too many hours, to many bad customers, to many networks and all nighters for too little pay, too much self-abuse at the expense of making bosses rich, and it all collapsed around me. Now I love working with my hands and my mind, versus just my mind.

I've been scouting all over at sanders as that seems to be the one area of my shop where i'm fairly tool-weak. Have you guys ever seen these sanders? Multitool Hurricane belt and disc grinders Man these are seriously impressive, not cheap either. However i'm wondering for general blacksmithing and blademaking am i better off using slack belts or stiff belts? After some digging I even found this Convert your stationary belt sander for slack belt use with no modifications for you guys who have the common bench-belt sander. You can use this to covert it to slack belt. I don't know how well it works, but for 20$ it could be worth the try.

I think as long as you thread them down fairly snug the shock is minimal on the threads and transfers into the base, this is my "fingers-crossed" theory at least. I do almost soley hot work on my anvil/forms as most of them are not-treated/hardedned.

This followed me home.. after I spent the whole day getting it inside This should run virtually anything i want/need.

Oh also does a hood over the top of one of these things really draft? And what shape would it be? Rectangular? Square?

Is it necessary when making this kind of forge to use a pipe greater then standard sch 40 black iron? (such as the kind you get from home depot/lowes) Will that hold up? Also I'm curious, is the refractory any better then just welding plate steel sides?