santisandreas

Hehe, Nice one Buzzkill. Hydrochloric Acid Is much stronger acid to use than Citric Acid. Can I use that? Or is it unwise?

I have attempted today to derust some screws I had Lying around with Hydrochloric Acid and then quench them into a Soda solution with water to neutralize the acid. This leaves a sort of grey finish. I wiped it and then left it as such. But I am worried that if they are not coated with paint or atleast oil they will begin to rust very fast. Does this apply to Stainless steel as well? In the case of stainless what must I do after the Passivation procedure to protect the piece from rust etc...?

Using Hydrochloric Acid to passivate a stainless steel Knife is a too strong solution? On a 1/10 ratio per liter? After the process what finish do you suggest to polish the piece?

Thank you Everyone for your advise. This is truly helpful. I will look into which Stainless I can buy Locally and update you as I progress.

Hm, I see. Thank you for the advice. I will look into passivation and see how that can be done. How about chrome plating with electricity?

Thank you for the quick reply Steve. Ok i will look for 440. Do you know though about its molecular structure and how it changes during forging? Specificly if it will be antibacterial after forging? How to polish it?

Greetings everyone, Its been some time for me to visit the forum. I have an interesting case for a job I was hired to do. The client requires forged surgical tools to be made. The only supply I have here is 316 stainless steel and I hope this is suitable for the project. My only concern is whether the antibacterial properties of the Stainless will change in the process of forging. Do you know if this is the case? If yes, what methods must be used after finishing a surgical scalpel for instance to return it to its non porous nature? Furthermore, which method is best to use for forging? A coal forge? or A gas forge? I believe it is the gas better but still I would like to hear your thoughts. Thank you for your time in advance.!!!

Hello everyone, I am in the market for replacing my grinder as well so I was reading posts on the forum about different models. I quite liked the bader when I saw it on their website but the problem is that it will have to be shipped from the states to Cyprus which makes it not worth it. Can you suggest a good belt grinder in Europe? is there a dealer of bader in the EU? Thanks in advance!

Actually wood is out of the question because of the fire department! (they don't allow it!) But yes I will consider if the best solution is either brick floor or earthen. But after the suggestion by Beaudry I think I am quite leaning towards the brick floor with sand or mortar beneath them and a good pair of shoes made by order with a soft sole and some good protection. I believe that it will be easy to clean and provide the uneven gripping points so that the legs are more stable while forging. Thanks to everyone who posted and for your very informative advice! if you would like to add something else feel free! Kind Regards, Andreas Santis!

Hi Beaudry, do you have an image to post so I can see what it is exactly.? What is the sand slurry? the bricks you are talking about are the orange small bricks which are 20*10cm and 5cm thick? They are usually used on pavements and on decorating a road which is considered to be very old as in within the center of Larnaca for example. I think the most commonly available bricks are the ones on the middle image here but I like better the last one which is darker for a forge! And btw that is a great idea! thanks a lot!

hey everyone! Yes, Frosty again you are right from the first assumption in the post! The problem I've been facing with my concrete floor is firstly posture because it is really difficult for me to hammer on the anvil and stand straight due to scoliosis I've been suffering for almost my entire life! I have begun to swim and do areal silks to improve posture for the long run. Secondly, we have a shortage of shops here in Cyprus who stock good working shoes and any attempts to order online have proven fatal due to the sizes each company makes. I've ordered a pair of welder shoes from Amazon in size 45 and when they arrived it was almost size 47 for my legs! I sent them back and took another pair from another company and it still didn't fit well so I just quit the whole deal! But yes now to think of it I think it will be better to have a concrete floor and maybe I will make a gravel, sand mixture as you suggested only in the forging triangle! Anyway, it is pretty late here so we will talk tomorrow! Thanks everyone for all the comments!

Hello, beaudry, Thanks for the info! so there is no need to do a particular recipe for the flooring? Do you know of any of them that will make the floor more hardened?

Hello JHCC, Thanks a lot for the info, yes I had that problem and now i will use google from now on!

Hello Everyone, I would like to start a post dedicated to the options a blacksmith can have for a floor in his or her workshop. I've looked around as much as I could within these busy days to find some posts and noticed that there is not a dedicated post which highlights the options/pros/cons of each type of floor. I have read that one of the best floors is the Adobe/earthen floor in terms of physique but I have yet to find a really good guide for how to go about making such a floor and how to harden or soften it if necessary. Any info on this matter is welcomed since I am thinking that this will be the floor that I will be making for my new workshop in Larnaca. Are there any books that explain how to make such a floor? How does the earthen floor come into conflict with a windy weather and windows open during the summer time? (will I be breathing the sand if there is wind through the workshop?) or can it become hardened enough in order to not have any particles dispersed through the air? Another question is if it will absorb the steel dust produced from grinding or if I will have to do a dedicated grinding room with a concrete floor so that it will be easier to clean and have a ventilation system in the room that will get rid of the particles immediately! Next is the option of a wooden floor or wooden tiles that will provide a smooth concrete-like surface which will be coated with a varnish that will be inflammatory (if possible)! My only question is if there is a type of wood that is better against fire hazards and will be ok by the inspection of the fire department because they are very strict in the safety of the workshops built within the town! And lastly is there another type of flooring that I could be considering that is easy on the legs throughout the day? P.S. if there is another post which covers the matter that I haven't found please direct me to that one and I will erase this one! Happy smithing Year to everyone!

Hello Ede, no i do not any brazing and the 4 temperaments that you mentioned do not apply to me at all, except if you consider that while cutting a piece with an angle grinder for a second and not wearing the respirator is considered ignorance. Mainly i have been wearing the respirator and in the future i will buy a wet saw for cutting steel to minimize the steel dust particles in the workshop but this is a later investment. I have been thinking about the maxi-grinder for a while but i think it is not wet. But since I have high costs at the moment with my new workshop I might consider buying a better grinder later on just like the wet saw. And of course I wash my hands regularly! Thanks for the thoughts though and i will keep close tabs on this for a long time. The Gas forge has arrived so i will be switching to it very soon and see how that goes.

Yes i will monitor it closely and look for other sources as well. thank you for the advice. But the most important is that the goal is to decrease the intake from the forge so as to be able to continue and advance in this amazing art form.!

Hello Mark, thanks for the advice and i will be taking a mixture of them as it seems. I hope it will help. i will try to eliminate the sources and switch to gas forge for a while and see what happens.

I am back again. Glenn i really appreciate your detailed answer, and apologise from beforehand for not answering all the issues that you raised. Since you have described that the substances like arsenic, aluminium, cadmium etc are only found as trace elements in the coal i will not worry so much about them and try to place a better chimney in my next shop according to your recommendations and take care for the air filtration and cleanliness of the smithy. As for wearing a mask all the time while working is even more unbearable due to the heat during our almost 8 month summer time and due to the difficulty breathing. I wear the mask while grinding though which limits the intake of the elements in the steel. As for the change of fuel i will switch to the smithy breeze which i am pretty sure is coke and not coal which will be another matter addressed. I had a recommendation from the doctor to start taking Vitamin C and some other stuff to start the detox process and i will increase my exercise within the week which will help as well. I will keep you posted from any improvements made. Do you all think that coke will be better than the coal i was using.? i have just asked from my supplier in the UK to sent me a specification sheet for the ingredients of the smithy breeze and i will post it here as soon as i have it. Thank you all for the info given and the comments about my workshop. If you wish visit my site www.andreassantis.com or the page in Facebook titled 'santis blacksmith' mainly to see some sculptures i did back in my college days and some tables i am working on now.

hello everyone, thank you for the quick replies. give me some time to read fully the post by Glenn and i will get back to you. Now as for the gas forge i have ordered the forgemaster blacksmith recently and its on its way, (after failing to calibrate the two forges i have built out of propane bottles) Hense i will switch to it soon for a period of two months or more to see if there is any improvement in the heavy metals in my system. Ventilation will be better soon as i plan to move in a bigger space as soon as possible out on the country side where the workshop is much bigger. And i will do some research on what i can do with the chimney of the forge.. but anyway i will now read Glenn. and get back to you.

Hello there, I have a problem which i am investigating the cause for some months now. I have run multiple blood tests and today another new test which measures the chemicals and or heavy metals inside ones system to show what vitamins and minerals are off the normal charts. The test has shown some worrying results in the heavy metals department and i am now considering the possibility of it being work related. I have been practicing blacksmithing for the last three years as a main profession but my workshop is still located at the back of the house in the garage (square space of 25 squared meters) which i know there is no proper ventilation even if i have the two windows open. I have noticed lately that after 2-3 hours of work my throat becomes very dry and then leads to pain and difficulty breathing. I try to keep the shop as clean as possible but dust gathers everywhere from the grinding or the cutting of steel with power tools. And on top the problem becomes even worse from the fumes of the coal forge. Now i must clarify that this is my personal issues due to the unbalance of my organism. I do not want in any case to discourage anyone from working in this amazing craft because most people have worked with coal for a very long time and have never faced such problems. This thread is just to help me and anyone else who faces similar issues to find proper solutions to these matters. As a result i am now wondering if some of the elements found in the coal or in steel itself can be related with the toxicology of my health system and what can i do to minimize the intake of this elements from my work space. I will soon be moving to a bigger workshop which i will give the highest priority on these matters of health and safety and then everything else. The Heavy Metal Test Report has shown high indications of these metals in my system, they are just bellow the red marker: which includes Aluminioum, Silver, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cadmium (highest) Mercury, and Lead. The only normal ones i have are 5/14 which are Antimony, nickel, platinum, thallium, Thorium. I am aware that there are many sources for these metals eg: Lead is found in high levels in users of batteries eg constant contact with cell phone. Can you advice on the subject and let me know of your experience with this sector of health and what i can do to minimize the impact on my health? Another last question is which of these ingredients is found in the 'common' coal used by blacksmiths and if there is another brand that is cleaner or better on these aspects.. Because soon i will be ordering another ton of coal from abroad and i would like to get the cleaner one instead of the one i have already. I am currently thinking on getting the smithy breeze which i think is better than coal. Do you know of any other brands and what to look for? thanks to everyone who has read this post for the patience and for any help on the subject. find attached some images of my workshop, the forge, and the coal used. the last image is the cleanest the forge has ever looked and it is there to get a feel of the size of the workshop.

thanks for your replies! sorry for the so late response! the deal with that hammer is now gone. there is no chance i can purchase it. I contacted the government with several letters and we got nowhere. they said that because it is the property of the state that it has to go on auction and they are not willing to do that for now but they will contact me if they do. As of now i am looking for a space to make my workshop in Larnaca and then i will purchase an air hammer but i am looking for another option besides the Sahinler SM50. can you suggest any places to look for a used one or even a new one? i have checked on Angele but the pricing is too high for me. i cannot make such an investment so soon into the craft. i am looking for something at a maximum price of 8000 euros. Jhegge which company makes the hammer you have? can you sent me any links to the suppliers or the manufacturer? it would be appreciated!

thanks for your opinion. if i could get it it would have been in my workshop by now but it belongs to the goverment and i need permission to get it. we have sent them a letter and still waiting for their responce. if they come through i will be quite happy, but for now we can only wait.. thanks again though for all your opinions!

I am currently waiting for a reply from the Turkish government if they can let it go and for its exact price. but yeah it is a very good deal. i hope that they come through since they have no use for it anymore. I will update here for any news and hopefully some more pictures of its acquisition and repair.!! Btw everyone i got a suspicious pm the other day by a member Benita99. i think it is a false account hacking or fishing members.

thanks a lot for your advice. it answered the questions that i had. would you say that the anyang is a better than the C41?maybe my dealer here in Cyprus could contact the anyang company and get me the prices for those. would that be a safer choice? or maybe i can see to get the one i found to be refurnished but i don't know if i can get it yet from the school. still expecting an answer. do you think that this will cost a lot to be refurnished? i know for certain that it has seen minimal use because it was in the school where no one used it but on the other hand it has been outside for some years now. the cost of purchase is below 1000 euros but i am not sure what it will need to work, only the motor is missing from the inside while the rest is still intact and hasn't been tempered with. It is from a Russian manufacturer from the time it was USSR.

ok thanks for the opinion but i am wondering how come and they have the same model (C41-20KG) and the same two piece design? is it possible that it is the same factory that produces them? or the model doesn't matter at all and maybe there are a lot of factories producing the same design and model with varietions in their construction?