tjdaggett

Thank you! I missed that discussion. I will look into paints.

Is there any need to strip before re-coating, or do you just make sure the piece is thoroughly clean and dry?

I am a gardener first and a smith second. I'm pondering making some plant markers, which would essentially be a stake with a flattened upper half, which could be engraved with "Tomato", "Kale", or even simple pictures of the produce in question. I'm wondering how long forged iron, coated in a beeswax/BLO/turpentine mixture, will remain reasonably rust-free. I don't need it pristine, I just need it to not completely rust over so that the engraving stays visible.

I'm planning on the aluminum. I found a non-Amazon stove/chimney seller that has a five-foot length of just the right stuff, should be able to get it here for about $30. Couple of hose clamps and I'm in business. The plastics I was looking at also had the problem of low-end temperature limits. Even storing them in the shed I'd be worried they'd get brittle quickly. Out of curiosity, why would the aluminum pipe not have the coal gas problem?

Thank you both! I see two options that I like in here. I need to look into whether flexible PVC will withstand the temperature swings in Minnesota over a reasonable amount of time. I can't be replacing this yearly. If not, I think that flexible aluminum will work. I found one that's 10', so I could cut it in half and have more opportunity for experimentation. I'm also keeping a Google doc with links, prices, ideas, and questions, so I can come back to this later if I get pulled away by something more urgent. Should decrease repeat questions.

Thank you Frosty! From all the Googling I've done, I find that the plastic hoses in the right length are all at least $50. I see that I left that criteria out of my question above: I'm looking for something less expensive. If nothing like that exists, I'll save up my shekels, but I thought it worth asking.

Perhaps y'all can help your hardware-challenged brother once again. The duct from my blower to my forge failed. It was a 4" flexible AC vent (pictured above) that I tried to cut down the side and tape to form an opening that would fit over the 2" openings on either end. All of this lives in an uninsulated shed and endures temperatures from -40F to 105F throughout the year. The ducting split, the tape didn't hold, and I had leaks everywhere. I didn't realize how bad it was until I went to a hammer-in and found that I could burn steel in 90 seconds with their forges, where mine just barely got to orange after 3-5 minutes. So I'm looking for a tube with a 2" interior diameter. It should ideally be 5' long, but I could work with as little as 3'. It needs to be detachable from at least one end every time I forge (blower is mounted to the door, but I carry the forge out each time I work), so we're talking hose clamps. It needs to be flexible. It doesn't need to be particularly heat-resistant, as it will stay at least five inches from the pot of the forge, which is itself 5-6" from the coal. Thoughts? I've looked at electrical conduit, spa/pool hoses ($$$), and ventilation ducting. I've heard that there's a part for a pellet stove that can work, but I'm not seeing it. As mentioned above, hardware is not a world I know well, so I'm hoping there's an obvious solution that's just not on my radar. Thank you in advance.

Thank you all! I love this place.

Thank you kindly! I have that finish mixed up already, so I'll just use that and let the spikes dry in the garage, avoiding melting new beeswax altogether.

Now that's curious. Why doesn't the mixed finish I referenced above ignite when applied to metal at a black heat? Also, I have no intention of putting the wax in the oven, only the metal. Then I'll apply the wax to the metal in the back yard.

Smiths, Good morning! I am making my small daughter a pair of free weights out of railroad spikes. There won't be any forging, as the shop door is iced shut and I won't be able to get in for a few weeks. Just going to file off the sharp corners on the spike end. The rust is already off. Railroad spikes without rust look surreal. The question: since I can't get to my forge and I have to do all of this in the house, I'm wondering if a kitchen oven set to 550F will be able to get the spikes hot enough to accept beeswax effectively. I know the BLO/beeswax/turp. finish goes on at a black heat ideally, which I believe is closer to 900-1000F. My guess is that since the weights will have a fabric wrap to function as a grip/cushion that they won't see much wear. Thoughts?

Thank you friends! Pnut, the splash system makes sense. I've short-circuited the gravity piece of the system. We'll take care of that presently. TP, I'm a sucker for existing relationships. I know y'all will provide accurate information from a wide range of perspectives. I'm also not used to dealing with companies who answer their mail; hazard of being in my current job a few years too long.

Smiths, I was given a good gift for Christmas: the hand crank blower from Centaur Forge. My brother-in-law and I put together a mount for it so it can hang on my door, which solved the "no welder" problem and makes setup for outdoor forging simple. However, it developed a squeak after its first ninety minutes of forging. We stopped immediately since we're new and it's beautiful. This raised two questions: 1. Is it a problem that the oil ports are currently on the side rather than the top? I accept that this may be a stupid question, but if it saves my blower I'm alright looking stupid. 2. What kind of oil is used for this kind of machine, and how often? Keep in mind that I forge primarily during Minnesota winter. Thank you in advance for the benefit of your knowledge.

Also, this way JHCC learns even more than is needed, which is useful, and also nice for us chickens reading along.

Informative. Thanks all! My ash stump is starting to split pretty dramatically, and I haven't even had the forge running to act as a dehumidifier. But this is Minnesota and there are always fallen trees for the asking.

Got to go to our first guild meeting since 02/20 last night. Wasn't sure where we were meeting at the site, but I hopped out of the car and heard the anvil ringing. Hammer-In coming up weekend after next. Anyone willing to drive just north of the Twin Cities, come on and join us. Nowthen Threshing Show Grounds, Nowthen, MN, 7:30 pmFriday 6/18/21 through 3:00pm 6/20/21.

"Unlimited long distance" got me good. Morning brightened.

No, but that's not a bad idea. I think there are places were you can get them free, or at least for next to nothing. I have a month-and-a-half, seems like I could make that happen.

Frosty, I'll take a notebook and my wife! I often see events and family moments from a completely different perspective when I look at her pictures afterwards. Thank you both. I did reach out to a particular guild member and our guild email reflector to just say, "Hey, I'm new, here are a few questions, can't wait to meet you all." I'm more excited about this than I've been about anything in a while.

Well, this is the best and most unexpected thing I'm going to read all day. I'm in my smithing off-season right now (otherwise known as gardening season), but I'm working on getting myself and my BiL to the upcoming Hammer-In. Other than that, just grinning every time a new sprout comes up. My favorite Discworld books are all focused on either Sam Vimes or Moist, though Mort was pretty great too. I love Thud! and Making Money/Going Postal. The idea of Sam going back in time and needing to find a pair of boots with really thin soles so as to feel the city under his feet is just marvelous to me.

Smiths, Happy Monday! I just learned that the local guild is moving back to limited in-person meetings and, even better, is planning to host a Hammer-In this June. I am still dripping wet behind the ears and have never been to a Hammer-In. I'm kind of like my daughter, come to think of it: my smithing life started during COVID, so it's been a little weird. Anyways, I'm just wondering what to expect. I know that Hammer-Ins are probably different in different parts of the country/world. This one will be just north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota and is scheduled over a whole weekend, if that narrows it down. I'm not looking so much for logistical stuff (food, coal, etc.), more trying to get an idea of what goes on. Do we just forge all day? Is it closer to a rendezvous or a quilting bee? Is there anything I should be sure to bring? If all else fails and my question is clear as mud, just tell me stories. I'd absolutely love to hear Hammer-In stories. I'll be asking someone from the guild the same question, but I figured I'd open it up to you wonderful folks as well since I haven't been around much lately. --SDG, Timothy

Thank you for the inspiration! I'll keep an eye on this thread. This is a project I plan to tackle in the next couple of forging seasons.

I've been told that the true motto of this site is "Pics or it didn't happen". I apologize for the quality; I had to take these quickly on my phone before wrapping the poker for Christmas. Glenn, this is the one we talked about on Discord one evening. This is my first project. I have never before made anything in the forge, with the exception of one crude fire rake. I know of a few things that need improving next time around, but I would appreciate your feedback. Here's what I see: - There are cracks in the handle, which indicate that I did something wrong with the temperature; I suspect the steel got too hot. - There is too little material at the point of the hook. I haven't solved that problem yet. - The piece overall is not quite straight. - The twist is not centered. - There is a large divot where the handle bends off of the main piece; that is a defect in the stock, which is found. Overall, I'm pretty pleased. This piece involved twisting, tapering, bending, and making and applying finish. I used the deadline of Christmas to force myself to get the forge up to minimum working order, and problems with my air source motivated me to find the local farrier school and figure out my coal supply. Looking forward to the next one.

Smiths, Good morning! I'm going to do my own reading on this, but I figured I'd get your thoughts as well. Among my gifts this year were a few gift cards, both to our local steel supplier and an online website. Until now I've been forging on found steel and railroad spikes. What would you suggest I buy to start out? I will for sure buy some mild steel in 1/2-3/4" size, just for playing. But I'm also starting to think about tool-making. Which tools do you tend to need first? I'm thinking drifts, punches, and chisels, since I hear tongs aren't a good starter project. I want to make a few hammers for sure, but I know I'll need drifts and fullers first. Thoughts?

I codn't have made it through this day without you guys. You've given my soul a new perch. Without you, I might have paid a visit to the sturgeon.