teenylittlemetalguy

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

A bloom would be fun, do you know anyone with experience?

Absolutely not, that is why I'm waiting for these guys to get experience first. 

Dont worry I'm not a glutton for punishment...no bellows here.  We can handle supplies, just going to take some time. 

7 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Was that the one at the library? 

It was the one at the campground by the river in Palmer. 2019 I think? 

I do want to do another one, hopefully larger.  There are about 5 guys I know quietly learning about smelting. Hoping next year we could do a combo hammer in/smelt. Maybe Knik would work. 

On 6/21/2021 at 10:23 AM, JHCC said:

I'm what they call an extroverted introvert: good at making conversation, being engaging, etc (which is good, considering what I do for work), but definitely happy to have time alone to recharge. 

My Brother! I am an introverted extrovert: Good a not making conversation and terrible at being alone...8-) 

All this talk of QS makes me itchy to go to one. Wish we had a really good hammer in up here in AK. Frosty came to one we tried throwing and it was a blast, just kinda small with only 4 smiths...

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

Harris Super Missileweld stick welding electrode 

I have a millwright friend that introduced me to it. My favorite electrode to weld with, especially with DC. Works brilliantly to weld bearing steel to mild, its like welding with butter.  I have made a few into press tools that way and have never had any weld issues with it ever.  

You will go far with an attitude like that! Epic project man, right on!

45 minutes ago, Anachronist58 said:

I would say that you are on to something.  I have found that in the perfect storm, (four?) factors can bring trouble:

Awesome, I knew someone out there spent more time on this issue than me. Thank you. I will try dressing the edge for sure! I may even get one of those air nozzle attachments and blow air on the wheel to cool it. 

4 minutes ago, JHCC said:

I really should use the saw more, if only to get myself more experience with how it feels under load.

they are nice for clean square cuts for sure. Just a little better than if I actually pay attention to what I am doing when I hot cut a bar. 

2 hours ago, JHCC said:

 I blew the breaker once, and the 3hp motor on the saw was bogging down if I pressed too hard. I don’t know if it was an abrasion-resistant steel or if I’m using the wrong cutting disc (I’m inclined to think it was the former);

I have run into similar, using known mild steel even. I think there is a trick involved with cut off wheels, but I have not yet sorted it out completely. 

I am running an identical make and model saw as a friend. I noticed he gets way more work from his, so I bought an identical disc, which was very thin. It helped but not completely. I put in new brushes and it helped. Closer, but still lacking a tad.  I think I have noticed that if the blade gets too hot it will just stop cutting.  I think maybe the edge loads up like a file cutting aluminum. Still trying to sort out the parameters on how far I can push it. 

48 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I'm with Thomas, the base needs some roots and maybe a rock or two.  Frosty The Lucky.

I can't go overboard with details since it is for a customer, but I was thinking some base detail may "accidentally" happen. 

Icicles would be funny Thomas, but they will probably just have to grow their own.. 

Tapering a 2.5" or so pipe for a to make a tree trunk out of.  Making a towel "tree" for an outdoor hot tub. left lumpy on purpose. 

I decided it would look better if the baseplate was not a boring square shape. Planning to forge a bevel on the edges of it. 

23 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I'd love to have an app that turned the face into a phone dial 

You may need to build one of these Jerry-

I have done similar and just split it. the way to do it is make "convenience bends". Bend the others out of the way so you can forge one side at a time.  With 1/8" thick the biggest issue is keeping the edges from swelling more that the middle of the bar. I find using a heavy blow alternated by a flattening blow to be helpful. Nice to not end up with those swollen wrinkles that are easy to get. 

Photo to illustrate the need for convenience bends...

24 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I wasn't taking issue Tristan, I just tossed that into the conversation.

yep, all good here.  

19 hours ago, Frosty said:

You were wit me the last time I fused some quarters Tristan. I was wracking my brain to remember how.

how too do what? I am not following. I was mentioning your tightening the bolts as a way to help weld is all. 

On 4/25/2021 at 12:32 PM, Nathan Kraft said:

I've looked but I am confused as to how people hold their mokume billets together.

The main point of holding all your pieces together is just to keep it organized while you weld so do that however works for you. The second and really important point is you need to be able to impart some force to the billet while in the process of welding.  You can use wire, and yes it will cut the edges a little bit, but you will have a lot of clean up to do anyway and wires will be the least of your concerns (as long as you don't forge them into your billet). Do be aware that making a stronger clamp is advantageous though as most metals you would use expand more than mild steel so the mokume will press itself a little bit as it expands. 

Personally I like the two plates held together with bolts idea. I make mine large enough that I can get a tool (hammer or vice or press) in between the bolts so the initial weld is done while in the plates. You could also tighten the bolts as per Frosty's comment. I highly recommend using the vice for the initial weld (easy, even pressure and consistent results). After the first weld everything should be stuck together well enough to get it out of the clamp for the remaining weld heats. 

PM me if you need any more help. 

Thank you guys for the kind remarks! Made my day! 

I would get an old stethoscope and just replace the drum with a nice opener. then he could wear it at parties...

Locally we have a lot of potato farms and they use a machine like a conveyor to dig out the tubers. usually the belts are about 22" or so wide and are made from round stock which is kinked on the end to make a chain link. My point in explaining this is the bars are basically like a medium carbon and tempered to as a spring. They hold up well against the abrasion from the soils.  If I were making a hand tool for digging in soil I would choose similar carbon content. Perhaps you could find some thin axle or CV shaft that you can source for free and see how that works for you.  

I would recommend starting with a Frosty T burner. They are easy and work great. For $15 in parts you owe it to yourself to try. Plus it is not as big of a next step to a  build a NARB. I love T burners and honestly I like lighting the forge without thinking about the burner and getting on with what I REALLY want to do, which is forge...

On 4/22/2021 at 1:04 PM, JHCC said:

 cut, say, three feet off one end of the hose

Someday, you will be wishing you had just a little longer reach....

3 hours ago, Anachronist58 said:

 This being a public forum, I hesitate to post my sub-par thoughts on work-arounds...

You and me brother!

usually I make mine in backpack size and use garage door spring. It is really strong and lightweight. The whole tripod is laid down an used like the first picture as a grill by setting it on a rock and counterbalancing with another rock.  

When I do larger I like to use square stock and make the tops like photo 2 so they are solidly attached and pack flat. 

Gas saver would be awesome. Thanks for the esab info!

Daniel Tokar has a video on Youtube where he straightens a square one in a single heat using just a hammer/anvil and vice grips. worth checking out. 

10 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

Bigger the propane forge the more it costs to run

Someday people will catch on Thomas... 90% of what I do fits in a two brick.

16 hours ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

If Teenylittlemetalguy says it works, you can take that to the bank, in other words yes it works.  

You made my day, thank you!

I have to agree with everyone here, clean surfaces are really important.  People do weld it without the powdered charcoal, I have it in mine to help insure a reducing environment at the joint.  Having a poor atmosphere in a gas forge for welding is very common and it is very critical with leaf spring. 

Good luck with your project! 

The Meco is a really cool old torch, they used them during the war with hydrogen to make airplanes.  You can get propane tips. Look up TM Tech online. It is a really cool site with a lot of sheet metal tools and information available. He has the propane tips as well as the torch.