Jacques

The essence of blacksmithing is heating black metal and hitting it with a hammer. That you cannot do in an apartment. If you start looking at other metal, like silver, gold, copper and brass you can have a lot of fun in an apartment, making small things like jewellery and trinkets. Most of the skills are transferable into big things later on.

We use a concrete mixer with commercial media. We also got some soap that is added to the water it that inhibits rust. Two reasons it works for us: We do it very seldom, and we make a few hunderd parts at a time. The biggest problem is having to empty it every time and seperate the media from the metal. It has to be spread out to dry, otherwise it rust. It takes me about two hours to empty the mixer and sort out the 200 pieces of metal. And you need space to spread it.

On my visit to the scrapyard this morning I was called to the office. They have kept for me a nice 33kg (70 #) anvil. And when I didn't have enough money on me they said I can just take it and come and pay later. The payment is going to accompanied by something forged.

I'm sure there is a thread somewhere on how to keep critters out of the slack tub. :D And it sure looks comfortable.

We braze and occasionally silver solder our woodworking band saw blades, since the closest place that do it is far away. The longest I've had a blade last was for 7 full days of working, and then the job was finished. That was exceptional.

Take it. If you decide it is too big you can swop it for 4 smaller anvils.

I've got this incomplete belt grinder. It has a 2hp motor, drive wheel and domed tracking wheel and two heavy cast iron arms. Needs a stand, a tracking mechanism, contact wheel and a cable. I wouldn't have time for it, any South Africans in GP who would like to take it over, contact me.

My little powerhammer got more wood in it than steel, and I've spend about $75.

Just beautiful. Now I also want one.

Very inventive and very good, I would never have thought of making a shoe.

It took me more than seven years so far to build up my little hobby shop to the point where I am today, so that I can start considering making money out of it. And I bought almost everything in the town where I live, considering that it is a small non-industrial town/ non-internet is a bit of a miracle. Even my refractory for the forge were purchased close by, after I accidently discovered the company. If I have to do it over to make money, I would seriously consider buying new/decent stuff. Even at my bargain priced shop I payed about 50% of what it would have if I did it the money spending way.

A good resource to start looking is www.cnczone.com If you do nothing else I would recommend going for a demo, see what the machines is capable of doing. Both those companies has got good websites, but Plasmacam has got a very good marketing effort going. Do not think that is all, there are some great companies out there selling overseas machines. (for me China, Europe and the US are equally far of, we use German machines.) The most important part in any cnc system is the software. I don't know what sort of knowledge you have in CAD/CAM, but trying to start with no knowledge of CAD is going to be frustrating, but with plasma cutting learning to draw in 2D isn't be very difficult. Then there is the ongoing debate about stepper vs servo motors, size of table, and some types of plasma cutters have been known to cause enough electrical interference to kill the computers driving them. Have fun anyway, and post pictures.

Any idea of how long a process like that takes from start to finish?

Little used a few, unused only those things I bought at auction for cheap that I haven't yet have time to rebuilt or repair. Two that have been standing in the corner now for 6 years is a big spin riveter (the pneumatics are shot) and an investment casting burn-out oven (need some electrical repairs).

Is the gravel in the background from the boulder you chopped to pieces with that?

The preheating principle is also used in hot air balloon burners. Energy management, the hotter the input gases the hotter the flame will burn.

Clean, clean and clean again, you cannot be too clean. Don't touch it with bare hands after cleaning and before spraying. And spray lots of thin layers. About the bare hands, a painter in a car factory production line once told me that human skin have some salts on it that will cause corrosion in a few years.

Very nice. I will try the vingar stain bit, have never heard of that one before.

I thought about making one while watching the movie. The engraving on the bevels is going to be diffcult, but eventually I would think making everything from flat plate, shaping it right and then with a lot of creative jigging welding the whole box together. After the welding and grinding I would do the engraving. That is what I was planning to do.

Alarm system, cameras, electric fence and Telkom next door has a 24 hour security guard.

The powerhammer has now been bolted to the floor with some conveyor belting underneath, and runs quite well. The motor mount has been changed completely, and the connection with the treadle has been made more robust. Instead of just relying on gravity to connect everything I now have a definate connection with some spring tension. Control is quite good and I can vary the speed quite a bit with the top rate about 250 hits per minute, and if I practise a bit more I should be able to do single hits.. The hammer has been made more solid and it is now 12kg. I had to purchase another length of flat bar so the total cost has gone up to R400 ($50). And just after the video were shot the front end of the helve that have to lift the hammer broke just next to the welding line.

And as part of my ongoing cleaning up project, probably the last time you will see my little forging corner as neat as this. Gas forge goes under the fan and the coal forge stands outside the door. The table is cluttered with stuff and projects I need to make a go or stay decision on.

Cool. I once asked and was allowed to see how they made the lenses fit into my frame, May next year is not very far off.

I've had many phone calls from people that want to have things done, and after they explained to me what they want I told them approximately how long it will take and what it will cost. It tend to upset them, since they do not realise that most of the time restoration takes longer then making something. My worst was quoting on a small job for "friends", and being told how outrageous that was (outrageous is the polite word). I was trying to be nice and only asked them material cost. These days if somebody I know want to have something repaired I invite them to the workshop and tell them I will teach them how they can do it themselves (on a weekend of course). I'm still waiting for someone to take me up on that offer.