Latticino

Certainly possible, but I did have the face of the set hammer facing away from the dragon's breath. Now that I have my heat treat oven fixed I won't do that again.

XXXX, the windows aren't even open...

That was probably the issue with the set hammer I most recently quenched in water. It seemed fine after the quench, but I waited a while before tempering (elected to use the dragon's breath in front of a gas forge for that, running the heat up from the struck end and watching the colors). Probably just left it too long and have some interesting face checks. I'll use it for a while and see if it holds up.

Follow up: Him: It is very OK. You surely understand the situation very well. Go ahead and send the whole amount for the shipment to get the shipment secured.We really have to be double sure it is secured. FedEx a check with this details first thing in the morning: NAME: Richard G. Cowan ADDRESS: xxxxx street Yucaipa CA, 92399. Send me the tracking numbers and a picture of the check to get the shipment secured with the vendor.We have to do our Best to avoid last year's incidence. I have to run around a lot this coming few days.I can never allow a shut down because it will be a very big dent on our image. Reply to confirm receipt of the details for the check. Me: You sure have been burning the midnight oil on this one. I understand, I've had a sleepless night myself worrying. I've got some kind of emergency review meeting with the board this morning, so will have to express the payment this afternoon. One problem, I got a message direct from the supplier (funny they never mentioned that you had been in direct contact with them, or this Richard Cowan intermediary). They need us to wire them a 10% down payment immediately so they can reserve the tanker. I will be held up this morning, can you send the $750 from that slush fund I set you up with last month? They have some kind of humanitarian initiative going on now and want it sent to the Red Cross disaster relief fund with the key words: Unlimited Fluids Ltd. appended to the donation.. Just send that off and copy me with an email including the receipt and I'll get the balance sent right away. Him: Cowan is an independent supplier.Based on last years incidence I had to look for a better alternative. You should also no the rules that goes with slush funds. I am skeptical dealing with this supplier due to some late negative reports on the quality of their products and that is why I involved an independent vendor to avoid a shut down. Me: Well, that's done it now. Meeting with the board has just ended, and I'm out. Sorry I won't be able to help you with this urgent issue, but my signature will no longer be valid on the NYSDB checks. Guess I'll have to look into unemployment pay to see if we can make ends meet till I find a new job. I can hear the edit whining from my office as the hydraulic fluid begins to run thin, but that's no longer my problem. They will have to find someone else to babysit that tanker delivery. The board was pretty upset about your finding that independent supplier (sorry it just leaked out during that brutal 2 hour meeting). I've never been so humiliated. They kept screaming about fraud and alerting the authorities. One of the board members even has an uncle who is high up in the new federal administration's INS bureau. Unfortunately they sound very prejudiced and plan on having their relative look into not just poor Richard Cowan, but anyone at that address (they really seem to hate California edit). I'm sure it won't be a problem as long as everyone there has their papers in order. Sorry, but this is no longer my concern. I have more immediate personal worries.

If your forge is running a bit cold it can be really tough to weld mild steel in my experience. Try welding high carbon. Really clean your surfaces, flux as soon as you get a hint of color in the metal. Adjust your flame to be reducing, and don't bash the two pieces together on the first weld pass. A lighter tap should be all you need initially. Oh, nice hammers. How have you been quenching your 1045? I used to use water, but have had a couple crack or surface check recently (even after a normalizing pass).

We always bring up the benefits of joining a group of like minded smiths, but I've recently seen the other side. I am a member of the local arm of the ABANA group and for my sins (as they say) I have been appointed, in absentia, as the group's treasurer. They never would have done it if they saw how poorly I balance my checkbook. Been serving for over a year now and every month or so I get an e-mail that pretends to be from the president of our chapter (somehow simulating his return address). I've had requests for money to pay vendors, bail his sister out of jail, keep his car from getting repossessed... I've called him and alerted him that his e-mail has been hacked somehow, but no one else on his list gets these emails. Today I guess I just felt like screwing around so the email trail goes as follows: Him: I urgently require your attention.Can I get hold of you today? thanks, sent from my iPad Me: Sure, give me a call. (knowing that the president has my number and would certainly call) Him: Thanks for your urgent reply.I am in a marathon meeting session that will last for some few hours.I need you to process a payment of $3,420 to a vendor on my behalf today. Let me know if you can are available so that I can send you the beneficiary details for payment thanks, sent from my iPad (good answer, guess he heard that one already) Me: You know we agreed that I would NEVER make any payments of any kind based on an email message. This policy won't change unless we agree on it in a face to face meeting. Him: We just have to bend the rules this time because of the urgency attached to this payment. Be sure I am coming with the paperwork to cover the payment after the meeting or fist thing in the morning. Me: Sorry, you know we would need board of director approval by at least 63% of the members to make that kind of change. Hope this isn't about the essential hydraulic fluid order. Most likely not as that was for over $7,500 if I remember correctly. Without the fluid we would need to shut down operations, so I can see why you would be concerned. (needless to say a total fabrication, our board of directors barely elects the officials and never gets anything done or has any authority. We never buy massive quantities of hydraulic fluid, or any for that matter, and there are no operations to shut down) Him: The board would rather allow my veto than to shut down.The vendor is ready to supply the whole fluid at $uat3,420 so that we can pay the balance after meeting with the board. This why I insist we bend the rules this time.It is a very difficult situation and i know the board will applaud me decision.Can I send the beneficiary details for payment now? leave me to handle the board. Me: As long as you are completely sure it will be OK. After all if I screw this up after I blew that wad of cash last week at the PBA charity auction it will mean my job. You still have me covered regarding that little problem, right? Will be tough on the family if I get thrown out of work. Send me the info and I’ll try to get you out a check in the morning. We certainly can’t do without the hydraulic fluid for our Framistagus, not to mention the swamp pounder. Are you sure we shouldn’t be sending the whole amount? We have to make sure we secure the entire shipment this time. I’m sure you remember the problems that caused last year. (just getting full out stupid here) We will have to see how far this one can go.

Love this idea, but have serious concerns regarding the refractory drying, shrinking and cracking before it can be slowly fired up to harden. Suggest you consider casting the refractory into a threaded flange with welded on mesh frame (see Giberson burner for example: http://www.joppaglass.com/burner/burnr1.html)

As Thomas and the others have said, you don't fix it (kind of a paradox, there is a way to "fix" it, but if you knew enough to be able to forge weld layers of steel, you wouldn't have to ask the question). When/if you move on to your next high carbon steel forging project, try not to forge the steel after it cools down from the cherry red stage and work on eliminating cold shunts as well.

Hey, welcome to the site. Hope that you can fulfill your dream of metalworking someday. You might want to look into working in non-ferrous metals at first as an inexpensive way of easing into metalworking, as you seem open to a variety of different types. What I would most strongly suggest is taking a class at a craft school of some sort. There are far too many to list, but you might start looking at either Penland or the John Campbell Folk school, both of which are not too far away from you (and there certainly may be something closer). Some hands on experience with the tools and techniques will help decide on direction and influence your eventual choice.

Agreed it can work, just no where near as well as a real hydraulic press. Not sure it is that much faster than a hammer though if it takes you a full hour to turn a 3/4" coil into 3/8" flat stock (depending on length of course).

I know folks have experimented with that in the past, and hopefully someone with hands-on experience will chime in. I've done some research on it and I believe the consensus is that the major drawback for the air over hydraulic presses is actuation speed. Better than nothing, but hardly the equal of a true hydraulic forging press.

Last time I purchased wrought at SOFA I believe it was going for somewhere between $1.50 and $2/lb. Depending on the size I might be interested in a stick or two if you will be selling.

No worries, from your original post it sounded like you needed immediate assistance, so I tried to respond promptly. I should have been more patient, but was having a tough day. Yes, this can be a pretty active board. As regards clamping effectiveness, I think you have it backwards. An examination of the simple lever principal will tell you that the further away from the axis the clamp is placed the more force it will exert on the short end of the arm. That, of course, is predicated on having the clamp on the "cold side" of the tongs, as I have recommended. Also note that having it in that position will help counterbalance the stock, making it easier to manipulate (like a sword pommel). Unfortunately this does not take into account the problem of keeping the tongs attached to the stock when it is heating. My experience is if you do this you will overheat the tongs, eventually loosening and distorting them as you work on your stock. With more time forging you will find that you typically need to quench the bits on your tongs periodically to prevent this (which would be a problem if they are locked down to the stock). Good luck with your project.

Why is that? OP asked for an evaluation of a concept and got honest feedback. If you can't tolerate constructive criticism then don't ask for it.

OK, <grin>, welcome aboard. Your post may have just gotten buried too quickly for anyone to take notice of immediately. From reading same it seems like you are well on your way. Obvious recommendations follow: Use good PPE Make sure you have correct ventilation in your garage including a good exhaust hood and code approved exit stack Try to meet up with some local smiths for direct instruction/training. This works much better than YouTube, where much of the posts are questionable. Read, Research, Experiment, be Safe and have Fun. Post pictures with your requests for forge design improvement and we will be more easily able to assist.

@Robin447: Perhaps I'm feeling particularly needy today, but it would be nice if after folks take the time to review, analyze and respond to your inquiries that you at least acknowledge their feedback. Are you suggesting that 26 hours is too long to wait a reply ?

Can't be sure without seeing it, but my guess is that the slumping glass was hotter on the outside surface than the inner surface. Slumping on the outer skin and a combination of folding and bending on the inner. Just like a bend of any material, the inner curve is tighter and that extra crossection needs somewhere to go. If your mold is extremely smooth you might be able to solve by keeping at the slumping temp longer. However then you run the risk of devit, or cracking on differential cooling . Tough call. What little slumping I did was into molds, not over.

The reason that a typical tong clamp/ring is at the end of the handle, in my estimation, is functionality. If at the front (where you have put it) it will get hot while heating the stock, be difficult to operate, potentially distort the threading mechanism (which is complicated, offset which will torque the rivet joint, and prone to failure), and adds weight to the tong where you don't want it. The hardy insert is problematic as it will only work with a limited type of stock configuration. It is an interesting idea, but have you done much forging yourself? I think more practical experience would help influence your design in a more positive direction. I could see a detachable hardy based 3 axis clamp being quite helpful, if you can figure a way to make it quickly and easily operable and integrate it into your tong design. The concept certainly has potential, but I think you need more development and testing before evaluation. As regards price of the current design, I would not be interested, so expect any price would be too high. Sounds like a classroom assignment, not an actual product though, so I would estimate that if it could be produced as a well functioning tool a price in the $100 range wouldn't be too far out of line.

300 CFM is better than nothing, but not a tremendous amount of ventilation in the big picture. One other thing to consider is that the typical bathroom exhaust fan has a plastic impeller. depending on how close you are to the heat source, this may not be a great option. The other is that if you expect air to be exhausted, you will need to makeup that air from somewhere (window, adjacent room, open door...) I am a fan (no pun intended) of sidewall exhaust fans for this type of heat/ventilation exhaust. Placed at the peak of your forge shop they can move a relatively huge amount of air at rather low energy cost. I use one like the picture below in my shop with the belt driven motor outside the air path. Works quite well.

Suggest anyone contemplating running the products of a solid fuel forge up thru a dedicated metal chimney carefully check the local codes regarding materials of construction, structure penetrations and location of termination of that vent. I'm fairly certain that most require specific distances from combustible construction at the penetration as well as outlets that are 3' above the highest point of the structure penetrated. While exiting through a gable vent may work, if your installation is not code compliant you likely void your homeowner's insurance policy. By all means, ensure the stack is fully ducted to the building exterior, not just dumped into a ventilated attic. That is a recipe for disaster.

Actually I'm a mechanical engineer, not a material scientist. Know a little about glass though. The phenomena you are describing is a combination of two potential effects of heating glass, depending on the temperature reached. If by heating you mean bringing the glass to liquifing temperatures, then each time you do you burn off flux and degrade the glass quality. Eventually the so called "chords" form in the material thick enough to make observable surface defects. On the other hand, if you mean bringing the glass to fusing temperature, (which I believe is more likely ) then the effect you are describing is likely devitrification. This latter is the result of keeping the glass at a fusing temperature too long. It appears as a sort of surface hazing. Ideally you need to either keep your glass as a liquid (for a limited time ) or down below fusing at the annealing temperature. A parallel type of function in high carbon steel for the first would be overly long heating it and burning the steel. For the latter I guess surface decarb...?

I strongly suggest you contact Bob T (from this site) and request one of his skillet kits. He has a pre-stamped ~12" diameter heavy gage steel pan ready for hand hammering and riveting on a handmade handle, quite cheap. This should take care of your desire for a home-made piece of cookware safely and in a cost effective manner.

I've used a 4140 drift to make a good handful of hammers so far. It tends to be a little prone to bending when it gets hot, but with care and regular cooling it works pretty well. Unfortunately the smaller the hammer head, the smaller the eye and the more prone the drift is to distorting in use. I would take some care with the slitting/punching operation and try to minimize the drifting required.

Pretty sure the International Mechanical Code prohibits combining different solid fuel burning equipment into a single stack (Section 801.11 here: https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/document/code/449/8080993 ). This code is law for a good number of locations in the states at least. Think Ohio is still lagging behind many of the other states, so you will have to check your local code (also available on this site here: https://codes.iccsafe.org/public/collections/Ohio/2013 )

Not sure where you are from, but your numbers don't seem to add up. If the steel has enough carbon to harden (unlikely) you will more likely than not need to bring it above the nonmagnetic range (eutectic point for many high carbon steels) before you quench. This is around 1450 deg. F. The temperatures you are looking at look closer to the tempering temperatures, which happens after the quench. If you really have read through Steve's posts on heat treatment, I think you need to go back and review again. Heat treating a sword is not an easy thing to accomplish for a novice, especially if you have no idea what type of steel was used in blade manufacture. You are more likely than not only seeing the surface finish of the steel, rather than the grain. I suggest you take a look at Kevin Cashen's site for better information on blade steel metallurgy: http://www.cashenblades.com/metallurgy.html. Without a decent quench tank, skill at getting the blade up to an even temperature, knowledge of normalization processes, and final method to get your blade tempered you are in danger of not just destroying your blade, but hurting yourself or others when it is used after you treat it if you don't trash it. The manufacturer left it soft and blunt for a reason: safety. Note even a blunt, soft blade can kill someone, so still be careful when using. I really don't recommend a backyard heat treatment for a wall hanger any more than I would recommend "upgrading" a model rocket with a black powder charge.