Phil Dwyer

Hey, I wear shorts and a "T" shirt 365 a year too. It's just under all the other stuff I have to wear.

Ha, ha, ha...what a hoot! I'm gunna print that photo out and blow it up for a poster. Do you drive that front end loader in that 'to-die-for' foot wear? What a crack up. Great pic Rusty. Thanks for sharing one that isn't you snoozen under the old apple tree.

All I burn is coke as we're in a suburban neighborhood, so it's nice not to have too much smoke. Getting it started is the real trick. I've seen different folks do it different ways. Most of them usually involve lots and lots of tightly wadded newspaper. I do one or two very densely rolled up donuts and add a handful or two of some wood kindling. A friend just makes a big solid ball (about 6-8" diameter) of newspaper and that's pretty much it. But it burns long enough, with the help of the blower, to get the coke lit. I usually start about 20-30 minutes before class starts and the high school student show up raring to go. Anyway, once its going it burns nice and clean. Still get clinkers though (darn). I kind of like that it goes out after a while without air. That way it's easier to save fuel for the next time.

This one was hardened in salt water with a little dawn dishwashing liquid to break down the surface tension of the water. I think you can see where it is hard.

Would you mind sharing a bit about how you forged this beauty? Looks like you drew out the spike somewhat for the handle. The twist is sweet, as is its recessed patina and polished highlights. Then there's the crisply well shaped blade with what looks like a couple of fullered transitions between handle and blade. Another nice touch. What did you profile and grind it with? It all adds up to a fine looking piece. Do you treat it with anything to hold the rust at bay?

That polish job sure is killer. How do you keep it that way? BTW, watch out for that honkin nail in the stump. Sure would hate for one of your blades to take a nick on it.

Scribes make excellent beginner's tool steel projects. I have them draw a long flat taper on one end, fold it over and shape it for a pocket clip. A forged point and maybe twist for grip, heat treat (spring temper on the pocket clip) and grind sharp. Nice project.

Frosty, I like the sound of your scribe project. Do you do anything to cover the point / protect the pocket. What kind of metal and dimensions? Thanks, Phil

I am glad it is coming to Durham NC. I never learned how to use a Bridgeport Mill now I can. They will laso have a stout Tig machine capable of doing aluminum and a plasma cutter.The list goes on. We are lucky to have one in NC

Go ahead, rub it in!

Too bad I live someplace unlikely to ever have a Techshop. On the other hand, moose hang out in my yard, the Goshawks nest out back and I can target shoot off my back porch.

I like that target shooting of the porch feature. I doubt there'll be one here either. Of course our 365 day a year shorts and t-shirt weather is not too bad. But I sure would like access to all that stuff!

I like the 4th photo (the one to the right in your post). It's a great angle and really shows the sculptural forms. Of course, the shop backgrounds a bit busy for the photo. As for the base, I'd have enjoyed it if you did something along the lines of the charming rod/wire work you did for the stem. Kind of free form spiraled (like a randomized mosquito punk). It might feel somewhat "root-like". A very fun piece. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to seeing more.

It's 100$ a month plus consumables.

Is there a limit on how much you can use the shop for your $100?

Besides, I'd hate to be the one who deprives you of all the fun involved in truing a new one.

Thanks Ken, you're a real pal. I'm sure I'll have a blast, but I might pester you for a few more pointers if I get in a jam. --Phil

I've seen something like that at Hickham Airforce Base, but its just for military personnel. I sure like the idea of a well outfitted shop available. How do they bill out its time? Is it a flat hourly rate, or does different equipment bill out at different rates? Do they have sliding scale rates like so much per hour, with price breaks on pre-bought packages of x number of hours, or day, week, monthly or annual subscription rates? Very interesting. I could see where it would be great if I needed to do something that I don't have the machinery for, like some milling or something. Keep us posted on how it goes if you use them.

Wow, I didn't know anyone was designing and making anvils like that. Way cool! Where can I learn more? Do you have a web site or something? I'm impressed.

The Sunray wheels will work fine...with a few conditions. The wheel covering is cast polyurethane and will melt or soften fairly easily.

What hardness was your wheel? I wonder if you had a softer one?

Ken: I understand what you're describing re mounting the wheel on a shaft to spin against the grinder. I've done that when fabricating large washers. I'll have to get the grinder built with a platen tool in order to do it. Say, what are you going to do with your Sunray contact wheel when Tracy's comes in? Want to sell it? It's for a good cause.

Ten Hammers: What grit was the belt you used to add traction to the drive wheel?

I guess we're beginners if that is all we have in our truck on the way to a hammer-in. We might not even know how to light the bloody torch. After all we don't even have a jack or lug wrench. Being such dummies we also forgot tips for the torch so we can't use it directly to weld up a lug wrench with the socket, pry bar and coat hangers. We are creative idiots though and jack up the truck with the 2x4's and cement blocks. We did this first because we made charcoal out of the 2x4's afterwards (we're going to just knock the truck off the blocks later). We wanted to make a fire box out of the rim of the flat tire but realized the catch 22 (can't get it off to use it to forge a wrench so we can get it off). Anyway, we dig a hole and make an earth forge with the charcoal we made. We use the oxygen for our blower. We think, hey maybe we'll get lucky and blow ourselves up and not have to go through this ludicrous exercise. But no such luck, we have to forge weld our pry bar and socket together with a couple of rocks sufficient to the task. We manage to get the job done and tire changed. We could have walked on our knees backwards to the hammer-in and back in the amount of time it took us to do all this. When they heard about this at the hammer-in they gave us immediate life-time honorary membership to the Dubious Society of Blacksmithing Buffoons. I think Hillybilliesmith may be its founder and foremost director.

Looks like you're having fun! Did it take you long? How did you weld it together?

The one thing about using vegetable oil one's supposed to be careful of is that it sometimes goes rancid. At least that's what the wood cutting board folks often say. They recommend a mineral oil.

Here are the corrected amounts for Dave Vogel's museum wax (interior) finish.

• 1.5 Cups melted beeswax (a little more than 2 cakes like at Ace Hardware)
• 1 Cup turpentine
• 1 Cup linseed oil
• 1 Teaspoon Japanese drier

He suggests combining all liquids then heat them up enough to melt in the wax (no open flames!). But, I melt the wax first and then add the other ingredients. I got all the stuff, including quart paint can and lid for storage of finished product, at Home Depot. Well actually I had the beeswax already.

Apply to 200-300 degree hot metal with a cotton applicator (we roll up old pant legs). It will smoke a bit as it soaks in. Fully cures in a day.

Oh, oh. Sounds like you got bit pretty hard by the blacksmith bug. Time to knuckle down and build a forge. Yup, that's the first symptom. Next thing you know you'll have an ever increasing itch to gather iron and steel of all sorts. The itch will get so bad no matter how much hammering you do it won't go away. The good news is you'll find many good folks who have been bitten by the same bug. Welcome to the club Vladimir! Keep us posted on your progress.

Hey Dan,

You sure were cool under the eye of national TV. Well done indeed! Good idea making an internet video out of it too. And then sharing it with us is well appreciated by all of us. The accolades of all these senior members' and friends is well deserved. Your folks must be really special too. Good for them supporting you. After all, just about every boy is interested in knives and swords, but not all of them get that kind of support and have that kind of personal drive (or a power hammer).

Bravo! Well done indeed!

Mahalo (thanks), Phil

Hey Craig: One of these days we have to get together. I just came back from NH with one of those anvils, a 68 pounder. Brought it back as "luggage". One of the others is a Harbor Freight special, 110 lbs. Freighted it over from CA a few years back. The third is a friend's on loan. Let me know if you hear about any.

Anyone: As for the wheels, Sunray, Inc. - Detail, got any ideas how to shape them up?

If you don't mind, I was curious about which schools offered the blacksmithing classes. No big deal, it just seems that many of the shop or trade type classes are falling by the wayside, and it's too bad. Craig

It's the Honolulu Waldorf High School. The classes are considered applied art courses, not shop or trade ones. Never-the-less, they're doing metal and wood work, so call it what you will. Share just one forge at the moment (burn coke). Have two little anvils. I'm just about to complete another forge. Rounded up one more small farrier's anvil so far. We're having lots of fun. Thanks for asking.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the tips. The gun smithing site has a lot of abrasive and buffer type wheels. I didn't see any drive, tracking or contact wheels though. On-the-other-hand, Sunray has quite a reasonably priced selection. For instance here's an 8" wheel for $76, Sunray, Inc. - Detail. I know it wouldn't be in the same league as the $250+ ones, but hey, if these could work I might actually get this thing built. They have key slotted ones too that might could work for the drive wheel too.

Anyone know what hardness the treads should be? Would I probably have to "turn" the surfaces a bit to get something like a slight convex shape? If so, could it be done by bolting the wheels on the grinder's drive shaft and using files and sandpaper? Does it matter whether the cores are steel or aluminum?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks, Phil

Hi Friends,

Any of you good people have any old contact wheels you're not using any more and might be willing to sell? Maybe one's you've replaced or upgraded or upsized?

I'm building Tracy Mickley's no-weld grinder to use in our high school blacksmithing classes (with appropriate safety training and measures). Guess I didn't quite realize there'd be over $500 in drive, tracking and contact wheel expenses. Already got a motor off eBay shipping in for about $150 (freight to these isles amid the Pacific is a itch.)

Well thanks for your consideration and for such a great forum!

Phil

For some of us who can not afford to purchase the preferred anvil(s) of our choice we have an even more basic type available: the second-hand or whatever we can hunt down type. It is both encouraging and discouraging to hear the tales of others' second-hand acquisitions. Hearing others' successes at scrounging anvils keeps you ever hopeful with your own efforts. On-the-other-hand, it can also be a bit discouraging when you yet again come up empty handed.

So far I have found two people who threw anvils away, a fellow who collects them and won't part with any, a guy who had one stolen and a family who is hanging on to their departed Dad's farrier anvil. I found one I was able to borrow and another that I can borrow, but haven't been able to get the guy to part with it yet. I also bought one of the cheap Harbor Freight anvils. I've bought one off of eBay near my folks in NH (I'm in Hawaii) but I haven't figured out how to ship it economically yet. I bought a farrier's anvil off Craig's list in Maine (a two hour drive from my folks) and as it weighs just under 70 pounds I'm bringing it back as "luggage" on a plane.

Anyway, I wish you luck with your pursuits. I know there are a lot of types, shapes and weights of anvils out there. For some of us, we use whatever we can get our hands on. You can do a lot of smithing with very little.