firefarm39

2Tim215, I would be especially interesting in how you form the grapes. To me, that looks like the hardest part of the project. Great work, thanks for sharing it!

Thanks CurlyGeorge! I am in the process of making a similar bed and wasn't sure how I would do the support for the plywood. Now I know!

pretty cool!! If you watch carefully, you can see the camera jump just a bit with each impact. I can only imagine how much it would jump if you really smacked it hard! Thanks for the video!

I'm with dablacksmith, I am pretty sure it is an air brake chamber.

Nice! You have a great start there. And it is obviously a stallion, per picture #1! :lol:

I know a bit about having a loved one ill. Be sure to take care of yourself too, and know that we are praying for you both. Dave from Michigan

Ironclad, here's one thing you might try before doing anything more drastic. Extend some "skirts" down from your hood to block off some of the airflow from the sides and back. I know that puts limits on the size of material you can put in the forge, but it might just help. I had the same problem with an exhaust hood in a laboratory, and extending (in our case, plexiplass) did the trick. There is a HUGE amount of airflow trying to get into the hood all at once. Good luck. :P

Leave it to Grant to find more uses for induction heating!! Maybe a market in the medical field??

Drewed, you might also try Speedy Metals online store. They are in New Berlin, WI. The prices are higher than some places, but there is no minimum order, and very good selection.

Thanks Phil, the stuff I have is used as a micronutrient to supply Boron to plants. I really don't see why it wouldn't work as flux, I would think that when heated in a forge it should convert to the anhydrous form, just like 20 Mule Team does. I don't have much experience with various fluxes, this stuff melts and becomes very water-like in viscosity. Is that what regular borax does too? I think I will do some experimenting to see how it compares to the more standard fluxes. :blink:

I have access to a large amount of 'disodium octaborate tetrahydrate', which is similar to the above. The chemical formula is Na2B8O13-4H2O. Any chemist-types out there who tell me if I can asafely use this as a flux? I tried a bit, and it works very well, but not being a chemist, I want to exercize caution ...... :huh:

"...price of tea in China..." he he , I haven't heard that expression since....well, since Hector was a pup!! :D

Probaably true, Thomas, but that brings up a question. I have a 50 that has the mid-ships pulley set-up, except it has grooves for v-belts instead of a smooth surface for a flat belt. Think that is a retrofit?

Isn't it obvious? The log cabin owner was hiding his valuable wrought iron from scavenging blacksmith scrappers, who would carry off any metal in sight and only pay scrap price for it!! Or maybe he was using it as a tool to jam the chinking in?? :blink:

Spears, neat idea! I wonder how the dies would work in the fly press? We don't have many rattlers here in Michigan (only the very rare Massasaugua), so I wonder how many would be marketable, but I might try making them anyway. No Bridgeport in my shop (yet), so I'll have to try some other technique. Thanks for the ideas!

Scrapartoz, your work is simply amazing!

Can't recall where I saw it, (probably IFI) but someone posted about a technique using an old file as a kind of stamp or die to put the fine parallel lines in the feather. Not as much of a "hand-made" look, but really nice looking. I may try making something like that myself.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Glad to see it go to a good home, where it will be well oiled and fed lots of warm steel. :)

Beth, Bob, Fe-Wood, thanks for the input. I am indeed serious about it! I will take the suggestions to heart and get going on it. Rory, my apologies, I did not intend on hijacking the thread! Perhaps I'll start a new thread. Your work is truly inspirational to me, and I plan on printing some pictures (with your permission) to start implementing what some of the others have suggested about journaling and surrounding myself with images that I like. Thanks again! Dave

Well, the leaf bowl is my fav so far. Really nice work!! The creative aspect of blacksmithing is the part I struggle the most with. I can do the mechanics, but I tend to "copy" someone elses creative inpiration. Any suggestions out there on getting that creative spark going?

Like Biggundoctor, my "screen name" is taken from my eBay account. You really don't want to use your real name over there! Firefarm comes from two of the things i do outside of regular work, namely firefighting and farming. The 39 comes from our fire department numerical designator; 3900. If I were to do it over again, I would ust use my given name on IFI. Dave Francis

I definitly would be interested in seeing some pictures. Good chance this will get moved to the tailgating section. Where are you located?

I really enjoy forging roses and other flower forms. Like Mark, part of the fun for me is giving them to someone and seeing their reaction. I also like making tools for myself and other people. Working on a set of "hook" tools for my brother, who likes to turn wooden bowls.

hey, maybe someone would want to strip it down and use the frame for a Kinyon-style air hammer. Still not worth the cost of shipping to the mid-west, I think.

Danger, great looking key! Did you do a square tenon to attach the handle?