Blacksmith Jim

Sounds lame. Sorry to hear that Bear. Keep looking, I'm sure something will show up!

Have fun burning that YYF!

I've purchased a few HF hammers that I haven't used yet. I was suprised that after I scoured all the hardware / home improvement stores I realized that HF seemed to have the better selection for blacksmiths... Anyway, my favorite is a light (1.5?) pound ball peen that was machined by my father as a gift for my granddad. My dad worked as a tool and die maker most of his professional life, and when he first started taking machining classes he made a hammer for my granddad. When my granddad passed away, my father found the hammer, unused, in a drawer in his shop. He gave it to me when he found out I was getting into blacksmithing. It has a beautiful purple color to it from the heat treat. The faces of the hammer have lost the color though since I've been using it. It just seems really special to me. I used it recently on a gift I gave to my sister. I tend to use it for finishing work or on smaller stock since it is a bit light. Last night I used it exclusively on a holder for a shower head. I'll see if I can't get a pic posted of it. All my other favorite hammers belong to other smiths :)

Marc, thanks for the info. Thomas, My welding instructor was missing the first part of his pointer finger on his right hand. I didn't have the heart to ask how it happened, but it seemed as though he had done A LOT of shop work throughout his life..

Yea, when I watched I kinda thought the guy was a moron, he stood in the exact position for receiving a kick. Poor sap. Also, I was reminded that with cattle, don't they pinch them in a pen to hold them for a brand or tag? I thought it was odd that the horse was just standing in a stall to receive a brand..

I've seen this before and was very impressed with it. I believe it was developed here in Oregon. It works by detecting electric conductance. As soon as it detects any it shuts off. Very impressive.

My fiancee, a very understanding woman, got me a bench mount drill press. My father, a retired tool and die maker, got me a tap and die set and a set of 115 different drill bits. :)

Some great stuff guys! Here are my finished up pot rack hooks. Looks crude next to some of yours I think they'll be mighty functional though.

McManus has some great stories out there :)

What all did you folks make to give away as Christmas presents this year? I'm going out on a limb here and assuming some of you all might have forged some of your gifts I made my sister a candle holder. It's the first one I've made. I'm also making some of my in laws hooks for their pot rack, but I haven't finished those yet.. What about you folks?

2 dollars.. Cheap enough to save me time for now. I do plan on making some tongs in a bit though.. I need to make a cutting hardy too..

Looks great Michael! I recently took a stick welding class and plan on doing a lot of similar things It's neat to see some nice pictures of it. I'm still kicking myself from passing up on one of the wrenches you used for your twister. I saw one at a flea market this weekend, but had already spent my cash. No atms at the market.. I did pick up some good clamps and a set of tongs though :)

Welcome to another Oregonian! It's nice to see more of us here :)

Welcome from another Oregonian! It's nice to see more local folks here on the forum :)

Most modern smiths use mild steel for general forging. Tool steels are used for making tools etc.. If you want to find cheap random metal, I suggest finding a local scrap steel yard. I hit mine up once ever two weeks or so and just purchase random pieces that I think would be fun to work with or that fit a project I might be mulling over in my mind. When I first started out I bought some of my steel from Home Depot or Jerry's Home Improvement center, etc. Mainly because I had not gone to a scrap steel yard before so it was a bit out of my element. The home supply stores have decent steel, but it costs 3x as much as it should. However, if you just want 1 piece to play with because you are just starting, then I don't think its a big deal to drop 4 or 5 dollars on a piece of steel. Good luck! Keep banging away and you'll start to get a feel for it :)

Rebar is like the hotdog of the blacksmithing world. It's made up of random scrap off the metal shop floor. Who knows what's in it. I'd suggest getting some regular stock and seeing how that goes for you.

Hey! I posted the first video I saw a link to it on Revver, another video site. I wanted to post it on my web site, but its easier for me to post youtube then Revver, so I moved it. Anyway... Where is part 2?!

Thanks for the feedback. The whole thought was more for kicks then anything I would really do. I'm not even sure yet that I will bother to insulate the garage. Oregon weather usually isn't that bad.

Thanks for the warning. I understand the issues at hand..

I think neoprene would just melt..

The other night I was clearing out some space in the garage. Looks like I'll be converting it to a shop soon. Right now the garage isn't insulated. I'm not opposed to buying some insulation and putting it up, but a funny thought occurred to me so I thought I would ask about it. Do you guys think old neoprene would work to insulate a room? Say I had a whole truck load of old wet suits, or dry suits, or snow skiing suits, or something. Do you think that tacking up a few layers of it all around would do an OK job of insulating?

Here is the model I'll probably get: G7943 12 Speed Heavy-Duty Bench-Top Drill Press This one from Harbor Freight was a close second: Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Howdy Folks! Well, I'm in the market for a drill press. (More specifically, my fiancee is in the market for a drill press for me for Christmas) What should I look (or look out) for? What kind of RPMs do I need? What are some good brands? Any drill press tips or advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Strikers. They swing heavy hammers over and over while the smith just positions the piece.

btw.. Welcome to the Forum!!