Michael Cochran

2 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

That would be a high quality Osborne wood lathe pointing chisel.

Please forging me if I sound argumentative, I don't mean to, but I feel it's not a pointing chisel. The picture I uploaded earlier does look something like a pointing chisel but the only ones I've seen were flat whereas this one has triangular cross section with a slight hollow grind between the sharp edges.

My wife and I spent our anniversary going to flea markets this mornin and saw some good stuff and most of it stayed. I passed on a 16 lb sledge hammer with tape wrapped the entire length of the handle, misc. hand hammers and a few jackhammer bits. I'm kicking myself about the 16lber and the jackhammer bits a little bit. 

I did pick up a couple new files and an interesting triangular bearing scraper. I'm wondering if the scraper could be used like a sen. These were all new tools instead of buying from the old crusty ones I found scattered. 

I was thinking about trying some of the suggestions out this weekend to see what happens. I have some 1" round a36 that would be ok to see what's to be expected when I get around to doing the real deal. 

3 minutes ago, Thor66 said:

vinny1892, how did it work out?

I doubt he'll answer you. He hasn't been on since December last year. 

18 minutes ago, Jim Coke said:

Greetings Michael,

       Forming rings not so much .,. I have used half round bottom swages to form rounded ends with great success.  You just keep rotating the forge stock in the form and than finish grind...  Worth a try.. 

Forge on and make beautiful things 

Jim

I didn't think about using a half round swage either. I'll see if I have anything large enough to make one with a close enough radius to be usable. 

1 hour ago, Ratel10mm said:

A friend of mine uses various sizes of ring for making bowls, in lieu of having a ladle / cupping tool on a sewage block. 

That works pretty well. The rings are made from suitable sizes of round stock. 

I'm not real sure how that'll help forge a rounding hammer. I've tried that trick before when dishing sheet metal and it works a treat for that. 

That's the only way I've seen them made. Well not the only way. You could always forge flat and grind round. 

10 hours ago, Francis Trez Cole said:

I have a cupping tool. A Swedge Block with round die (ladle/bowl) will do the same thing. Don't over think it 

If I had a swage block that would work I'd most certainly use it.  I do appreciate the suggestion, I might can find one to borrow or make my hammer in that shop. 

I have some 1" wide on hand. If you need some gimme a shout. 

14 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

Once you start looking at it, it's a very useful peice of scrap

Definitely a valuable piece if you can legally acquire large pieces. Which reminds me I need to call my local CSX office and ask them about some of the rail they just tore up down the road from me. 

7 hours ago, Lars_ said:

Since I assume this will be your first hammer you are going to use many heats to forge it anyway. Therefore it's even better to grind of a little bit more in the end. 

Not my first hammer just the first large hammer. Even if it does only save 5% of grinding as you say that's a good bit when grinding when you don't have access to grinding equipment that'll move lots of material quickly and consistently. 

6 minutes ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

The best way to think outside the box, is don't get into one in the first place.

Glenn has been trying to drill that in my head for quite a while. Maybe one day he'll manage to break through that rock in my head and that wisdom will be able to sink in. 

38 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

Don't forget that the head of train rail is 1 1/2x3" steel as well. The flange is 7/8. Almost an instant Harry tool. 

I have some rail head set aside for a couple projects but I might have enough for a couple other things. I'll have to double check what I have/what I need. Most all the flange and web will be used for other projects including some hardy tools. I remember you making that suggestion shortly after I joined here and I haven't forgotten. 

Thanks for the suggestion Charles, I'll keep my eye open for that too. 

I need to get back to my scrap yard, they had some useful stuff last time I went. I just wasn't able to bring any back with me.

Thanks Jasent and JHCC. Looks like I need to source larger vehicles getting parted out for scrap. My 1" axle came from an old car, if I want larger I'm guessing I need to find a pickup or dump truck. The county school district has the bus maintenance department about 8 miles from where I live. I need to give those guys a call and see what kind of treasures they might have lying around. 

I've had a busy few weeks and haven't taken the time to post my treasures that followed me home recently. Friday I got 600+ lbs of cratewood and about 30 lbs of scrap steel round tangled up in a mess. I also got a pretty set of ball bearings (about 1" balls) and the bronze cage (?). I also got another 7 bandsaw blades and some pallet strapping scrap roughly the same width and the BSB.

That's another idea I haven't thought of. Unfortunately I don't have a press of a 4" ball. 

I do have plans on building a press and actually just got a lead on less expensive material not far from work the other day. 

Thank you Rashelle. I knew there had to be an easier way to go about it. I have a ball joint from either a forklift or a truck that would probably work a treat. 

Now I'll just need to find a large enough piece of steel. I just don't think a 1" diameter axle will cut it for this project lol.

Mine of these days I might finally get myself out of this box in stuck in. 

I would like to make a rounding hammer in the next couple months but have no cupping tool. I've seen videos online showing the process of making one but the videos I saw showed using a rounding hammer to help refine the inside. The reason I want to make a rounding hammer is simply because I do not have a rounding hammer. That said I could use suggestions for finished the cupping tool.

I have seen an almost perfectly shaped convex I could use to help make my first rounding hammer except that I know it would be unable to withstand the abuse. If there was a way to support the bottom of one of those mapp cylinders to the point of it being useful I'd give that a shot. I also have a 4" malleable iron dome cap for use on chain link fencing I've been trying to figure out if I could use. The dome cap is roughly .25" thick if I had to guess but I doubt I could use it as is. I thought about polishing up the outside and casting lead in enough quantity to fill the underside to make it more robust so I could finish the cupping tool with it. However since steel forging temps are so much higher than the melting point of lead I don't think that's a good option. I could use other filler metals but it's going to be the same problem forging temps compared to melting temps. 

I have a feeling I'm overthinking again and there's a simple enough solution. If anyone cares to point me in the right direction I'd really appreciate it. 

I have taken the grinder apart and started rebuilding from the ground up. I will take some time before I actually get building on it again but will be making the one like Frosty made. I have more pressing things to deal with for the next couple months but will post progress whenever it happens. 

5 hours ago, Randell Warren said:

No electricity where I'm forging

I wouldn't normally recommend harbor freight but this is a good time for it. They have had little generators on sale the last couple weeks for about $90USD. They aren't rated for much as they are intended for tailgating or some such where you only need a couple things plugged in but it would be more than adequate for an electric blower on the go. 

Tell her to leave a little in one next time lol. 

My father in law saw some of the old glass coke bottles that were slumped and had a thermometer attached at a "junk store" a couple years ago and asked if I could do that. Of course he still thinks I melt metal to make what I want. What's really bad is he's not the only one who's made comments along those lines.  

1 hour ago, John in Oly, WA said:

Slumping wine bottles into dishes in my heat treat (multipurpose ) oven.

Those are cool. If I had a heat treat oven I'd probably have to do that kind of thing for my wife and inlaws more than I could use it for my own projects.  

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

What's your weigh?

I haven't weighed it but judgin from losing a 12oz drink can in one hand hammer in the other (and swapping hands to be sure) it's at least 16oz but idk an exact. 

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

Another little tweak you'll find helpful in most cases is to curve the pein SLIGHTLY, less than an axe blade for sure. That's for the next one though, just don't straighten the natural curve the steel takes when you forge the pein down as much.  A LITTLE curve.

I ground in a very slight curve in the pein. I may find it's not enough and address it once I get to using it. 

I needed a smaller crosspien for leaf making because the only one I had was a 4 lb I found at lowes. That one is much too large. 

I somewhat sort of finished my first hammer shaped object today. I found it much harder to forge the large coil spring I had. I have plenty of things I'll do different next time. Im looking forward to when my local chapter of the AFC does a hammer workshop this winter.

On 8/24/2017 at 1:55 PM, ThomasPowers said:

The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi

I found a copy online to appease my curiosity but found I cannot read but a couple scattered words. I guess I need to find an English copy since I never learned Latin. 

2 hours ago, TheoRockNazz said:

Lookin good Frosty!

Sorry Michael, the last one went last night   next time

Guess I need to download the app next time lol. Thanks anyway.