Ethan the blacksmith

​sorry, I didn't intend to mean that.

thank you for all the advice!

the flat bar I use is for my horse bottle openers, and other things...

my most used medal is 3/8'' square and 1'' by 1/4'' flat.

thanks turbo7, very helpful!

thank you all, i'll try some of the ideas tonight

hello everyone

even though I have good coal, it makes the occasional clinker. and after a day of forging, that ads up! I have a clinker breaker at the bottom of my fire pot that gets rid of the clinkers above the air blast but not around it. I have tried to poke around but it doesn't seen to help. any ideas on how to get the darn things out of my fire is appreciated!

inspiring!

sorry for the late reply... I was at school.

camel hump tools if I recall are like fullers that sit on you anvil when drifting after you fuller the cheeks so they wont deform. here is an great video of Daniel lea forging a rounding hammer. and here are the camel hump tools.

are you going to forge a rounding hammer, cross peen? what size? then we can start talking seriously!

tools you will need for any hammer is: anvil, forge, big hammer/small hammer(or a power hammer), hammer eye punch(I recommend B. Brazeal's), drift.

if you want to forge a rounding hammer you will need: cupping tool, top/bottom fullers, flatter, camel hump tools, + the rest.

there are may good videos on you tube on forging hammer.(I probably seen most of them).

P.S. 2" semi axle works good for hammers about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 lbs. (its 4140 I believe...)

looks like it bring a new meaning 'Get er dun'.

beautiful hammer! will last you more than a life time.

that anvil is in pristine condition!

if you are wanting to do blacksmithing, or any other thing in the world, you have to have passion! I really enjoy this video by alec steele. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Pyg7LBv1w

have you ever heard of the big boy locomotives, they amaze me! steam traction engines only take 2-3 hours(on a warm day) to get pressured up. these locos can take all day or more!

but back to the nail headers...

I believe the last set behind the drivers is called the trailing truck?(again, a faint memory)

 And ya, I figured it would be hard for me to turn into a bright red, wood thing on the front of an old 4-4-0 American.hahaha

were did you get that BK anvil, I have never seen one. is it steel?

it would be my dream to be the engineer on a big steamer! it is a lot to work towards, good thing I have already started! for now I am quiet content to run the local steam tractors at shows. in fact, we have our own threshing show in September, and of all the tractor this one is obliviously my favorite! 1912 Sawyer Massey steam tractor. this machine built America! (I am siting on the tender as fireman...)

Still a kid. Have alot to learn.

I'LL post some pics of a header that i'll try to make  

Thanks frosty.  

funny you mention bad authers, editors...

as i mentioned before, I am a steam engine enthusiest and have run many. One day I was at a steam show and I was being interviewed by the local newspaper, because I guess 13 year old boys in to old suff is rare... Anyways, they made many mistakes in the article, but the worst for me was that I said that it can take as much as 2-3 hours for the boiler to heat up but they put 23 hours in the newspaper! 

Thanks for the replies! I recently talked to Alec on the phone and he gave me some good advice, and so did all of you. This project will take quite a while, but I will try to post a couple pictures and maybe a video along the way. Thanks again,

Ethan

that is a great way glen. but I would love to heat a 4'' plate up a drift it, but I don't know if that will happen

I have always loved old books on blacksmithing and steam engines. I have an old book that has a cast header in it somewhere but don't quote me on it, I'll go look it up.it is a faint memory. and maybe I was mistaken, it could have been cast steel or drop forged!

brain fart... I never thought of a spring!

wow thank you for the detailed picture! how thick is the plate?