Iron Poet

9 hours ago, Donniev said:

Stockmaker it's 1/2" stock with 1/4" tenon's. Basically I'm following everything Rory May does in his tutorial video on YouTube "intro to tenon's". I'm also using a guillotine for most of the shoulder work, and made a monkey tool from 1" square mild steel.

My major problems are either stress cracks, or I messed up how straight it was in the back plate. I'd get it set into the plate, take it outta the vise and look at it only to see it sitting at an ugly angle. I'd have to fix it or just shear it off and start over again.

Your tools might have edges that are too sharp. You shouldn't get cracks if the shoulders are nice and rounded, unless you're going from a large diameter to a very small one.

I'd recommend filing, it's what I do and it does prevent major screw ups. It just takes a couple minutes longer than with a grinder

2 hours ago, Gergely said:

Thank you, they have the grade nr so I could identify the alloy in the Hungarian system. It's Bz8 - I give it a try sometimes when I go to the big metal plaza next time.

It's a real disaster to ask people about bronze around here, I got even from professional turners the answer: hmm, yes, there are some bronzes that are harder than the others. 

The only actual info I could find was, that in the beginning of the 1900's a famous Hungarian blacksmith used Aluminium Bronze for his delicately forged chandeliers.

Silicon, aluminum, tin, and I believe phosphorus bronze can be forged. Arsinic is one of the classical metals that everyone used but it's fallen out of favor for 'some reason'

2 minutes ago, Gergely said:

Beautiful bowl! Can you please tell what grade of bronze you use for this work? I've tried to forge some bronze before but it was ugly disappointment. 

Bests:

Gergely

You want to use silicon bronze, I go here and buy what I need. They usually have scuffed or scratched sheets for a big discount

Made a bronze bowl with a copper stand. For whatever reason people like the dimpled look far more than the planished ones, I personally love the feel of bronze especially textured so it doesn't matter.

I've always been good and I've either hidden or destroyed all evidence to the contrary. Being an average dope ruins the mystique I've been cultivating : P

Sanding brass in 0 degree weather is equally freezing and burning hot..

JNewman, can you post pictures? I'm always interested in swage blocks.

On 3/9/2017 at 6:18 PM, ThomasPowers said:

Cast iron ladle?   If so way too close to the melting point of copper.  But should have been fine for zinc.  How old were the pennies?

I didn't check, I just assumed that canadian pennies were made out of pot metal and so I got lazy. I'm not too broken up over it, since I'm getting around $140 for practically nothing, I was going to make a larger ladle out of some 8 gauge sheet any how the old one was rusting apart.

Mostly made a little flower for a raffle and I also melted down a bunch of pennies because a woman wanted them cast into necklaces... ruined my casting laddle : (

2 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

After 4 years in the USCG in the 60s as an Engineman (diesel mechanic) can't say as I do.

If you need me I'll be in my workshop melting lead and using prussiate of potash to case harden my mercury quenching tank.

5 hours ago, Irondragon Forge & Clay said:

smells better.

You don't like the pleasant aroma of motor oil? Next you'll tell me you don't like the smell of diesel exhaust.

23 minutes ago, Judson Yaggy said:

Fun

Silly question, but wouldn't it have been easier to heat fit or forgeweld everything together?

9 hours ago, tkunkel said:

Disgustingly neat. If you're not dragging magnets across your floor to find tools you're not a real blacksmith.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

I've been told to ask for twice as much time as you think you need.

On 3/5/2017 at 4:06 PM, flux_lalonde said:

Sandra Dunn here in Kitchener.

Sandra's a great teacher - 7 of us in the workshop, and we all got piles of well-targeted, well-leveled direction.

Flux.

Small world I also got taught by Sandra, but up in Haliburton.

51 minutes ago, Jasent said:

Another score from Gramps. Any idea what it was used for?

Countersink

7 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said:

Accuracy on par with what was being done daily 100 years ago might be..   The wagon seat back is a prime example.. Corners 90°, bar straight.. Yet each part was welded on..

If I had assistants I could do those welds. A bit hard to do with a single pair of hands.

You'll get it when you get it. Flux heavily and when the metal starts to get a slight sheen it's ready for welding.

I might be spending 2 months away from the forge and I was wondering if you had any book recommendations. There is a lot of trash books out there and I'd prefer not to waste my money on them.

3 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

So many modern smiths tend to go out of their way to avoid forge welding

Which is weird since it's really not that hard.

On 3/4/2017 at 7:31 PM, ThomasPowers said:

36 years so far and no problems using a steel faced hammer doing it,  Wood should work as well.

It can help prevent the edge from deforming if you're making thin knives.

8 hours ago, Kevin_Olson said:

Hey IP. Do you have a pic of this.

3 hours ago, JHCC said:

Something like this?

 

 

Yeah, it's pretty much that.

I use a saw tuning hammer as my dedicated drawing hammer. It has a nice vertical and horizontal peen with nice curved faces. It's apparently a very rare find, but it's a swell hammer. The best part? I got it for free.