Fe-Wood

Welcome Xim! Looks like the fire bug got you! Have fun!!

Melt away! Be sure that you always use the same crucible to avoid contamination As far as removing solder- heat pipe until solder flashes and use wire cleaner to remove. I sometimes use scotchbrite but you have to move fast because it will melt. Tin and copper have different waights and melting temps, so they will sepperate out given the right conditions.

Chris- Its acidic foods, sugar is not. Acidic foods, like tomato sauce get an un-appealing color and taste. Pans- If you have ever tried to solder copper pipe together than you will understand the need for cleanliness in the pots you are trying to tin. I use an acid wash followed by an abrasive, no problems with adhesion. I do tend to over clean though... what kind of flux and solder are you using?

Net- Nice drawing for the bellows...

I believe, if you can fashion a gas tank into a forge, you can fashion a smashed 55'er into a forge. If you do get into cutting the used gas tank, FILL IT WITH WATER TO JUST BELOW THE CUT LINE!!!! You will also need an air/fume escape hole above the water line. Be safe!

I got suckered into smithing while I was in art school. I was in the Sculpture department casting bronze and aluminum. One day while talking to the tech. in his office (more like the tool room) I noticed a full set of hardies and matching swages. ??what are those for?? Oh, blacksmithing he said... really!! Ya, we have a few anvils and a forge too... and nobody knows how to use them, so nobody does! Can I try? Sure, help yourself. Its amazing how fast a smoking forge can draw a crowd!!! That was in 1992. I worked at it real hard for about 3 years, started to make a living at it too, then life threw me a curve ball. Now, 2009 I've finally come back to it in earnest. Not sure were it or the other trades I practice will take me but I sure have enjoyed the ride so far...

I second djhammerd's suggestion. If it seems dounting, start small. I think there are two things to be learned by making ones own tools (besides the money saved) you learn more skills and you learn how to make tools that work in your oun hands. Everyone has a different way of approaching work and holding tools. If you make your own, you will find that balance of head waight vs. handle lenght and diameter that fits you best. No off the shelf hammer can ever do that. I've only made a few hammers, but I have customized most of the ones I have bought. Most of my hammers come from flee markets, junk shops and garage sales. I prefer them without a handle, so I can make my own, they are cheeper too. If there are several, offer to buy them all, as they say cheeper by the dozen... Good luck and have fun!

Thanks Peacock! If need be, I can bore out a pulley. Do you happen to have the granger part number? Also it sounds like you've rebuilt a few? Do you have pictures of a good motor mounting system? Thanks for the tip on size. I was originally going to go 2.5". I thought it would be more available...

Hi all- Well, it looks like my hammer is about done from the rebuild, YE HAWWW!!! I finally picked up a motor and now need to come up with an appropriatly sized pulley. Its an older hammer,1929. Clutch is in the center instead of hanging off the back. I'd like to use a "timing belt" type pulley as they seem like they would transfer power better and ride more like the stock flat belt. My 5 hp Baldor motor turns 1750 RPM has a 1.125" OD shaft, 2.75" long with a .25" keyway. Anyone have a proper size and source for these pulleys? I've looked at the little giant book and online for comps. and just got confused. All the reference numbers are different, etc. I'm gonna need a belt too, so a supplier for that would be great too. If anyone has one with a motor setup like mine, mounting photos would be an enormous help as well! Thanks!!

I've used beeswax thinned with mineral spirits warmed into the metal. Sorry, I don't remember the formula. Really nice surface prep. doesn't get your hands dirty. I use this mostly on wood carving chisels and layout rulers. When I say warmed in, the wax applies like a paste with a brush and warm the tool until the solution flashes and let cool. I don't think the flash temp is much more than 100-150 deg. F. Very dirable and clean finish and I don't believe it causes any tempering issues.

One question I have, how do you keep the trans fliud and Mineral oil in solution? It seams they would seperate out over time. I've nevr delt with the stuff though...

Frosty, Turns out I had another piece using a fire nozzle. The measurements are: tip=1/2" lenght= 9 1/4" big end= 1 1/4". So, thats 3/4" gain in 9" or real close to 1:12!

Frosty- I'll give it a measure next time I'm in the shop....but I think it's 3/8 at the orafice and 1.25 ID at the pipe.

No, It wasn't an art project, it did make a few though. Although I did fab up the whole thing. Turned the jet and "flame holder" Dodge got it, I thought there was something ironic about a fire hose nozzle used backwards for a forge burner...

Yeh, it was real hard standing sideways to take those pictures! Thats a Metal lathe face plate for use with lathe dogs, not the ones in the background. They are my helpers but mostly distractions. As in, hay, stop fiddling with that stuff and throw me a stick!!!! I think the walls are about 3", hollow inside. I think the table top is about 1" thick. Really heavy!

I built this forge in art school, 16 years ago. Deffinatly dosen't reach forge welding heat but its good for small stuff!

Hi all- I thought I'd share a table I put together. I bought all this stuff as scrap, Cheep!! Turns out, This is an awesome alternative to a small acorn table! I have used it for a bending jig, tool holder for deep splitting and fullering. Another bonus I just realized, I can mount wood reposse blocks with "dogs" and "T" nuts! Note; thats a 10" crescent wrench sitting on top.

I finally had a chance to figure the volume of my forge interior. I came up with 710 Sq Inches. Using the 250 Sq inch per 3/4 burner number (used for forge weld type heat) it looks like I need to up-size my burners to 1 inch.

One of the most valuable aspects of blacksmithing for me in the adventure of making something, is making or modifying old tools into the tooling for the current project. This is actually what started me and has continued to hook me to blacksmithing. Two things happen with this approach. You gain more tools, always a good thing! and, and this is a big AND, you gain experiance, invaluable!!! Don't get me wrong I LOVE NEW TOOLS!!! But, there is nothing more fulfilling for me than bringing out a tool made by ones own hand and having it serve flawlessly. My suggestion- Buy the anvil, Post vice, Hammer and One pair of alligator Tongs. If you don't have weld equipment, take a class at the local JC in welding and build your own forge and layout table (you will need to accure a few things for this, Ie; angle grinder, soapstone, wire brush, measuring/layout tools). All the other stuff you've collected will be good for barter and recycling into tools that become necessary in order to build current projects. Also, never pass on a good deal!!! You never know what you can turn it into later... That second post vice could be swaped out for a gillitene swage or something... Have Fun!

BP0020 Spark Testing- What, What? please do explain-

Hi- I'm looking for a good and easy way to tell all the different grades of steel, or as many as possible when one finds them in a pile of junk. Mild steel is fairly easy but what about tool steel and alloys. I'm talking about remnants not pieces that have a recognizable shape like an axle shaft or leaf or coil spring. I'm looking for something simple, like a magnet or file or??? I have a couple places I've been invited to scroung, so I'd like to know what I'm getting so I don't waste a good piece of alloy for something onamental or visa-vers Thanks!!

Hot Damm! Or is it Damm Hot? Looks like you can cover a lot of steel with that burner configuration... I'm assuming you have the loose brick sides for unlimited variations for access and heated space size? Very Nice indeed!! I like the jack for holding the top while you possition the walls Tell me a little about how your burners work. Doesn't look like you have much in the way of adjusting for tune. Lots of trial and error? I like the sturdiness of the all pipe fitting system. Thats what appealed to me about the "bell" type. It looks as though you have 5 or 6 to 1 combustion air to tube diameter? Have you found, as I have, that the burners on the end of the manifold get more fuel than the 2 in the middle? The two weakest links in my burners are the way the jets are held/aimed in place. Easy to adjust but easy to knock out of adjustment as well... Also, the slots are a little on the weak side. Not a forge to throw in the back of the truck for a hammer-in. Thanks for all your patients. I think the prudent approach would be to tune up the burners I have. I will also rebuild the "weak links" mentioned above before I venture into making "new" ones. Great excuse to learn and at the end of the day, I will have burners for another forge or furnace and a better understanding of the dynamics.

Oh, by the way Frosty. If you ever felt like posting a picture of your forge and burner setup, I'd love to see it!!

I just looked at Ron Reil's burners and see what you mean about adjustability, as in not alot! I like the sturdyness though. What do you think about the Hybrid burner made by Rex Price? They seem to be an advanced version of Micheal Porter's. One of the issues I think I'm dealing with in my forge is a flame that is not fully neutral. My sleaves are wide open and I'm still sending a little yellow flame out the top of the forge opening. Is the bigger "mixing" chamber on Rex's design going to alow for better air fuel mixing? Also, I think my version of Mike's design, being built intirely by hand, with hand tools, files and ill fitting off the shelf pipe, etc. doesn't allow for good fine tunning. Aiming the gas stream seems to be important as well as proper air/ fuel ratio. It also looks like Rex has a shorter section for his slits because of the increased diameter of the pipe. Thanks again Frosty for all your input!

update- Supperior carries tinning flux, not solder. They were very helpful though. They recomended Johnson Manufacturing as a supplier of tinning paste. Johnson Manufacturing Company - Solder