Ron Hicks

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The Harris Products Group - Classic Outfits

Im not a weldor but trying to learn
The address on top is the welder they are talking about, I have one & think most people that do any welding has one or had one.

The second is the Torch I have "Steelworker" Harris doent cost much and mine seems to be a good torch. If I was buying a torch I would buy new.Im guessing $ 300.00

Im not trying to tell you to buy anything & sure we will hear about every brand under the sun.

The welder & torch dont cost much and work.
Ron

Ive made one from coil spring - guess Im letting it get to hot.
I have some 1 in. bar that at one time printed on them Tungsten Bar thought about using it?I also have some S7 5/8 bar .

Im slitting and drifting a 3/8 hole through 5/8 round bar, is this to small for a hot chisel?

I need to make Hot Chisels & Punches
What do I need to make them from that will take the heat and not deform?
Is there a good & easy to get junkyard materail??
Thanks Ron

I think theres a difference from what this guy told me, but I havent used any
of the coal from Stigler.
What little Ive got to use seems good
Ron

I think I had a little more weight on my pickup than I should, but it wasnt bad . I just took it easy and took my time.

I was told by a local blacksmith it was good stuff but he had not tried any yet. I have looked on the net. trying to find some info. about NE OKlahoma coal havent found much other than its "High Volatile - Middle Pennsylvanian age bituminous coal ".
THis came from NE Oklahoma
Phoenix Coal Sales - Vinita Ok
Kelley Mine # 4270
It was $ 75 a ton - 1580 pounds was $ 59.25
I read some where they sell it by the bag but the price was like 4 X higher than bulk.
They had different sizes , I liked how the stuff I burnt last night coked and broke up.
I might be a good idea to have like a Coal Suppliers List:)
Im going to try it out today
I had a good trip and seen some new country
Ron

Made it back from Oklahoma with the coal , It came from Craig County.
I think the Kelley Mine , man was that place busy.
I forgot to take my camera , mountains of coal, one after another trucks haulin coal, I had a hard time getting on the scales to weigh.

I dont know much about coal,this is what I picked out.
I had a good load on my pickup 1580 pounds.
I burned a shovel full - cokes good but havent forged with it yet
Hows it look
Ron

I dont think they would deliver - Im 78 miles from Vinita OK.
Im headin over there today I hope-
Ill let you know how it goes
Ron

Maybe I did it worng but it worked & I think the fit is pretty good- it works opens and closes easy and not sloppy.
I made the Hofi tool for the leg vise (BP1016) - and use 3/8 round for the rivet 1 1/2 X thickness each side. I clamped the 3/8 in the vise jig leaving 9/16 sticking above heated with torch and made a head on one end.
I split & drifted the hole to 3/8 then drilled just to make sure.
I went over the insides of the bosses with a file to make good & smooth.
I put the rivet in the tongs and line up every thing and fit the bit to the stock.
I placed heavy paper between & heated the very top of the rivet and made the other head.
I heated with the torch right on the rivet heads to free it up.
It worked slick maybe I just got lucky.

Irnsrgn
Ive wore out a shovel or two in my day,I dont usem to lean on:)
Im thinking about 1/2 ton - but you know how the guys runnin the loaders are
they like to pile it on. Ill take a shovel so I can unload some if they poor it on me.
Barrels sound like a good way to store it , did not want to pile it on the ground.
I was told this coal was good stuff
Thanks Guys
Ron

Finally made a pair of Tongs that works.
I know the material I made them from is not thick enough and mild steel may be the wrong steel .

They hold 3/16 X 3/4 on edge for one of my next projects.

I made the Tongs from 3/16 X 3/4 X 11 in. long mild steel.
I planed to make like a V bit but wasn't enough thickness so arc welded
pieces to the sides.They ended up 16 in. long




They seem to really hold well.

I had to make a 6 tools to make them slip on jaws for my vise, bolster block, chisel, drift, Hofi header tool, cutting plate.

Thanks Ron

Looking for Advise
End of last summer had to have some work done on my 4 X 4 pickup- replace rear end- wheel bearings and front end work,It wasnt cheap.

I found a place in Vinita OK. " Phonix Coal Sales " -sells Coal $75.00 a ton .
I sure dont want to break my pickup again and wondering what would be safe weight to haul.
Its a Dodge 4 X 4 short bed 1/2 ton with the 360 motor. Tires 5 ply side wall.

Just so I have an idea how big a pile is 1 ton of coal:confused:
Thank You
Ron

Thanks Guys
I wasnt for sure about length and was going 2 X thickness of rivet
I forgot about the Hofi jig & thats what I will make
I would like to buy some rivets and will look for them.

If I were to make a rivet header is there a rule of thumb to go by to make the head size?
Thanks
Ron

Ive been trying to make Tongs & want to know how to make Rivets.

I made what I thought was a Header not use If this is right?
1/4 in. thick steel with a 3/8 hole.

I stuck a 2 in. long X 3/8 round in it & left 1 in. sticking above & only heated this end with torch.
It made a nice head but the under side I held on the anvil upset enough not to remove.
Can some one help me
Thanks Ron

Bear you got a deal nice forge

Im trin to go heavy duty with what I have on hand- its all out of 1/2 in.
I cut from an I beam.
The dies are cut from a roadgrader blade-man was that some rank stuff to cut with a torch PU!
The grader blade has a good amount of carbon in it ( sparks when grinding)
the dies are 2 in. wide X 1/2 in. thick & will weld on some mild steel on top.
I need to cut a base plate and ready to weld it together
I will cut the dies into and shape after its together.

Ron

yes cooter I would get all of you can
and yes bust it up thumb size or a litte bigger

That is pretty good stuff .
he has like 2 hands on his arms & 2 hands on his legs

the guy welding must have some tough fingers - I dont think I could do that

Thanks guys Ill get something thicker I just thought the 1/8 would work

Thanks Bear & JWB
That helps Ive got it about the right size.
I am also wondering if it should set center of the anvil?
I cut the sides from an I beam almost 1/2 in. thick and have an old blade from a road grader thinking about making the dies out of it- also 1/2 thick.
Im gona try cutting with a torch 2 in strip from the blade and then heating in forge to flatten.

Is 1/8 in heavy enough for the bottom plate that sits on the anvil?

I may end up with a big mess
Maybe I should have bought new materail instead of junkin
Ron

I want to make a Smithing Magician and could have sworn I seen one in the Gallery but cant find it.
Thanks Ron

Cooter
Hardening and Tempering is 2 different things
Hardening is getting the steel hard & brittle( like a file or glass)
Tempering is taking some of the hardness out so the steel is tougher and not as brittle.

Using color to tell temp. is kind of tough( what looks red in full sun might look orange in the shade or even brighter in a dark shop.)
You need a magnet - heat the steel and check it with the magnet, when the steel gets into the dark red start checking it with the magnet.As the heat climbs the color get brighter - when the magnet just stops sticking to the
steel its called non magnetic (on the Tempil Guide Ac1 on heating &Ar1 on cooling).
Depending on what steel temp. is different but with a magnet when it becomes non magnetic thats the temp. to Harden at.
Non magnetic & hotter is where you want to forge also(depends on the steel)

Theres way more to it than this but will get you started
Look over the Key To Steel link I gave you on heat treating + lots of info. that will help you.

Maybe others can explaine it better and will post
Ron
[ABANA] Tempil Guide
Link removed at the request of anvilfire
KEY to STEEL :: Articles

Cooter
What you got going there would be better as a coal or charcoal forge not a
gas forge.
Look at this forge on ebay it is a coal or charcoal ( solid fule)
you can see and get the idea.
eBay: 20" Blacksmith Steel Coal Forge Pan & NEW Blower N/R (item 250083725196 end time Feb-18-07 19:30:21 PST)
How to Build a Coal Forge Plans


Now if you want to do a gas forge here is a few things to look at
lot more to a gas forge and a burner.
Gas Forge Burner plan and links
HABA Houston Area Blacksmith's Association Sept 2003
Forge Construction

THANKS GLENN:)

cooter
If you went with charcoal or coal for just a quickey forge
You could stack bricks around the flue and use a pipe to get the air in the fire
for the air supply you could use a hair dryer duct taped to the end of the pipe.
Just prop it on something so the pipe angles down in the fire.
This would be like a side draft- if it comes in from the bottom its a bottom draft.
this is a side draft

With gas forge you need to build a burner , insulted shell .

Glenn made a forge called the 55 Forge its a bottom draft (BP0133), and another that was side draft (BP0238). Any how easy to make.


You can use other things for flue some even use corn.


Don't use anything galvanized fume fever is bad news.

Cooter
If it were me I would rig up a little forge out some junk
and play with it - sure would make things easier
Use some charcoal for fuel, play with it a little
even if you don't forge with it use it fro the heat treating
just trying to help:)

cooter
just looking for info. thought you might like to look
Fish Gigging
eBay: Fish Gigs Spear or Fishing Gig Hand Forged by Don Baker (item 160084280381 end time Feb-20-07 17:17:34 PST)
I may try to make one myself