51 Papy

Elemental

It will produce some clinker.  I like it better than the soft southern Kansas coal as it burns a lot longer and full price seems to be about 1/3 the price.  Dumb luck, I run a break drum forge. Long story short, decided it was to deep so I built up with a piece of pipe and put dirt in to fill the bottom 1 1/2"between fire brick.  Dirt came out but now that's where most of the clinker settles now.  It works but you don't weld anything at the end of the day.

JHCC

Never used any rice coal.  Maybe it will light easier ya right.  Guess I'm going to find out.  TSC ran their heating close out in this area the weekend before I made this deal.  Don't wait to long! Good luck!

Stopped by Tractor Suppy in St Joseph, MO.  They were the only store showing nut coal in stock in the areas I travel for work.  29 bags of coal followed me home at $2.00 a bag.  Regularly $5.99 here.  Got some nut and rice. Bags were not great but good enough to get to the 55 gal drum.  Spring stuff is in the store here they are closing the heating out.

Papy

10 hours ago, stockmaker said:

Yep you are right.  I don't know why I have to learn things the hard way.  I knew a radius was needed on the sides but I decided mine did not have to be as radical as the ones I see in the books.  So I put just a little radius on the edges when it was in the mill.  Now I am slowly filing them  by hand and those die's are tool steel.  I don't want to bend the spring yet because lining it up was tricky, but I may resort to that.

Stockmaker

I to made the same mistake...a couple of times.  Took me about three tries to get enough material out to not leave "pinch" marks. By the third time I bent the spring and got after it.  Works good now you'll enjoy it.

Papy

Went to the shop for the first time since Jan 7th.  Worked on a pair of bolt tongs.  The new hip held up better than expected.  Bolt tongs not so much but better than the last set I made.  It was low 70's and a great first day back.

Das

 Beautiful roses.  That's a project on the spring list. Like to think they would look half that good...know they won't .

I have contacted a couple of people in the crushing business here locally already.  Haven't found any but I'm looking. Thanks for putting it out there..

Bed it down in some sand. Wedges it in and keeps it in place and kills any ring. Then enjoy!

Make sure and give her a hug and kiss.  Then give her another set from us.  Great lady!

Back hoe hammer bits work great too.  Plent of mass and the price was right.  It took three stops starting with the cat dealer.  A hot saw to cut it and start hitting iron.  Has great rebound.

Papy

Nice David.  The wife thought enough of them to bring me the iPad and ask when hers were going to be made.  

While all of these are great ideas...it's kind of like the wooden screen door, the one you told the kids for years to stop banging.  I know I'm strange but I love to hear both the older I get.  That big old Parker's handle drops with authority and grace.

Papy

A lead flashing will get you close and then roof dope, mastic or "good" silicone.  Not sure about your area I used to order large sizes while in west Texas.  The guys would take a worm clamp and shrink to neck to fit.  If your careful you don't need the storm collar.  

It's so purtee when it sparklers!

Papy

Pancho

Where and when...and can an old kid sneak in?

Papy

My dad used to tell me "I couldn't whip my way out of a wet paper bag in a driving hail storm" and that pretty much where my forging is now.  Dad always knew that would xxxx me off and make me try harder.  It's a great thing when you can take scrap and make smaller scrap.

Charcoal in a soup can works well too.  Just add the pea sized stuff until the whole this is burning.  I use a mechanical blower. It's tough to get started but I bought it end of heating season at TSC for $4.49 a bag less then pallet qty in Kansas City.  It does produce Very nice clinker that will end your day if not cleaned out.

3 hours ago, SmoothBore said:

 

I'm currently curing a rare "straight grained" piece, for use as a walking cane.

 

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"Straight grained" hedge????  Better hide that somebody will want to use it for a corner post.  

Thanks Thomas

11 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Typo: Non-Magnetic;  heating metal up to non-metallic would be impressive!

Yep. Darn it can't even blame that on spell check.  I did heat part of a piece to non-metallic last weekend...went to get it out of the forge and it was gone.

Thomas are you saying that heating the drift and tempering is your choice way of doing this job?  Also, as a rule of thumb and somewhere for us new guys to start,  what color.  light straw dark straw.  I think in reading Frank said baby possum ear blue?  Having a starting point would be great!  And, while we are on the subject, the knife guys seem to do multiple tempers.  Is that needed on hammers? 

Papy

Just did my first hammer and heat treated this weekend.  Brought the whole head up to non-metallic in forge, quenched in veg oil until just warm to touch sanded the faces and tempered in the oven at 475 for an hour x 2.  Got to a med-dark straw ( or that's what it looked like to me).  It is now resting in linseed oil with new handle soaking.  Metal was mistrey steel.  Got it from the machine shop it was a hardened threaded end off large equipment.  Rebound off the post anvil was about 90%.  No mark on the hammer face.

It sure would be good to hear how everyone else does this.  

Papy

Novice

Your missing the boat!  There's got to be scrap yards, road construction places (Cat dealer), fab shops and so on.  I have anvil envy as much as everyone else.  I'm working on 24" of backhoe hammer bit. $0.00.  Base is scrap plywood and 2x4's $0.00 I don't have more than $20.00 in grinding disks in it.  These guys are trying to get you in on a shoestring budget.  I'm in sales so walking in and talking is no problem.  Never been in the repair shop before walked out with the bit, and a friend!  That was the fourth shop I visited.  Point is you either spend the money or put in the time, or both.    For my shop a "real" anvil is going to wait until I find a smokin deal because I really like my post anvil.  There is a lot of posts about where to find non London pattern anvils.  At your age (guessing by your profile) you are unstoppable! Go for it!!!!

Respectfully

Papy

Ede

I am not an arborist but pecan harvested in KS and MO is tough.  Once dry ours is miserable to cut or split.  The grain twists back into itself like our beloved hedge.  I have used both for handles and repair pieces.  Both woods are prone to splits and checks.  Thomas is correct. An old fence post is great.  If you have a lot of pecan and you can "protect" it go out after all the leaves are off and "ring" the tree.  Chain saw or chisel cut to the white wood in a ring at the base. This will kill the tree.  Then leave it for a year or two standing.  Bring some extra chains when you go back to process.  You'll be surprised how much more useable lumber you have.  I prefer our golden hedge for the color and grain.  Pecan in the heartland is mainly white.  Enjoy.  A cup of coffee and a twenty two in the pecan grove...not gona get much better!

Papy

Wow!  I'm good with that!

Thanks John!

JHCC

I agree too hard is worse then too soft but...it was way soft.  I use mine a lot in short intervals.  Hope you enjoy it!

Papy

JHCC

It will move metal as long as you can swing it.  I had to heat treat mine.  It was way soft.  Other than that it's a brute.