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I Forge Iron

bigb

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Posts posted by bigb

  1. I'm planning to make a fullering tool and I am thinking of making the hardie like this so I can drive a wedge to firm it up. I understand some hardie tools you want to be able to install and remove quickly but that would not be the case with a fullering tool. What do you think? (Idea and picture credit to Black Bear Forge)

    fuller hardy.jpg

  2. 11 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

     

    The creases are chilis that are drying,  often the red ones, the green ones are usually fuller---I live in one of the top chili growing areas in NM and so  see a lot of them in all the stages---the "State Question" of New Mexico is "Red or Green" referring to if you want  red chili or green chili on/in your food.  (Green for me.)

    Yes I know all about you guys and your chilis:) My cousin in Los Lunas raises them and word has it he is pretty stingy with them. Every time I go thru Hatch I load up.

    8 minutes ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

    This should help get you started. Either fuller will work, but the swing arm like Thomas has is more versatile.

    https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/54442-spring-fuller/

     

    Thanks!

  3. I have welders and angle grinders, and literally tons of steel. Is there a good write up on how to make a swing arm fuller? Thanks for the chimney tip, hadn't thought about that.

    My first chili I made in a trough after I had shaped it, I put it in and angle iron trough and used a hand chisel to crease it, only 2 creases but I was real happy with how it came out. I now have a large bucket tooth that I use to open the crosses, I welded it to a solid plate so it points up. It's about 5" across, comes to a wedge point and is very hard.

    chili.jpg

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  4. Thomas, I do not have a fuller. My first chili took forever but it came out great. I am a little better equipped now and yes I did learn to leave the pipe long. Someone told me to make it square first then put the creases in it and round it out.

  5. I like the 1/2" size but I made several sizes so folks can choose, 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4". The 3/8" can give me more trouble if not careful as they distort so easily if they're not hot enough. I'm also going to make some 3/8" copper ones.

  6. Updating to report I was able to finish making 74 crosses for our New Mexico reunion. The reunion got postponed to Labor Day so I took advantage of the extra time and worked on other projects first. I ended up using the cross peen hammer only while the steel was still orange hot and only had to dress it twice for the whole production. All cleaned up and protected with museum wax.

    Next on to some Mesquite cutting boards and maybe some fiddlehead ferns. May try some chili peppers too, but they do take me forever.

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  7. Thanks everyone, I am doing the texturing hot but maybe stretched the working time out too long and it cooled. Good idea on making a texture hammer Frazer, I certainly have plenty of hammers to spare, Farmall that's a great idea

  8. I am making some textured crosses with this old Bell System Stanley hammer I picked up somewhere, it was already sharp like a chisel and works great for the texture I want but it starts to deform quickly after just one cross. Should I be cooling it in the quench bucket as I am using it? Or just keep dressing it? I have several cross pein hammers I could sharpen in case it's a matter of the Stanley being too soft, one of them is a new Peddinghaus but not sure I want to be grinding on that one. Or if it's just the way it's going to be I'll keep dressing the Stanley, it's not a big deal I have a grinder right in the work space. Pics below of the Stanley, a finished cross (brushed with brass brush and waxed) and the Peddinghaus       Thanks in advance

    cross pein.jpg

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  9. 15 hours ago, George Geist said:

    Although the car is '60s vintage, I'd date that photo at circa late '70s as evidenced by the mankel gas forge. 

    Mankel was first ones introduced and the one pictured wasn't even atmospheric. It had an electric blower that needed to be plugged in.  Somewhere buried in back of my storage room I still have one like that. I believe by now it probably belongs in a museum.  Before those forges came out the only thing to use was coal.

    Although it might not seem like it with the fancy Hollywood trucks guys drive today, this guy was right on the cutting edge for that time and place.

    Most contemporary horseshoers anvils available new today are trash. That one pictured is a real honey. Any anvil makers out there take a good hard look. That anvil is everything a horseshoers anvil should be.

    George 

    Thanks for the info, I didn't know (or forgot) that Mr. Mankel made forges. I have one of his anvils and real happy with it. Frosty no I did not speak to "Flaco", just Googled. Without an area code it could be anywhere although a Western state would be more likely.

    I Googled it again but this time I put "Horseshoeing" in front of the phone number and came up with more info, he is from San Jose, CA and George is spot on with the date: (Click on the pic for more info)

    VW Farrier Rig

     

  10. Not enough undeveloped space on my city lot for all that. What I really wish is that this Covid didn't happen and I could take my steel to one of the open forges and get guidance, there were always a bunch of experienced people willing to help. They've all been canceled though, until this horrible mess is over. I'll probably end up waiting a bit right now as we are expecting record heat the rest of the week.

  11. My original plan was a complete arch to suspend an O2 cylinder bell but also considering less than that, so that it is somewhat pointed at the top like a church window (see pic), which would be easier and might look better. I do have a heavy steel table that I can attach various jigs to, I also have a receiver hitch mount for my 6" vise so I can use a truck for stability if I need to. I have a thick piece of plate 36" diameter that I will weld the finished structure to, then drill the plate and bolt it to a concrete foundation in the ground. I am thinking about blowing some holes in the plate for the 1-1/4" rebar legs to sit in before welding for more strength.

     

    church window.JPG

  12. I have some 1-1/4" rebar that I would like to bend a couple of 90s at the ends so I can weld them together into an arch but I'm not sure if it will even be possible with what I have, a gas 1 burner forge, a coal fired barrel forge and a 1-1/4" hand EMT bender. I also have a large OA setup. My concern is that I won't be able to heat enough length, or keep it heated long enough length to make a smooth radius. My other option is to find someone with a hydraulic bender and pay them to do it, or just give the idea up altogether and make the arch square. Anyone have suggestions? What about making a long narrow temporary coal forge in the dirt or from fire brick in order to heat enough length?

  13. Thanks for the ideas, Frazier that's a great idea on the spade bits, I think I may try some cabinet door pulls with the mason bits. Neil, I may sharpen a few but I just retired and won't really be needing them anymore, been accumulating for a few years. anvil, tool are a good idea, I may make some drift punches which I seem to use on a regular basis, Thomas I have been thinking about some Ocotillo and I just may try that. We missed our annual trip through your town this year due to the pandemic, hoping soon though. Family reunion in Trementina was postponed and may happen in the fall, friends in Santa Fe told us the whole town was mostly closed up. Really threw a wrench into my retirement travel plans

  14. I have a lot of worn out spade bits, masonry bits (5/16" X 4") and a pile of worn out hole saws. Any ideas what to make? So far all I can think of are flowers or leaves, or plants out of the spade bits. There's more hole saws than in the pic, about twice that many, they range from 1-3/8" to 4-1/8".

    bits.jpg

  15. I finished my shorts rack Sunday but the site has been so slow I haven't been able to post. I used 6x6 sidewalk drain cut with a torch and welded together with 2x2 angle and a piece of 3/16" on the bottom. All from scrap I had laying around. As to how have I built my pile I visit the scrap yard regularly plus they have special hours every other Saturday where we can go wandering before they start up the equipment. Also some came from other metal workers who had weekend get togethers and yard sales, and a lot came from just asking people "do you want that?"

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    pieces.jpg

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