twandawg85

So I got a chimney in with a side draft. I ended up using three 5ft sections of 12in pipe. This ended up putting the top section pretty much level with the peak, but its a good 18ft away from the peak. It had a backdraft while the winds were blowing 60mph over the peak, but thats the only time I've seen any backdraft. It has had a bit of an up draft even without heat most other times. Made a video of the process and results. Im very happy with this thing. Let me know what you think!

Unfortunately I dont have the option to put the stack on the upwind side. My father owns the property, and for the most part has me treat it like I own it, with a few exceptions, Like this one. I only have about a 8ft wide section on one wall where I have permission to put a hole through it. Gotcha. I was thinking the other way around. "its the weekend, so people are not working and should be available" That makes sense though. But I guess its more along the lines of people are "working" so I might get some forum responses. I mean, I am definitely "working" right now.

That's a great idea. I'm gonna pull my little smoker back there. Might even throw some meat in there do 2 things at once!

From the research I've done a stack made of 55s would be horrible, even if the top section was a 12" pipe, but if anyone knows different please let me know. I also found that basically the taller the stack the better the draw... to a point, but I could not find what that point was. If my understanding is correct a 20' tall 12" diameter stack(113 sq.in.) connected to tunnel with a 200(ish) sq.in. area, will give me a pretty strong draw. Im still finding conflicting information on whether my stack needs to go 4 ft above the peak since it will be 16ft away from the peak. It seems to me that at that distance from the peak as long as I am level with the peak I should be ok. But I really dont know what i'm doing. Is this a low traffic section of the forum? Im just kinda surprised I havent gotten any response yet.

So I am in the process of finally putting a chimney in for my forge. I've been getting by on a forced air system (basically a fan that blows air out of the shop). Planning one similar to the hofi through the wall side draft. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/23197-bp1048-side-draft-chimney/ It will be going through the east wall (that wall is parallel to the peak). The peak is about 16 ft from the outside wall, the outside wall is about 14 ft high and the peak is about 20 ft high. im going to cut a couple 55 gal drums in half for the piece that goes through the wall (gonna end up being 4-6ft long). Surface area of the hole is gonna be about 200 square inches(roughly the same as a 14x14 square). Planning on a 12in diameter, 20 ft stack(will start about 4 ft off the ground so it will be about 4 ft above the peak). With drain holes at the bottom and no top just like the ones in the other thread. With the plan I have in place does anyone see any issues I will run into? With it being 16 ft away from the peak do I still need to go over the peak to prevent backdraft? My father seems to think if I use 55 gal drums for the stack and just put one 12in piece on top I will get the same draw, it will just take more heat to get it started. (we have a ton of 55s, we could easily make the whole stack out of 55s). Also for the 12 in pipes. I have found 28, 26, and 24 gauge for the regular pipe, and 26 gauge for spiral pipe. Obviously the thinner material is cheaper. with the spiral being the most expensive. Can I get away with the 28 gauge? I just dont know how well it will hold up. Or how long it will hold up. I want to get this right the first time. Dont want to have to do it twice. Any insight would be much appreciated.

Ive seen some of alec steeles Damascus, Thats part of my inspiration for wanting to learn to forge weld (I've actually wanted to make damascus since I saw his american flag pattern), but I need to get a solid basic forge weld before I try welding over and over again to get a decent layer count for Damascus. I just looked up Elmer Roush (Im guessing thats who you meant because thats what google kept changing Rousche to). Found a video of him carving a hammer, those are some nice looking hammers.

That is exactly what I was trying to ask, but I overcomplicated it. What are the pros and cons of a spring steel hammer?

I get that. I've done that. I've been looking for this for a while. If you start your Google search with site:www.iforgeiron.com Then a space and then whatever you want to search you will get even better results because you will only get results from iforgeiron.com. this works with any website, just change the URL. I didn't mean there was absolutely no information. Just that when I was doing this research for knives I found an overabundance of information. The info I'm finding for hammers is few and far between. I've read many of them. I've read about steels being too hard and damaging an Anvil, I've read about people using hammers that aren't hardened. I've read about steels that are too hard if they are hardened, but not if you don't harden them. But I've only found 2 threads talking about hammers and spring steel or 5160. One is a riveting hammer made of a coil spring, the other is a 5160 face welded on. I'm partially trying to figure out why that is. Especially since most of the answers in this thread are "sure it would make a good hammer, but don't do it, use this instead" I will continue to look though. Outside of my personal ability, no one(other than ejrailroadtrack) has commented on why spring steel would or would not make a good hammer. Which is partly my fault because it's not the question I asked in the first post. But I thought we would have a conversation about the question I asked, instead of everyone beating into me something I already know, which is I don't have the ability to do this yet. I just don't get why the vast majority of people are responding as if the first thing I did was come on here and ask a stupid question. I did research, I've got some experience moving hot steel, I know I'm ignorant about many things, that's why I'm here. But this is far from the first thing I've wanted to know, it's just the first one I couldn't find an answer to (concerning blacksmithing that is... There are lots of answers I want that I haven't been able to find). I kinda feel like I'm being treated like I came on here and said, "I'm gonna make a million layer Damascus hammer sword axe with a retracting toothpick, but..... What's a fuller?" Well. I guess I've kinda switched to just rambling at this point. So. Sorry. I'll shut up now and wait for a response.

I think there has been a bit of a misunderstanding. I'm definitely still a newbie, but I already have good hammers, a good coal forge(one I designed that is not like any I have seen before, and I love it). Been at the forge at least twice a week since August of last year, sometimes going weeks where I was forging daily. I've made Grilling forks, dinner bells, s hooks, J hooks, fire pokers, punches, a touch mark, drifts, chisels, tongs, a few knives, and who knows what else. There are basically 2 reasons I want to do this. 1) I want to get good at forge welding. (the coal I have access to needs a TON of air, so I already know I'm going to be fighting oxidation. Going to have to get my pieces cleaned right and flux properly) 2) I want to see if I can do it. (this is the biggest reason). I came on here because I am getting to the edge of what I can learn without interaction. I've already read what you are telling me in this thread in other threads. I already have a great deal of respect for the knowledge many of you have and share (I was very happy when I saw Frosty was the first to respond). I know what hammers I have and what I like. I think it's awesome(and a bit funny) that you suggested a drilling hammer. Right now my go to hammer is a 3 lb drilling hammer that I rounded one side so it's like a rounding hammer. My 2 complaints about it are 1) I want a longer handle 2) I want a larger hammer face for certain tasks. The reason I kept re-explaining was to try and reassure you that 1) I already know there is better way to do this if I want a consistent result. 2) I already know that at my current skill level I will probably fail the first time I try. Especially if I go straight to this next. 3) I already know that what I'm talking about is out of the ordinary, and possibly a little insane. Some of my problems are my only experience is with mild steel and mystery springs, and I just can't seem to find much information on hammer making. If I just wanted to make a hammer I would probably get some 1045, or a scrap axle. But I don't need a hammer I simply want to experiment. I can find tons of information on what steels make good knives and why those steels make good knives. I haven't been able to find any of that information on hammers. A few of you have said spring steel makes good hammers, but I'm looking for why you think it makes good hammers. I guess what I'm really asking is. If you had a piece of 5160 or mystery spring of the appropriate size to make a hammer, why do you think that would make a good hammer and/or why do you think that would make a bad hammer? And/or Does anyone have a 5160 or mystery spring hammer? If so what do you like about it? Or what do you not like about it? I apologize if something about what I said is rubbing someone the wrong way. I am definitely new to this, and figuring out most of what I know alone in my shop or researching online. The only direct contact with a metal worker I have is a guy 45 minutes away, and he does mostly fabrication work.

So the appropriate name for the hammer I'm talking about would be a Brazeal style hammer? So if I'm understanding this right, most of you are saying the steel would make a good hammer, but I don't have the experience to do it? I know this isn't something I have to do out of the spring steel. But I want to. Specifically because it will stretch my abilities. I've also read 5160 doesn't like to stick to itself. I figure if I can get good at sticking something that doesn't like to stick, everything else will be easy by comparison. Also just to clarify, I'm not going to attempt a hammer out of this until/unless I get quality practice welds. I am considering safety. So outside of my personal inability, is there anything about the characteristics of the steel that would make it bad for a hammer? I understand what characteristics can make a good knife. But not what makes a good hammer. Is it still just a balancing act between how hard and how tough it us? Or is there something else I'm not seeing?

What do you mean planning? I'm just making this up as I go. My only thought was to weld a big billet. I was guessing that was the biggest reason I haven't seen much talk about it. There aren't a ton of springs out there large enough to make a decent size hammer. I understand the idea and reliability of buying known steels. And someday I might be there. But part of the reason I got into blacksmithing is taking something that has already lived its useful life, and is now "useless" and making it new again. It adds to the story of the tool or whatever is made. And I feel that adds to the overall quality. Its also kind of a personal challenge. I just wanted to make sure I would end up with a quality hammer if the entire process was successful. No point in even attempting it if I would end up with a piece of junk no matter how well I did my part.

So I want to make a hammer. Similar style to those that Alec steele makes. I've also seen them referred to as brian brazeal style hammers. So first off, does this style actually have a name? If so, what is it? I've only seen them labeled as "blacksmith rounding hammer" or just "rounding hammer." Anyway on to the real question I have. Would spring steel make a good hammer? I need to make some tools to make the hammer, and I know spring steel would probably be good for those, but can't find any info about making a hammer with it. The reason I ask is I have a pile of springs. A friend worked for a place with a big scrap pile, and he got permission from the owner to take all the springs that came in. So every few days he would stop by and unload a couple springs. Ranges from thin car coils, to some leaf springs that each individual spring is at least an inch thick in the middle. Unfortunately he doesn't work there anymore, so my pile is now shrinking instead of growing. I realize it's a mystery as to what the steel actually is. Every time I grab a new one I do test quenches to see if/how it hardens. From what I have read most of em are likely 5160. And from my research it reacts as I would expect 5160 to react, but I've never had a verified piece of 5160 to test against, and I don't know how it would act as a hammer. Thanks in advance for the help, I have already learned a ton searching through this forum.

It's a fan extraction. It won't work in combination with the side draft, the side draft will replace it. If I tried to use both, my chimney would go backwards.

Intake is whatever door I have open. When the forge is going is a huge garage door. Exit is the opposite side of the building. I can adjust where the draw is. Have it set up now so it draws mostly from head hight right next to the forge. I have no safety concerns about gases building up while this system is running. (I am thinking about safety, this system just moves plenty of air.) What I don't know is if this is even legal. My goal is to put something in similar the ones in this post. Can't go straight up, I have to go through the wall. Anyway this im kinda starting into a different topic. I should probably start a different thread if I wanna discuss my chimney build.

I don't know, I'm making this up as I go along. I just got into this in June or July of last year. Most of what I know comes from YouTube, and one guy 45 minutes away from me. I'm picking it up quickly, but I really don't know what I'm doing yet. I use the quench bucket to cool part of a piece(usually a small scroll) so I can tap on the cold part without moving it much.