WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith

Penetrating Oils I received this in an e-mail today. I did Google "Machinist's Workshop MagT" and found the same information on several Machinist Forums. I don't know how reliable it is. I have also heard that anti-freeze works well. Penetrating Oils Penetrating Oils Machinist's Workshop MagT recently published some information on various penetrating oils that I found very interesting. Some of you might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts. They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment. *Penetrating oils ........... Average torque load to loosen* No Oil used ................... 516 pounds WD-40 ..................... ... 238 pounds PB Blaster .................... 214 pounds Liquid Wrench ...............127 pounds Kano Kroil .................... 106 pounds ATF*-Acetone mix............53 pounds The ATF-Acetone mix is a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note this "home brew" released bolts better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that "Liquid Wrench" is almost as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price. Steve from Godwin-Singer says that ATF-Acetone mix is best, but you can also use ATF and lacquer thinner in a 50-50 mix. *ATF=Automatic Transmission Fluid This actually works well, power-steering fluid also works as well as trans fluid!

Trip, sounds like I need to come pick you up and we can then go on up to visit with Stan. Better see about getting an invitation first. He is in southern Illinois. About 250 miles from you.

Check with Rod Nielsen at http://www.nielsendesigndiscgrinder.com/Welcome.html. I know that he has had some stress problems causing warping. He has straightened them but I don't know how he did it except that he did not grind them or mill them.

Check with the central office of ABANA to see if you have to be a member to purchase. If you just want to see one you could come see me. I'm about 100 miles away on the south end of Big South Fork. With membership you get 4 issues of the Anvil's Ring and 4 issues of the Hammer's Blow (th how to publication.) It is worth your $55.00 membership.

Oh Fred is well known around Quad State. He came for about 4 years and took home a 16' trailer full each year. The last time he was there he told me it was his last trip and we miss visiting with him. He always left on Friday, before the demonstrations even started. He left when the trailer was full. His son fussed and said that it is a long trip and he wanted to watch demonstrations.

I visited with Larry at Quad State this year and he said that he was back up and running, however, with this on his web-site, "Octobe 29, 2012: Zoeller Forge will not be taking orders due to medical issues. We hope to reopen in early March 2013." We discussed his need to promptly fill orders or to notify customers that he could not. I guess since then he has found that he is not quite ready yet.

Unless you are a very famous smith few people know at whose mark they are looking. This year at the Blade Show a Bladesmith from Wyoming pulled out a folder and asked me if I knew whose touch mark was on it. The mark is a hammer in a halo. Fortunately, I did know. It was Ryan Johnson from Chattanooga and a friend of mine. Ryan was there and I introduced them. That sure increased the value of the knife for this smith. Now think about how stuff travels. Ryan is in Chattanooga, the smith lives in Wyoming and he found the knife in a pawn shop in Arizona. Even many smiths don't know, especially if not in your area. Unfortunately there is no fully recognized registry. For these reasons I think using your name is important. My touch mark is "Wayne Coe" in two stamps. I made it while attending the local tech college using the CNC mill to make a graphite blank, then used that to cut the names with the EDM. Anyone in the world can go to Google and search for “Wayne Coe Blacksmith” and find me. My favorite TM story is when an antique dealer in Rhode Island was trying to sell a piece to a prospective customer. "This was made by Paul Revere, see his touch mark here?" Three problems here. They did not use touch marks in 1760. Paul Revere was a silversmith. The person who witnessed this transaction was Peter Ross! Like Frosty said, you can use letter stamps. You could even put the stamps together then tack weld them together for a permanent touch mark.

Woops again! How did I post this so many times? Glenn, please delete the duplications.

Woops! Double post.

The Clinch River Blacksmith Guild meets in Knoxville. I'm less than 50 miles from you. Call and come for a visit.

Where are you, other than "in the backwoods of Tennessee"? That doesn't tell much around here. I'm on the southern tip of Big South Fork NRRA.

I typically run my 1" T-Rex at 2 to 5 # of pressure.

Casting the interior with Kast-0-Lite will help with the heat sink problem then paint it with Plistix or Metrikote IR reflective will help even more. The Kast-0-Lite will give you a good tuff forge and is also resistant to flux. Use soft fire bricks for the doors. You need to have a rear opening as well as the front to allow more air in for more complete combustion. This helps reduce back pressure.

I'm on the south end of Big South Fork in Tennessee. I would be happy to host a meeting sometime, large attendence or small. If there is some response to this suggestion I will try to set something up. I know this is not in Ky but is not that far south. I do have a large well equipted shop. (42' X 60') Dave, I'm about 90 miles from you and will be coming to Sandusky sometime in the next few weeks.

"The sign of a good blacksmith is knowing when to quit."

Lots and lots of folks get there Wednesday, I will.

Best bang for the buck and better for your purpose. Build your own. I can supply your Inswool, Kast-0-Lite castable refractory and Plistix or Metrikote. Get your burner and regulator kit from www.hightemptools.com. I am attaching my tutorial for how I like to build a gas forge. KD Gas Forge Tutorial.pdf

My advise is, "Don't do that again!"

Look at this tutorial. This contains my suggestions as to building a gas forge. KD Gas Forge Tutorial.pdf

No matter how big it is,,,, It aint big enough!

The rating for the VFD is probably based on continuous, heavy use. For knife grinding we are not subjecting the VFD to that kind of service. I reciently learned, from the owner of KB, that the KBAC 27D (rated up to 1.5 hp on 115v or 2 hp on 230v)will run a 2 hp motor on 115v on a belt grinder. Balder motors are good motors but very expensive. I sell motors for way less than half of what Balder sells for. If you want to discuss this further call me.

Check with BOB ALEXANDER. Desota, Missouri or http://www.ozarkschool.com/. I don't have Bob's phone # but he was selling the DVD that Kent Hepworth did for Tom about setting up and maintaining the SAY-MAK POWER HAMMERS. Kent spent about 3 days with Tom filming this DVD and no telling how much time editing it. I also don't know if the Ozarkschool is still active or if a phone call there will get you anything.

Keith, that just made my forehead flat and sore again. Now, why didn't I ever think of that? Another vinegar tip: After you are thru with the descaleing run the vinegar thru a coffee filter to remove most of the iron oxide will still be brown but it will retain more of the acid properties longer.

I have a horazontal forge. I welded up a "craddle" for it to sit in with length front and back for room for fire brick doors. Then welded 3 3/4" nipples (two front corners and one center back) angled out to give a broader base where the legs hit the floor. Three legs are always stable, like a milking stool. I then screw 3/4" pipe into the nipples for legs (about chin high). That way you can look into the forge without squatting down or straining up on tip toes. The blower in front is an air curtain to blow the "dragon's breath" up and away.

See ya Wednesday, shortly afternoon, Steve. Come over and help me put up my canopy.