Junksmith

They look good Mick. Is there any "rule" for hoof picks? Obviously they have to taper to a point somewhere along the line and be comfortable enough to use for picking foreign objects from a horse's hoof:rolleyes: Do they have or need a sharp edge or just a pointed hook? I have a few shoes lying around but I'm not much of a horse expert.

It is a beauty. I've made a couple like that out of aluminum but they didn't sound very nice. I really not sure that you can speed up the process. Flaring the bell is easy enough, but tapering the top end take lots of time. I have seen the bell shape forged separately (like a bowl) and welded to the flared pipe. That sounds like a complicated fitting though and your weld would need excellent penetration so it could be ground flush without gaps. I don't think that would save any time either. I suppose if you started out with the top end of a steel bottle (small oxygen bottle?) you would have the hardest part done to begin with. When I make bells, I usually just weld a flat or cone-shaped piece onto the top of a pipe (flaring optional). Very rustic looking, but if you quench it in water right after the weld it rings nice. You may get faster with practice, but ultimately I think something that beautiful just reflects the time that went into it.

The scrapyard on Eastern blvd. is one of Maryland Metals. That's where you go to sell scrap to them, but I'm pretty sure they won't let you pick through that one either. It must be a liability thing with all the heavy machinery running. Still, it pains me to see so much usable steel that could be had for 25 cents a pound!

It's an easy way to save yourself from a nasty disease. I always keep mine up to date - and daughter's too since she likes to experiment with my leftovers.

Actually it was a 2 part trade. I was just trying not to be too wordy (I generally fail). The metal was sold at Conservit (they won't sell to you) and then I bought more at MD metals. They sell new steel at the facility just off Burhans blvd and let you buy scrap from the yard there for 25 cents a pound. Their yard has a lot less scrap than Conservit these days but is still worth a gander. Their prices for square stock are competetive. One exception though. If you want quarter inch square bar they charge $12 or so for a 10 ft. piece. Foltz Manufacturing downtown charges just over $9. That stuff is handy especially for demos as it is just the right size for small hooks & keychains etc. Glad to hear the shop is about finished. I'm in the neighborhood more ofthen than you think because my mother-in-law lives over your way so maybe I'll stop by soon and take a gander.

Thanks everybody! This gives me something to think about. Whether a forge or a swage or a bender I'm definitely not getting rid of it!

Good point Beth. I always get a little suspicious of a man with soft hands:o Wen I meet a woman with firm hands, that tells me that she can appreciate the kind of work we do:cool:

Now THAT is handy. I do most of my coal forging on weekends, because most nights it isn't worth all the work and mess of getting the coal started before dark. It would be awesome to have a relatively quick starting forge to get things rolling. So those are just ceramic chips in the bowl? What is the bowl made of?

Last week I took about a 1/2 ton of scrap steel to the local yard & traded it for about 40 pounds of usable steel. I couldn't bear to part with this piece though. It is the gear housing from an old tractor-mounted auger. Initially I was thinking of a firepot for a new forge down the road. I could cut out that piece of internal structure. Still, that bowl shape doesn't have much of an internal taper and I'm just not sure if it would work - plus that hole in the side would need to be covered. Could air be pushed in from the side? I'm beginning to think that this may be more trouble than it's worth. Still, I hate to just give it up without a fight. Does anybody have any ideas on what it could be used for? Dimensions are about 10 inches in diameter, 5 inches high and the walls are maybe 3/8 inches thick. Cast iron/steel. Thanks, Joe

Yeah, you can get a fruit basket at the grocery store. Try getting a vise there!

It sure looks nice. I work outside too. I leave the mount outside and take the vise in when I'm done working. I wasn't sure whether it was necessary or not and didn't want to take any chances. Maybe I'll grease it up & see what happens. One fine day I'll have a little 3-sided pole barn and won't have to worry about these things so much!

I wish I knew for sure. That's the problem with remembering high school physics. It was 20 years ago and I wasn't taking notes:o I get inspired by these ideas sometimes and just start spitting out more ideas. Once I settle down and start thinking things out I usually find that whatever I was thinking of was either unworkable or way too much trouble! Still, I do get some good ideas that way now and again so I keep it up. Any way you slice it, the poke was well deserved:D

Depending on the size of the hardy hole, I find that the shank of a railroad spike can be a handy hardy shank. It's often cheap (or free), strong, and you can cut it to whatever size you need.

I'm intrigued by the acid idea. Sometimes I use muratic acid to get into corners etc, but electrolysis sounds a lot easier and more thorough. I have enough projects for now, but maybe next year I'll give it a shot. I remember in high school physics we electroplated metal with a similar process - only with an electrolyte instead of acid! I wonder if a fully descaled piece could be plated with brass or something. Not for everyday stuff, but more artistic pieces. I just came into about 20 feet of 1/2" round brass rod too. Dag nabbit! You got me thinkin' now! I'm too easily distracted.

I have heard others on the forum discussing a smithy in terms of how it can affect your homeowners insurance. I think that your insurer would not look kindly upon one in your actual house. Obviously you don't have to tell them but it would be a real problem if you had a serious fire - maybe not even related to the forge - and find yourself disqualified from coverage. I know you hate to give up that extra 90 sq. ft. of floor space, but if I were you I would put it in an outbuilding as far away from the main house as possible. My workshop is about 10x20 and it's packed with tools. All my forging goes on outside these days though due to the fact that the interior floors are wood and the shop is only about 8 feet from the house. Obviously rain is a problem so one of these days I'm going to build a small pole barn separate from everything. I live in hill country so I don't have zoning to contend with, but there's the small matter of resources! For now my forge and anvil live outside and I slide a caddy of forging tools and my vise out when I need them. I wonder if you can circumvent the zoning committee with a small patio and a retractable awning outside a shed/shop door? At least you would be able to expand operations when the weather is decent - and a rolling tool caddy or 2 would make it easy to get your tools out fast. It's a little jury-rigged, but it's a thought. Good luck!

Back in the early 80's, my father was present when Mack Truck put in their first painting robots. Apparently it was programmed by moving it's spray gun in the necessary pattern as the engine blocks came by. Anyway, the "trainer" managed to dislodge the spray gun in the process and it fell to the floor. Thinking nothing of it at the time, he reattached the gun and finished his routine. When the robot was activated, it reached the point in it's program where the spray gun was dropped. Being a very literal machine, it also "dropped" the spray gun. Imagine a large robot arm attempting to replicate the speed of gravity when bringing the spray gun down to the floor! Needless to say, it was smashed to pieces. With that, the robot paused as the trainer had while reattaching the gun and continued it's routine while the mangled spray gun continued to spout a now unregulated paint flow in all directions! I just wish they had camera phones in those days. I would have loved to see that in person!

Angle iron... Is there anything it can't do? Very handy. I'm always keeping an eye out for angle because it is so useful for things just like your rack. Old bed frames are a great source. Keep thinking of new ways to use it. Good work!

Good day yesterday. I found a stand welded out of square tube. Definitely a support for things being painted as it is crusted with layer upon layer of paint (won't rust tho' ). Leaning against it are 3 half-inch round bars between 6 and 7 feet long. It's hard to tell from the corrosion - but they're solid brass! I found them in the in-laws shed. I'm going to try and forge a little (in open air) or just take it in for recycling. Not sure what the stand will be for yet.

I would add that keeping a water bucket around in addition to your extinguisher is very important especially if you work inside. Flying bits of hot metal and sparks can retain heat for a longer period of time and re-ignite flammable material easily after the extinguisher has been sprayed. Water was useless in your blowback case, but it is your best bet to rapidly cool red hot material and to saturate anything it is touching. Obviously you want to limit flammables in your shop to begin with - but those hot bits seem to have a knack for finding whatever can burn!

Woah - I have some of those! Fine tongs indeed and well priced for the craftsmanship!

It's not just with iron. Lots of projects can be actually enhanced by walking away, working on something else, getting some sleep etc. As Mr. Ameling said, you have to strike a balance when it comes to deadlines, but I often find that if I have time to walk away from a difficult project for a while I come back with a new perspective.

Lucky kids to have such an inventive instructor... and a shop. Many of the shop classes in my neck of the woods have been cut and the shops dismantled. You either go straight academic or go to the technical high school. There's just no room for kids who want to learn a handy manual skill as part of their curriculum. I applaud your efforts to provide opportunities for students to be well-rounded.

The site you want has almost exactly the name as what you were asking for! backyardmetalcasting.com Hands-down the best resource for do-it-yourself metal caster. Lionel Hampton (site author) started from scratch and keeps a running record of his experiences. He also sells plans for backyard furnaces. He started with aluminum and is casting iron now. Give it a look.

Cool Mark, I'll keep an eye out for you next time I'm passing through! And thanks to everybody for the encouraging words and helpful suggestions. I have lots of iron to pound in the next few months. I'll keep you posted. Joe

Thanks Mark! I hope you get your shop done soon. There's nothing like having a new space to set up in. That isn't the one going up on the road that runs past the fire station from Rt. 65 is it? Looks good if it is. I got my acceptance letter for Boonsboro Days a few days ago. Don't know if I'll be demonstrating or just selling yet, but I'll keep you posted.