Junksmith

Gorgeous work. It's pretty with a strong organic flair ... and it's made of STEEL! You can't ask for much more than that.

Thanks everybody. They came out of linear positioners made by a company I used to work for. I still have a few working units and they come in handy in the shop once in a while. I guess I'll keep a few screws for vise applications and try forging the rest to see what kind of patterns & twists I can get. I'll post 'em when I get something done. Thanks again!

I went to my local scrap yard and happened upon a bottom die for an old drop hammer. At least that's what my local welder thinks it is. Then I found a gear pinion, cut it to length with my gas torch and welded a several-layer bezel to hold it on. I'm still looking for a "real" anvil that I can afford, but this is serviceable for now. It took about 2 weekends at a total cost of about $75 in scrap steel at (220 pounds @.35 per pound). You have to be really open-minded about what materials you might be able to use. I was lucky to find a forged and hardened block of steel to start with.

Hi Everybody! I have a pile of steel leadscrews out back (see photo). I know they are not the ideal material to use for smithing, but I hate to let them rust. Does anybody have any ideas on something decorative or unusual that could be forged with them? Thanks, Joe

Thank you all so much. I can't wait for the weekend to give this a shot.

Additionally, how about 4130? I need a few drifts and I've got some around. I'm pretty sure it's too brittle to use as a punch, but I'm thinking that if the taper was oil quenched and the the head slow cooled that it should work as a drift. Any ideas?

I marry them up with old horseshoes to make wall hangers for people who like the "rustic" look (see photo). That's more welding than forging really, but a great use for discarded material. I often use them for shanks when I make my own hardie tools. I made a knife and I'm planning to do some forks & spoons. The second picture is one of examples I found online. Unfortunately, none of this is my work, but it serves as great inspiration. Notice the miniature post-vise in the upper right hand corner. Awesome! If you draw them out and put a "J" bend in them, the head makes a serviceable coat hook with no sharp edges. Before you bend, you can get all kinds of artistic with the drawn-out end. Make divots with a ball peen hammer and punch the centers out for mounting holes.

An old project made of scrap metal. More welding than forging, but fun to make!

I don't know what it is about that Iron/Copper combo that works for Moms. I made this for my Mom's birthday last month and she loved it:D. The candle cup was just hammered from pipe and the pan was a circle cut out of heavy copper flashing. They are just 2 great metals to combine.

P.S. I got so carried away with the recipe I forgot to say "Nice looking still!" Also, I keep my cooling water in a separate tank and pump it through a condenser with an old electric recirculator pump I found in a dumpster. If your cooling water gets too hot you can still replace it. Running it straight from the hose uses a LOT of water.

I made a pot still a few years back. Here is my recipe. Liquid volumes are approximate. 2.5 gallons of white grape juice (100% juice - from concentrate is OK) 2.5 gallons of water 5 pounds of sugar 6 packets of bakers yeast 3 pounds of corn meal Heat the water until it is hot enough to dissolve all 5 pounds of sugar. Add grape juice & let the mixture cool to between 80 and 100 degrees F. Pour into a clean bucket with the corn meal and add all six packets of yeast. Let the mixture sit (stirring occasionally) for 2 weeks in a warm place (70-80 degrees F) The yeast should foam and bubble almost continuously. Cover the container with cheesecloth or a lid with an airlock but DON'T SEAL IT. C02 gas pressure given off by the bubbling yeast will burst a sealed container. After 2 weeks or so, your "mash" will be ready. Let the corn meal settle to the bottom. Large amounts of it present in the mash when boiling will burn to the inside of your boiler, ruin the taste, and STINK! I usually siphon the mash out of the container as needed. Generally I distill about 1 gallon at a time (again, volumes are approximate - you will learn with experience). Discard the first 3 ounces of distillate (poison). After that you should get about 8 ounces of useable stuff per gallon distilled. I can't stress enough that these volumes may vary from still to still, but it seems that your setup is similar to mine. You can't read too much about this subject. The last step is to pour the distillate through a filter of activated carbon available at any aquarium supply. I took a 3 inch diameter by 8 inch long copper tube, flared the top and tapered the bottom. Inside I packed a copper pot scrubber, lots of charcoal, and another scrubber on top of that. Before you use it for the first time, run some hot (not quite boiling) water through it. This will dislodge any carbon dust that you don't want to show up in your booze. I pour the distillate through it 2 or 3 times. There is a noticeable difference in taste before and after. Every year or 2 (depending on how often I distill, I replace the charcoal. Now you should have "white lightning" that runs about 50 alcohol (100 proof). It's strong stuff, so drink a little at a time. Personally, I don't care for the flavor of it as-is so I flavor it to taste by heating it up a little and mixing in some sugar, molasses, and a few drops of "Liquid Smoke", a barbecue flavoring available from the grocery. It tastes a lot more like whiskey then. You can also experiment with other flavors. A lot of work for a few ounces of booze, but it's a fun and rewarding endeavor. I have heard of rare instances where people were arrested for making moonshine in small quantities and fined. The real trouble begins when you sell it - so don't. For the time and materials needed with small stills like ours, it's not possible to turn a decent profit on it anyway. Good luck! Hope this helps.

My name is Joe Scheerer. I hail from Maryland and I'm finally getting serious about blacksmithing. I've wanted to do it for years and in July of '08 finished building my forge and turning out some material. I figured it's time to start trading ideas and info with some like-minded people. I chose Junksmith as my screen name because , like many, I use scrap metal shamelessly for raw material! Thanks for having me, Joe