Hans Richter

Too late for any feint, they have us. How about the forge welding on your forge, also a point that’s still on my agenda. Meanwhile, I have had good contact with a Belgian welding institute that has read an forge welding on a macro etching and electron microscope of one of my forge brother in West Flanders. Want to share the pictures as soon as possible. According to them they not compatible with any conventional welding and his mechanical requirements. Very curious

Das, in our days it's exist as well, but the pull us through off it (survival of the fittest). In this days, they screen and analyse every think and put you in a drawer of patrons. Lock at our brother Charles. Nice to know that even famous people like an Elon Musk and Albert Einstein and many others suffers on dyslexia and dyscalculic and become genius. Thanks, for the tips gents (Glenn, JHCC) will create a ‘Sollbruchstelle’ (fancy German description) and use the sack and some beams below it.

As long as the epoxy is hidden and not visible I will use it. Have problems with my heel axes to attach them to the wooden knot handles (shrinking). As long as I’m not able to extract (get) birch resin.

Very nice to hear Das, I wish she have an even prosperous future as Lisa (15), my daughter and precious eye apple. Lisa went to secondary art school after school holidays. After discovering ‘dyscalculic’ (like here father) she goes for arts and crafts. So she will never become a smart calculating business-woman but hopefully a creative soul with here foots on the ground (wish she mets jlp some day). Regards, ‘Der’ Hans

Will try to create a sack from thick towels (asking Diana to sewing one - ..............she hate it) Btw everything as desired with your heir and beautiful daughter?

Unfortunately also a chronic shortcoming of detached neighborhood children. Only neighbors of old age who sometimes themselves are too weak to push their rollator. LOL Have to do the job by my one and use Iron woodrows sledge hammer or toes

Unfortunately I don’t play any other ‘instrument’ except the angle grinder. First intention was to cover the pump blades with an old towel resting on an steel/stone plate and beat on it.

If got bronze, bronze, bronze –about 110lbs. Exchange it for 60lbs pure lead and a delicious crat of Belgium beer. No idea how to get it in my A5 /16lbs crucible!? (smashing with the sledge hammer/cutting in suitable pieces with the grinder?? –with all the loss of grinding dust) Help ………………..

A real blacksmith through and through he himself has hammer toes to

Hi Al, thanks for your feedback, did wat you suggest end let them cool down slowly and will use the coal forge to harden the C45 tool steel they use normally for jackhammer chisels here. After my humble experience only air hardening is not enough. So after heating / forging on the modern gas forge and air hammer I will use the conventional manor again on the coal forge to harden the stuff. So modernism is not everything. See also (if you’re interested) a short article I wrote in the past to convince the local contractors to offer there worn out chisels to my old professional shop. For the rest of the audience please feel free to add or fill in. “In order to extend / improve the lifetime, function and stand times of expensive industrial chisels with a length of ≥ 400 mm, it is possible to re-forge them professionally. That is to say, once the points or chisel-point/cutting edge have worn off, these will be forged back into their original form. After this, the work surfaces (points or cutting) are again hardened and re-grinded. Hardening and grinding are essential as the chisel base material is tough and soft to absorb the blows and vibrations of the (jack) hammer. However, if the chisel were hardened thorough, it would break like a piece of glass. The multiple application of only the grinding of a new point on the soft front is only a solution of short duration once the hardened points or work-cutting are worn out! How does it work? The worn chisel front is brought to a temperature of 900 - 1000 ° C (yellow-red) by means of a blacksmith fire (gas forge) to forge it back into its original shape. The chisel (and only the front -after cool down to room temperature) is then brought to a hardening temperature of 810 ° C (cherry red) to obtain a hardness of use of approx. 55 HRC at the point or cut surface by (short) quenching (in water or oil) and using the rest heat to ‘travel’ to the chisel point (blue running colour) and final quenching to room temperature. With the subsequent grinding / sharpening of the point or cutting edge, the chisel is again suitable for long-term use. The preservation of a chisel is possible several times with only the result that it becomes slightly shorter after a few treatments. TABR provides local contractors and contractors with their preserved and reliable chisels for less than 35% of the new price of a better branded chisel. So contractors, contractors, artists do not hesitate, collect your finished / worn chisels and offer them to the local blacksmith or contact the author of this concise article.”

Thanks for the great link Doug, attached to the post a simple sketch of the shape of the ‘lead screw washer’ (thanks to you I finally know how it’s called). Because the LSW have to fit in to the front jaw eye and the screw knop in to the LSW, I decided to cast the LSW. Bronze also have the advantage to be self-greasing and being high pressure resistant. Another option is to forge the washer like the one on in the link (wich needs de nessesary hardy’s and fullers I don’t have) or made one on a lathe (I don’t have eather) Thanks Glenn to, -again my ‘German disorder’ to perfection strikes , thanks for the tip -if my casting attempts fail I will follow up you wise advice. Will share the progress I hope to make till next WE. Cheers, Hans

Made some tong/hardy/hammer-racks to attach to the rising up (wooden blocks) mobile anvil stand. Finished the cast bronze/brass anvils (removing the cast left overs en wire brushed them). Forged out a jack hammer chisel an a conventional one. After forging out the conventional chisel, I tried to heat treat them and quench them straight from the gas forge, which results in a (second) disaster. The heat effected zone of the chisel coming straight from the gas forge was too big for conventional treatment (heat up the cutting part – pre quench them – using the ‘rest’ heat to normalize the working edge with a final cool down after it). So I will went back to the traditional manor on the coal forge how allow a better (partitioned heat input) to the (to harden) cutting edge of the chisels. = lesson learned.

Thank you very much Glenn, if the cast part didn’t work out, I will consider a visit at the next (60 mls ahead) car scrap yard

Actually, I know there was something missing on the new (very old, hand forged post vice), finally find out that was the ring between the turner handle and the screw box. Made a clay pattern to fill in the missing part. Will (bronze) cast them next week and keep you update. Cheers, Hans

Mesdames et messieurs, comme indiqué, c'est mon premier marteau français. En fait, une erreur grave. My lady and gentlemen, as indicated, this is my first French hammer. Actually a serious mistake. Will immediately put this right (the other way around). In the meantime I have also received a very good explanation for which the inlet has been considered above. Learned something again and provided some hillarity within IFI

Hi Frosty, till now I cast 7 of the little anvils (not counting the failures ) 3 of them I give away. Finally found a bronze source to (scrape pile of a company repairs pumps). Also many thanks for the useful tips about the mobile demo forge set up. Will build some table (crat) for exposition/storage purpose. Will give it a try and take the post vice with me, trust on the ground anchors and heavy foot. Hi Jennifer, will have a look at the French hammer head . The hardy tool looks good, the real massive stuff! If I found some time this week will try to make some blacksmith/lady’s knives using your technics. Cheers, and have a nice week. Hans

This weekend keeps me busy with refurbishing a bunch of hammers, brushed them, coat them, and give them a new handle. Had to deal with some mushrooming on the boys and prepare my first French (2 ½ lbs) hammer I ever use. Also wire brushed and linseed coated the 3 fire keeper tool sets and fit the fabric (water extinguisher) on them. Last but not least, cast two new 6lbs ‘Fun’ anvils from brass and bronze (out of material stock now). Ready to face the next busy week without my favourite occupation.

Steve, thanks for this detailed explanation, and the (partly very sad) story of his live. I’ m part of the same generation and realise ones more how important it is to enjoy every day (if possible). Rest in peace Larry, my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Hi Gents, I own two of them (125kg & 70kg -great stuff b.t.w.) -search on google + ifi + UAT and look at it. And wait for the reminder of 'read this first' (wich means, have a complete profile, and do your home work first = search and read previous threats before you ask questions to the 'anciences' how's answered so many times before ) However Hugo welcome to this great community B.t.w. Hi Carlo, welcome to, and dito. Cheers, Hans

Great shop, Mike. This heaven like shops are the reason that my credit cards are confiscated and I have to live with daily pocket money. So my advice, to keep silence and don’t even mention that this wonderful places exist!!!!!

Hi Das, thank you very much for the tips. Found this little guy but wait for the new company car with trailer hook. [Commercial link removed] Regarding the sales items I still have to build up some stock pile. The canopy is a big parasol. A chair as no bad idea. Bye, Hans

No sales booth, only a try-out of the future demo/mobile set up. Hope all the stuff will fit in the trunk of my middle class station car. Will use the pictures as an part list to collect the equipment to have everything on board. If the stuff is too much maybe the next step will be a small trailer. If you have some suggestion about things I may be forgot, please let me know. Cheers, Hans

Didn’t buy the earlier shown vice & stand from CL for the mobile forge equipment but found this beauty next door (village). It’s a full functional 4 ½ in jaw vice and fully forged if you look at the lock plates, chiselled eyes for the screw box and rivets. The vice is only wire brushed and passivated with linseed oil. Greased the screw, dressed the push spring and made a new wedge for the join pin. Was so glad to find this nice piece of equipment that I give the seller (20 dollares) one of my fire pokes to say thank you. Build another vice stand in advance which is movable. Will finish (weld & paint) him today. The big ‘b’ on the foot is a standard left over sample (2 ½ in plate) from edge hardness measuring to certify the gas-oxy cutting process from one of my clients. It’s add extra counter weight (55lbs) and balance to the stand. If the weight is not enough I will drive extra ground anchors though the holes in the ground or between the joints in the road stones. Hope this little old guy will do his work very well. Cheers, Hans

My dear Charles, you really deserve the title of a (grumpy) ‘Apprentice Curmudgeon’. So far as I remember my grandparents complain about the attitude of my parents, my parents (still) complain about my attitude and (how wonders) I start to complain about the attitude of my child. Funny isn’t it. However my grandparents bring my parents up to a role model for me, my parents raced me (after some resilience) to a good housefather, and I hope Lisa will stand on hear own foots as well with some support of us. Keep on trusting, even the silly statements you hear now -my older, wiser smith brother. Cheers, Hans

JHCC – be proud on your daughter, she give it a try. Also proud on my ‘little’ girl (Mini Woman) Lisa during the casting sessions and preparing. She makes the pattern. However the little & big girls didn’t like sparks fleeing all over the place, I discover. And yes Charles –this is the next generation at least inspired by FIF