Hans Richter

So Thomas, you see the Germans are still everywhere from Belgium over Argentina till Swakopmund Namibia ( still the biggest population of German Shepard dogs out of Germany). So however after all I’m not suppriced how the anvil found his way to there.

Hi Banane, thanks for your reply and the serious way you approach this question. So ……………. If you decide to use the basement as the primary workshop I advise a small gas forge to use right in the presence of your anvil and vice (the ‘hot iron run’ was indeed ironically) Next, -did you ever try to enlighten a coal forge with moister coal (don’t care if charcoal, anthracite or cokes) low depression weather conditions and less experience? (I do) Best Practice within the industry ask for at least an air exchange of 8000 ltr per hour/per welder for welding fumes, you got 14 000 ltr’s for a stinky/smoking solid fuel forge. With a small gas forge and CO detection it’s only a question of a small turn on the gas valve and you are back in control, with a solid fire place that another question. So that’s my humble advice. Nice to have you here and follow the treat with all the comments.

Hi Charcold, nice found, unfortunately Hugo's post was the one and only, but I’m sure there more members looking for UAT according to the posts. But how the hack the Belgium anvil lands in Argentina.

Hi gents, discovered this little guy between my belongings -a classic Bunsen burner and decide to reactivate him to melt wax for the casting activity’s, kiln ingots before entering the crucible and so on. Till now using the kitchen stove (despite of the ‘landlord’) or ordinary weed burners (you know). Nice clean and hot flame. Do you use Bunsen or familiar burners to, and for what purpose? Cheers, Hans

Hi B, after looking at the pictures and as a work safety adviser I didn’t recommend any solid forge fire in the basement. Because of: -only one way to escape in case of emergency -eventually smoke emission after lighten up the solid forge In Belgium it is the insurance company and their ‘Sachverständige’ advisers decide what’s possible and what not together with several laws by the kings addicts. The appearance of the propane in the basement is only temporary and together with a permanent powerful ventilation as you described it will be doable to run a gas smithy down stairs like Charles encouraged. B.t.w. I also mount a flame killer between gas hose and cylinder to avoid flashback into to tanks as an Hose brake valve as well -look at your local Hornbach (very good German hardware store) and you will find. However you have to choose where the smithy will be located (garage or basement). Its already looks funny to me if you heat up your work piece in the garage to run down to the basement to ‘mangle’ it on the anvil in the basement

Hi Gents, during research by myself and reading some treats from my fellow addicts from oversea looking for Anvil ID, I found a nice document on the Belgium CL regarding UAT 'Usines et Acieries Allard a Turnhout' they made anvils from 1926 till ???????????????? The factory still exist in Turnhout a Flemish town next to the Dutch border and produce cast iron items till 40 tons. Have a 250lbs myself and very satisfied with straightness, rebound and shape, and hi sounds like a church bell.

Hi Banane, welcome to IFI and his well of wisdom. I run my little gas forge inside the shop without any problems. Knowing the Mosel wine cellars I believe you have enough space. A CO alarm device is also a great advantage for Safety (with a IFI capital letter S). Don’t worry about smoke of your solid forge to, ones the ember glows it also depends on your capability to enlighten a coal forge. During my forging and bronze melting/casting (outside under a sheath), I have my 25lbs (12.5kg) propane tank within a radius of 10 feet (3mtr) around the forge/furnace always aware that the hoses don’t get in contact with any hot item even crawling up heat after shut down. Remove the cylinder after work to a covered outside storage place. Also very curious about some pictures of your future shop. Let us know and contact the members you want to know more by PM. Till then ‘ Schmiede das Eisen solange es heiss ist‘ (beat the iron as long as it’s hot) Cheers, und mit freundlichen Grüßen, Hans

B.t.w. this guy (me, myself and I ) is a native German, so if some IFI member need some (german/english) translation I will do my best. Don't hesitate to ask in case. Your welcome. Cheers, Hans [L1]

Hi Gents, a short update regarding my power hammer. After ruing several work pieces under the dices, I replace the ‘ON/OFF’ pneumatic foot switch with a 180° treadle connected to a ball valve. Open’s a whole new world for me ones push the treadle more or less to control the air exhaust. Costs a lot of creativity but the result was worth it. Thanks about your comments and suggestions. Cheers, Hans

Hi Bren, Happy new year and welcome to this incredible forum. Know the situation. My PH (little brother of yours and 800lbs) did the same as your hammer (going on the walk) The foundation of my studio is made from 6.5inch fibre reinforced concrete and also very worn able. Until the new location of the hammer is ready I’m agree with JAV and advice to spread the load with a thick plate or an sandwich panel (honeycomb structure) or wooden beams (JHCC). I also fixed his position with two pins driven through the concrete plate in to the ground (locating the route of the heating tubes by IR first of course). Working now about 4 months with this setup and mention no cracks in the concrete till now. Let us know what’s your final decision. Cheers, Hans

Hi there Thomas, welcome George, please allow me to add the dangerous fumes of zinc while oxidising/melting, and to mention that aluminium/magnesium (old alloy wheels) scarify anodes are less dangerous to produce. It’s also depends on the water (sweet/salt water) the boat is drifting on. Last but not least, the material of the hull of the boat (steel or aluminium) depends the material of the anode (zinc or aluminium). Usually the casted in backbone of the anode (aluminium or steel flat bar) is welded against the keel bar next to the propeller and near the engine unit. At your service. Cheers, Hans

Using low sulphur coal cokes for many years now. Leave’s less ash, slack and smoke. The coke has a round fraction of ¾ till 1inch with allows a narrow disclosure of the work pieces by ember. A 50lbs bag last quit for a long time. Also using a conventional cast iron smithy tub with fire tong and ash release gate. Got those days only the cast iron hearth and build the smithy around it. The smithy breath by a 5inch very silent tube ventilator. Air power is adjustable with a tube valve connected with an aluminium hose to the hearth air chamber. I let the ventilator running all the time and use only the valve and the fire tong to adjust the amount of air. While hammering I close the valve and/or open the ash gate and the ember rests. To deal with the ember bed and concentrate the heat I use only a cloth ball of yarn to spray water around/ on it. Since a couple of months I discover the advantage of gas forges and there capability to keep a constant temperature while a series of work pieces is waiting to meet ‘Mr. Power Hammer’ so I use booth’s now

Offer 350 accept 400 with the stand! Otherways look at ' tweedehands' the belgium CL Or look at this, straight surface, sharp edges ...............-of course you will find to, some fantasy prices asked aambeeld Frans model 75 kg € 240,00

LOL, nice move to distract, keep this on my mind, ...................b.t.w. my wife is beautiful too (looking over my shoulder while typing)

Hi Ricky, glad to hear I’m not alone out there. I have the same addiction but to tools in general. May be I’m even related to a family relative of your wife’s clan, she take my credit cards every time I intent to go to the hardware shop. According to the amount of money I spend the last 10 years at my local ‘Bricoleur’ (hardware store) I actually deserve a ‘Platinum costumer card’. I suggest to build a anonymous IFI contact group of confessional and secretly ‘tool addicts’ supported by a professional shrink to talk about and have some cure from therapy. Till than I will ask for a track & trace electronic foot shackle for me, and an receiver for my wife to check my position within a circle of 2 miles from the Bricoleur. Wish you strength and discipline and of course a happy new year soon, Your fellow addict, Hans

And I am still waiting for a decent bushfire here just outside of Brussels

You can hear the Christmas bells? After a few weeks of 'creative constipation' and only the building of extra tools and equipment (second pair of Inconel hybrid burners and a second melting furnace for the trade), I forged one of my 'famous' table bells just before Christmas. The existing bells I had all given away to friends and acquaintances had supported me during the construction of the air hammer and the 'collection' of extra tanks for air storage. Unlike the earlier bells, I completely forged them with the air hammer and the new small gas forge instead of the conventional coal fire and by hand on the anvil. Now it costs me half of the normal time (alone) and helps me to get a good feeling for hot areas of the gas smithy and the force of the air hammer. 30 years ago I saw a group of gypsies in Prague on the Wenzel square busy forging these bells. They were so attuned to each other that a bell within 25 minutes arose under the watchful eye of an enthusiastic audience, who then also was sold between 15 and 20 dollars. The whole was accompanied by the necessary spectacle (spitting on the anvil, glowing steel on it and forging - resulting in a small hydrogen explosion flying mill scale and burned panty hoses of the omnipresent female audience) Since then I use the example of the bells during demonstration forging and workshops together with the well-known fire pokers, roses or chisels. The bells are made of 2.5 inch x 10 inch mild steel pipe and equipped with a prefab made clapper. Many well-known forging techniques are applied and you have a nice result within 45 minutes that also sounds like a bell. Perhaps you already knew this kind of work piece or it is too simple for you, but for some people it might be an inspiration how you apply various techniques in a short time with a nice result. Wish everyone marry Christmas and a healthy, safe and happy new year. Cheers, Hans

Welcome Doug, congrats with your first attempt to build a gas forge. It tucks me 25 years and a lot of preparations to build my first gas forge. Results in wrong set up burners, too big cask and the burners not strong another in the first place. The forge cask become a nice flower tray in my backyard. Thanks to curmudgeons like Frosty & Co. I’m on the right track now. Please read some of the welding threats on IFI to, regarding MIG amperage, wire speed and shielding gasses. Good luck, Hans

Peddinghaus, Peddinghaus ...............................................and yes Peddinghaus And not to forget a lot of Chinees rubbish

Hi Meadowgrove, the last of your pictures (‘sliding bearing’) is a wagon of a linear conduction. Together with a piece of fitting rail it is a very precious and expensive possession. I used a smaller version 'followed me home' as the hart of my power hammer to guide the ram up and down. The linear conduction is very strong and precisely in compression with many DIY conductors made for a straight guiding, sliding and greasing of the hammer ram with his upper dice running against the dice below. In my opinion it’s a pity to use the spheres for other humble purposes Cheers, Hans

xxxxxx........, why did not I think of it myself? I have a snack bar next to my door. Thanks Frosty, think especially the fish & chips oil will give an extra dimension to the final product

Gents, thanks for your nice replies For the sporadic times I quench the sporadic knifes I make from 13CrMo I use (outside the shop) a stand-up 3in steel pipe filled with heavy used motor oil on a pedestal. Use the method of Archimedes, like describe in the threat before, to see how much oil my work piece will drive off to avoid spoiling and overflow. Do everything with a piece of fire retardant blanket and powder extinguisher standby. Chisels, hammers and punches from C45 I generally harden with water after annealing, short quenching (in water) and using the rest heat together with the tempering colours traveling to the tips, cutting edges and work surfaces. Ended up with a final quench after the blue tempering colour reach her final position (tips, cutting edges and work surfaces). So I have a hard workface (50-62HRC) and an relative soft tool body to absorb the mechanical stress. About the volume contains of extinguishers, please be aware that a 1gal extinguisher is good for 12(!) seconds spray time then he is empty. Know from my experience in petrochemical industry that at least a 3gal ext. + a safety guard have to stand by during welding activity’s. Have no experience with antifreeze at all, fill always a fresh bucket 3gal water in garage or house witch I need for cool down the workpiece, keep the heat of the coal fire in place –or in case of emergency (fire on solid materials). Bye, Hans

Gents, please find attached link to the different extinguisher types for the different types of burning materials. As you see you can’t use every type for each stuff. http://memicsafety.typepad.com/memic_safety_blog/2008/12/the-abcds-of-fire-extinguishers.html -If you try to extinguish an oil fire (also fry pan at home) with water (water/some foam extinguishers) you will get a hydrogen explosion -If you try to extinguish an electric fire caused by short cut on your electric installation with water (water/some foam extinguishers) you can be electrocuted. -If you try to extinguish an fire on liquid metals like brass or bronze involved, with water (water/some foam extinguishers) you will get a hydrogen explosion -If you try to extinguish any fire in a confined space without/less on ventilation and with a CO2 or halon extinguisher you can suffocate because of lack on air/oxygen The best type of extinguisher for many types of fires is an powder extinguisher (also the cheapest ext. –beside of the DIY’s refillables), but think twice before you used tem, the powder is very corrosive to wiring, and many and other components and cause a lot on extra damage ones the fire is extinguished. Next to the extinguishers I have a fire blanket in shop and kitchen to, to be able to suffocate the flames off a starting fire and my wife and I are practical trained by FA & FF courses to use is. The shelf life of fire extinguishers in the EU expires after 10 years and extinguishers in public buildings and companies must be checked annually by an inspection body. Yes I know, many of the lecturers know about above mentioned information and I aim on the ones they didn’t know so well. Have a nice day. Cheers, Han

Herr Slag, (how t.h. do you know I’m actually German) Will wait for this moment, to get another vice for the shop. Check the net for it (lord Darwin). Till then looking forward to a big hammer in tomorrow and Sunday nearby. Enjoy your weekend. Cheers, Hans

Gents, It feels so strange to me, after the enormous publicity of FIF. On one side I’m very grateful about the attention the old profession of (blade)smiting got now, and also adoration of the ones exercising it for the last decades. On the other side I’m worried about the consequences. Which are: -a huge increase of the prices of second-hand blacksmith equipment since then -a serious danger to people and there a round them, start it without any knowledge of the basic principles (temperatures, materials, emissions, consequences etc.) Guy’s without any knowledge, from all different professions, make their first attempt as an blacksmith with lack on training, safety behaviour and common sense. We will see where its end. Waiting for the first episode of ‘Folded with origami’ (FWO) but even than -the sharp paper age “It will kill” (Doug Marcaida) Wish you a nice WE.