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I Forge Iron

Hans Richter

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Everything posted by Hans Richter

  1. Welcome back, nice to join again. Pretty good looking anvil, wish to get some London pattern anvil as well instead of all ways the German pattern type. Cheers, Hans
  2. Great sculptures, but ensure good grounding for security. In the past, for example, a sculpture was stolen in the driveway of my studio .
  3. Hi Bart, where exactly are you in Hasselt and its surroundings? Personally, I stay in Gingelom I am not far from you as the crow flies. So always welcome to just dive into the (my) shop, exchange experiences and drink a coffee, beer or whiskey. Btw made the 70kg UAT silent with a rubber sheat and some cains. Jennifer, thank you for your nice response, but anyway this anvil collection is nothing compared to the beautiful building that just rises on your property.
  4. This beautiful piece just followed me home. A 150 kg or 300 lbs UAT anvil. Thank you very much to the generous patron from where I received this masterpiece of Belgian iron casting. I thanked him with a special piece of bronze casting from the melting furnaces of Forge & Furnace Tumulus. An anvil for an anvil. This anvil complements my collection in addition to a 70 kg (140 lbs) and a 125 kg (250 lbs) UAT, I now also own the aforementioned tool. On the advertising brochure from the 1920s you can see they have more brothers and sisters.
  5. In the meantime I have worked open +/- 6 propane tanks to entertain them into a gas forge or a melting furnace. My devise is to let all the gas that still exists to escape by removing the distribution valve (carefully unscrew), then I flush the cylinders with excess water (water flushing agent). Then I drill numerous holes in the water-filled cylinder at the location of the opening that I want to create anyway. After the holes have been made, I saw the largest possible opening with a jigsaw to allow any remaining flammable gases to escape. Only then will I process the cylinder in question with an angle grinder or my plasma cutter. So far, this cautious approach has saved me from surprises and the big bang theory.
  6. Thanks gents, glad to attract your taste’s to, and proud to get some feedback from real professionals. Looking forward to have some nice and educative conversations with you guys again.
  7. Dear all, After more than a year of 'radio silence' and an IFI sabbatical, I would like to report back in this beautiful forum. Obviously I have you followed all this time and am aware of important developments and active newcomers who are happy to contribute and which certainly provide added value and enrich this forum again. As for the old acquaintance, -Jennifer what a great new building that arises and offers room for countless possibilities. -John is amazing how the 'precious' is increasingly taking shape and performing its work. -Aric, unbelievable, always working on new ideas and creations to enrich the income of a young and up-and-coming family. -Ausfire you are, -and remain a source of inspiration for me, why you will see in the photos below (spin-off Cassowary). Because of the neighbours’ quarrel that you may still be familiar with, I focused last year on making scrap sculptures that you see regularly here (and in my case maybe a little bit bigger), but also their marketing and commercialization (less noisy). Since end 2018 I have been affiliated with +/- 9 art exhibitions in Belgium and abroad with the aim of selling my works and raising the know-how and equipment of the forge to a higher level. The forging activities were unfortunately limited to 'Demos' during events, but at the same time I was busy increasing the supply of tools with, for example, the purchase of a third UAT anvil of 300 Lbs for the shop, which now results in a stock of 4 anvils, 3 solid fuel forge and 3 gasser's and associated equipment (pliers, hardy’s and hammers) for 4 work stations. Below you will find some photos of the new creations, the new equipment and atmospheric impressions of some of the demos. The fire ant and the owl have already been sold to France and Belgium. The cassowary and the mosquito will hopefully soon be placed in the atrium of a well-known Belgian real estate company. As you can see, in the past year I have focused on a certain payback from a rather expensive hobby that until now has only been paid for by my income from employment. Time to reap the benefits off all our efforts, right? Happy to be back and, if appreciated, to anticipate the various forum discussions. Cheers, Hans
  8. Gents, this is a ‘cold’ electrolytic process – a nice/cool gesture of his buddy’s and take no harm to the body of the anvil. The ‘little’ guy go’s trough a de-rusting acid bath and hanged up in a electrolytic bath to ‘inhale’ a portion of chrome. And yes, if you beat on the face and horn, he will lose his ‘bling-bling’ coat but without any loss any of his performance or usability.
  9. Please watch the video. In general I cut huge holes or openings in every hollow recipient (drums, cilinders) with drills or hacksaw before I even weld GRIND or plasma cut in them. Be careful. Cheers, Hans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DP5l9yYt-g
  10. Almost finish the new shank and lifter, they fits well on the A16 crucible. The lifter will even be usable on the A10 crucible to get the melt out of the furnace, but I prepare another tong to build a A10 lifter to. Same for the smaller A10 shank. Within the next days I will supply the devices (shank & lifter) with a lock to avoid a ‘slip out’ of the crucibles wile pouring or lifting, and give it a paint job to all the parts not exposed to the heat. This will be my last post on IFI before I take a sabbatical from all forum activities (have to take care of other priority’s and will catch up later). Hope I was helpful to some newbies and other members are interested in the funny XXX I’m busy with. So long, your sincerely, Hans
  11. This follows me home the last couple of days, brand new 1lbs French hammer I have to dress, and two 35lbs A16 graphite clay crucibles plus 60lbs oil sand. Regarding the crucibles I bought them straight at the casting supply manufacturer in Germany (passing by during business trip) for only 55 bucks (each). If you buy them at a Belgium art supply they cost at least 150. Before melting the first batch I preheat and conditioned them by slowly (and empty) orange red heat up and cool down in the furnace to avoid shattering because of inner tension of the fresh material. Visited also one of the ‘Forge Tumulus benefactors’ to pick up another 120lbs bronze scrap (worn out centrifugal pump impellors) in exchange for the well-known (now patinated) ‘give a way’s’ and a crat of Belgium beer . So I can move on and make bigger (hollow) bronze sculptures.
  12. Ladies and gents seen again very nice and creative stuff, inspires me to so much more (scrap sculptures- have to dive in to the scrap containers of some clients with my business suit, makers mark –have to send the ai-file to professional engraver, some simple knifes/Armor –have to line/fire retardant the extra foam insulation before starting the gas forge) Not much time the last weeks, so I did only little thinks like making aluminium vice claw protection which I use wile grinding and polishing the Bronze casts. They are shaped after de claws and avoid scratches and pressure spots on the bronze (or other brittle) items. Made also 3 extra steel casting coquilles to cast ingots/billets when I melt down bigger quantities of nonferrous scrap. Hope there strong enough while ‘ticking’ out the frozen billets Today is a ‘crucible lifter- and pouring shank making day’, with the new and heavy 35lbs crucibles I need better and saver equipment now.
  13. Hi TB, look at this post to, from a brother struggles with the same 'challenge' and take care with the other safety items as well. Glad to have you here as an reasonable member and good craftsmen. Cheers, Hans
  14. 200% agree with Latticino and Mikey Small addition from my side, copper have a thermal conductivity of 380, mild steel 50 and stainless steel or Inconel </= 15. I prefer the material with the lowest λ-value ones the heat crawls up from your burner. Indeed a expensive solution and well-crafted executed. Another economic and wise option are Frosty’s gas intakes there q……………………...uit long enough I feel with Latticino and the bad ugly experience hi made and have to suffer on contact with organic mineral ceramic fibers. Got some less heavy lessons learned by grinding and hammering 25 years without ear protection witch left an permanent Tinitus on both ears all the time!
  15. Nice and clear mark, you see immediately how made the work piece -Aric
  16. Finished the cast/blanks of the bronze trilobites another Venus and an African mask. The fossils will be placed on chalk stone pedestals. I still must carve the stones into rough forms without damaging the enclosed real fossils (fossilized sea shells and corals). For the mask, I’m looking for a rough block of Wenge timber. The exhibition pieces / pedestals will rest on 30in high stands from linseed oil coated rebar lattice girders or slender steel boxes from rusty Corten steel. psa - very nice sculptures and functional
  17. Hi gents, please let me chime in. Most of us (including myself) are good technicians and craftsmen’s but poor businessmen’s. Part of the deal is however to sell yourself and your products. I’m was barely bad on this and known in our old Dutch village as the ‘cheap smith’ making good products. During this time they mentioned me in many local and national newspapers but I was to ‘stupid’ to take any advantage of it. However in this time with almost no responsibilities I enjoy life and did everything I wanted (traveling, sailing, ‘butterflying from one to the next beautiful flower’ and other crazy xxxx) how’s nobody can take away from me, and I will delightful remember this at the day I have to step before our great lord. So after founding a family I went back to a ‘conservative’ life as employee with a good pay check. Now I make highly expensive gifts and work pieces for nothing. In many cases individual items for own use or ‘give away’ or only to show to myself I can do it. Quit a luxury position if their wasn’t the drive to transfer my knowledge to other interested people. In Holland no problem where I was surrounded by many interested apprentices, in Belgium however its different they want/expect charging for everything and it is very onerous to penetrate existing networks. In Germany and Holland the mayor, the priest and the local blacksmith of a village are highly respected persons in Belgium probably not. Will have some other try’s, if they don’t turn out I will continue the status quo or move back to the Dutch/German roots.
  18. Put (hot sprayed) permanent patina on one of the bronze paper weight anvils. Brushed some edges to bring up the original material and the worn off effect of an antic item. Finished the surface with bees wax. While spraying the bronze object I discover that the copper nitrate solution also turn out green and stick to the hot rebar mesh the anvil stands on. That brings me to many other ideas.
  19. My dear Aric, thanks for the feedback, at this moment I try to gather enough scrap at least to make some (series of) little sculptures, and I’m deeeeeeeeeeeeeeep jealous about your sources and creativity. Till then Lisa & I play further in the (casting) sandbox and fondle with clay (big hug to your daughter). We will fire them in to biscuit and (Raku)glace/fire them but also for use as a pattern for bronze and brass casting (fossils) Helena, I really mean it, -keep going and don’t hesitate to ask the grumpy old guys (on IFI called curmudgeons) or us ‘normal people’ for support if you need
  20. At Mark – now you mention it I remember I have seen this great device in one of the great Mad Max –movies in the past Hi Helena, welcome to this great community, I hope you will gather lots of inspiration, tips and knowledge from many of the members here. Please be carefully with gas equipment and all the stuff eventually can harm you, and read the safety section and search for items that’s interest you. BTW -all starving artists are always welcome to my home/studio for a hammer in, BBQ (to fill an empty billy) and have a roof/shelter above their heads. Below some examples of scrap sculpture I made and expose in the 90’ to kick against the establishment. A windy (look trough) business men with a cell phone as a hard, and our lord how try to give you a hand. Cheers, Hans
  21. Hi, -you can find decent CO alarms in the better hardware DIY shops around 30-50 bucks -look further for Propane arrestors how fits to the left treated fittings on the original gas hose (if the acetylene fits OK the principle is the same ‘a mesh filter/labyrinth extinguish the flame’) Please look also after the burner attachment, usually it’s a socket with fixation bolds so you can slide the burner lance trough the insulation/lining and reconsider the angle of them. With the oxygen rich flame you will have lots of mill scale with the burner aimed straight on your work piece. Most of the brothers prefer a vortex circulation in a round or U-shaped lining. Don’t worry my first forge was much to oversized, a CO-bomb with a hell of dragon breath and a big fuel-lover with his two burners. Cheers, Hans
  22. Welcome to IFI Ulfhedinn, glad to have you here Next to all the very useful tips and feedback regarding the lining of you forge please take also care of some other safety items like: -the distance between the burner to the rubber gas hose (if I see the example of the YT movie they is pretty close to the burner ones turned of and the heat from the forge crawls up through the burner like a chimney) -ones the hose melted of or disrupt, you need a hose break valve/protection which close the gas supply after spontaneous escape -In some cases you turn on/off your burner you will get a flame flashback in to your burner, -in the most cases nothing happened, in the worst case the flame will turn back in to the hose or gas cylinder, so a ‘flame killer’ flashback protection is no luxury Last but not least, take care of CO poisoning if you work inside. This and many other safety items are already mentioned in the safety section of IFI and other treats, and I’m glad the smith brothers & sisters repeat them if they see something dangerous or possibilities for extra safety and improvement. Have fun with the forge, Cheers, Hans
  23. Today I played with the weed burner and copper sulphate- and copper nitrate solution. With the copper nitrate solution I get a fine antique green patina. I have applied the patina shown with a spray bottle and found out that the material should not be too hot (like the round in the middle). The concentration of the CN solution may also be slightly higher in the future and I consider to apply ther with a brush in de future. Be careful, the solution is not good for your health so do this work outside and wear an FFP3 mask. BTW the burning copper in the solution provided also a nice additional firework. Cheers, Hans PS. Aphasia strikes again every time I try to remember 'Caliumpolysulfide' (Sulfur liver) to make the stuff black/brown
  24. Back in the days when I was still a warf smith at the IJsselmeer I remember a nice spell that was engraved (by a wise fisherman) in the door below the deck of an old wooden fishing ship. "If our dear lord had wanted to have polyester boats, he would also have grown polyester trees". I remember this saying every time I see a concrete or plywood anvil stand passing by in some IFI posts .
  25. Several years ago Lisa and I dig out some fossils at the English Jurassic coast. Formally (broken in to pieces) ammonites but really cool know there about at least 66 mio years old. Today we decide to make some clay pattern of them and shape some trilobites too. Want to kiln and fire them to bronze cast pattern from black Raku-clay and made them to bronze/brass sculptures on calk stone pedestals (the left over of their ant sisters and eternal baby’s). As always we will keep you updated with the progress. Cheers, Hans & Lisa
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