Mills

Not to sound too wise and knowing, First time I ran into the problem described I had been using anthracite coal, no coking at all. Just shovel it in. I ordered some known good coal from Kayne (Blacksmith depot now) and was VERY upset when It wouldn't get as hot as the coal I was using. I was shoveling it in and it would swell and choke off my air supply. I crank harder and pour on more coal! After going through 25 lbs pretty quick I began to realize that this stuff was acting like jiffy pop. That is when the terms of coking and free swell index became a real description rather than a nebulous term bandied about by the old codgers who would laugh at neophytes such as myself. Anyway, from a totally green coal start, get it lit and burning and smoking. It swells and smokes more. Poke a hole in the top and let some flame out. The flame burns a good portion of the smoke and we are on our way. a few minutes of air supply and there should be a decent amount of burning coke maybe even going to hollow already. push in from the outside so that the coke breaks free like a glacier and gets into the party. use the poker to break it up a little. experience will teach you how much fussin to do with "herding" the coke into the fire. As you do more green coal is coking on the outside and rebuilding the wall. This can be configured in many ways. I generally kept the top clear and used the sides and back to create reflective walls. The front was where I had a path of coke and ash, the top so I could watch. When forge welding I would create the oven. Long pieces I only had the two sides or sometimes I would make a bridge. In a young fire there is coke and it is plastered together with green coal starting to coke. Then there is green coal. This is what it seems you maybe having trouble with. As the fire matures there is sufficient time for the fire to coke the walls such that there isn't a dividing line between coal and coke. It is more of stages. I also found that the more impatient I am the more I create a solid mass that I am always having to break up. Another discovery is that there is no hard and fast rules for handling YOUR coal in YOUR forge. I watched everybody else and tried to pick up better techniques from observation and analysis. Mainly I slowed down. That may not be your problem. You'll have to decide how much advice applies. That sums up my knowledge, I can clarify any of the above, if asked.

Most straightforward method would be good hammer control. I have tried that method since it looks so good and clean. Generally I went to using long stock and gripping between my legs. In effect becoming my own striker. More recently though, I go to my treadle hammer for the help.

LOL, you are seeing a desirable characteristic in a quality met coal, the coke button or free swelling index. With this property you can bank your coal around the blast, it will coke and form an oven. by husbanding this formation you can use less fuel to get the same work done. Once the coke is formed then green coal is coked on the sides to replenish the walls as the interior is used up. This keeps the smoke down as you forge. Sounds like some good stuff.

That is some good work. I really like the the first one. How did you make the clover leaf? very nice taper to points. The Al gate is intriguing from a technical stand point. The warpage you mentioned and just the fixtures in general. I am curious about the back end of the gate. There is a track top and bottom with guides and rollers, how much 'tail' is there? is the operator a chain drive? how is that hooked up? I ask as I have a slider gate project that is going to be a challenge for me and I am looking at other gates to gain some insight.

I have a newer version of that machine. it has an aluminum core. I wanted to put on longer leads but to do that is above me. I have tried to solder/braze Al with little success. If your machine is like mine then that is what you face once your in there. As for getting in there, I eventually found the way but don't remeber any secret widgets to warn you about. I just kept at it.

Yeah Jeff Reinhart had some experience with that and posted his expertise in response to John Larsons' questions on forgemagic or farwest clone. That was more than a year ago. What I brought from the discussion was if the rams are close and heavily linked there won't be much problem. The further apart and lighter and sloppier the guides the more difficulties to be had. I am toying with this idea myself. It'll be another month or two before I'll be able to pursue it tho.

If your are punching through something the spring may not be up to retracting out of the hole. I'm thinking slit and drift a hammer eye or a large mortise and tenon joint.

Now that is a job card! Very detailed and repeatable. Do you have a spreadsheet for tracking this info? or is a review of it enough to assess long term benefits of a process or operator?

One resource not mentioned much anymore is the library. I have checked out books on bidding and estimating and read them. It didn't really matter the specific industry, though mostly carpentry. Bidding is knowing your industry and your shop, you can glean insight from other areas. Fe wood I love that example of drilling holes. It seems so easy, till you get bit by paying out the profit of the job to your labor, whether yourself or others. And you are dead on about having the ass biters listed on the bid sheet. (The following is a generic ramble, kinda me talking to myself out loud, like I do in the shop. ) As for perceived value, that is what I grapple with after I have decided how much I gotta have to do the job. If I am the only game in town and they are idiots I will add on more money for the hassle. And there is the idea that I want my work respected. I wouldn't sell YOUR stuff to cheap cause that is disrespectful to your time and effort. If I can sell YOUR stuff at a better price because it is worth that price no matter what it takes to make it, I will do that for you. I see it as a duty to look out for you the best I can. How much more should I look after my own interests. Biblically, it is known as stewardship and the Amish seem to be doing well with that. Only recently has the idea of the price of an item being used to regulate the demand garnered my attention. Listening to Dave Ramsey respond to a stressed out businessman one day opened new vistas for me. The man was wanting to expand debt free but could not stretch the budget to do it. After a couple of leading questions DR suggested he raise his price. He hadn't in several years. The man quickly responded by saying the business would fall off. That was the idea. Price was set such that he achieved the same profit margin for less work with no need to expand. His income stays the same and he has less stress. Then he may want to look at honing production so that it took less time to do the work. After that he may be able to increase production and expand with the profits OR this fellow had some other ideas if he only had the time/money to pursue them. That was a yippee moment for me. What if there was no wiggle room to do that? was also dealt with. if this widget or process has no room to grow then by definition it is a dead end. Life is too short to get stuck in a dead end. Time to switch products/careers. Kind of full tonight, I'll quit now.

Cos play? I haven't learned these things yet.

I have implemented what I call a job sheet or ticket. It is the first thing I do, even talking about a job. The sheet looks similar to an invoice or packing slip. Name address phone number email fax etc. This is generating a client list so that in I can generate a mailing list. After talking with them and assessing their level of committment I will put a job number on the sheet. The systemm I like is yy/mo/day-#. Currently I am billing 100304-6, 4 Mar 10 6th job of the month. Sketches, sticky notes, prices of materials, receipts, everything goes into a folder with the job sheet and is labeled with that number as well as a title to remember intuitively what that job was. It goes on the desk til dispensed with, either finished, put on indefinite hold or closed out in some way. Then it is filed by number. I am then able to refer to it years hence if a question comes up. This system allows me to review my work efforts and processes as if I were an employee. How good did I do in bidding right, where do I need to add more money if I got stomped. Materials, Equipment, Outsourcing, Time to build, Unforeseen events that may need to be added into future bids. This is an automatic process because ALL the info for that job is in the file except for time. I have to review this to produce the invoice. Tracking time is the most difficult part. This system then produces 'right now' feedback as if I were to ask any of ya'll "how did I do Boss? huh? Did I do good? earn my pay?". It is what I have done on other jobs on behalf of somebody who made more money because of it. Inefficiencies are done away with, and whether you ought to buy a tool or machine vs rent or outsource. This then becomes institutional knowledge and you develop your process and procedures on what your operation can really do. John Larson uses a blog to keep this info available to himself, we are allowed to share in it a bit. Nakedanvil has a little different method and looking at Sam Yellin you'll see that my method looks like his, for good reason. And Mainely,Bob said about the same thing, establish a tracking system that best suits you. YMMV, peace out dude, :D

Your on the correct website, there is a sword/sharp pointy thing section tho that will get more attention to your request. Now In response to your question I am not into swords, just like to shape metal. If your asking about the handle or grip of the sword, I suggest you start with a piece of steel the size of the blade you desire then forge one end down to the size you need. You have to allow for whatever handle material you will cover the metal with. That answer is one method. It may not be suitable for you, It is how I have done it for a kid who lost interest once it was his turn. For more information I do recommend you go to the blade section and listen intently to Rich Hale and JPH if you want to do something in reality. The link you supplied suggests you have some fantasy idea. If that is correct then maybe other like minded people will chime in.

I highly recommend an ac/dc for versatility as well as better welding. I have the 225 Lincoln and it serves me well, I have never used the Miller equivalent so no comparison from me.

I have been using exterior latex house paint a lot. I put on a hi quality red oxide primer and then break out the water bowl and some base colors. I don't think it is the ultimate paint, I think since it will all need maintenance I'll go with something easy to use and duplicate. Here is an example, the leaves were left with the primer and oversprayed hi heat black. The branches were a chestnut bronze base then dry brushed with a white/bronze then took a little green and thinned it a bunch and dabbed it on at various places. I have done a very large gate this way as well that is still holding up well 3yrs later. Can't find my pictures of that one though. Nice work by the way and I envy your location.

That sounds like a reasonable approach, it would be nice to have that here. I applaud you for teaching some supervisory skills as well. They benefit from that more than about anything I would imagine.

I like the clean lines you have there. That has me thinking about rearranging mine. As for the mechanics of it, I can see the cam action to catch the 'board'. I am unclear as to how power is supplied. Is this to be spring powered or is the friction device going to be run by a motor? another item it appears in view a the cam releases the board when treadle is depressed. may this help you.

By all means knock down the sharpness of a fresh edge. Personally, I would take a flap wheel down each side at 45 degrees for a quick pass. Then looking back on what I have learned that I like I may do more. If you haven't a clue what you like, then stop. I came to this opinion as I have a Hay Budden with no sharp corner whatsoever anywhere. When I need a sharp edge Well I make one to drop in the hardy hole. Kinda like Glenn said only different. It had some sharp edges when I first received it but as a beginner they didn't stay sharp for long. Finally took a belt sander to it and took off as little as possible and did not go for straight just smooth. I'd have lost a lot of anvil and had 24" radius all the way down the anvil. Now I have a couple of little gouges that work well for forming stems on leaves and smoothing out transitions. I would like to have an edge that had a radius about like Hollis. I don't and won't till I can buy a new anvil. Then I'll probably knock it back to prevent chipping and see what develops. If you find yourself doing a permanent change to a valuable tool because you think you ought to, because somebody said to, without being sure that that is what you need to do, then you'll likely regret it. Adapting your tools to do the job you need to do is a big attraction to this craft. Do it with forethought and judiciousness.

The one on anvilfire is what you want, I believe. Real swell fella that makes them also. Found a couple of links on youtube flints rose bentley rose

There you go. Fe Wood really brought out the pertinent points. MM nobody is born knowing this stuff. you are choosing a different direction for your business. Let me add too that sales is where I stink, so I am a part of a business networking group. Once a week I am in contact with people who are faced with the same troubles and may or may not have a solution. Every week I'll learn something new and I teach a bit as well cause I do good in the spotlight, just not in promoting myself. Sales are climbing and this should be my best year ever. Its gotta be cause I almost left to drive a truck last year. Its not a counseling session it just puts me in contact with others in the same boat. Like this forum too.

Good work. That'll get you brownie points I'm sure. I am interested in the vase you put them in. How'd you do it? Spun copper, this goes back to the spinning discussions before the Great White .. Birch got after Frosty, correct? That is real nice.

I gotta chime in on this. Like Mainely,Bob I too was a Drill Sgt. What he has described is also how many workers were trained before the warm fuzzy generation hit. To put somebody to work means that they are expecting guidance from you. Or should. If not they need to leave. YOU set the standard and the rewards. Money is only a part of what motivates us to do what we do, whether a smith or a soldier. We all volunteered and followed our desires to learn the craft. We have failed our employers, sometimes blissfully unaware we did. Remember being confused when the old guy was mean and you thought it maybe something you did, but "aw he's just on the.... he'll get over it". In my shop I had a an ex con who asked for a job and then did way more work than I did. I knew he was moving on and helped him however I could. But it was great to work with him. Initially though he was a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. He did not need criticism but some calming down. Cutting cords in half, breaking zip discs, "Take that outa my check" I simply and quietly led the way and pointed out where he helped me the most effectively. MAN alive we had a few days that we punched out the work. He went on to roughnecking. Good money. I have a kid who discovered sparks on his Eagle scout project. I sponsored him. He is meek and timid and smart and oohhh so much a mamas boy. I treat him kinda rough sometimes cause he doesn't know when he has done good and when not. So He gets told again of my expectations and won't take less than this. So get better quickly or stay a puke the rest of your life. In my view, hiring help necessarily means training help. That takes time and effort and there is no guarantee. Ain't no guarantee you'll stay in business either. Upshot is hiring somebody moves you from craftsman to business man. That is why the Drill Sgt program is so valuable to me. Getting rid of somebody wasn't an option unless you could spell out there deficiencies. That caused a man to think and to work harder to get them to work harder. Good Drills were 'people persons', always studying what motivates some and not others. Hiring help will alter YOUR life as much as marriage or children will. You have to start thinking for someone else. They become your hammer. Shape it to fit the job.

very nice work. what do you do for the broom? is that a component you buy and attach?

Jymm I would be interested in knowing more of this source. Could you email me as well?

Yes that is a good idea for free hand nail making. For long runs of the same size I like to take the stock and cold cut at a predetermined length for a long length of nail rod. Then when the spike is hammered slip into header and it is already to snapoff and head. Avoids having a cut off tool as a part of the operation. Your tool would be useful for a short run, 'before you can warm up its over' kind of thing