Pat Roy

When done the ID will be 25.46 inches, not all that big but awkward starting out with 80 inches. If you are bending hot, do it in sections, but in 1/8" you can probably do it cold, bending around a form of approximate size then adjust to finish. Draw a nice cirle in chalk or soapstone on the floor to check your radius as you work. I have done this many times when building pot racks. To support a big pot containg liquid I might use heavier bar than 1/8". 3/16" or 1/4 may be more appropriate and durable. Is this to be supported on legs or suspended in some way?

Nice demonstration Dan. What material are you working,gage etc.? How long does it take to make one? How much do you get for these? Looks like a lot of work, but I'm interested in trying.

That was a job well done, easier than going to the rifle range.

Looks like a nice flat table. I would weld some feet on it so it can be secured, but you know that.

What is the shelf life of vinegar in the shop? What amount of surface can you treat with a given amount of vinegar? I"ve only ever seen the 1/2 quart glass bottles at the grocery store. Is it available in industrial strength and quantities?

Will it develop as a secure clamp or is this a prep for welding?

Yes Phil has the answer.

It's amazing. This all started with a bogus add for a "forged" mirror, and now I'm waiting patiently for a classic, original issue "Blacksmiths without Borders" tee shirt. Wow, I got in on the ground floor; I was here when it started. I'm in awe of the power of coal smoke!

What else? Oh yeah, I really like dogs too but I have cats.

Creek, I thought I recognized that swage block, SFC, just like mine.

On your stand, how often do you have to add air to that wheel?

Celtic, do post pictures. I'm looking forward to that.

I really like the Blacksmiths without Borders tee shirt idea; Glenn, how much and how do I get one in XL?

Mainely, Bob; great idea on the anvil ringing relay. How do you propose to get that across the Pacific? How long to go around the world?

Last 2 blacksmiths in Australia, sad but hardly believable. I saw some guy advertising he was the only blacksmith working professionally in Maine; he doesn't get out much.

I mostly use the square buckets the kitty litter comes in. They are basically free, arrive at my house on a regular basis and are reasonably tolerant to freeze/thaw cycles that my shop sees. I'd like to use something a little bigger but haven't found something usable or for the right price. I first had one of those big galvanized wash tubs. It was big enough but low to the floor and when the first winter came I took it out of service for fear of freezing. I then got hold of a 30 gallon metal barrel but fear of freezing and the fact that the diameter is small kept me from using it. It my shop was heated full time(at least above freezing)it would be a different story. One of those wooden barrels would be attractive, but they wouldn't worke either.

I mostly keep it simple. Items that I don't plan to paint get either blso or wax, sometimes both, the wax on the second pass. I have beeswax but mostly have used parafin because the day I needed wax, that's all the hardware store had. Parafin will seal and darken iron well without any other additives.

I have been in a friend's shop and tried his mix of beeswax/turpentine/linseedoil. He puts the can near the fire to keep it liquid. I do like the scent of that in the morning, and it does a nice job of sealing and coating. I may have to mix up a batch for myself.

A516-70 is a Carbon, Manganese, Silicon steel (C-Mn-Si). I didn't look up all the specs but here's the composition. Google will give you more. As compared to A36 I'd call it low carbon steel, non hardening.

SA 516-70 Composition
Percentage %

C
0.10/ 0.22

Cu
0.3

Si
0.6

Ni
0.3

Mn
1/ 1.7

Mo
0.08

P
0.03

Nb
0.01

S
0.03

Ti
0.03

Al
0.02

V
0.02

Cr
0.3

Here's some data on A36 structural steel:
ASTM A36 Mild (low-carbon) steel
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 58,000 - 79,800
Yield Strength, psi 36,300
Elongation 20.0%
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 99%
Carbon © 0.26%
Manganese (Mn) 0.75%
Copper (Cu) 0.2%
Phosphorus (P) 0.04% max
Sulfur (S) 0.05% max

This is just my opinion, the vertical run of your pipe is short and the two 90 degree bends are killing your draft, not to mention 7 inch diameter pipe being kind of small.

I'm not a doctor, never played one on TV and I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I did poison myself with carbon monoxide from a charcoal grill once that I put in the garage to stay out of the rain while cooking. Big mistake; I was sick for days. CO molecules will stick to your red blood cells with great tenacity thereby making it difficult for oxygen molecules to do the same. No amount of water, milk, sugar, or other home remedies will fix this. In severe cases you see the firemen wearing oxygen masks as they are taken to the hospital. I would see a doctor soon. Additionally, there are a lot of nasties in coal smoke, especially the sulfur compounds mixing with body fluids on mucus membranes(mouth, nose, throat, lungs) and forming things like sulfuric acid.

One other(or more) poster suggested lighting a sheet of newspaper in the flue to get the draft going, good idea. Once you have been using the forge for a while you will be leaving yourself every day with some coke to start the next fire. That is less smoky than starting with green coal. I have an 8 inch flue with a cap and a fairly open side hood; works pretty good for me. 10 inch would be better, but that is more expensive.

Be careful, take care of yourself and when you can, enjoy the shop.

A nice start but I try to make the taper as smooth as possible before I "hook" it. How big a plant do you think a 1/4" round bar will support when cantilevered out like that?

. . . I still have that piece of iron - the wife is gone though . . .

Steel is more durable than some wives. I've noticed that too!

Sometimes I run out to do a few quick errands and get some funny looks from the clerks at the bank or post office; oops I forgot to wash my face.

My name is Pat and I am a blacksmith. I can stop any time, but I don't think I will. The family likes my stuff and they even buy me coal for Christmas.

Mainely Bob, I just read your entry (#148). You are a sick puppy. That beach wasn't any where near Boothbay.

Not being very conversant with electrons, I would consult an electrical engineer or at the very least someone at the local electrical supply house. You really need to know the motor characteristics, how many horsepower the motor develops, amps etc. Also I would suspect that trying to run this motor at 110 volts is probably unhealthy for it.

Are you sure he bent them? Some of these blades in mulching movers have peculiar shapes to begin with. Of course I know what I have done to my mower. I did make a knife once from a lawnmower blade. It seemed like pretty good steel.

I use a bucket that the kitty litter came in. It has a comfortable handle and holds quite a lot of stuff. I also use one of these as a quench bucket, tolerant of freezing and no real cost.

Nice work. I especially like the idea of the hooks in the punched and drifted holes with the tendrils wrapped around the bar. I'll be stealing that design for some of my work! You bet!

Forge welding, AARRGGHH! Actually, I should knock on wood. I have had a few successes lately even on some light pieces. Clean fire, just the right amount of air, patience, careful observation so there is no burn, the correct application of the hammer, Ahhhh! Get it hot enough but not quite sparkling.

Mainely, Bob and Mills, I like your thoughts and methods. I have been keeping track of how I make stuff but not in a way that is easily retrievable. And I haven't been keeping track of my time. This is still only a hobby for me although I do sell some things, but the process of thinking things through as I come up with a particular design and actualy do the work eats up a lot of hours. I can't charge for my learning time I don't think.