George N. M.

I have found the electric paint sprayers which use and oscillating piston to push the paint out of the nozzle to be pretty finicky and not very satisfactory.  The problem is that they will work pretty well with a thin viscosity liquid/paint but choke out pretty quickly with anything thicker.  A compressed air paint gun works a LOT better and can handle varying viscosities by adjusting the air pressure.  Also, the electric ones are kind of difficult to clean, or at least harder than the air guns.

When restoring my hand crank drill press I used cherry red spray paint in an aerosol can and it worked quite well.  IIRC one can did it all for me and it's a fairly large item.

I'm not sure the "hammered" finish will come out very well on a rougher surface but you can experiment and see.

If you are worried about rust after power washing, spray it with WD-40.  That's what it is designed for  WD stands for "water displacement."  if you don't want to use that just use plain old alcohol.  It will do the same thing.  Things will dry completely.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

9 hours ago, CrazyGoatLady said:

Do y'all know how I could test that other than cutting a piece off or would that be the only way? Thomas Powers had mentioned something about that years  ago, but I can't for the life of me remember exactly what he said

You can spark test WI with a grinder or grinding wheel.  IIRC the sparks leave straight lines with few, if any, secondary bursts.  Look up spark test charts.  The color of the sparks may be diagnostic too.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Dear Tim,

Depending on how you are going to use your building, you do not have to have a concrete slab under the whole thing or at all.  My shop is a former 24'x24' (7.3 m x 7.3 m) horse barn with 2 12'x12' stalls (which I use for storage) and a 12' x 24' room that is my shop.  The whole thing has a dirt floor with a perimeter concrete foundation under the walls.  I had always had a concrete floor shop before but the dirt is OK and has some advantages.

In the storage issues I have laid OSB (wood chip board) on the dirt under the stored items.

That said, I am in a semi-arid and cold temperate climate (12"/30cm precip/year) and deep ground water.  So, moisture and freezing are not an issue.

There are other options for a floor like crushed gravel which may be cheaper than a poured and reinforced concrete slab.

I suggest that you explore alternative options such as gravel or individual concrete slabs/tiles laid over sand or pea gravel.  And what kind of a floor is optimum/acceptable in the different parts of the building?

If the building has been previously used by animals there may be dried manure that needs to be dug out.  That was an issue in the horse stalls for me.

Good luck.

George

Forsty, I don't know how many IKEA projects you have assembled but we have done a LOT (and we just ordered more for the hall bathroom) but there is almost no text in IKEA assembly directions.  It is all done with diagrams and cartoons because they sell worldwide they need to have the instructions be comprehensible by just about everyone, no matter what their language is.  When they do have text it is in about 15-20 languages.

I find IKEA instructions pretty clear and easy to follow, not to mention well engineered and designed and very good value for the money.

Where you do get garbled instructions is with a number of Chinese products where whoever wrote them only had English as about a 4th language.

G

Hey, I turned 78 last weekend and I am still learning and enjoying it and looking forward to continuing to learn for all the rest of my days.  There are others here who have more time on the earth than I do and I am sure that they will echo the same sentiment.

G

Lary, while it is true that the surface of a well used rail will be work hardened, IMO that surface is not the best choice for use as the face of an improvised anvil because 1) it is curved and if you mill it flat you lose the hardness and 2) using it on end gives you a flat surface and puts more steel and rebound under the hammer.  Both will work but a flat cut end is better IMO.

Anyone trying to select one surface/orientation should experiment and see which works better for them.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

The difference/problem is that the impurities in wrought iron are distributed in layers which are created by the forging process.  Hence, the wood grain pattern of wrought iron.  On the other hand, if you just added silica to a melt it would be evenly distributed throughout the liquid metal.  To get layers you would have to forge it out.  The forging process is why the iron is called "wrought."

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

AFAIK, there can also be a sense of a covert or clandestine meeting.

G

Handlogger, if you can't find a scrap yard/ recycling center which will let you buy from them (some have exclusive sales contracts and don't sell to individuals) try places that sell and repair heavy construction equipment, logging machinery, railroad cars and equipment, and places around military facilities, e.g. Bremerton Naval Shipyard, WA.  If you are near a coast, shipyards.

Also, try the TPAAT (Thomas Powers Anvil Acquisition Technique) which involves asking every breathing human you encounter if they know about where you might find an anvil. It's surprising how often that little old lady at church or the grocery store happens to have something out in the back shed.  You never know until you ask.

And, do NOT contact them by email or text.  Go in person or, at a minimum, a real telephone call.  It is real easy for an email or a text to be ignored but your smiling face or voice is more likely to elicit a positive response.  People, generally, want to help and don't want to turn down a person standing there in front of them or talking to them on the phone.  If they help you, be profuse in your thanks and perhaps come back with a thank you box of doughnuts,  If it is a place that you think you may be dealing with in the future, make them some small gifts like bottle openers.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Back in the 60s when I was working in the steel mills I was taught to test or touch something that you were unsure of re heat with the back of your hand or fingers.  That way, if you were burned it would not be as bad as something on the palm or the front of the fingers.  One guy had grabbed an uninsulated steam pipe to swing under it and had taken all the skin off his palms and fingers.  I still use the technique in both the kitchen and shop.  Impress a useful habit at a young age and it sticks with you your whole life.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Billy, read the short story "Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven.

G

IMO, not too bad at all.  The thick handle moves the point of balance back so that the knife will sit nicely in the hand, a good thing for a table knife.  And you have a nice distal taper.  I've seen and made a lot worse.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/70349#respond

Sounds to me, and I'm no mechanic or motorhead, to be something connected with the central electronics/computer.  The problems are in too many circuits.

You probably needed a new battery anyway.

G

Billy, I think that most of us have a lot of vices, some more unusual than average and some that don't get discussed in polite company or on IFI. 

G

Elijah,

You do NOT need a "good" hammer and anvil to get started!  You need any old hammer, even a claw hammer, of about 2 pounds weight to hit the hot metal.  And pretty much any old hunk of steel will do for an anvil.  A piece of railroad track (mounted on end is best) or a sledge hammer head are common starter anvils.  Read the IFI thread on "Improvised Anvils."

Make sure that you have adequate ventilation in your garage when running your forge. A carbon monoxide detector is a very good idea.  I had a friend who almost died from running a propane forge in a garage.  He had to spend time in a hyperbaric (high pressure oxygen) chamber to flush out the CO from his body.  He reported that it was NOT a fun experience.

IMO, the commonest pitfall for a beginner is to try to do projects that are too advanced for their skills.  Stick with S and J hooks until you have developed hammer control.  A lot of blacksmithing is like developing the hand/eye skills to operate a video game controller, learning where and how hard to hit the steel to get it to move like you want it to.  A good way to develop a sense of how material is going to move is to experiment with modelling clay/play dough.  You can even form it into a bar and hit it with a plastic or wooden hammer.  It will move just like hot steel, just easier and at room temperature.

Steel is a pretty poor conductor of heat.  So, you can hold the end of a longer pieces of steel while the non-held end is hot enough to forge.  This is harder with metals like aluminum or copper.  If the held end gets too hot stick it and your hand into you slack tub of water to cool it off.

Although some folk will disagree, I don't like wearing gloves while forging because it interferes with my grip on the hammer or work piece/tongs.  About the only time I use gloves is for insulation when I have to handle something too hot to hold comfortably in my bare hand.

Lay out your work triangle of forge, anvil, and vise so that they are only a step or two apart.  A common mistake is to have too much distance between them which wastes time and energy.

Learn to arrange your tools so that you can pick them up easily for a particular task.  You don't want to be fumbling around while the metal is getting cold.  For example, if you are going to punch a hole have the hammer and punch laid out where you can easily and quickly grab them before you start heating the metal.  And don't be afraid just to drop a tool on the floor after you have used it if that is the fastest way to free up your hand for the next task.

Something to grab hot metal is necessary.  Tongs are probably best but to start you can use vise grips or channel locks.

Have proper personal protection equipment (PPE).  An apron is probably the first piece.  Leather is best.  Do not wear synthetic materials around a forge.  If struck by something hot they will melt and stick to your skin making a burn worse.  Stick with natural fibers like cotton and wool.  Leather shoes are preferable over ones made of synthetics.  Protective googles or glasses are a very good idea.  Also, protect your ears if you are doing something loud.  And having a fire extinguisher in the shop is a VERY good idea.

Find a local blacksmithing group and join.  A lot of us have learned on our own and it is not the best way to do it.  I had been forging 12-15 years before I ever met another smith and there are still things that I probably do bass ackwards because I didn't have a teacher/mentor when I was first learning.  It's somewhat easier today with good videos to follow than it was in the '70s when all I had were books from the library and my own mistakes to teach me.

And in the end, you need to keep it fun.  You are probably doing this for enjoyment and even though there are frustrations and dead ends along the way you and we are doing it for enjoyment.  Recognize that there are some days and projects where nothing will go right and those are balanced by days where everything is a smooth as butter.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Welcome back, Jerry.  Good to hear from you.  BUT, do not push it.  If you need more time off, take it.

G

I can't help you with your concerns but to bring up another issue, I'd worry about interference if I had a pace maker or another electronic implant.  I don't know how fast the magnetic field drops off by distance from the induction coils.  That said, we have an induction stove and have not had any problems but the coils are buried in glass in the stove.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Oh, I suspect that there are plenty of us here who have seen a few more sunsets than you have.  Our ages on IFI range from the early teens to the early 80s.  I'd guess the average in the mid40s-50s.

Interestingly enough, I'd say that there is a higher percentage of military vets here on IFI than in the general population.  I don't know why but it may have something to do with self sufficiency and resourcefulness.

BTW, your Hay Budden would have to be in pretty rough shape that one of the various improvised anvils would be a step up.  Photos, please?

GNM

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you.

The best way to use railroad or crane (same shape, just larger) rail as an anvil is on end because it puts the most mass under the hammer blow.  Many folk will use the top of the rail as the working surface, just because it looks more like a London pattern anvil, but it really works better on end.  You can also sharpen the web of the rail as a hot cut off and make a small horn from the base.  The larger the rail, the better.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

An industrial laser capable of cutting anything thicker than thin sheet is a very serious and expensive industrial machine that would require a LOT of power.  I have never heard of one being used in a home setting.  Even plasma cutters are pretty serious for hobby level use.  Even for a small set up you are probably looking at costs in the thousands of dollars/euros amount.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Yes, thank you.  Brain blip.

Welcome aboard from 7500 feet (2286 meters).  Glad to have you.

Some of your choices for equipment when starting will be dictated by where you live.  In an urban environment a propane or coke or coal burning forge is more neighbor friendly than a coal forge because there is less smoke/odor.

It is always good to start with basic tools and equipment and then upgrade as your skills improve and you are sure that the craft is for you.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Back in the late '70s Martha and I went to see the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" at the drive in theater in Riverton, WY.  It is located by the Wind River and about 2-300 yards from the site where the fur trapper rendezvouses were held back in the day.  We thought the coincidence was pretty cool.

G

If you haven't seen it, the 2015 film "The Revenant" starring L. DiCaprio is a pretty good retelling of the Hugh Glass tale.

G