George N. M.

OK, question about how you forge cylindrical sockets: Do you start with solid stock and forge out a "flag" and then roll it up or do you start with a piece of tubing or do you weld a piece of tubing to a solid point or something else. Do you use any glue or pin to attach to the shaft or just friction? Thanks. George

If you have a compressor you might be able to do some interesting texture work with it. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

If you spray it with the baking soda solution I'd then spray it with either WD-40 (WD="Water Displacement') or alcohol to get all the water out of the nooks and crannies. GNM

Scott, sorry to hear that. It's pretty bold to do that in such a public place. Does anyone know what a thief can get for a stolen catalytic converter? It must be fairly substanial to justify the risk. G

OK, thanks. That will look very good in place. My only suggestion is to make sure that the parts that stick out towards the TV are very sucurely anchored to the wall to take the weight of the books. I have discovered through sad experience that the best bookshelves are over engineered and built. The books are always heavier than you think and the shelves are not as strong as you would think. Happy New Year! May 2024 be the year that wars and pandemics decrease. George

Scott, I suppose being improbable, at least for me, is doing what you like without any consideration of how it fits in with anything else. My attorney friends are surprised that I am a blacksmith and my blacksmith friends are surprised that I am an attorney. And my interests are what they are without any consideration of "masculine" or "feminine." So, I like metal working, cooking, guns, antiquing, calligraphy, hunting, can hold my own in sewing, don't have much of an interest in team sports, etc.. When folk know one or a few things about you they will create a full profile in their head of what you are like and when the reality of what and who you really are is revealed it can upset their mental apple cart and surprise them. I guess that improbability is unconciously avoiding stereotypes. Just about all of us here are improbable in just being blacksmiths since that is an uncommon hobby or profession. But I will bet that few of us meet the stereotypical image of a blacksmith, large, male, white, strong, etc.. One of the things I like about IFI is the wide variety of folk here. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Get out there and hit hot metal. Make something like an S or J hook. Experiment with your stance and how you hold the hammer to see what feels best. Use a plastic bowl for a slack tub. Just get the metal hot and hit it. That is the essence of blacksmithing. Everything else will fade in importance. Your wife sounds like a wise woman, listen to her. Let us know how it goes. George

Dear Electra, Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. I am going to try to be as nice and gentle as I can but I am going to say some things that you may not want to hear. Essentially, magnetism is a phenomenon that ONLY effects certain meals, generally iron. Iton can be magnetized and become a magnet which will attract other bits of magnetic sensative metal. It cannot effect non metalic materials such as copper, ceramic, and organic material. Also, magnetic fields weaken very quickly as you move away from a magnet. A weak magnetic field may be detected within a few inches of household electric lines but not enough to attract even tiny beits of metal except small metal bits that are free to move and are very close tpmthe electric line may align with the field. It is improbable thst any random piece of iron or steel like an anvil is maagnetized or has any detectable magnetic field around it. Atoms and small bits of iron in a plastic environment may align and unalign with the earth's magnetic field as they mve through it. You can tell the orientation of the earths magnetic field when certain rocks were deposited by studying the orientation of metsl bearing minerals in the rocks. However, the rocks may have moved out of their origial orientation due to the movement of tectonic plates and other processes. I strongly suspect that your feeling of heaviness may be more a psychological issue than a physical one whcih could be measured. You do not weigh more when the electrical power is on in the house than when it is off. That said, other biological processes such as drug side effects or your physical condition or a neurological condition may give you a feeling of heaviness. I suggest that you discuss it with one or more professionals. It may take more than just your family physician and even if there is a medical or psychological origin it may not be something that is treatable. We are just a collection of hobby and professional blacksmiths here and probably don't have much more to contribute but someone may have more and better words of wisdom than I have. I am just an old geologist, attorney, soldier, etc. who has picked up a bit of this and that over the years. I hope you are able to address your issues but I really doubt that they are related to magnetism.

I'm kind of late to the discussion but a group that I really like and is particularly good to play in the shop is Corvus Corax which is a German medieval/metal group but, really, they don't fit very well into a genre that I know of. Here is one of their concert pieces and I will admit that they are rather bizzare but great musicians. There are a fair number of their videos on You Tube. And I suppose that it is improbable that a guy of my age and background would go for this but I am nothing if not improbable. George PS Corvus Corax is the Latin scientific name for a raven.

I agree with Frosty about degree of importance. I was probably thinking that the commonest form of PPE is the apron. I have worn glasses since I was about 12 and, so, eye protection is pretty automatic with me. I only think of additional eye protection if I am doing something with a higher than average amount of stuff flying around my face or lots of sparks. GNM

That brings up the question of when the bench/machinist's vise came into use. My guess would be the 2d half of the 19th century. Prior to that most metal vises were post vises. I have seen some illustrations of late medieval or renaissance armorers' vises that did not have a leg or post and were akin to modern bench/machist's vises. But I suspect they were uncommon and pretty specialized. GNM

Notice that the bench has the leg vise for metal and a wood working vise in the shadows beyond the leg vise. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Alexandr, lovely, as usual. Will they be mounter with the 3 bays vertical and book shelves installed across the bays or is it to be install with the bays horizontal and the bays themselves the book shelves? I can see advantages to either orientation. Thanks. George

Billy, how long ago did you last buy a metal bucket? You may be in for the same unpleasant surprise I was. It makes scrap buckets like those used for grease and solvents much more attractive. Unfortunately, even many of those have gone to plastic. The only common metal ones any more are 1 gallon paint cans. Even larger quantities of paint are in plastic. If it wasn't for freezing issues I would buy a half wooden barrel and fill it with the garden hose. GNM

There is an old prospector trick for separating the gold/mercury amalgam. Hollow out a potato and put the amalgam into the center. Put the potato back together and bake it. The mercury will vaproize and go into the potato flesh leaving the gold in the cavity. Do NOT eat the potato. GNM

Urban blacksmithing presents some unique challenges. Noise is just one issue. A cheap HF anvil will wear out pretty quickly but it will be quiet. Magnets work pretty well at dampening sound. HF welding magnets work pretty well. Also, be careful that all your blows hit hot metal, not the anvil. Don't use the technique where you tap the anvil between blows to the metal. Chain, magnets, silicone caulk all work well and combining them should quet things down as much as possible. lining your workspace with things like acoustic tiles or blankets will cut down on any sound. However, you still need adequate ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide issues. I strongly suggest that you invest in a CO detector and if it goes off get out immediately. No "just let me finish this heat" or "in a minute". Get out NOW! It helps to have your propane tank outside you work area where you can turn it off from outside. Then, let things ventilate for much long than you think is appropriate. Can't help with forge noise other than the observation that some forges "roar" more than others. The forge gurus can address that much better than I can. Finally, cultivate your neighbors with talking to them and giving them small hand forged gifts like bottle openers, brooches, spike knives, etc.. If they know you they are more likely to take up any issues with you directly rather than complaining to third parties. Find out if any of them have unusual schedules and are, say, sleeping during the day. If you can time your forge sessions for when they are gone any problems are minimized. Don't use large tools for small projects because they produce unnecessary noise. Use the minimum size that will do the job. Finally, depending on where you are located you may look at an off site forging location like a rented garage or storage unit or space in a "makers" location. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I said it in a previous post in a different thread earlier today but I'll repeat it here: Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Winter Solstice timed holiday, e.g. Kwanza, Festivus, New Year, Yule, etc.. GNM

Nick, if 1" hardy shanks are barely too large for the hardy hole I would think about filing out the hardy hole a bit larger. Once that is done every hardy tool will fit rather than having to grind down every hardy tool. It's kind of a pig of a job, enlarging a square hole, but once it is done it is done. You might carefully use a power tool like a rotary file or a metal cutting blade in a reciprocating saw to do a lot of the work but you'll need the control of a file in the corners and the last finish bit. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Steel Serpent, one thing neither you nor any previous responders, including myself, is PPE. Personal protection equipment is a very basic and fundamental item for blacksmithing. Everything in a blacksmith shop is hot, heavy, or sharp and sometimes 2 or all 3 of those attributes. So, you need to protect yourself and anyone who comes into the shop while you are working. Probably the most fundamental safety item is an apron. Leather is the best but heavy cotton fabric/canvas can work. This protects your body and your clothing from flying bits of hot metal, sparks, and anything else that is flying around. Some, particularly farriers like waist high aprons that are split in front so that they can be used like chaps. Many folk, myself included, like bib type aprons which will protect your chest area. Next is eye protection. If you don't already wear glasses you need a pair of safety glasses or googles. Getting a spark or a small piece of metal in your eye is not a fun experience. Hearing protection, either muffs or ear plugs, is for when you are using something LOUD like various power tools. I do not use it when forging but some folk may. If you are doing something that puts out lots of fine particles, sanding, grinding, etc. be sure to wear some sort of respirator. Even a surgical mask is better than nothing. Grinding is a particularly bad source of things that should not go into your lungs. Shoes and clothing: Avoid synthetic materials because they will melt and stick to your skin when exposed to heat making any burn much worse. This is true for shirts, pants, sox, etc.. Polyester is not as bad as nylon which melts and sticks easily. Shoes shoud be leather, not synthetic running or other type of shoes. I will admit that I sometimes violate this myself, it is hard to remember to change your regular shoes when going out to the shop. If it is not too hot L like long sleeved shirts, often flannel, to protect my forearms from hot bits and sparks. Oh, if you ever put sides onto you shop a carbon monoxide detector is a must. Other folk may have more suggestions. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I only use a 3 gallon bucket for a slack tub because when the shop is going to be below freezing temperatures it is easy to toss the watter out the door. I'd love to use a half wooden barrel or a large metal barrel but they are too heavy when full to easily move around. I may have to have a winter and a summer slack tub. And, yes, metal is better than plastic every day but the last time I bought a galvanized bucket at the hardware store it was, IIRC, about $18 which was a case of sticker shock. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

This may veer into theological discussions which are prohibited by the IFI Terms of Service. So many questions. How bad do you have to be to get a good grade of coal? What degree of badness gets you bad coal? Where does coke fit in? What does it mean if you get large lumps of coal that have to be split up before you can use them in a forge? How many blacksmiths can forge on the head of a pin? Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone and a Happy Winter Solstice timed holiday of your choice! George

Also, you need to consider the context of a blacksmith shop, in a town, village, monastery, castle, etc.. In a town the construction might have been fairly substantial and comparable to the neighboring buildings. In a manor house some of the same considerations would go into the construction of a smithy as went into a kitchen located seperately from the main buildings. Both were places where fire was in use and were more likely to accidentally catch fire. They were separated to keep the fire from destroying other buildings. So, they may have been of lighter construction which is easier and cheaper to replace in case of a fire. Also, they would probably be less likely to have a thatched roof and would be located away from any building with a thatched roof. You may want to do some research into architectural history of different types of buildings in the medival period. And you probably will have to do real research in a public or university library and utilize Inter Library Loan. Doing research only on the internet is very insufficient and inadequate. If I were to design a general late medival blacksmith shop I would probably have 4 corner posts and roof trusses of mortise and tenon construction with the walls filled in with wattle and daub. Light panels in the upper part of the wall which would swing up under the eaves for light and ventilation. Probably a tile or lead roof. Probably a stone floor in the main part of the smithy with dirt where animals would be brought in. Probably a brick forge and chimney. Great bellows suspended from the rafters. Square anvil with what we would now call hardy tools set in stumps or a bench. Half barrel (willow withey hoops) for a slack tub. Lots of tongs in racks. Various sizes and types of hammers. Hope this helps. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

You can get them on Amazon for about $12. They are advertised for copper rivets but they work fine for hot iron rivets and I have no problem using them for cold iron rivets. A rivet set with a tool looks much cleaner than one that is just peened over. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I would sahy that it was a gradual process and both types were manufactured at the same time. More expensive versions of X would be made of steel while less expensive versions of the same object would be made from wrought iron. If you want a date for when more of X were made from steel rather than wrought iron in the US I would say about 1900-1910. I have no adademic authority for that, only a general sense. "by hammer and hand all arts do stand."

That rings a faint bell but that is all. I have had gas accumulate in the air line, ignite, and flash back through the blower with a "whoomph!". I wouldn't think that the air line on a forge would be confined or tight enough to explode with a bang and coal gas is a pretty low order fuel which would not have a very fast ignition speed. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."