jw223

If it doesn't need to be completely solid, try using the ball from a ball valve. I've picked up 3 and 4 inch ball valves at the scrap yard for pretty cheap. If you stack different sizes and weld them together you can get a metal "kong" shape (think dog toy) that is great for doing both inside and outside shapes. I have a tree I made up that goes from 3" down to 1.25". It works great for starting V shaped bends or larger concave/convex bends-

This is the one I built based on the anvil fire design. It's not very big, but it has some nice shapes to bend and form metal on. Someday, I'll get around to finishing the fourth side of it.

I burn fuel oil in my forge. I scored almost 250 gallons FREE yesterday when a customer was converting to natural gas! He wanted to get rid of it and the oil company wanted to charge for removal. I did spend $10.00 on a plastic 55 gal. drum to put the 30 or so gallons that wouldn't fit in my tank, but I was very happy with the score. That should keep my forge going until March or so anyway!

I don't personally care for the feel of fiberglass handles. To me, it feels like they have a little more flex to them than a wooden handle. I'm not smithing full time either. Most of my work gets turned out in half day blocks on the weekends and if I'm lucky, an evening or two during the week. I wont even use sheet metal hammers that have steel handles because of the flex they have when turned sideways to fold seems with. That being said- I also play drums, and I have tried various types of synthetic sticks over the years, and they all had the same problem- they flex too much and would hurt my hands, wrists, and arms. I have good stick technique, so that's not an issue. Hammering technique could probably be improved, but the concept between the to grips (firm but loose) are the same. Just my 2 cents- Jeff

Looks like I am going to rehandle and try again. Sounds like proper preperation BEFORE setting the head is more important than anything that can be done afterward. Can't say I'm thrilled about the answer, but I totally appreaciate the honest feed back. If I live long enough to learn a fraction of what you guys have forgotten, maybe I'll be able to answer a few questions some day instead of just asking!

Hi guys! Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. I've seen a lot of nice stuff posted lately! Now my question- is this hot weather killing anyone else's hammer handles? Since I have an outdoor shop, my hammers are exposed to temperature extremes. They aren't in the rain, snow, etc, but they do see the temperatures. Lately, even my store bought hammers are getting a little loose feeling on the handles. This is the first year I ever noticed a problem with them. Is their a fix besides re-handling? I thought about soaking the heads in some linseed oil to get some moisture back in the wood, but I don't know if this will be an actual fix or a band aid. Any advice would definitely be appreciated!

Wow- no metal?? I always listen to Sepultura's "Under a Pale Grey Sky". It distracts me enough to concentrate on what I am working on!

In my old shop, my Pexto plate was mounted in a low table that was made out of heavy wood planking. This put the top of the stakes just above waist height (sheet metal work). Last fall, I had a friend of mine cut me out a plate with his water jet. We made it 12" x 24" and used 3/4 plate. I had him put 3/4", 1", and 1.25" square holes in it. They aren't tapered for my stakes, but I use it with my hardy tools, scroll jigs, etc. Works really well, plus he did it for free! I made up a few stakes to work with it, because I don't use my Pexto stakes for hot work. They are polished up for copper and brass.

They are definitely roofing tongs, for doing standing seam roofs. I picked up a pair last summer at a flea market for around $15.00. I thought they were neat, so I hung them up in my office to remind my guys how things were done in the "bad old days"

Not to sound disrespectful to anyone, but isn't this an "Internet based forum"? Does having a computer in your shop or office make you less of a smith? How about using email to quickly send out quotes? I personally don't consider myself a blacksmith any more than I consider myself a coppersmith. I work with whatever medium the customer wants to purchase, and I use whatever techniques I can to create the desired finished product. On the other hand, I was taught to learn the trade before learning the tricks of it. There will always be someone who can do things either more traditionally, or quicker/cheaper. I had a customer tell me my price on window guards was too expensive- he bought some cheap big-box copies, and was broken into. The thieves went right between the bars. Hmmm....I work with metal because I love the craft, I'm willing to learn from anyone who can do something differently than I can, and I don't feel bad about it!

Ralphy- this is a pic of a little garden tool I made last weekend. Keep in mind, I am a weekend hack at best! there are some design flaws and weighting issues, but it was fun to try. Took less than an hour. I used 1/4" round, almost 2 complete 4' lengths. JW

I'm sure this will sound dumb, but what are "Frustrums" used for? The place I bought them from had a whole pallet sized box of them. I'll check back this weekend if I get the chance to go down there. they had bigger ones too, but the small end was about 2.5" and went to about 5" or so at the big end. I think they were going to be scrapped out, so hopefully I can get there in time! The spheres with the holes in them are the insides of ball valves. I got one from a 4" ball valve also, but it didn't made the pictures. I must have been cut out of the valve body, because it had a big saw mark right through it. I'm going to weld it up, and put the welded side towards the post, so the smooth side will be my work surface. JW

Todays Score- I was looking around at a used equipment place that just started into the scrap market. Picked up this stuff for $20.00. I'm going to make a forming stake from one of the cones, and a large cone mandrel from the other. There are also a few ball valve inserts and a few large steel balls from something. Just wanted to share- JW

Hi guys- I have a question: I am looking for an Anvil to use at work in the sheet metal shop. Would one of those 100# Russian anvils be ok for sheet metal forming? I hate the thought of someone beating up one of my good anvils, and it would basicly be one of the "shop tools". I know that sheet metal forming stakes are not hardened, and dent easily if not used correctly. Would I be better off to get a chunk of steel and some pipe to form on? Most of the work would be cold, but very light gauge metal. Any thoughts? JW-

Snow unfortunately! Didn't get a chance to get out this weekend-work got in the way both days. I do have a pair of tongs in the works, and a few other small tools. hopefully next weekend. I can't wait till there is daylight later than 5:30pm! Happy Hammering JW

Dave- I know that sometimes it is disapointing to lose work, but I think you walked away clean. When I find myself in the position where someone is trying to beat me up on price, I just start subtracting things. Get rid of the square head bolts. The master carpenter probably has a few extra 16 penny nails he could use. Next, offer to only make half the number of brackets, and he can either quote HIS customer a smaller project, or install something with incorrect supports. I doubt he was going to tell his customer "I got such a great price on the brackets, that I'm going to lower my price!" I do HVAC professionally, so I work on the lighter side of metal, as compared to most people on this site. A lot of times, I feel like telling someone- why don't you go out and spend 60k on tools, spend 20 years of you life learning to use them, go to countless hours of continuing education classes, and then call me and let me know if you can do the work cheaper! Most people don't realize what goes into custom making objects. They compare pricing to the big box stores, and since you probably don't have an army of people working for you earning .02 cents a week, it is difficult to compete on pricing. Good luck on the next one. A while ago, an old timer told me that 20% of your work eats up 80% of your profits. Basically he was saying sometimes, you make more by walking away.

Good Job on the tongs David. I have forged 5 pair now, and none of them look the way I wanted them to, But I don't feel bad when I reheat them and change their shape either! As long as they securely hold the hot steel, it doesn't really matter what they look like.

Just watch the head.I have a 2 pounder made in China, and the head flew off after about 6 or 7 swings. There wasn't a wedge holding into the handle, just a piece of smooth flat metal about an 1/8 thick, triangle shaped, but smooth on the sides. It also had an epoxy/thick paint covering the end of the handle at the head, so I didn't notice the handle slipping. Plus, it was a new hammer. After I re-handled it, I have had NO problems with it. I actually like the weight for lighter work. Of course, I'm just a weekend warrior, not a full time smith. If you are planning on using it full time, I guess only time will tell how it holds up. For ten bucks, it was probably worth a try. The jobsmart vice grips are ok to. they have held up pretty well, and I don't feel bad if I burn them up with a torch, or cover them with spatter. JW-

Thanks Phil- That is tomorrows project. I would do it now, but I'm afraid my neighors wouldn't enjoy the sounds of night time forging. Doc- That hard huh? Maybe I'll cancel the order. I wish now I knew someone close by with a power hammer. I could farm it out to someone, but then it wouldn't be any different from buying one off the shelf. JW-

Hey guys- I am in need of some answers. I made my first hammer head out of some 1.5" round I had laying around. I spark tested it, and it was similar to some old punches I had, so I figured it was a little better than Mild steel. the hardening process didn't turn out well. I quenched with oil, then brought up to straw for the temper. Still soft. A relative of mine is getting me some D-2 steel. Does anyone have experience HAND forging this kind of steel? He said he can send it out to be heat treated when I'm done with it for about 2 bucks. I'm probably going to make a 2 pound cross or diag. peen somewhat in the Hofi style. Any advice on forging D-2? JW-

I'll have to remember that next time my Zippo runs out!

WOW!- What was the thickness of the cutouts? I bet they were very pleased with the results. It's always nice when a customer says " OK, go ahead and make a new one..." JW

Hey guys- I had a similar story a few years ago. A customer wanted a quote on some window guards for the basement and first floor of an apartment building. (somewhat questionable neighborhood) After deciding on a style, the customer gave me the go ahead. there were 17 total. I ordered the steel, but before it even arrived, he called and cancelled the order. He felt that me putting the bars at 8" centers to allow for scrolls, I was wasting material. He found a cheaper version at the depot. He installed them himself. A few weeks later, he called and said that someone broke in and stole a bunch of things from the building. when I asked how they got in, they had broke the glass, and slipped between the bars. then they just walked out the front door. The bars were 12" centers, with no scrolls, and only one vertical twist in the center. I guess the moral would be "sometimes it doesn't pay to save money". Don't compete, offer your customer something better and show them why they need it!

Well, this is what I came up with. I realize the obvious design flaws now, but it does the job for right now. Once the bricks heated up, things heated much faster. I limit in length I can heat is about 12" in length. I still have some tweaking to do with the upper bricks, just trying to come up with a way to help contain the heat. It was a pretty fun project though,and the best part is I only have $21.00 invested (diesel fuel)!

I don't think that there is quite the same need for the town Blacksmith as there was, say, 150-200 years ago. Most of us buy a pre-hung door, have pre-made garage door tracks and components, etc. My wife probably would NOT cook out of something I made. That being said, I would consider myself able to do some basic blacksmith-type work. If someone came into any one of your shops, and asked you to build them a spear, and your first thought is; go get a knife, cut the handle off, and arc weld it to a pole, them you are probably not a blacksmith. If however, that same person came to you and said, "Can you weld this knife blade to this pole for me $$?" I think most of us would do it and not think it un-pure, or below us. I have never had formal training for any Metal working that I do, other than building ductwork. I have taken what I have learned from different people, asked a million questions, and met some really generous willing people. One of my customers was remarking on some of the garden tools I had made from RR spikes and her husband came in and said "you do metal work? Come look at this" He showed me the front bumper from a 1974 Jeep he was restoring. it had a few small dent in it, and he asked me to straighten it up. I said no problem, and took the money. Sure, I didn't need to forge a new one, but it was something that he was unable to do himself. To me, aspiring to be a blacksmith, is a lifelong goal, and if I can incorperate some other aspects of metal working into a project, so be it. I think the spirit of this thread has been hit on really well by everyone so far. No one has said the same thing, yet you are all Blacksmiths. Hmm... JW