Goods

Another option is to check with a local HVAC contractor. They often change out home heating systems with good combustion air blowers for new systems. If you explain what you up to they may let you salvage one. Keep it fun, David

Finished this last night for a door prize at our hammer-in tomorrow: 4140 head with a hickory handle. Around 1-1/2pounds. Keep it fun, David

John, it there a max RPM shown on the paint stripper? My die grinder runs way faster than a drill, just don’t want you picking those spikes out of you hide. Keep it fun, David

Honestly, if you weld it all the way around, you could go pretty thin. The stress would be carried evenly across it. The big issue would be how easily it would dent. I would go over 1/8” thickness. Don’t over do it, the lighter it is the better. It will be similar to air craft construction, where the thin skin carries a significant portion of the load. Keep it fun, David

I don’t blame you. I have the advantage of having a power hammer! If I didn’t, I probably would have started with 1/2” square and upset the end for the finial. If you ever make it out my way, bring that stock along, stop by and we’ll break it down to a more usable size for you. Keep it fun, David

Stainless can be tough to forge. I’ve used it for items that I want to be dishwasher safe. I made my son a set of saibashi (18” long chopsticks for cooking) and some fancy steak flippers for family all of which I wanted to be easy just to throw into their dishwasher. The stainless needs to be forged pretty cleanly (no crevices to retain bacteria) then passivated in citric acid to remain rust free. 1”x8” is a lot of material! I used 3” of 1-1/16” round to make 15” long steak flippers with 1” ball finials on the end. Keep it fun, David

That’s the best part of blacksmithing for me. I’m not happy with the pokey end. The shape is right, but the weld opened up while I was drawing it out for length. Of course, the way my day went, I burnt it some… All the harder weld worked out fine, but this simple one eluded me. (Everything else turned out bad. Two leaves and a bottle opener for the scrap pile!) The handle feels good, but I should heat it up and close the basket a bit, it’s a little big. Keep it fun, David

I’m with you. I like the look of it, but it wasn’t what I was going for, next time… but I think I’m done, not that I want to be! Keep it fun, David

Challenge accepted? Demoing at a festival today and I tried the flat basket twist first: The basket turned out ok, next time should be better. Everything on the poker is rough. Just one of those days. This turned out better than everything else. My body just isn’t happy with me today… Keep it fun, David

That sounds like a challenge! I’ll see what I come up with… Keep it fun, David

I’m not sure if this would qualify as a flat twist. I left the handle portion at 1/2” octagon, the slit it with a thin cut-off disk and hacksaw two ways to make four sections to twist. The cuts weren’t perfect, so the four sections were all the same thickness. It made for really a really wonky basket and I fiddled with it till I was worried I’d destroy it. JLP, it about the same size ass the standard cheap spring handle chipping hammers, but it is heavier. Keep it fun, David

I have never gad any interest is shoeing horses… Today I finally finished the chipping hammer that I started a while ago: I’m not real happy with the basket twist or the very basic engraving. Overall, it turned out pretty good… and my nephew with be the only one at school with anything like it. The head is made from a large railroad clip, and the handle from a large conveyor drive shaft. (The first handle I made was out of mild steel with a neck similar to an east wing hammer. It didn’t turn out, which is good because it was pretty weak. There’s a long story with that failure…) Keep it fun, David

I really enjoyed this video myself! Will’s channel is kind of an off shoot from Alec Steel’s Channel, but so far I like his content a more. I just wish it was more forging than blade smithing. No offense intended to anyone, but while I’ve made blades, I’m much more into Blacksmithing. Keep it fun, David

John, call someone in the official about the carpet scraps. Sometimes contractors work very fast…

I’ve been having some issues with my power hammer starting up and was planning on purchasing a new contactor for it. I contacted James at AnyangUSA to make sure I was on the right path. Unexpectedly, after a short conversation and without question, he’s sending a new contactor my way. That level of service is not very common these days, and I cannot say how much I appreciate it! Keep it fun, David

What? No pictures? No really, it’s good to hear that you’re still at it. I personally haven’t been doing a much between the weather (and feeling under the weather…). Hardie tools are fun. Of course, I like forging large stock. Keep it fun, David

In my food safe coating I used carnauba wax, bees wax, and walnut oil. Walnut oil also polymerizes like Raw linseed oil, but a little slower and makes the paste wax softer. (Add a solvent if you want it thinner without a long cure time.) Carnauba wax is a hard finish that can be highly polished. I used the beeswax to make is a little “softer” but it won’t get the high polish finish, if that’s what you’re wanting. Keep it fun, David

Two key factors. 1st and already mentioned is location. 2nd is condition. I’m in south central Indiana and got my complete buffalo forge at a steel of $100. In my area you could possibly get $300~500 locally if it’s in good working order and the right people were aware of it. Keeping in mind that most blacksmith’s are frugal collectors! Keep it fun, David

Great work! Have you shown the hardware store owner? He would probably be very interested in this result. Store owners don’t often get to see the results of the sales. Keep it fun, David

As a bonus, with this method you can make a faceted “ball” and if you want it as a finial, just cut and file the excess off the in wanted side. (this was a from a 1” diameter swage, so not exactly mini…) Keep it fun, David

I’m glad that’s the case. I noticed the odd wording, but was erring on the side of caution. I would miss seeing you work if things went the wrong way!

Alexandr, is there going to be any ‘hot’ work done in the area with the spray foam exposed? In my area, spray foam must be enclosed (usually with gypsum board) to meet fire code. I’d hate for you to lose your shop to fire! I had the my shop walls spray foam insulated when I build it. It’s been great in the winter months, but I really need to get more ventilation for when it’s hot outside. Overall, I wouldn’t do it any different. Keep it fun, David

Mothman, properly heat treated spring steel will hold up really well as a chipping hammer. That’s why I chose the Rr clip, it’s basically a spring steel. If I had a large coil spring I would have used that. I annealed it as a step in grain refinement, but also so I could try engraving some lines on it. I really should have practiced engraving more before I did it on this piece though. Keep it fun, David

I got curious on this last night and went down the rabbit hole… I found Lee’s site and let’s just say that today I am suffering from sleep deprivation! Lots of good information there. Keep it fun, David

Frosty, here’s the video I was referring to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwCFm4uKjE He starts hafting the head at around 15:20 if you don’t want to watch the whole video. It’s worth watching though… Keep it fun, David