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I Forge Iron

Chris C

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Everything posted by Chris C

  1. That's a great idea. I'll write that down.
  2. I'm listening. Remember, I'm a total newbie. What (little) I know comes only from what I've read because I've no personal experience. I've only attended 3 of the Thursday night open forge events our group holds. What I have learned from those visits is I do not want the batten type insulation. I definitely want the soft bricks. I'd really like the K28 bricks if I can find/afford them. (I know the K26 will work, but I think "bigger is better", in this case) But I hope some day to perform forge welding and have read enough to know the flux used does damage. That's why I'm wanting to coat the bricks. Any comments are appreciated.
  3. Ouch! I bet Gram-paw felt bad. I know how I feel about my grand-kids..............I'd probably cry more than the injured!
  4. Verrrrry nice. I'm hoping, as my skills increase, to be able to make top tools some day. Other than knife making, that's my real interest in forging. I'd be tickled pink to be able to make an eye punch as nice as that one some day.
  5. I'm still in the planning stages on my forge. I've asked a lot of questions on different forums and have done searches until I'm blue in the face. (yes, I'd done the off-site site search here) I'm planning on using soft brick on my square forge. While I may not ever get to the point of doing forge welding of billets, I don't want to build a forge that's not capable of it. So I'm thinking of coating the soft brick with refractory material. Good plan....................or not?
  6. Well, Mikey, I'll defer to your experience. I just thought it made sense................but hey, I"m a newbie, what do I know!
  7. Chris C

    Universal tong clip

    Good idea. I've only one pair of tongs at this point, but I'll do that asap. Thanks.
  8. Chris C

    Universal tong clip

    Very interesting concept. I'm missing the ring finger of my left hand. I hammer right-handed, so have to hold tongs with my left. At the end of a couple of hours, my left hand starts cramping so bad my fingers try to touch my wrist. I've been thinking about some way of locking the tongs so I don't have to maintain the grip. I'll be interested to see how this works for you.
  9. Very interesting..............thanks for the link. Stick with Frosty.................he won't lead you astray. My questions was more about having both type burners installed in one forge at the same time and just connecting the propane via quick connectors as needed. Lots of newbie questions running around in my old head. Maybe one burner would be a ribbon and the other a forced air. I've been reading too much I guess. Seems a lot of experienced blacksmiths and knife makers have several forges in their shops for different purposes. I'm just wondering if one forge could house more than one burner to keep from having several different forges.
  10. I'm a newbie. Been reading everything I can find about forges. Seems to me that a ribbon burner is great for some things and not others and that the venturi burner is in the same boat, so to speak. Would it make any sense to install both in the same forge and just hook the propane up to the one most needed at the time? I've not seen any forges set up that way, so it's probably a crazy idea, but I just had to ask. I have done searches but only get hits on one burner or the other.
  11. You have received a gift from the gods. You will love owning such a piece of equipment. I could use one almost any day of the week and mourn the closing of my machine shop 22 years ago. So many things you can do with that piece of equipment. Once you learn how to use it, you will wonder how you ever managed to do the things you do without it. Congratulations.
  12. I've heard of so many people talk of just such a "blow" in their life..............that actually turned into the "best thing that ever happened because had it not been for................." My Dad was the best example I know of. Long story, but he was let go from BF Goodrich because of a company "turn down". Went from a measly monthly paycheck to starting his own business and eventually becoming a multi-millionaire. It took 25 years of hard work, but "had it not been". Here's hoping it's that good for your wife, JHCC.
  13. That hammer head turned out looking pretty darned good. Needed to get on home, or I'd have personally felt your pain for hitting Korney's anvil with that sledge hammer. For the life of me, I can't hit the head of a chisel (or anything else for that matter) with a sledge hammer. Heck, I can't even hit flys with a flyswatter! I've broken more handles than I can remember while splitting wood over the years. Finally had to purchase a gas powered log splitter. Since I will be working alone at home when I start making hammer heads, I'll have to use a press. I'm sure not going to try and sink drifts and eye hole hammers by myself. I'd end up in the horse-pital for sure!!!!! I've plenty of material for punches, and other small hand tools, but would be interested in a length of that larger "mystery steel" you mentioned. Next time you feel like gettin' off the couch and coming to Korney's, I'd appreciate it if you'd try and remember to bring it.
  14. It's a strange group. Got there at 7 one evening and the place looked like everyone was worn out from being there so long. Got there at 6 the next week and the place was hoppin'. Got there at 5 last week and not a forge was burnin' nor anvil bein' rung................and there were only 3 of us working hot metal. Just never know. Korney says sometimes folks start gettin' there at 4 and sometimes they don't quit pounding steel to late at night. Ya jus never know!
  15. I was "surfing" YouTube videos last night and came across one where a fellow was cleaning and restoring an old anvil. He used a mixture of Bees Wax, Boiled Linseed Oil and Turpentine in equal parts to coat the anvil after all of his paint stripping, etc. (I think that was the recepe, but it was late and I didn't write it down) Is anyone familiar with this? I'm wondering if it would be a good protection for all metal in my shop. I wiped all my hammer heads down with Boiled Linseed Oil after I cleaned them up and dressed them.
  16. DHarris and Bill, I look forward to meeting you both. Not often do I actually get to meet people I talk with on forums. Last Thursday there were only 3 of us who were at the equipment. Think there were 5 or 6 "old-timers", but they were mostly sittin'-n-chewin' the fat. Tex, the oldest in the group (I think) was busy makin' horseshoe hearts. The week before he was makin' dinner bells. Interesting old fellow.............hardly ever smiles. (but you can always see a smile in his eyes) First night I attended, there were 6 or 7 people at the equipment. The traffic from the forges to anvils and several power hammers, presses and 2x72 belt grinders was like watching a busy bee hive. Boggled a newcomer's mind, to say the least.
  17. pnut..................I intend to keep going to the open forge night....................I'm just not going to forget that even though the metal has been sitting on the floor for 20 minutes and is black, that it's still hotter'n a asphalt road in the middle of the Summer in Oklahoma. DHarris, Yup, I'm talkin' about Korney. That "monster" in the North end of his shop is the biggest power hammer I've ever seen in person. I asked someone if it's used and they said he's afraid to fire it up for fear he'll crack the concrete floor. They say he's going to do something about reinforcing the floor before he uses it. Can't imagine why anyone would need a power hammer that's what, 15' tall and sits on at least a 10' round base!?!?!?!?!?! Sure did catch my eye the first time I walked into his shop.
  18. I understand if you close that forge off completely, the burner won't "breathe" right. You'd be check with someone who has that particular forge................I was just puttin' in my two cents worth.
  19. Don't know if this'll be much help to you, James, but there is a forge at the open forge night I attend that has a side door like the Pro Forge, as well as 5"x7" openings on the ends. Everyone leaves the door closed and uses the open ends to do knife and tool making work. One loses a LOT of heat when that side door is opened. Looks mighty convenient, but proves to be might wasteful of heat.
  20. Well, I thought I was a quick study, but learned I wasn't that quick a learner last Thursday night. Got laughed at a lot. That's okay, I won't be doing that again.
  21. I got it. Just tryin' to be humorous. Guess I'm not too funny late at night. No challenge to your pun...............sorry.
  22. Television commercials, Frosty, tele-commercials.
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