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bennyandthejets

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    North East Iowa
  • Interests
    Mechanical things, hunting, fishing, camping, family

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  1. Hey Frosty sorry for the delay in response. I have been in a state of confusion the last 8 months, lol? I thought if I lined the brake drum with refractory cement it would keep insulate and keep the heat projecting towards the part. Am I overthinking this? Every heat treat oven I have been around had refractory cement lining it also. Maybe it would not serve purpose unless I was making more of a box or knifemakers forge surrounding the part?
  2. Hey Frosty, I wanted to check in and give you a Sit-Rep on my forge and anvil pieces I am starting to acquire. As it sits I have been able to scrounge up an old chevy 2500 brake rotor for my forge, I bought a bucket of refractory cement from Menards (25 lbs), and 50 lbs of bituminous coal. I have a buddy that runs a weld shop so I am buying some steel for a frame to hold my brake rotor forge. I did spring for a 2 lb. Nordic Forge rounding hammer. I did this because I found out Nordic Forge is located about 50 miles from me in Iowa and I like to shop local. So I need to devise a blower next. Thus far I don't think I have $100.00 invested. I am doing my best to stay on the cheap! I will post some photos soon. Thanks for the support!
  3. That might be a good policy to inherit with the wife! My issue is that we moved to town a couple years ago. I am trying to keep my eyes open for an abandoned building sight that I could lease or purchase so my "material" stays out of plain sight! As of right now my brother lives on a farm not far away and allows me to come out and use his shop in exchange for labor in the fall and spring. It is not a bad situation, but I do need to find my own space.
  4. Roger that Frosty The Lucky. You guys have me sizing up scrap piles everytime I see one now. This could quickly get out of hand!!
  5. ThomasPowers, I guess I should not have used the term "actual". I understand I am an ignoramus and I have a lot to learn! I guess I was trying to convey that I am realizing I do not need a manufactured anvil with a name on the side of it to start learning. Anything can become an "actual" anvil if you use it for a back stop and apply force. I grew up in the 80's and I guess Saturday morning cartoons influenced me as to what the shape of an anvil was (thanks Warner Bros). I am sure my lack of knowledge will be annoying and painful and I ask that you please do exactly what you just did, and correct me with pictures and explanations. I have grown thick skin over the years with old toolmakers, machinists, and engineers. I am able to take criticism and I welcome it as long as it is relevant. I have attached a photo of my new "actual anvil". I may engrave "ACTUAL ANVIL" in the side of it, LOL!! This is a block we wire EDM'd a hardened A-2 punch out of. The block is not large but it is something to start with. Thanks Thomas and I hope to stay in touch with you. Maybe someday I will be able to afford a London Pattern anvil! Thanks, Benny
  6. Well the common thread in all of your answers is that an actual anvil is not necessary to start hammering steel! I can come up with some hard tool steel blocks to get started. Hardy hole tooling shouldn't be an issue, when I get to that point. I plan on steering more towards functional ag tools/parts with some personalization and maybe dabbling in blades. Who knows where this road will end up. Thanks Glenn. This helps in breaking the parts of the anvil into individual stations. I am nowhere near the skill level to need all of that yet.
  7. Roger that George. I do believe I am getting a little to hung up on building or buying an anvil based on my replies. I think I will start my Journey with a piece of hardened tool steel because it is what I have access to (some are pretty sizable). We do Wire EDM work and waterjet work and end up with some large pieces of "scrap". I need to learn the fundamentals before I start dropping huge coin on some frankenstein project. Thank you for reeling me in. My imagination runs a little wild sometimes.
  8. Thanks Caotropheus! You have some great homemade anvils there. I think I could get my hands on some similar materials. There is so much info to look at. I may scavenge some scrap yards and see what I can find. I will keep you posted. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me to have someone with real experience take time to help a new person out and share stories of failure and success.
  9. Im thinking option 2 or 3. Probably need to find some anvil prints and review how it could be broken into components and fastened, welded, and fit together.
  10. Hey guys. I just wanted to pick your brains about anvil steel. Any thoughts on a hardened A-2 or D-2 (50-53 Rc). I am a toolmaker by trade and could build a nice anvil from leftover materials. Just curious if anyone had tried before? We usually harden to 58-62 Rc but could draw back to make less brittle. Anvils are expensive so maybe I could build a nice one cheaper with my access to surface grinders and CNC Mills. Just not sure about material. Any input appreciated. I won't take offense if you think this is a bone-head idea, LOL!
  11. Frosty, An old toolmaker told me many years ago "a good craftsman doesn't blame his tools." Sounds a lot like your train of thought with grabbing a hammer and getting after it. I am going to see what materials I have available and try to make something like brake drum forge to get started. Thanks for the words of encouragement!
  12. Thank you Glenn! I will put the TPAAAT method to use and report back in to you! There is so much information on here I am kind of overwhelmed at the moment. We have an Amish community close by that sells supplies for farriers. I may make a trip out that way in the near future and do some interrogation!
  13. Thomas, I have a 6 year old and a 9 year old and several nieces and nephews. I understand protecting the yungins. Yeah I did google the term "smithy" after I wrote my entry and found out my context was a little off (that's not unusual for me though, LOL!) As far as machine tools - I am a programmer/supervisor/toolmaker in a small specialty machine shop that has wire edms, vertical cnc machining centers, waterjets, and surface grinders. Most smaller tooling is not an issue for me to build. We build details for molds and dies everyday. I would entertain the idea of trading work for tools. I lack pretty much everything for equipment. I have no anvil. I have no forge. I have no tongs. I have a few hammers. But I do have a persistent drive to learn. Thanks for the reply Thomas. Enjoy the grandkids and drop me a line if you think we can trade horses sometime. Thanks, Ben
  14. Thanks guys. Great feedback. Well I got in trouble for using a naughty word on my first day and the moderator took a whole point away from me (whatever that means, lol) Sorry for the vulgar language.
  15. Hello Everyone. I am new to I Forge Iron. As the title says I live in Iowa, the North East part to be more specific. I have been a machinist/toolmaker for 23 years and have a genuine interest in mechanical things and making things out of metal and wood. A former co-worker stoked my interest in Blacksmith work and I am finally getting to a spot in my life where I enjoy expressing myself through my craftsmanship. You guys have a xxxxxxxxx support community here and I would love to network with you to swap ideas with and learn from. Not sure how many smithy's we have in my neck of the woods but I would like to meet you and see some work/tooling and pick your brain a bit.
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