DennisCA

More hewing, first log is done now Also the foundation is almost done, still left to apply more render to the outside, I was able to do the inside then I ran out of cement:

I use my belt sander a lot of the time, with a fine diamond belt, then I can usually strop that and I get hair shaving sharpness. I have two arkansas oilstones but only for maintaining an edge in good shape. I also have a big powered grindstone, think Tormek but the wheel is 50x10 centimeters in size, roughly 20 x 4 inches.

My cat thinks it's a bird

Thanks, the expert's name is Oskar (english spelling Oscar), also has an all black littermate that was also around to do the same kind of "helping" with the string. I did mean layers of blocks, they are LECA blocks or light expanded clay aggregate. I won't make the walls from these just the foundations to get the wooden walls up from the ground. Though with the cost of wood nowadays, ones wonders if it would not be as cheap to make the walls entirely from leca.

Working outside the shop, to build a shop. 2nd row almost done. Plan is three rows, maybe four. Had some help (!?) with putting up the strings, from an expert in strings Also did this earlier, finished my hewing axe and tried some hewing on a smaller log: That's how I'll make the roof beams for the shed/smithy/shop above

Thanks, one negative thing is that it has suffered some impact damge from the back. Originally these axes have a straight and long taper. Unlike an american (or any other place I know of) axe they don't allow for a wedge on top. It's like a morse taper, held in by friction and large surface area. But it also means you can knock the shaft out and swap it around, if you have a shaft that is bent outwards so it allows you to get into corners, but only from one side, so you'd need two axes, or an axe where the shaft can be flipped around. But this axe won't allow that with this damage since the eye is no longer symmetrical. But I will just fit a straight shaft, don't have a need for that kind of finish work.

Started restoration of my hewing axe. Derusted and cleaned it up a bit. Then I sharpened it, first on the sandstone grinder, then arkansas stones and finally a leather strop. Will shave hair now. One can see a color difference near the bit of the axe, it's a v-shape that goes into the axe. Think this is a clear sign it's a forgewelded bit with an iron body. And a makers mark appeared after de-rusting, it's a Billnäs. Weight is 2.3kg or 5 lbs.

This old hewing axe, finnish pattern: And this compressor block I am getting tomorrow, rebuilding my compressor with something heftier

This is for sale right next to me for a measly 5 euros. It's a billnäs 12.3 axe head and it looks in pretty rough condition, someone really hammered on that poll. I am wondering if it can be saved. Or remade for a new purpose? My ideas are if I could heat up the poll and reforge it into shape, perhaps so hot it forged welded the cracks back (possibly not a realistic notion). Alternatively cheat and use tig welding and fusion weld the cracks, then reforge it. At the least hammer it back into something like the original shape while leaving the cracks might be an improvement. My other idea is, I am in need of a hewing axe for some construction work, but they are quite expensive. My long term goal is to make my own axes, particularly of this style of eye, the finnish eye. So I was thinking if it would be a workable shortcut to fit this axe with a new and longer bit and make my own franken hewing axe (goosewing design, double bevel). Is any of this realistic or am I setting out for disappointment and ruining an old axe. I got this idea of collecting these run down old axe heads that pop up now and then which are too worn for use anymore and start repairing them, fitting new bits (they are all forge welded with mild steel bodies and carbon steel bits, perhaps not the very last models in the 1960s) and selling them on. BTW if you know Nils Ögren on youtube, he makes a lot of stuff I want to do.

Nice canopies, I wonder if I would be able to do something like that... Windows let a lot of heat in during summer... no AC

That stuff is definitely worth money

Sounds like a good candiate for a floor replacement in a conventional forge too if it solves the problem with flux that well.

I do believe it's recommended to encapsulate it with rigidizer, that is also sold alongside the insulation. We really don't have much choice here at any rate, it's the only store I know of that sells anything related for making forges, and it's in the next country over.

The local suppler here sells something called superwool, which is said to be much safer than kaowool, I was looking at that for my diesel forge build. Expensive, but I was told I can use a layer of superwool and ordinary rockwool behind that.

Interesting. I had read solid refractory forges could not achieve welding heat, though no reason given... But I was given to understand stuff like kaowool was to be preferred, with refractory for the floor only.

Drinking coffee outside, getting a visit

I prefer older 3phase transformers if possible. It's usually possible to repair them. I have a TIG that's thyristor based, it feels like it's halfway between a transformer and an inverter. Only does basic DC, but has lift and HF, built in 1994, like a tank. My mig welder is also transformer based, though it was made in 2011.

Yeah, here's another one. I can tell that all these homemade versions have not got the two adjustable features of the ABNO 25 kg hammer. I am unsure what purpose the rear adjustment does on the ABNO, the front adjustment seems to allow you to raise and lower the head. The read adjustment seems to move the rear connection in and out, it obviously has some effect, rigidity of the setup I guess, perhaps further out means more flex which is perhaps desired in some operations, and vice versa. Those two adjustable features really seem important for a versatile hammer though. And the clutch in the abno seems more advanced. I believe it's some kind of slip clutch, perhaps mating conical features. And the heavy flywheel helps too to regulate the slowdown and startup of the hammer movement. A power hammer is many years into my future, I might go with a press instead too, it's hard to say since it's all in the haze of the future... But if I could find a real ABNO 25kg at an affordable price, even in bad shape. I think I'd lunge at it.

I did a google image search of this site (that really works well) to help me find similar looking power hammer builds and I can see the concept I have in my head has been made by others several times. Looks like workable idea, though a solid post ought to be used for the anvil support.

Sorry for lifting this old thread, but I've really developed an affection for this powerhammer, the Abno no.1. That's all. ... No wait I too wonder about maybe manufacturing something like this, one day. I was thinking if you'd go about this on your own you'd likely weld the frame from square tubing mainly, and probably a solid round post for the anvil. How would a welded frame compared though to a cast iron one I wonder. Lighter for sure, but would it be as good at absorbing vibrations, would the frame be as stiff (I think it might, given proper design). The inside of the frame could perhaps be filled with sand, or lead if you got it in such amounts. It's a very interesting design but sadly there is not a lot of data on it on the internet. I wold like a better look at the drive system.

Brought my forge out of it's winter hibernation (I just left it outside all winter...) Reshaping the clay firepot, got soaking wet over winter so I just had to get rid of all the old crud and reshape it, a lot of ash has been worked into this "dough" as I've reshaped the firepot over and over again. I never really had a chance to test it once I fitted the latest change, which was a bigger air hole, now 1" diameter instead of the old 18mm. Set a wood fire and dried it out. Ready to be used with coke, of which I bought two more 22kg bags (95 eurous, ouch, but it seems to last a good while).

Not in the shop and not today, but I have debarked and cleaned up the logs, three of them will become the beams of my new shed / smithy. Two largest ones will be side beams and the smaller one the main top beam, as it will have the least weight on it, the side beams will take the majority fo the load. Chainsawing and hewing in the future. They are all around 5 meters long, the smaller ones I am not sure what I will do with, the short one hiding behind the biggest log I am wondering if it could be made into a stand for my post vise.

We applied the first coat in 2016 I think, then another in 2019, maybe next year we'll do another. But it's mostly only a few areas that get worn though, but we do it all. And we do it when it's warmest in the year so it dries as fast as possible.

Just for fun, I made a fire in our masonry heater and I filled an empty pickles tin with wood cutoffs (mostly pine) and hammered the lid back down so it would shut, but had gaps. Made a fire around it and let it burn. There where flames coming out of the top of the tin as it was burning. So I was capturing those woodgasses and using them to heat my house. I think I overcooked the tin however, the resulting charcoal (first I ever made btw) is very light, so I think I got rid of too many of the volatiles. Fun experiment either way, not getting a lot of charcoal this way, but the woodgas is definitely not being wasted. My fireplace has secondary air so it all combusts.

I've been doing my own research and the hookway design does look like the one for me. I like how it uses the pyrolisys gasses to keep itself going. The iwasaki design while simple and easy to build, and generating high quality charcoal, isn't gonna be viable due to the mode of operation releasing plenty fo white smoke (woodgas that the retort instead uses to sustain itself). My dad has got this oil burning air heater that's just rusting, been wondering if I could scavenge parts from it for an outer shell and more.