roy_tate

I'm only able to work in my little shop at most once a week, and my day job is desk work. I usually work for 2 to 4 hours before I start feeling unsteady in my aim. This depends on whether I use the 1.8, 2 or 4 pound hammer most. I am sort-of ambidextrous, so I switch hands every 30 minutes or so, but I still wear out. Whenever I start feeling the "wobbles", I straighten out the piece I'm working on and throw it on the dirt floor, or switch to the light hammer and carefully finish up. Recently, I had the chance to work as a striker with a more experienced smith, and the 16 pound sledge tired me out quickly! I would beat for a few minutes, and I was happy when the metal needed more heat. :)

I did this very thing today! A friend and I just straightened 2 chunks of 3/4 inch car spring (possibly 4140) by heating in a large gas forge, and unrolling it using heavy tongs to hold it in position, a pair of bending forks on a 4x4 inch post, and a piece of 1 inch or larger square tubing. The tubing acted as the lever to straighten, the tongs braced and helped pull. We did final straightening on the anvil, using the step area to work more extreme kinks out, and the top plate for final tweaking. We straightened two springs, and it seemed easier to heat 2 or 3 loops of the spring, straighten and let it cool, then straighten another section. When we tried heating the whole spring at once, it came uncoiled in a big mess, and was harder to handle.

Take it from me, don't try to hack saw a 3/4 inch car or truck coil spring unless you want to use one blade per cut. Even a small coal forge with a decent blower will get a section of the spring hot enough to cut with a hardie or a chisel (using the chisel took 3 or 4 heats for me).

Ocmulgee Blacksmith Guild Ocmulgee Blacksmith Guild Homepage Has a link to .. Basic Blacksmithing http://ftpforge.chez-alice.fr/Blacksmithing.pdf This is a PDF version of the book.

In a related topic, I have read a recommendation that I wear #2 or #3 shaded glasses when looking into a forge at full heat (fire welding temperature). I wear corrective lenses, and I was wondering ... do you order these from your local eye-glass maker, or do you special order them? By the way, I have read (and I believe) that sun glasses don't help, and actually HURT your eyes, as your eyes dilate. Common sun glasses protect against UVA and maybe UVB, but do not shield against infra-red light.

Every time I talk to someone new and welding comes up, I mention the danger of zinc or galvanized. If we would prepare (clean up) the surfaces before welding, we might spot this more often. Maybe hit the area with at least a wire brush until the bare metal is clearly visible? Another way to approach this is to assume that ALL metal that you weld is poisonous, and do your very best to be upwind, well ventilated, etc. in addition to cleaning up and examining the surfaces to be welded.

Welcome from Bartlesville, OK. I'm sure there are blacksmithing clubs up your way. I know it helps my smithing when I can see others working iron. And the Blueprints here are a very rich resource. Roy Tate

Thanks for the tips and opinions. I need to think about the heat-sink effect of the anvil more (although after I've worked for an hour or so, my anvil face is not exactly cold anymore). I have a piece of heavy bar stock that I will try using as a heater (get it up to black heat, not red and set it on the anvil). So whether I use the horn or the far edge of the anvil, keep it hot and step up to the anvil so as to avoid strain and preserve my energy. Noone really favored a "spring fuller", that's interesting. I have to be careful using the edge of my anvil, as it doesn't have the hardest face or the smoothest edge. A former owner used it under a cutting torch, and somehow cut off the heel right through the prichel hole! To those who mentioned welding on 3/8" reins, I intend to learn forge welding after I have more than this one pair of 3/4" flat jaw tongs. My future tool list includes an anvil helper based on a Blueprint here, several Hardies (one to make do, then a good one), etc. And later on, yes, a power hammer. My first pair of tongs are in my humble gallery. ApprenticeMan: I soak my metal a bit then crank for a minute or more to get a good heat. As I said, I am looking into hooking up a blower. I'm hoping to use Jim Caruthers' idea of a dryer blower, and see how that works. Roy Tate

I have a very limited set of tools now - a rough 140 lb anvil, cross-pein and ball-pein hammers, amd a 63 lb SCABA swage block. I am making some of my tongs now, and looking for ways to draw out reins faster (I know ... power hammers are great). What tool would you make or use to draw out reins? I recently bought an old 1/4" top fuller head, to which I could add a handle. So ... would you just use the horn of the anvil, try the anvil edge, make a bottom fuller (what size?), or make a spring fuller? I'm mostly interested in which would be the most effective tool for drawing 1/2 or 5/8 inch stock down to 3/8 or 1/4 inch. Lately, after working in a nicely equipped shop, I've started to suspect that my biggest problem is getting my fire hot enough. I'm going to hook up a blower (only 100 cfm) to my forge, to see if that helps. Regards, Roy P.S. "Buy 3/8 inch stock" is not an acceptable answer to this question. Then, I would have to ask how best to upset 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch!

Not yet, but there are 2 other SCABA members in the area. If he's on IFI, I will PM him. And thanks everyone for the warm welcome. :-) Roy

Hello to all. I am a beginning blacksmith, focusing on making my own tools now. I am a member of SCABA, and I made my first pair of tongs thanks to a forge loaned by a generous member. I'm not the smartest guy, since I made that pair from some available 5/8 inch 4140. They are usable, but not delicate. Just going through that process is adding to my list of tool that I need to make. So we add a spring fuller, rivet header, rivet set, and rivet backer to the list (and in the mean time, maybe a few 1/4 and 3/8 inch rivets from the hardware store). I am currently using a very chewed up 140 lb ?Badger? anvil without a prichel hole, and a hand-cranked rivet forge. I have been inspired by the blueprints, and I hope to contribute in the future. I have learned a few things already - how to properly hold a hammer, don't beat cold iron, and power hammers are addictive! Roy Tate