John B

You might be a machinist if it takes you longer than a smith takes to put a square tapered hole in a bar

You might be a machinist if you use a hacksaw to put a slit in to make a Celtic / Fredrickson cross, fork end, or animal head etc when it would be more appropriate / economical / and quicker to slit it with a hot chisel/cutter

This was an experimental piece for a house sign for a "Wren Cottage", it is approximately 8 " diameter, and the image for the pattern was from an old English Farthing coin about 5/8" diameter second pic. Material was 18swg copper.

It was a first attempt at a different technique, and part made at this stage, unfortunately I don't have a picture of the finished item

This was made on a flat plywood board, the outline and detail defined with a small lining chisel with rounded edge to prevent it cutting through the annealed material, but deep enough to leave an impression on the base side, (The easiest way of doing this is to stick a copy of the drawing/picture onto the face of the copper, and follow the lines of it with the lining chisel)

The next stage was to form a depression, the vague shape of the finished object in the material from the underside to give a relief for the body shape.

Using the board with various thicknesses of materials, in this case, squares of softish leather cut from a welders apron, and firm piled carpet tiles, stacked to provide the "give" necessary to allow the tools being used to form the detail required the finished piece can be formed. Patience is a necessity and little and often are key points to remember, just keep adjusting the supporting materials to suit, and work the material from both sides if necessary, a bit of thought may be required how to best achieve this.

If you scan in the picture required, you can flip the image to make a right and left versions, make the pieces, cut them out and solder/braze together to form a three dimensional object. The weathervane cockerell head is an excellent example of what can be achieved using this or similar methods, for suggestions on tool shapes run a net search

Great therapy ideal for making jewellery, wall hangings, scenes etc

I inherited this anvil a number of years ago and it is reputed to be over a couple of hundred years old (Have to get Matt89 to run a carbon dating check on it?)

I had thought of repairing it and started to dress around the missing piece on the table, but decided against it, and have found the area to be quite useful for straightening items over.

I don't use tools in the hardie hole as its very thin around that area.

Although it has seen better days it still does its job, doesn't complain or cost much to run, and has just come back from holiday as a loan to a budding smith who now has his own anvil.

What a tale this one could tell.

Try pushing (sinking) the dome deeper over a large ring rather than a resisting surface, it will work quicker, then push the face back to the profile and detail required after filling the void with whatever medium you favour.

Try sand and hold in place with a backing plate and duct tape if you dont like the idea of filling it with lead or repousse compound (pitch mixed with tallow +resin+plaster of paris or similar, or a Chattertons Compound)

You may be able to purchase a suitable repousse mix from a silversmith or jewellers suppliers, but it can be a messy operation.

Good luck with the project.

A good course this weekend showing how to make a variety of scroll ends, scarfing and forge welding them together to produce a branch welded scroll, making a scroll jig and producing a scroll with it.

Then on Monday, a birthday treat for a ten year old and his Dad, and what he made, a wine glass holder for his Mum, and a Toasting Fork

First time on an anvil, and with a bit of guidance, the only help on the fork was splitting and drawing the tines, but he formed them to shape, The boy done good! I think he's caught the blacksmith bug!

First picture is a Tapered Ribbon End scroll and a Split End scroll, NOT a Tapered Bevel scroll as stated on picture

The 3 scrolls welded together are a Tightly Rolled Parallel Ribbon End, a Tapered Ribbon End, and a Rounded Corner Fishtail
Scroll

Then a Bevel End, and a Leaf End (sometimes called a Blow Over Leaf end)

A Scrolling Jig and a Fishtail end scroll pulled on it to prove it.

Wine Glass Holder, and the Toasting Fork the lad made, then a close up of it.

To anneal your copper, heat it allover to bright red and quench in a tank of clean water, it can be left to air cool, but obviously this takes time.

You can work copper over pitch, lead, sandbags, stakes or carpet material, each have their own characteristics, and some smiths favour one technique over others, all have their place and uses.

Maybe, but we would make you welcome, and with a nice cup of tea.

July 18, 19, 20 Sandringham Craft Show, Norfolk, UK.

Open Blacksmithing competition, to make a doorhandle without a latch in 2 hours, demonstrations and ironwork on sale.

Reminds me of one my father had, he used to work in the steel industry making crucible steel during the second world war, and special steels for the cutlery / munitions industry.

He used to have a miniature folding penknife with nacre (mother of pearl) side plates.

When it was open, it would fit on a farthing (1/4 of one old english penny,which was approximately 1/2" diameter) inside the perimeter. It had a small steel loop on it and he used to keep it inside a wallet on a ladies hairgrip (bobby pin ?) through the loop so it wouldn't get lost, he also had a miniature pair of scissors about the same size.

Despite extensive searches after he died, unfortunately it/they were never found, still, great memories.

What hammer? (Don't answer that, I already know)

Good show with loads of interest from the public.
A lively competition with some good entries as you can see from the thumbnails, competition was to make a strap hinge in 90 minutes, supply their own materials

Lead hammer

Hi Frosty, don't want to put a downer on this, but I made one similar using 1/2" x 2" spring steel for blades/dies, the problem I found was they are just that bit short for making tenons etc, but ideal for cut off and veining, so I had to make another with a larger set of dies, I used 1" x 2" stock and found this much better.
Good idea on the 45 degrees though, allows more versatile access.
Thanks for your prolific postings, Always useful and informative as well as enjoyable.

wine bottle warmers

The trick is to shut off the air blast and leave the fire for a few minutes to allow the clinker to solidify into a solid lump, then lift it out with the rake or slice, this should not disrupt the fire too much, then bring hot embers back to fire pot hot spot and bring air back up.

It is far easier to hook out in a solid lump, and patience is its own reward in this situation, the last thing you want is clinker dispersed through the fire, not good.

Soak it and let heat penetrate and it should be uniform throughout.

Easier to do in a gas forge, fire control is essential in coke/coal/charcoal forge.

If you have an air blast from the side, because of the intense heat if you are using coke or firewelding a lot, you will need to put a water tank on to prevent the tue burning away.

The pictures show a portable set up that should illustrate what is needed

Stack plates and jig saw, plasma, oxy acetylene, chisel, or nibbler,

It helps to drill small holes at base of petals to cut into

Would that be similar to a ressurection? Or simply that just because its been in a cemetary, its life cycle is not yet over?

Plenty of metal gets ressurected from the scrap pile after it so called useful life, and goes on to be useful in other forms.

Just another wonder of a life cycle,

Don't scrap, recycle (sometimes its dang hard to pedal though)

July 12 and 13 at Westpoint near Exeter, Devon, UK, 1.5 miles from M5 services at Junction 30

Southwest Country Craft and Game show for all the family.

Open live blacksmith competition with

What size flypress are you talking about?

Is it a forging press as opposed to a flypress? (Speed of ram travel is the main difference)

Normally flypresses have a very rigid frame, and sit on a "table" or similar with access through the base to allow punched out blanks to be removed. Which means the main impact is taken around the base and not in one compact area as under a power hammers tup.

Deflection of base / bolster plate I have not found to be a problem, the torque imparted when using them is usually more of a problem, and they have to be secured firmly to stop them walking round in use.

As for a base, I have them securely mounted onto a table which is firmly bolted down and has a top made of 3" thick timber with a 1/4" steel plate on top between the press and timber preventing the flypress compacting the wood and allowing it to "bed in", it also helps to have large steel washers under the table top to secure press in situ with suitable nuts and bolts

The table also has holes through to allow blanks to drop out when punching out shapes.

The one I use mostly for forgework is mounted on a steel plate top,(again with a hole through) supported by structural channel sections at a convenient height, and then welded to a base plate which is firmly secured to the floor. The channel is directly under the press's base casting which leaves access to the blanked out parts.

Cut it up and it makes feet for a table,

I know someone out there viewing this has got one made like this, so come on, You know who you are, post a pic !

Staedy gents.

You all should know that the time to take up anything is when you are young and you know it all!

The longer you are doing anything, you realise the less you know about it.

That's experience, you can't teach it, just pass it on.

Still learning, be dead when I'm not.

I would think that you could use your existing rollers as they are. I assume they are powered?

Just feed in your bar and put a gentle, regular curve in, then turn the bar the other way and adjust the rolls to neutralise the curve and it should come out relatively straight.

I have done this in the bonding machine shown and it works succesfully, however if the bar is twisted, then it becomes a little more difficult.

Two or more passes may be needed

Hi Valentin, some suggestions.

Bonding machine, Jim Crow, flypress, or when you are texturing the bar straighten it as you go.

Bonding machines, are used to produce iron tyres for wooden wheels, (now known as ring rollers they can be purchased as a modern powered machine) they are a mini version of levelling rollers as used in steel mills for levelling/straightening bars as they come from the strip mills. Ideal for hollow sections as it is easily controlled pressure that should not collapse the tube as it may do if direct pressure is applied to a point.

Jim Crow (Don't know why they are called that, but no doubt someone on the site will) come in various sizes and were used for straightening bars up to railway line size. You could adapt this frame configuration and mount an eccentric roller on a lever where the screw is shown to reduce the time taken to apply the screw principle.

Fly press, one of the best versatile tools for the workshop, depending on how badly the bars are bent, two bits of curved top handrail section, one at each side, and another piece mounted on a top tool, should prevent the textured finishes getting marred. Just feed it through and press it level.

Finally, if you are texturing a bar, can't you just keep it straight as you are going along its length?