Naz

Welcome aboard Darren ! I'm also from New-Brunswick (Campbellton) but live in Montreal now. You will love this site, a living source of info. Have fun ! Naz

Well I see there area few options here, thanks for all the input. If I do decide to go ahead and paint I will use a higher quality paint to put all chances on my side. I contacted my client and she is in no hurry until April-May so I should be able to have a few nice enough days between here and there to do the job. I'm glad you all took the time to answer as this is a question I have often asked myself. Thanks ! Naz

Thanks for taking the time to answer guys ! I'll ask my client if she can wait for warmer weather or I'll take them to a paint shop and pay to get them painted. Don't want to take the chance of messing everything up.

I HATE PAINT !!! That said, it is sometimes necessary to paint outside items. I have an order of 10 bird bath support stands that will need to be painted. Money is an issue so galvanizing or other expensive options are not what I'm looking for. Here's the problem : It is the middle of January and tempetures are -20 Celcius, my shop (garage) is not heated. Any suggestions ?

Well done, I always liked the mix of wood and iron. That one's a real treat ! I like the name also "Morning glory", fits that piece quite nicely !

That's very sad news, condolences to his family. A big loss here at IFI, I always loved his mix of knowledge and humour. Naz

I got one from Blacksmith supply, it is an ergonomic (Hoffi style) hammer stamped "BLU" (Big Blu). Mine is centered and well balanced, first time I swung it, it became my #1 hammer. I would definately contact the seller with a photo showing the off center eye and explain your un-comfort when working with it. Not sure but I think other companies are also selling copies of this style of hammer that may not be of equal quality, is there a stamp on yours ? Only bad side to mine is that it marks (dents) easily, other than that, I absolutely love working with it. Price was $110.00 plus shipping (Ouch !!!) but in the long run, it pays for itself by moving metal faster than the other hammers I had.

I totally agree also, thanks Brian for sharing your knowledge. Your generosity has helped me more than once. It's always a pleasure when you put up a new "how to" and I learn something every time. Please keep'em comming ! Naz

I found buffing when the ironwork has cooled but still has some heat left in it works well and helps for this problem. I buff as soon as I can hold the work comfortably with my bare hands. Naz

Very nice job on the cross, I'm a big fan of mixed metals. Yours turned out great !

Nice job on your first leaf ! My suggestion is you keep that one since it's your first one and offer to make other ones for those people that are interested. Sorry, can't help you with the price.

I haven't seen that catalog before, a lot of great ideas ! Thanks for posting that John !

Now that is different, very original.

]I agree, might be a nice tool to bring on the job site for last minute adjustements though. Asking price on ebay ---- $74.00 ----- Ouch !

Saw this on ebay and thaught it was a great idea ! I wasn't able to post the link so here's a picture.

Interesting and well done ! Thanks for posting that Bob.

Here's an earlier post about Diamondback propane forges :

Yeah, I guess I may have taken that in the wrong direction ! Sorry 'bout that Arean, my error. Thanks for stearing me back on track Thomas.

Who said anything about safety not being important ????? The first question was "I'm trying to find the best available (yet affordable) particle mask/ air unit for working in the shop... which includes occasional commissions in aluminum and stainless. (Nasty stuff!)". Do you have any suggestions ???

I also have a 20" evacuation fan (2 speed) positionned on the wall near my welding table, low speed is enough and if I need to weld or grind further in the shop I set it on high. (I still do wear a mask when grinding). My shop measures 16' x 12' so this seems to do quit well for me. I've seen a big difference before and after installing the fan. Naz

How about something you learned during Brian's class. Not a hammer head though ! Flowers always come to mind when thinking up a project for Mom. Did you learn horse heads with Brian, those are awsome. Turn them into a keychain. Jewelry rack, pendant for a necklace, ...

Very nice, I like that the heat colors are still showing and the finish you put on it. Wax ?

I used to have problems when finishing detailed ironwork with the traditional wax/boiled linseed oil/mineral spirits mix. When dry, I would sometimes have wax build up in the hard to reach places leaving a pale yellow deposit that I didn't care for. I found the answer by blowing compressed air in those unreachable places while the mix is still in the liquid state. This still leaves the area protected with a coat of treatment without having to reach in with a rag.(and you can control the air pressure, I don't go at it agressively just enough to get the extra wax out). This saves me a lot of frustration and time. Naz

I don't like to use japan dryer in my mix, I tried it twice and found that it got too sticky and messy trying to buff it afterwards. Thanks for the info about modern linseed oil already having a drier in it Phil, that may be the reason I was having problems.(or my ratio was too strong) Anyways I have beter results without it. Naz

That's just awsome ! I love the play house and the ironwork you added. I'm a big fan of "not square" (when it's meant to be that way). Great job ! Please keep posting if you add more ironwork ! Naz