Kendrick

I bought this as part of a lot of blacksmithing tools at an auction a while back. I bolted it to the bench and have used it once or twice for bending but have no idea what it really is.

At whatever point I can get the one I am dreaming of resurecting I plan on learning to spin hemisperes. I have a few home-build tool projects it would help with. I wonder if I could do the cable twist on my chandoliers with it? Hmmm.... Kendrick

I've gotten discouraged because I couldn't do what I wanted to do. Some projects are just hanging in the ether until I learn more. Some I've let go for now. Most often when I don't forge for a while it's because I don't know what to make next. I usually only make something I have a purpose for be it to use or as a gift. When I started I kept making the few things I could to practice and ended up burried in trinkets and scrap. What fires me is the satisfaction of having created something when I'm done. Kendrick

If you do, let us know so we can arm ourselves and then RUN! Kendrick

Thanks guys! That pretty well gives me exactly what I was looking for. Now I can start scheming in ernest. Kendrick

I tried to search but was a bit overwhelmed by the search results. I am now looking at building a coal forge instead of using only gas. Trying to pin down the logistics of it all I'm trying to think of all the details. I've found suppliers close but am wondering about transporting in the minivan. I know what space 100 lbs of other materials takes but was wondering about coal. (100 lbs of feathers vs. 100 lbs of lead ya know.) How does coal compare to say the bags of corn and such I've moved in the past? Thanks, Kendrick

It was a good time. Thanks for having us Stan. Now I'm in the planning stages to build a coal forge! Kendrick P.S. Thanks for posting the video. Showed it to the wife so she could see what we were up to.

Finnr: Did you have any trouble witht he original blades? I saw a couple of mentions that the originals were junk and to be prepared to instantly replace them. I'm interested in your experience with it. trying-it: I'll throw you an email. I'll have to get together with Dad and try to arrange getting it out now. Hopefully he remembers what boxes were parts to it and which ones went to the truck and tractors he has back there!

I have two tools I am looking at acquiring. First off- I would like to get a Beverly shear. I don't think I can afford a Beverly shear unless I can find an amazing deal on Ebay (or wherever). I've been looking at the various knock-offs on the web and wondering if they are even worth the trouble. I've seen reviews both ways but have never talked to anyone who had one to get a first hand impression. Has anyone on here worked with one? Secondly, my Dad has an OLD lathe out on the farm. It's got the plate welded on top with a motor mounted on it like it had run from a steam shaft or the like. Currently it's disassembled with most of the pieces stored in a ratty lean-to with a couple of the larger parts outside. It

On the rialroad spikes, with a couple of phone calls and some leg work it may be possible to get RR junk legally with permission. When I wanted ties I called the local yard offices and got a letter from the local super. He put on it what I was allowed to have. And it was free! Our local steel supplier is reasonable. For example, a 20' 1/4" round stock is only about $3.50 and 20' - 5/16" was about $7.50. (+/- for current prices) They will cut to whatever length I need for no extra charge. (You also get it a little cheaper paying cash most of the time too.) I don't know about where you are, but down here there are a lot of guys that scrap stuff as a sideline for extra cash. The one down the road from us lets me root through his stash for nothing as long as I bring him back the scrap I generate in return. Happy hunting!

I love the iron idea! We even have one we used to strip wallpaper that would be perfect. Now I just need to get around to putting heat tape around my quench barrel and I can work in the winter.

I see your method referenced a lot but never a good explanation of what it is. I looked for a blueprint and came up blank. If it's in a thread I am overlooking can you please point me in the right direction? Thanks, -K

I live in southern Illinois and have had trouble finding affordable anvils also. I found a 50 lb one that was really chewed up for $45 at a flea market. I bought it and had a machinist at work mill it down past the gouges. Lost 2 lbs and it's real soft but it's the best I've been able to find. Every sale I've went to that has had anvils they have started in the multiple hundreds of dollars and went up fast from there. Kendrick

When I first started smithing I worked almost entirely with scrap. My first big haul was a few of the tensioning rods that run diagonally in steel buildings. I loved working that stuff because it was extremely tough and never cracked or got brittle. Does anyone on here by chance know what steel that is so I can try to find some more? Thanks, Kendrick

I wish you'd told me that before I had them all cut out! Frosty, I played with the gas air mixture and managed to get rid of about 75% of my scale problem. Thanks. I think the cracking is an issue with the steel. I hope it doesn't break being used as stakes. Even at orange some pieces were still cracking. I have done 50 of these stakes now. I think I got it down by the last 5 or 6.

A book I have, I think that "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Weygers is the one, describes a method of case hardening where a part was wrapped in a ball of either ground animal hooves or graphite surrounded by I think plaster and tossed in a boiler fire overnight and then allowed to cool. I have wanted to try something like this but the several hour burn time has been a deterrent. I've also read elsewhere that using this "Super-quench" will make mild quite a bit harder. I bet the recipe for it is around somewhere. also, I found this on here: http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f21/cherry-red-case-hardening-compound-7442/ Kendrick

Mick, I so feel your pain on #1 and #5. The more I learn about smithing the less I feel I have been a blacksmith and the more I feel like a guy who has been playing with a forge and hammer. I always hear people talk about hammer control. I do need to develop that but I think the tong control is much farther out of my reach. Far too many times I get a piece out and fumble around and go to hit it to realize it's not red anymore. Kendrick

Too long in the forge might be part of the scale problem. I'm guessing multiple heats probably doesn't help either. ? As far as bending at red that's what I thought too but this stock had some cracking at orange. I'm glad to hear that the batch of metal might be problematic. I've had a lot more trouble with what I've bought here lately than I used to and thought it had to be something I was doing.

Let me start by saying that I have learned more since joining this site than I had the rest of the time I have been at the forge. Thank you all! Now for the problems. I told a friend that I would do 40 tent stakes for him. (Oops) In the process I was having trouble with the square stock cracking when I bent the hook. (3/8 hot rolled) I have had occasional cracking problems before but never a lot or regularly. A machinist where I work said it was too cold and I was bending it too fast. So I got it bright orange before bending and bent it very slowly, which did cure the problem. But I haven't normally had to be that careful. Was it more a temp or speed issue? Also, I have a propane forge with a grill regulator and forced air. I produce a ton of scale that normally brushes off ok. Sometimes, however, I get spots that almost look like water drops on the steel even where I didn

I bought a cheap Tool Shop Porta-Band and built a stand for it to make it a benchtop vertical. Other than being loud for a bandsaw and having to clean it out regularly, I like it and use it regularly on wood and plastic. My experience with abrasive saws has been that they are more expensive to feed also. The one I used at my old job went through a lot of blades. Kendrick

Seeing some of the problems others have had makes me grateful for the low key neighborhood I live in. We live in the middle of town and I have my forge with no complaints. Of course we have everything from a hobby auto-body shop to midget drag cars on my street! And a guy that does scrap metals which is handy. I'm glad things have settled down. Kendrick

While I am loving the trebuchet idea, for some reason my wife's not sharing the enthusiasm. I'll have to set a few back for weights if I need them but I think I may look into this trading them for beer idea... Thanks all!

The cast thread going on currently got me wondering. After replacing several windows in our house I have accumulated quite a pile of the cast window weights. As a natural packrat I am loath to toss anything, but I'm trying to clean the place up. Is there any practical use for these, or even an inventive one? Or should I just toss them in the scrap barrel? Thanks, Kendrick

Thanks guys. I had tried cooling with a ladle but that wasn't going well. The squirt bottle sounds brilliant. I'll try a smaller hammer too. I was going the other way when it wasn't working. Oops. Thanks again! Kendrick