DennisG

not to hi-jack this thread but.... where is a good place to look for wrought iron. is there a year cutoff on wagon wheels, what places or dated "things" to look at. since I live way up here in northern Alberta I may be limited to what we have that I can salvage. ideas? btw, Winterbear, your first pic is VERY small.....lol

I'd like to start by saying thanks to Brian B., Karen B., and all the people who took pics during their road trip. Based on the pics, I have kinda made my first "all by myself" hammer. The design is loosely based on Brians design with assistance from an article by Jeffery Funk. I have made a hammer in a course about 5 or 6 yrs ago, still a fav of mine. At the end of sat. I made the leaf, 3 1/2" long, while I waited for the hammer to cool. Sunday is when I cleaned, polished, and hardened the hammer. It is 3lb 1-1/4oz with the handle. BTW, pic 1 is supposed to be pic 4...seems laoding is being finicky today DennisG

very sweet twists!

Toreus, do you have a pic of one of these hammers?

Hey Folks, thanks for the replies. I do like/enjoy/cherish the time me and my daughter spend blacksmithing. Since she is big into art she seems more open to learning and doing. When I started to learn to blacksmith it was just over 7 yrs ago and shortly after I started bringing both my daughters with me so my youngest would have been 11. She came with me to guild meetings and was the person who gophered and turned the blowers for the different members. I think that an age to start them learning is really dependent on their curiosity level and that may eb and flow over time. BTW, we wont be working on her hammer this weekend so you will have to wait until next weekend to see what we do. DennisG

Mat I used 4130ht (a little about my anvil here ) which I got from a forklift fork. Might I suggest you look at heavy equipment repair shops. They may even cut you a piece to length if you explain what you will be doing with it. PS. Seems the pics don't show easily, but if you look thru the ones I have you will see my anvil pics. DennisG

Beaumont??? dang man, you gonna git citified soon. have you had a chance to pound steel yet? Oh yeah, I am in Edmonton. BTW, check the calender for meeting days.

nice! machined tracking?

Being a dad and teaching my daughter blacksmithing I wanted her to have her own hammer, one we made for her. We started with a block of 4140H about 1 1/2lb. She picked out a handle that felt right in her hand and she even preped it. We were doing well since I had not made a hammer in years and am still trying to learn how to do it. This was a 2 weekend project and as you can see in the later pics I was making it a right handed one. I now know that one mans minute, is a hammers 10. The last pic shows the finished paper weight. Next weekend we start over and pay more attention.

Well here is a couple of my vise's. A 55lb leg vise and a 100lb table top vise, work was throwing a few away so I grabbed a couple.

I have one of those, but I also got it with the optional beam stretcher,keep them beside my sky hook. :rolleyes:

This rose was made as a one piece from an RR spike. It was a fun thing to make even when I messed up a bit doing the petals. I brought it to a guild meeting and they all liked it and want to try it sadly I can't let them. I seem to have lost the paper I had for doing it, can't find the file on my computer to make a copy, and don't seem to have a bookmark for it. Has anyone every come across this type of rose design before? If you have seen this before please pass on the file, url link, or whatever you have. Thanks.

Thanks guys, now to see what my brother will make.

Well MM, after reading the extended write up of the situation and the advice given so far, I vote for taking on a retired or semi retired metal worker. The other option is a retired semi retired office person. Good luck with this and let us know what happens.

Seems that ppl are looking but maybe don't know what I am referring to so here is an example of what I have found but am looking for more ideas on.

My two cents...... Being the "worker" in the shop for most of my working age, I would have to say that you are expecting alot for nothing. That being said I will explain what I mean. As an experienced employee going into a new shop you are expected to know thing and depending on yrs in an industry will depend on the amount of knowledge. What also is a factor is what you have learned in your yrs in a trade. Since I am a welder/fitter by trade I will speak of that. I was taught to weld AND fit in the welding trade. I am currently just a welder as the company has just fitters. When I started I had a basic knowledge of welding and building things. The learning curve is great and I was taught how to do things as per that shop and by those vastly more knowledgeable then myself. My first shop was a small fab shop, we did lots of one ofs or small order things. I moved and ended up in a vessel making shop (oil field / refinery) there I learned more on welding and fitting but it was on a very much larger scale then I originally started at. Over my years of working as a welder, 23 and counting, I have learned alot, and forgot alot, but through it all still keep learning. At each shop I have worked I have done my job as I know best to do it and this is where you seem to run into a problem. I have learned to do something a certain way, it may be the wrong way to you but it is not to me. I of course have learned to do some things easier or different in my years. When I pass on knowledge of doing something it is always with the line " this is how I do it, someone else may have a different way of doing it, learn it and adjust to what works for you". I have had apprentices show me new ways to do things. I found it best to be left with a project to do, checked on from time to time, questioned as to steps and whys, then when it is all done, educated on how something could have been done faster or easier. As time goes by harder projects were left in my hands, and the boss was always open to questions on a "how do I.....". I never stayed at a place very long if the boss always started in with "you are doing it all wrong!" or "@#%$! IT'S NOT ROCKET CARPENTRY!!!!". Patience and understanding pay off. If you want someone to do what you do how you do it then spend money on getting a clone made (thats a funny not serious). If you want a fully experienced person to do the work then you will have to pay for it and also step back and let them do the job they know how to do, but then you can also watch and learn and or CONSTRUCTIVELY critique. The other and best option is to get an apprentice who has better then basic knowledge ( a thinker is good), who understands that the pay curve goes with the knowledge curve and watch and teach them. The upside to this option is that they will learn to do things your way, you will see their progress, and yes at first it will be slower but in time that will change. If you have a local trade school or vocational high school in your area, take a coffee break and go visit their welding department. Talk with the instructors and find out which student they think is good candidate to work in your shop. Instructors can get a good feel for the students and this would work to your advantage as a pre screening of a possible future employee. I think it is best to remember that everyone does things differently. Yes, you have the capital invested, and it is your name out there, but there is only one of you, now you just need to find another who is similar to you or has the drive like you do. As the saying goes " you gotta kiss alot of frogs to find your prince" hope this helps.

I put my name in to do testing up here in Canada, send me a 24 pac, 1 baby bubba, 1 keg. When I have finished testing I will pass on my findings to the IFI members.

I have been looking at the forums for awhile and every time I see a topic about forge hoods and designs I get interested. What I see is the usual messages about the side drafts, or the pipe, with standard pics. Yes these are good for shops and such, but what I am looking for is the actual plans or drawings for a hood that I can put on and take off my forge whist outside and or at demos. Any ideas, drawings, links, files, whatever you have or know where I can get them would be great. Thanks.

I like it! Then again I made my own also so I am partial to home made from scrap. I would also say have an opening at the back side for longer pieces. My forge has a raised lip all around except for 12" on the front and back except for the back I made a "gate" that I can remove should the need arise. Seeing your fuel trough on the side like that gives me an idea of making one I can add to the side of my forge also. Great work.

LOL...I was talking about the bottle being empty, not that it was a bottle. Never show an empty bottle, only full. If an empty MUST be used, stand up several side by side along to show scale ( also shows you did alot of hard work and toasting to your success )

the info on this thread might be helpful. I posted what I use on it and if applied at a good heat the piece has that "Blacksmith finish"as my wife calls it.

I can't believe you posted THAT pic! What were you thinking showing something like that? I am talking about the empty beer bottle, the sword looks good for a first try.

*** Also posted at *** My two cents...... I use a paste I learned about I believe here. It is 1 prt bees wax, 1/2 prt linseed oil, and 1 prt varsol. Apply to a warm piece and wipe excess off. Gives a nice old black "blacksmithed" look. Here is where I learned about it...... http://www.youtube.c...u/6/bcndMLZV7hs

My two cents...... I use a paste I learned about I believe here. It is 1 prt bees wax, 1/2 prt linseed oil, and 1 prt varsol. Apply to a warm piece and wipe excess off. Gives a nice old black "blacksmithed" look. Here is where I learned about it...... http://www.youtube.com/user/purgatoryironworks#p/u/6/bcndMLZV7hs

I have several holding pins for down hole drilling tools, they are chrome plated. I heat them up to almost yellow then let the cool, so far so good. I guess you could also grind the chroming off, in a well vented place.