Spears

Hello Dave, I own a Millermatic 250 mig welder and at one time had an Aluminum spool gun for it. Aluminum can be welded decently with Miller spool guns but Tig is going to give you that amperage control to get the better welds on thinner material. I had trouble with “cold starts” making my welds look ugly and I would avoid Aluminum welding jobs because I found the looks of my welds with the spool gun weren’t satisfying. With the price of these economy TIG welders such as the Miller Diversion 165 (which I now own) not much different than the spool guns, I would definitely go with TIG. Running straight Argon gas, one can switch from Stainless to Carbon steel and back to Aluminum just flipping a switch and grinding a new tip on the tungsten so you gain that versatility. The less expensive TIG machines won’t have water cooled torches and will have duty cycles, but those issues aren’t bad to deal with on the home front, just in continuous production environments. Good luck. Spears.

True story. In 1995, I needed some wooden posts for a landscape project so I called the railroad. Those big square tar soaked railroad ties make great property posts and they don't hardly rot out in one's lifetime. The gentleman from the railroad told me they used to let people come and have them for free. The railroad didn't want to dispose of used one's or new unwanted extras and thought they were doing the public a favor by offering a "come and get them if you want them". Turns out some guy hurts his back one day while gathering the freebie and then turns around and undertakes suing the railroad for his injury. I sincerely apologized to the man for the stupidity someone brought against his railroad. We now live in upside down world where when you throw a starving man a cracker, he bitches and complains that it isn't a Ritz! Maybe with the shrinking economy and with the way everyone's going broke, someone will invent an asphalt policy, it's your xxx if it's your fault.

Do you do the long mouth slit with some form of band saw? I now have a hot chisel for doing small animal ears and teeth but I haven't had a chance to try any long cuts like those ears and mouth. I would like to someday see a demo of how to do those long ears if they're chisel cut. I went to Dan Boone's pasture party just a couple of weeks ago and I think your dragons look just as nice. Thanks for the pictures. Spears.

Kind of a general purpose machine. That helps a little. I'm a spare time/part time metal artist and I purchased my plans from David Robertson at Artistblacksmith.com. I did that to educate myself about the sizes and weights of a power hammer that he uses himself for artwork. It is a Kinyon style hammer of light to medium duty and you can alter the plans accordingly if you choose a heavier anvil (which I did). You will need an air compressor of substantial size. I posted the report of my build with 60+ pictures on the Metal Artist Forum. (Only because we already have kinyon build reports here on Iforgeiron) I would also encourage people to look at the hammer build reports in the archives here because more ideas are better. I post nearly all of my widget prototype tooling here that I use with the hammer for contribution because I'm not in the financial shape to donate funds directly. At least not yet. Good luck with your hammer build and when you do get it going on maybe you can throw us in some pictures. Regards, Spears.

Hello Workshoprat, Arftist answered those questions perfect and right to the point and you really can't get any cleaner than that. What might help in your pursuit of what you might be trying to do is inform the people of the forum of what your purpose is. Like if you've been making blades by hand hammering and your looking for something that can smash 3" thick stacks of metal. Or maybe you just want to make small leaf key chains and your wondering how little of a machine you can get away with. Read through the archives on this forum and read through the advertisements of commercial power hammers such as Big Blu and Anyang and eventually you will find exactly what will suit you. Good luck in your pursuits. Spears.

Thanks gentleman. Ideas with spotty potential do have limitations when compared to the initial investment. Art is something I do get “some time” to play around with and is a “cost” in the budget, not a benefit. Three dimensional parts that mimic nature are not easy to make and this particular project was more of an upper ended challenge. Take some ideas from it and if you can bring back some money with it by all means do so. A small list of ideas could include: Clutch and brake handles on a custom chopper that look like snake tails. A dagger with a scale pattern in the Damascus blade having finger guards looking like snake rattles. A scale pattern on a fireplace set with each handle having a snake rattle. Key chains, bottle openers, drawer pulls, keg tap handles, etc etc. Those folks who drink cheap keg beer definitely need a snake tail tap handle because what comes from a snake’s tail probably tastes the same as some of that stuff. Have fun with it if you try some of my ideas be assertive and ask questions. This forum is a blessing because the cost of training for this kind of work can be defined as how I said it before “upper ended”. Regards, Spears.

Heh, heh, heh, LOL. Take something away from me?? Your vanity impresses me so much it makes me feel like I didn’t give you enough. So here is a little more. Coinciding with all my ideas on how to make a detail I’ve never seen in any publications, I constructed two small tools with screw holes on the backside that would first be mounted as they say “clapper style”. Upon trying these versatile dedicated tools vice mounted “clapper” fashion (work piece in one hand, hammer in the other), it was determined that they didn’t work worth a spit. Having constructed the tools in a very common mountable bolt on fashion, I proceeded with the process in my first post. Linear contact, heavier hammer, more rigidity in the setup…yep! Worked a lot better! Might have worked with a linear ram treadle hammer but I don’t have one of those. I didn’t mean to come across as such the macro minded auto-magic modern day flip a switch and make a hundred kind of guy. I’m just using whatever I have available to promote ideas for forging so people who do need to bring back some resources from their craft can advance by observing my tooling for free. Pictured is the same dies mounted in the clapper setup. Showing and explaining all this makes for a lengthy report (kind of why I skipped it). There is no right or wrong here. The route I took in making the said detail just wasn’t going to work the first way it was constructed (hand operated). So today you’re on the bonus plan! Lets call it wrong so we can learn some more. By the way, have you ever learned anything by doing it right?? Man if you have read all of this down to here, you’ve got to know I’m full of it. LOL.

Quite some time ago, it came into my head to make a rattlesnake and I spent some time thinking about how I would do the tail. Recently, the thought came back and wouldn’t leave. So this is the recipe I used. The following documents an attempt to make a rattlesnake tail using tooling that can be used repeatedly to create realistic figurative fine art. I used a Bridgeport milling machine to make the dies as perfect as I could because I didn’t know whether or not the idea would work. I don’t like to post artwork made using industrial machinery because of my dislike in knowing not everyone (including myself) has complete access to it. However, such tooling could be made by hand to produce nearly the same results so I’m choosing to show this. Two sets of tools were constructed from H13 tool steel because that is what I have on hand. It was thought up that I would need to crimp the edges of the work piece before hitting the final die so the edge crimp die was discovered needless but can still be used to taper the last lobe on the end of the tail to make it more correct to the anatomy of the snake. So it wasn’t a total waste. The final die shown with its dimensions (first picture) before heat treat was left sharp and can literally complete the project with a minimum amount of filing or bench finish. The incremental step amount of .180” and full diameter spread between the lobes was just a “guess” but does present a “look” like what the tail actually is. The learning curve wasn’t bad but having to step over to make a long row of lobes did present problems with sticking and double strikes so I killed quite a few of them. I have no anti-seize compound and that might not have even helped with the double hits. What really helped was adjusting my hammer for single stroke med-heavy blows. Lighter taps that are used in smoothing did not work with these dies. Even with these tools aligned and bolted solid in the machine I could still get misalignment markings. A better tool could be made with an entire row of lobes to eliminate the need for increments. I ended up using 3/8” wide by .25” thick stock corners ground round (as pictured) and it “packed out” nicely in two hits and I was able to quit killing so many of them. Enjoy! Spears.

And for those el-cheapo customers who only want to pay us with peanuts, the bench mark is set. None of that off brand generic stuff, we want Planters!! I haven't got around to making any nails yet, but after reading all of this, I got some ideas if I ever need to. Thanks folks! Spears.

Pretty much the exact same story as bigfootnampa. The flap disk on a 4.5 is really hard to beat even for mower blades. It is unfortunate that things have gotten so global that they sell substandard wheels on working motors. You will probably have the best luck with an industrial supply store like MSC, J&L, Enco, Grainger, etc etc. Personally, Grainger is even sometimes a bit to global for me. Just remember to use a separate wheel for ferrous and non-ferrous. Copper can gum up a carbon steel grinding wheel pretty well. If I had to do it myself I would bite the bullet and order expensive wheels from McMaster Carr Supply. You'll pay a bit more but a cheap grinder can go a good distance with a better wheel. Good luck! Spears.

Hello Ferguson, I constructed an air hammer from the plans available from David Robertson. I posted pictures and descriptions of the project on the Metal Artists forum. Only because Iforgeiron already had some similar posts. Here is the link. http://www.metalartistforum.com/maf/index.php?/topic/5010-power-hammer-build-photos/ I used a Hydraulic cylinder with a 2.5" bore and a 1.25" shaft. Very heavy built and cost ~$220 from Grainger. With the two switch system it never bottoms out in the upward. However, before I had my switches vented properly my hammer piston bottomed out upward quite a few times and still works just fine. That cylinder came with 1/2" NPT adapter fittings that screw into the 3/4-16 SAE ports and was rather easy to plumb to. Once I cured the switch venting on my hammer I have had zero problems with it. Sure, there are inefficiencies with my self made hammer. But when you compare an air cylinder three times as expensive having a 3/4" shaft to a hydraulic cylinder having an 1.25" shaft... Well, let's just say I can beat the living daylights out of it and it never even groans. My hammer build is posted over there (if you haven't already read it) as an aid in helping people with there own choices and ideas. Good luck! Spears.

About how hot is the work piece when you use a brass brush for coloring? I'm looking to get my hands on a brass brush very soon so I can add a bit more color to my work. Thanks, Spears.

Contact the Alabama Forge council. They have a web page. A lot of those gentleman use coal and I'm sure they will know a closer location than GA. Good luck. Spears.

You sure aren't kidding about that. Gone are the days when they would weigh my truck empty and let me treasure hunt til my heart was content. When I first saw Scrappy's art work, my first question was "where in the daylights does he get his hands on such beautiful materials"? The scrap yard told me months ago that they only buy scrap, not sell. I can't help but to feel for the way that takes from the metal artists here in the USA. Spears.

I don't have much to say about project books with specific sizes and dimensions. But if you like to look at nice close up pictures of all sorts of ironwork and sculpture I would recommend author Dona Z. Meilach. I have four of her books and I would label the photography unbeatable. That is if looking at the pictures just for ideas is what you want to do. Specific sizes and processing techniques use others. Good luck. Spears.

It's good to be a blacksmith when you get tail ended in a pile up and the only vehicle that really got damaged was yours and you can fix it. Re-straightening the bumper brackets for my ford ranger was a true moment of realization of how useful an anvil really is. As long as I'm healthy enough to swing a hammer, I will always own an anvil. Even if I don't own a forge. Spears.

I have a Makita 14" and I typically buy the Dewalt brand from Lowes. Be careful because there are different arbor sizes other than the 1" my saw takes. I get pretty good service from these and I use the 1/8" thick type. What has greatly made a difference in chop saw life is my floor mounted shear from Grainger. It has a rod cutter built in for everything 1/2" diameter on down. You can't hardly beat the speed and cleanliness of a "cold snip" Good luck. Spears. PS. You are correct Southshore, abrasive saws are some of the filthiest things on planet earth that leave you blowing black snot at the end of the day. I operate mine by blowing the sparks out the back door of the workshop and do seek alternatives when possible. Good point!

It looked to me like he had plenty of energy left as he walked away. A good radius on the anvils corner at the far edge in the anvils center of mass should be able to provide like the horn does. Not an argument nor any pursuit of one. I'm just honest enough to admit I'm so darn out of shape and my technique so unpracticed I couldn't come close to matching that right now. Makes me wonder how many people on this forum CAN actually do that. Not pointing or taking a shot at you Cavala, but sometimes there tends to be a lot of criticism come out of the woodwork on these forums. Maybe some of those "armchair" blacksmiths might stand up and show us all how it's really done. As for me I'm going home at least a couple of nights this week and practice hammering because it looks to me like the benchmark is quite a ways out. Thanks for the video Dave. Spears.

The work rests (i.e. the little shelves sitting right out in front of the wheels) look in very good condition and I like how they surround the wheel a little. Better than mine at home. As long as those work rest are solid and kept close to a true running wheel, that should be a decent safe piece of equipment. The entire wheel shrouds you see on most grinders today is just an added bonus. Good luck with it. Spears.

I don't get much time at the forge either. I work fast and do have a plasma cutter and still I feel like it takes me forever. Have no worries about the "time it took" thing. I just tell people "you can't rush art". And that my friend IS a fine art piece. Thank you for the picture. Spears.

Let me elaborate on what CTBlacksmith stated. I have owned a Millermatic 250 Mig welder for 12+ yrs now. Way before I started forging. Requires 240V single phase like an electric range oven in the kitchen (consult an electrician for wiring and circuit breaker size). Most homes with 200amp service will easily accommodate. With this one can easily fabricate 1/16" thick up to 1/2" thick structural steel plate in a single pass with only a medium level of skill. Sure, stick welders are a lot cheaper but the handiness of such a tool without having to chip flux is utterly incredible. Stock racks, tables, benches, forge stands, anvil stands, anvils, power hammer with dies, etc etc. I do use my welder in my blacksmith shop, and before that it was used to almost entirely "build" my blacksmith shop. It's only a hobby for me at this time but thinking about my hobby it is kind of hard to use the word "only". Regards, Spears.

Your finishing (sanding, buffing, blending,etching, etc) is some of the best I have ever seen. I don't make blades but I like to examine the fine workmanship. Especially when blending flush one material to another without hardly evidence of a crack or line between the two. You do that extremely well. Thanks for so many pictures. Spears.

I like your rendition of a Hummingbird. The coolest part about hand made work is how everyone's rendition will have its own signature look. Of all the pictures I have seen in books and on forums and even my own work, that is really nice. I don't get to travel very often and when I do its to visit museums and art shows. Very rarely do I get to see work like that. Thanks for posting. Spears.

I like the wood rasp looking piece you used for a grip plate. Excellent idea! Thanks for posting.

Just last month I ordered a rounding hammer from Old World Anvils made by Nathan. WOW, what a nice tool. Shaped nice, dressed beautifully, nice dry wooden handle with no gooey stickers stuck on it. I now believe I waited too long before buying myself a rounding hammer. After buying this one made by him, I won't even look anywhere else the next time I need hammer. It's also heat treated well because when I get tired and hammer sloppy, I sometimes miss the workpiece and this thing is holding up very well going against my anvil. Spears.