Spears

They aren't going to try to charge me a 100 bucks if I click on it are they? I love their publication both articles and all the color pictures of the nice work, but when it comes to the conference tickets, I kind of feel like I need a better paying job. Or don't we all?

Now that it appears everyone is finished forwarding knowledge, let me list some items I can part with to donate to the situation. I have some brand new boxes of taps I was planning on using when I started my own machine shop and that idea has been put aside for some time now and doesn’t look like it will spawn. I can donate 3 taps of every size of the following: 4-40 unc 6-32 unc 8-32 unc 10-32 UNF 1/4-20 unc 5/16-18 unc 3/8-16unc 1/2-13unc. Threading dies I have very few of. The #10 is a fine thread because the 10-24 coarse thread has a small root diameter for the thread size and when tapping strong materials like steel, the coarse thread can be more prone to breakage. So when I design things made out of steel, I choose the fine thread for #10 screws. I also have two extra T-handle tap wrenches in good shape that will cover the above size ranges. These tap wrenches can be used up to the 1/2” size and are good for starting the taps straight. I have an entry level machine shop textbook left from my years of teaching so I will put that in along with its work book. It’s written by a capable author and easy to read for self educating. I’ll put in a Starrett tap drill fraction decimal reference card so you can quickly identify the proper drill sizes for the taps. That should set you up ok for tapping once you get your drills if you don’t already have them. We’re a little busy here so it will be next week before the package can be taken to the UPS port. I’ll have it sent to the Custer farm address listed on the web and put to your attention. If there is another address you prefer, PM me and let me know. You owe me nothing in return because so much to do with blacksmithing is expensive and overcharging is something you don’t do. Good luck! Regards, Spears.

I've never made a hammer or a nail for that matter only because my pursuits in my artwork lead me not to make certain tools like hammers. I would like to mention that I purchased a rounding hammer from Old World Anvils made by Nathan Robertson. I have to admit after seeing this hammer which is no doubt made through a dedicated process, it would be hard for me to even consider spending the time. Not saying a homemade hammer couldn't be just as good, it might just take a few times to make one "that" good. Good luck with your projects. Spears.

I have a propane/propane appliance store a couple miles away from the house and I pay a little over $80.00 for 100lbs. My NC whisper daddy 3 burner can go through 2lbs in a continuous hour so turning it on and off during intermittent forging makes it last awhile. I think coal would be more versatile in forging but considering the cleanliness and ease of push button ignition I gladly pay for the propane. Something to consider might be a close by supplier. With the price of gasoline these days there can be a definite cost factor in getting the fuel to your location. Good luck. Spears.

I heard a few people mention dies loosening up on power hammers so with my self made hammer which uses a bolt-on system I incorporated a center pin. This not only might help reduce the risk of something coming loose but also relieves the duty of having to over tighten the bolts all the time in suspicion that it might happen. I drilled and reamed a 1/4” diameter hole approximately 5/16” deep in the center of the ram bolt pattern. I also put this hole in most all of my die plates so a 1/2” long steel dowel can be inserted upon die attachment. It isn’t required but it is there if I choose to use it. It would only allow for rotational movement of the die should the bolts not hold the die plate securely to the ram. I also keep the bolt clearance holes in the die plates close to the nominal bolt size which I believe helps also. I haven’t had a “loosen up” condition yet and I do check periodically if I’m doing a lot of heavy hammering. Just thought I would post a few pics in case someone had a machine condition where lateral movement was a concern. Spears.

I agree that one can almost depict if a piece of steel has been hardened because it is something I have also noticed. It really only yields a clue to the fact that it is different than a fully annealed (soft) piece. "Down on the farm" one uses anything to try to make better of the "I got nothing to work with" scenario. It would be nice to have a Rockwell hardness tester or a lab where I could polish up a sample and look at the micro-structure of a sectioned piece of metal. After all, one is only as good as one's ability to "check it". Thank you for bringing the "ringing" fact up. If someone was heat treating punches and got them all mixed up about which one's had or hadn't been done, that might be one additional way to clarify. Spears.

There is always times when self made equipment comes in handy. Especially if its slightly different than the commonly made styles. If people don't make some of their own equipment, there might not be any equipment at all. Nice job! Spears.

Is that a working toilet right there in the shop? That's what I call multi-tasking. I love the shop and the projects. Thanks for all the pics. Spears.

Unless your looking for that criss cross pattern that rebar has, seems like a bit of work to tap the pattern out smooth. I've seen folk artists make things out of "found objects" and they make very interesting projects out of rebar. Haven't seen a whole lot of hammering on it in places I've been though. Good luck in your search for materials.

Now I don't feel like the lone ranger so much. I've had quite a year with many other things going on keeping me from my iron art. Thanks for the pictures. Very nice work! There's nothing like a project completed.

Beautiful multi-media project. It's difficult to beat the look of wood. Thanks for posting. Spears.

The ball pein hammer is my number one tool when I put a new or additional wedge into the top of an old hammer or axe when the handle starts to loosen up. Perhaps on some of these old tools the handle wasn't installed very well or correctly in the first place, but I sure love the ball pein for that. Flat side to set it, pein side to sink it. Not sure of the number one intention but it sure works good for that. Excellent topic of discussion. Spears.

I built my hammer from the same plans and I really like it. The best thing about that design is the way you can make changes and alter the design to fit your needs. I run mine with a foot pedal and with just a small amount of practice I can now do single strokes or go full auto. You will really like the control along with the power. Nice job on construction. Spears.

Thanks for the comments and ideas folks. I thought I blew it at first because of the overlap strikes having a reverse slant to the feather grain. Turns out, there are some birds with that sort of pattern to their feathers. Either way, it turned out to be a keeper of a tool and further blessed by the fact it was made out of junk I had laying around. A real gain with only a weekend of spent time. The tool changeover and processing can always be improved upon. It's nice to see so many ideas flying for feathers (pun intended). I will continue to document my tooling tryouts whether they do or don't work. My shop is starting to become "tool rich" enough where in a few hours I can bang out a birthday or Christmas gift for someone and not even go to the store. Even though my wife doesn't like to see me give all the stuff away. LOL. Spears.

There is times when some of us say "never enough". That gentleman comes the closest I've ever seen to "enough". Thank you for posting. Spears.

CW- I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures. I thought it turned out very well for a process that was a bit unplanned. Nuge - Sounds like you’ve thought up a good alternate process. They have removed some of the old milling machines out of the tool room where I work so my tinkering is a little more restricted now. I’m fortunate the outcome was as nice as it was for what I used and wow did it make me think! Thank you for your input. Mr. Dillion – I admire your artwork. All the pictures you’ve posted of your work and equipment are very impressive. Thank you. I’m working on making textures and shapes in hammered steel to fabricate together some wildlife creatures having a realistic look. With the way these feathers turned out, I might try and make a bird of prey. I’m making use of my air hammer as much as possible because you’re correct. I’m going to need a lot of them. I'm glad you enjoyed the pics.

If someone at that steel yard likes hand forged ironwork,(I don't know who wouldn't) you might want to offer a trade. The owner or manager of the steel yard might be very willing to make a trade and cut his price in half to get a nice hand forged item. Bartering could be heavily lopsided in your favor considering your the one with something that looks like jewelry compared to his steel pieces piling up all over attracting only a "once in a while" inquiry. One never can tell. Good luck and by the way, excellent job. Spears.

Pictured below are results of an attempt to make forged feathers from .75 wide by .25 thick hot rolled steel using pieces of a file for the final texture die. The round crown dies are used to make the first shape and with the cut off can be done in one heat. The second dies flatten the shape leaving a vein standing up in the middle done in one heat also. The third dies texture the feather to finish on the third heat. Very little hand hammering was required through the 3 stages. The whole idea stemmed from the thought of cutting a file in half and laying the two halves next to each other. Problem was, no matter which way I flipped and laid the halves together, the grooves of the second half slanted in the same direction. Using a protractor and abrasive saw, I sliced and diced until I ended up with the two pieces shown. At first I avoided welding on the file pieces to try to save heat treat integrity but blocking/wedging up around it with small plates just wasn’t going to work for hammering. I ended up tack welding it quick and ugly and the pieces seem to hold up well squishing steel red hot. I used an unhardened block for the top die in case I happen to “empty” stroke it. After using this 4-5 times it occurred to me that the third step tooling (pieces of a cut up file) could possibly be eliminated if nice straight fine line cuts could be made into the second stage die having the middle groove. With the right tool construction and equipment, one could very possibly have a process for making a feather in just two heats. Spears.

That's one of the strongest vices Wilton makes and the smaller sizes are $500.00 and higher. Try to hang on to it the rest of your life because its hard to come by equipment like that for such a little amount of cash.

Good news is, if you bite the bullet and run a separate line on its own breaker, your property value stays high. Nobody freaks out when they see something that "they" think is "rigged". If your going to die there, it matters less on what the next guy thinks. But if you ever decide to relocate, wouldn't it be better not to hear the words "who in the hell did that?". Stay safe and keep your shop to the highest reputable standard available. Judge you they will! Sincerely, Spears.

I like to look at all kinds of metal work and such. Post some pics of your work so I may see "good".

For the folks who like to look at blacksmithing pictures and haven't ventured in here yet, you may now indulge! Below is a link to a very nice collection of pictures of nearly everything pertaining to blacksmithing. Seminars you couldn't attend, dragons, knives, powerhammers, demonstrations, demonstrators, etc. etc. etc. If the link doesn't work just click your way through forgemagic.com to the "gallery". Regards, Spears. Forgemagic gallery index - click here It is a rather large index page and may take a while to display

I love posts like this so I'm throwing in a few words. Traditional methods add value to the project because of the extra time it takes to complete those certain processes. Let it be my opinion if you oppose, but I consider it fair to call it added value. I myself don’t do much of it or any of it for that matter but I like to look at it. I’m very non-traditional in my forging and artwork. I have taken some criticism for it but that’s just life. We all take the easy way around certain chores in the workshop. I’ve seen many a blacksmith pick up an electric sander. Gee wiz! How dare him not use a hand file or honing stone! I was at a house demonstration where a top notch blacksmith forge welded a small vine to go around a glass vial used for seed sprouting and the second one he made was Mig welded and filed. I thought it was excellent how he demonstrated both processes (both looked top notch). Some joker had to yell something about authenticity when the Mig welding was going on. Just starting out in blacksmithing I can say I felt more comfortable around the guy who smiled and said “it’s hard to beat Miller welding”. If you’re going to recruit or inspire people to partake in the metal arts, don’t you think they should be introduced with processes having a bigger window of “ease of completion” than say forge welding? How cool is authenticity? Isn’t it only fools who take the long way around? Guy must have a lot of time on his hands! Myyy hero! The world is full of words and opinions. Do what you like and sell it as you will, but if you want to gather or involve new people, it will need to be a bit more like honey as opposed to vinegar. Peace. Spears.

Don't mean to sound like I don't have an appreciation for the specific types of work some people might do. I can identify and lay value to it based on the detailed aspects of certain hand works. I just took some of it into a world where it wasn't found and as advanced or unique as it was, came up dry. Because I like to compete, I'm putting together some things that perhaps might get recognized by the modern art world and maybe they can learn to appreciate hammered iron. Thank you for your comments and input. Peace, Spears.

A person on another forum wanted to see some cold work so the dies were tried on cold sheet copper non-annealed .032” thick. Overlapping multiple strikes did not look very pleasing (small piece) and left a rough texture. Using my hammer “single stroke” the copper looked ok with minimal overlap (bigger piece). Striking hot iron seemed to me to look good both conditions. Here’s some pics. Spears.