Steeler

I got these 3/4" threaded rods from my local scrap metal yard. The thread roots are unusually round and the count is 4.5 TPI. The nuts are made for this thread shape and spin easily on the rods. I wonder at the origin of these parts and what they were used for. Could I use them to build a light weight fly press or?

Thanks for sharing some of your work. I would be tempted to leave the praying man piece almost as it is. To me it's quite provocative. Your leaves turned out nice. They remind me that I still havn't tried forging any kind of leaf yet.

Looks like your wife is definitely a keeper! Nice gift. One that can keep on giving. I like a knotted wire wheel on my grinder for stripping away rust. I have never found it to be overly aggressive. I've not heard of electrolitic rust removal before and I'm going to check it out. Sounds easy, I like easy.

Way cool! Thanks for posting.

Mechanical, technical. Nice contrast between the different metal finishes. Caused me to stop and ponder. I like!

Hey Frosty you put a whole new perspective on my dinner bell forging experience. Serendipity, yah. I think that I may make up a sign by my forge with that old motto on just so I remember to grasp the cold end of the work piece. Thanks man.

What other uses have you found? Application of apple cider vinegar for burns is an old folk remedy. When my son was three years old he pulled a pot of boiling hot sweet and sour sauce off the stove and it splashed onto his bare shoulder and ran down his bare back. My wife immediately grabbed the gallon jug of said vinegar out of the cupboard and poured it out on the affected area. The skin was cooled so quickly that there was no skin damage whatsoever. The kitchen floor was a sight to behold but that was of very minor cosequence. We have used it to sooth sunburn as well. Ever burn yourself at the forge?

I have seen this on stained glass work that my mother-in-law did and the results were impressive.

This may be a rooky question, but here goes... What advantage is there to having the eye so far back from the hammer face?

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I delivered the bell this afternoon and received an enthusiastic response complete with an enormous smile. The bell got hung on a hook on the porch and tested and tested and tested some more. I made it out of common hot rolled mild steel. It turned out to have a good clear ring and Frosty, I think mostly by accident. I did quench the corners after bending each one, but only with the thought that I could then hand hold the piece while finishing up. It's a good day for me when I learn something new and I thank everyone that contributes to these forums.

How 'bout forged snowflakes, sheet steel ribbons and bows, tin soldiers, tree ornaments, candle holders, napkin rings or Christmas stocking hanger hooks?

I have a long time friend that supplies me with good pieces of steel now and then and I reciprocate when I can with labour or building materials that I have on hand. We don't keep a tally of who gave what or anything like that. He's a horse ranch kind of man and I think he's going to like this. (The six feet of half inch round that this project took came from him).

Nice! Power hammer? Could they be hand forged with a sledge and anvil?

I can relate to your aproach. I started beating stuff out of any steel that came easily to hand and it was fun and satisfying. Some things were too soft for my intended purpose, some too brittle and some shattered in the slack tub. These lesons are burned into my memory, so much good came from my rooky antics. Now I sort my scroungings into mild steel, higher carbon or spring steel. My results are more predictable now, but I just know that many more lessons are waiting for me. I have also learned to respect the wisdom and experience of the smiths that have been at it for long time. I appreciate the encouragement and advice of those in these forums greatly. Thanks for sharing so freely with us beginners. Keep on forging!

Great value for the money! I don't have a stake plate, yet... but I think it would be best to mount it on a hefty chunk of wood or heavy metal stand. I like portability so I wouldn't mount it to my workbench or welding table, but that's just my two Canadian cents worth.

Really nice! Good choice in materials. You can be proud of that little forge.

Thanks for posting Bryan. Looks like you and Frosty had a good weekend. Nice roomy shop Frosty and great tooling. Here in central BC it's just getting warm enough to work outside where my forge and anvil are and where they have to stay for the time being. I'm a relative beginner and by day's end my thoughts turn to power hammers and presses. All in it's own time I guess. Oww my arm!

I've been able to turn tapers on my ancient flat belt drive lathe by offsetting the tailstock and using a faceplate and lathe dog to drive the workpiece. For cones with a sharper angle, I have turned the cross slide with the tool post at an angle to the workpiece held in the lathe chuck..Hope this helps. :)

Cool hammer Dennis! What steel did you use? What kind of forge did you use and how long did the first heat take? I have a charcoal forge and wonder if I can heat steel as chunky as that. The photos speak volumes. Thanks.

Outstanding design and execution David! Thanks for sharing. The photos really stir my imagination and expand the limits of my preconceived ideas of possibilities in metal. Also, I can see that I will need a layout/assembly table like the one in your photos. Thanks again!

WOW !!!