Rantalin

Using 3D imaging software is great for designing pieces before actually getting any work done on them. I have a 3D modelling program that is used by my school's engineering department. By modeling each piece, adding textures and colors, then assembling the project, I can get a pretty good idea of what it's going to look like at the end.

The idea of using the tire rim as a firepot is a good one. I was thinking of doing the same thing. How is the rim for forging, does it rust out or anything? I've read mixed reviews about using a rim as a firepot.

Thanks to everyone who posted! After reviewing both the problem, and the prospective solutions, I have decided that it might be easier, and a bit more astheticly pleasing, to put in a series of pineapple twists, with maybe some sort of decoration in between them. It's gonna be another month until finals end and I'm able to get to the forge again, but we'll see how it turns out.

Good Afternoon, I was thinking of some designs for standing plants hangers today out of about 7' of 1/2" square bar. My gas forge is able to heat sections of a long bar, but it would be very difficult to heat long (3 foot) sections. I have to rebuild my coal forge before I can work with it, but I could probably heat a 1' section of bar with it. One design for the hanger included twisting about three feet of the bar pretty much right in the midle. Obviously, the easiest thing to do is twist before working the rest of the hanger. So after the twist, the bar will look something like this ===========/////////////////////////////============ Without the aid of a power twisting tool, what is the best way to make this twist? I don't plan on doing any special twists, just grab it in a vice and a twisting wrench and make the twist.

My shop is behind the garage, out of site, as my parents consider it an eyesore and I have no place to put it inside the garage. The forge, a small two burner propane forge, is on top of a gutted propane grill lined with some brick. The "anvil" sits on a sawhorse, which has a lightweight vice bolted onto it. Not the best setup, and I want a permenant shop, but I'll be done with college and moving out in a couple of years, so for now my setup is just fine.

I believe someone on this site had this setup, although I could be mistaken. Use some section of PVC pipe and just drop your bar stock in. Obviously, the stock can't be shorter than the PVC, so you'll need different lengths of pipe for different size stock. Longer stock in the back, shorter stuff up front, so it would be stepped. You could make some type of frame for the pipe so its all arranged neatly, and not just free standing. It would also help if the entire setup was tilted a bit forward to allow you to more easily remove the stock.

That would make sense actually. The large surface area of the steel pegs would allow for large amounts of heat transfer.

Very nice! I really like the color and texture of the horn. Great Job!

Good Afternoon everyone. I was watching this video [Knives]---Sanjo Industrial Cooperative "Echigo Manufacturing Network" and saw that the smith's method of forge welding is not as I learned to do. It seems he uses either metal filings or ash applied onto the metal at an orange heat (possibly before scale develops) then presses the metal to be welded on right onto the flux. The new metal is not hot, and the smith just uses his fingers to set it in place. After taking a welding heat on the bar, it appears that the smith uses a power hammer to set the weld. Now, what was the flux he was using? I remember reading that wood ash could be used, but that grinder filings were not a good flux. Does this method of welding work well? Any input will be helpful.

Currently using the garage floor, but come summer (or maybe even spring break) It'll be back to using a sawhorse, or possible some stumps I have.

Torin, though I applaude your desire to disprove those who have gone ahead and researched this, I feel that the Mythbusters episode thoroughly covered this situation. They measured the force a human can hammer with, and ran multiple tests. They struck hammer on nail, and hammer on hammer; and they got the same results as you. Nothing but broken handles. If you do get some different results, e-mail them, I'm sure they'll run a "myths revisited" episode on it.

yes, I used a couple handfulls on top of a charcoal fire, and it smoked like CRAZY. I probably just need to let the pellets coke up in a way or something, but now I just use a handful of them on top of a wood or charcoal fire to help light the coal, works pretty well. Haven't actually tried forging anything with pellets alone though.

Thats really cool. I'm glad there are people who are trying to find cheaper, safer ways to perform daily tasks.