keithh999

anyone have any tried and true recipes or methods of removing discoloration from stainless steel after welding...especially on interior corners that dont allow wire brush or scotchbrite to get deep enough...my fingers arent that pointy either!!

where does everyone buy their powdered steel for making cannister or canoe damascus? have seen 1080 and 1095 in small 5 lb cans and from VERY few suppliers...

started with 40"of 3/8X1" flat bar

only the corner scrolls were done with the torch....everything else was done in the coal forge.

It definately took some forward thinking to figure out in what order to do what operation....how long each piece...what angle and length for the scroll pieces to fit in the square punched holes etc etc. All in all a very fun project and i got more and more excited to see the finished project as i got farther and farther along. Gotta figure out the next stretching exercise after i make the fancies for my new tool boxes that are under construction.

The historical society had given us a line drawing of something period correct with absolutely no dimensions to work to and this is what we came up with...we didnt even have a dimension for their hearth to work with but in the end the andirons fit the space perfectly!!

The Central Virginia Blacksmith Guild was asked to make all new iron hardware for a renovated 1790's house for the Louisa historical society. This set of andirons was started at my shop during my yearly hammerin/guild meeting. Clay Smith and I started the front pieces as other guild members cut up the crosspieces and hammered tenons on the ends. We werent able to finish them that day so i took a couple days to revamp the front pieces that were rather spindly from some overly aggresive power hammer work. I cut the balls off and forge weled them onto new front pieces that i hammered an edge taper in and then punched and drifted all the holes made the legs and assembled the whole thing and tweeked til they sat square, plumb and level. The last picture in the set is me presenting them to the President of the louisa county historical society and she was over-the-moon with delight!

Last months Central Virginia Blacksmith Guilds meeting was a trip to the National Cathedral in Washington and after seeing Samuel Yellins AWESOME/AMAZING (add extra adjectives as needed) work i decided I needed to try and see if I could do something along his lines just to stretch my abilities a bit and so after about 10-12 hrs on the forge this is what i came up with. Dont think i did too bad!! Its 9 1/2 inches square so you have an idea of scale. Keith MMM Fab & Forge

Thanks for the link!! It showed what i needed...I still have to get a tap for 1/2X24tpi to thread onto the drill shaft and have to either get drill bits with standard shafts (all 1/2" shank) or get a drill chuck with a shaft and counterbore the hub thing to accept it so i can use any style drillbit. maybe make 2 hubs and do both!!

My daily driver and work/show/event truck is a 88 GMC suburban 4X4 with 3" lift....also have an old 63 GMC stepside pickup i have the bed off of right now to move a new fuel tank back between the frame rails...

The post drill has an integral shaft with the threading at 1/2"X24tpi. Obviously very non standard at least by todays standards....taps and dies are available for purchase but if a champion shuck can be found with this thread gage then thats what i would rather do.

Howdy all! I just acquired a Champion post drill on a trade and its operational but a wee bit rusty buttttttt its missing the chuck. According to my gauge its a 1/2" X 24 thread. Is there such a critter?? And if so where can i get a replacement? I actually want to get rid of my modern drill press and use this post drill for everything so finding a chuck is rather important. Any help would be appreciated!! Keith

I will be there with my new bellows forge....not strictly antique like i like but it looks it..LOL

Ok...its about time i actually had something to put on this thread and what a haul it was!! a 25# Little Giant PH.....$1800.......a traveling bellows forge with post vise ..$250.....a very good condition 1920s vulcan 100lb anvil..$150....and a mess of coil springs of varying sizes..FREE......a double handful of horseshoes and 2 buckets of coal...$10.. now i need a bigger shop!!!!! have 3 coal forges and 1 propane...3 anvils and the power hammer amongst all the welding equipment and mechanics tools and of course the 1939 SB lathe i got off craigslist a cpl yrs ago for ....wait for it..........FREE!! and as a test of the power hammer (have never used one) I hammered out this spiked war hatchet out of an old chipping hammer i had laying around....test SAT!!!

I have never made any of the parts for a blackpowder gun but i do have an advantage on that score if i ever do....my father in law worked at Colonial Williamsburg for 28 years...a couple of years in the blacksmith shop and 20+ years in the gunsmith shop. He was laid off a cpl yrs ago and went into gunsmithing for himself. You can see examples of his work (and mine) at www.claysmithguns.com In fact he built me a rifle using some of my spare parts for Christmas...now i just have to do the finish work on the stock and furniture.

heres a pic of one of two of the spatulas i made for a 17 ft long bbq pit.....the silly thing is 4 ft long and over 6 lbs but the customer loves it!!

Thanks for the plug Matt!! Yes I do and can give beginning blacksmithing lessons here at my shop in the midlothian/chester/richmond area. Mike over at Yesteryear forge is also another awesome smith to learn from as well and hes close too. Just messagge either of us and im sure something can be arranged to suit.. Keith Hicks MMM Fab & Forge

Here are pics of a War Fork that was carried by Napoleans French Grenadiers that was a commission piece for the asst curator of the Mariners Museum in Newport News VA. I finished it up today and now gotta figure out how to get it to him 100 miles away without it poking thru a shipping box..

Well so far ive done 10 events and only made money at 2 events....even at a nationally recognised and juried event i just barely made expenses and then weather was a factor in two of them......definately doesnt seem to be alot of disposable income just floating around just begging to jump into our pockets

I totally agree with what everyone has said about pricing and the "walmart syndrome" !! I just did a nationally juried art show here in Richmond VA and didnt sell enough to make expenses because of that particular ailment.....over 40,000 people wandering around and everyone went for the basic yard ornaments that were welded outa thin gage wire and 3/8 round with the hokey blue glass baubles on them. I got nothing but compliments on my wares but nobody was reaching for their wallets!! But i wasnt willing to drop my prices because i have to eat too!! Just means i have to find a different venue to sell at.... Keith MMM Fab & Forge

ok its official...i have just learned more about shoeing horses than i have learned in the last 22 years as a smith!! keep it up and i might be able to do more than "shoo horsey shoo!!" Thanks guys!! Keith

A friend wanted a steel sign topper to put on top of his construction business sign...well we came to an idea as to what he wanted and i quoted him a price of $100 cash and we dickered a bit and decided on $50 in cash and this ski-doo trailer......and he was tickled pink with it so everyone walked away happy!! Keith MMM Fab & Forge

I was there last year and had a blast!! Brian was an awesome demonstrator and teacher and i learned things from him that i hadnt considered before but now put into practice every day now that im smithing fulltime. Due to prior commitments i will have to miss this years event but know that i will be there in spirit. And Travis you better save me a t-shirt!! Keith MMM Fab & Forge

Will this include all time at demos/events as well?

i just clamp mine in my post vise and add a loop of rope around the trigger to the floor and with the addition of a piece of 5/8 bar stock on the floor and in the loop of rope i can hold down my trigger and cut away. and it comes out easy so i can do freehand if i need.