Frosty

If you'll put your general location in the header you'll be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. If you'll pull up a comfy chair, pack a lunch and something to drink you can spend many productive hours reading just the gas forge section of IFI. Everything you've asked has been answered many times, even as to suppliers in your neighborhood. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and saying you can't find something, ANYTHING close is saying you haven't looked. The Yellow Pages will put you in voice contact with folk who either have what you need or know who does. My home made burners will melt the 3,000f hard firebrick in my forge if I run it very long. If you look you'll find the concept drawings and instructions here. Sorry if it sounds like I'm in a bad mood, I'm not but it gets really old to have someone sign up and start asking questions that have been answered a zillion times. WE get that a lot, just like kids who contact me wanting to learn to be a blacksmith but never come by or only come by maybe once a month for a couple few hours. Frosty The Lucky.

You might try the local welding supplier, they often have such things as give aways. Knowing what you're welding is important on many jobs so being able to identify it generally could just mean a welding rod sale for the store. Giving this kind of thing away is just good business. I've picked up most of my reference books this way, An Anchorage gear/transmission supply gave me a very handy pocket reference on gearing, belts, sheaves, etc. etc. An Ak hydraulics store gave me a super book about hydraulics, interestingly enough I got a much more complete hydraulics book from a rubber supplier. My welding references and text books came from the welding supply, as did many many 1-2 lb. "samples" of specialty rods, not to mention more than a few trips to the back room to try things out or a little instruction. You can't do THAT on the internet. Frosty The Lucky.

Nice stake anvil, good score. That's a very poor mount though, it needs the steel under it and a little thin plate bridging the legs doesn't count. If you can find a piece of tubing the shank will fit into, cut it the correct length to hold the stake anvil at your working height, then weld a little foot under it and some legs to keep it upright and stable. Frosty The Lucky.

Does one of those pieces match the ASO's face? I've been wanting to try facing an ASO with good steel but haven't gotten around to it. My plan was to grind the ASO to match the steel as closely as possible. As in smoking and rubbing the two together till the soot rubs off completely. Then silver solder them together. Sure it'll take a goodly fire and some time to soak the ASO to brazing heat but a little flux and good solder aught to do the trick. will it be tough enough you ask? I doubt very any human is strong enough to do anything to that size braze. I can't count how many carbides I silver soldered to drill teeth and then sent down the hole to grind on frozen gravel. The carbides never once separated from the teeth, teeth broke and wore to nubs but the soldered joints never failed. Of course that's a thought I haven't tried but can't think of a reason it wouldn't work. Frosty The Lucky.

Mid 30's here, too warm. The roads are a muddy mess and snow keeps sliding off the roof making the dogs go nuts alerting us to the monsters outside. Yeah I know, about the same as Peters Creek. What can I say? Frosty The Lucky.

Nice blades, I'm particularly fond of low layer counts with good contrast. I'm thinking the customer's going to love them. Take the pics outside on a cloudy or overcast day. If you have to take them indoors turn off the flash and use indirect light, a good multi-spectrum, high white florescent works pretty well. Frosty The Lucky.

Hey guys: Our first meeting of 2014 is January 18th. at Pat Garley's. As usual we'll get rolling around 9:00am and do club business when somebody pesters me enough to call it to order. If you haven't been to Pat's and need directions give me a shout and I'll post directions. His studio, "Arctic Fires Bronze," is in Palmer on springer loop. See you there. And remember, if you don't show we just might elect you to office, that's how I ended up president you know. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Until you develop the skills sets you'll do a lot better and learn more quickly using know steels. It's an entirely different skill recognizig and analyzing scrounged steel on the fly. Seriously some results can come from a steel type OR forging techniques and if you don't know which is which you can end up following blind allies to dead ends and not know why. It's the same as trouble shooting, only change one thing at a time or you never know what did what. A lot of what we do is failure analysis, adapt, adjust, overcome. This is the very aspect of the craft that sings to many our souls, the constant learning curve. Frosty The Lucky.

Sounds like fun, I love just getting together with the guys. Not having a preplanned demonstration makes taking pictures even more important. If it were preplanned you'd know what was being done so you wouldn't be surprised by good or bad things happening. It really sucks to see something you never thought of done and not have a way to document it. A camera is also even better for those, "Don't do it THAT way" moments, a pic or two may even be good for a little blackmail. <grin> I figure if I don't have WAY too much with me I didn't bring enough. You probably have enough tools, take some stock and any ideas you have that may need a little help, say a striker or ideas. Frosty The Lucky.

I bought a 0-50psi regulator about 20 years ago for $27. and change at the local propane supplier, same units were in the $30 range at hardware and RV stores. 8' of propane hose w/ fittings cost more. The gauge cost something under $10. The 1/4 turn valves cost less than $30 and I bought 4. There's no need for 0-50psi, 0-30 is more than enough. I'm sure prices have probably doubled since I bought mine but the hose is probably still the most expensive single component on my forge. Write what you need on a sheet of paper, be clear and keep it simple. For instance: Propane regulator, 0-30psi. Screw fittings for x diameter hose. Then hit the yellow pages in the phone book. Write the company name and number on the pad and give them a call. Write the price and availability next to the name. Repeat till you've gone through all the outfits who carry propane appliances. Then go shopping. The internet is a hugely useful tool but falls far short of many of the old time tools like calling around and asking good questions. By good questions your approach is important, you're calling someone at work and taking up time so have your poop in a group. Know what you need to know. If you don't know exactly what to ask, let the person know and ask if they have time to help you figure whatever it is out. You have no idea how many times I've picked a number out of the book and started the conversation with, my name and "I have some off the wall questions but don't want to waste your time." You'd be amazed at how many poor office bound folk just LOVE an interesting break in routine. Another common question I ask is, "do you carry or do X?" Followed by, "Do you know who does?" A person to person conversation can cover more ground in next to no time than anyone is ever going to put on a web site. Heck, fewer and fewer web sites even have a contact that isn't an order page or more "valuable offers." Frosty The Lucky.

What kind of wood your charcoal lived as isn't your problem. Turn down the air and it'll behave. You're having trouble finding the fire's heart because there's so much blast, the fuel is consumed or blown out of your forge before your steel's hot, then the air is cooling and oxidizing it. There are any number of ways to control the air blast, a couple have been suggested already. Just shifting the blower off the tuyere pipe is easy and will show you the answer. THEN you can design or adopt a cleaner air control system. Seriously, even a blow drier puts out too much air for a simple brake rotor forge burning charcoal. Frosty The Lucky.

Very nice Scott, I really like low layer counts and high contrast. She really stands out as what she is, a pattern welded blade. Frosty The Lucky.

That's a nice weight and Dave is developing a real reputation for his hammers. You're going to love it, nothing moves metal like a rounding/turning hammer. Frosty The Lucky.

that's a very good thought Glenn, I have so many and so much to be thankful for, sending my thanks is good. Thank you Glenn. Frosty The Lucky.

Nice piece, well done Beth. I see what you're saying Glenn and it would have appeal, especially if you left the coils more open, it'd be an eye catcher for sure. Still, this triangular spiral pattern is common all over the planet from ages past. Being so common it probably has an appeal to us that is hard wired into our psyches. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Once you find a shop anvil that suits you that little sweety will make an excellent portable. It looks to be in very good condition. Frosty The Lucky.

It's a relief to hear all the drill press did is give you a sound beating. Getting too comfortable and relaxed around power tools can be a BAD thing. Dad used to say, "familiarity breeds contempt," so often I got sick of hearing it but truer words were never spoken. another Dad saying I heard all the time was, "you have to respect IT but you can't be afraid of IT." It being whatever tool or operation you were doing. He was also death on loose clothing, long hair or jewelry around the machinery, anything that could catch. Heal up and remember. Frosty The Lucky.

Nice looking hardy Zachary. What do you mean it got crooked? All I see is a carefully calculated and crafted differentially curved edge so a smith can perform highly precise cuts in an efficient manner. All the high end hardies are made like that. <wink> Not to be a semantic jerk but the tool IS the hardy and there are only two bottom tools properly called a hardy, "hot" and "cold" hardies. Everything else is a bottom tool though things like bending forks and bics may have a different name. Well done. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you may be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. A good term to search for rigidizers is "kiln wash." I take it you're building a melting furnace? What size and what do you wish to cast? have you done much casting? do you have a good place to do it? Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard Paul, glad to have you. Seems I got beat to the punch . . . line again. Thank you Neil. <grin> Ironing wagons, etc. is making and installing ay of the iron work on/in one. Did you inherit any of your great great Grandfather's tools? I have a step son and newly wedded daughter in law in Madras. Nice country, I really like the obsidian beds between Bend and Burns. someday I'd like to make a knap in. Do they still hold them at or near the Glass Buttes? Frosty The Lucky.

I got a Kindle Fire, shirts, new Carhart jacket, a bunch of cool stocking stuffers and a crocheted hat from the daughter in law that is a superb representation of a Hoplite helmet. That one tickles my happy more than the other stuff it sure put her at the top of my birthday goody list. Well, right behind Deb of course. Outstanding Christmas at our place. May this be the best new year ever and may it be the least of those to come. Frosty The Lucky.

No need for a horn or hardy hole, they're pretty recent additions. I've recommended standing shaft anvils on end in concrete but it takes care or the shock will break it up. If you put a piece of decent thickness plate in the bottom of the bucket with a few washers welded on edge to it and the end of the rail/shaft/etc. it'll go a long way to preserving the concrete under the shock. The web and flange of rail can be made into all kinds of handy shapes with a little grinder time. A hot hardy and butcher are natural firsts, then a couple various radius fullers and a ball swage can be handy. Then there are the handy, long inside curves between the web, rail and flange, these work well for straightening and bends. Thee are lots of possibilities with rail, I've done a number of rail anvils. Once you have something heavier and more suitable for a shop anvil the rail anvil can be the portable, bench or corner if you need one like that anvil. Frosty

Looks good for a first pair, LOTS better than my first three. I use coil spring stock, it's stronger so I can make lighter tongs that will till take a good grip without bending. You just need to remember to not let them get into red heat without cooling, about the only thing I use my quench bucket for regularly. Frosty The Lucky.

Is your daughter saying you should shave? Cool beans Mark, you be a lucky guy. Frosty The Lucky.

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. You may have to "T" off the line for the shop, regulators intended for ranges and furnaces/boilers, etc. run on much less psi than most forges, especially naturally aspirated forge burners. If I recall correctly the Whisper forges use naturally aspirated burners so will require somewhere between about 5-15 psi. Frosty The Lucky.