Nick builds trains Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Hi All, I had my first bash today and am absolutely stoked. First off let me say I've along way to go yet but my mentor (Dale Russel). Is a brilliant teacher and with the assistance of Andy and Jim I hope to learn alot. First off I learned how to draw out material (10mm square) to a point and than to make it round, than square again. After which I was shown how to fuller and spread material out. After which I was fought to hot cut. The end result of mt first your was a leaf key ring. Than came lesson 2, Drifting. After making the initial home I was thought how to enlarge and draw it out on the horn. At which point Dale made a flat edge in my lovely circle, my suspicions were correct when we drifted a small lip in the back edge of the hole. Yep we were making a bottle opener. He left the handle design to me, I decided to draw it out to a taper and than flatten and roll the handle into a tapered tube. Lesson 3, another leaf. After discussions with dale I asked if I could make another leaf. This one for the Sean Conner memorial, its not much but its my humble offering for such a wonderful cause. So in closing, I'm hooked, Dale is a superb teacher and I look forward to learning more in the coming years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Glad to hear that you had a great time. Stick with Dale and you will learn a lot. It will seem like no time before you are turning out all kinds of cool stuff. Keep on bashing! Mark <>< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Wow! That's quite the list for a first bash, Dale must be a good influence. So, where're the pics? Did Dale forget to mention we LOVE pics? Hmmmm? Shall we berate him or are you going to POST SOME PICS? On a serious note. . . Glad to see someone so excited about the addiction. Glad to have you aboard. Yeah, that's MY version of seriousness. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Frosty , Nick is a pleasure to teach , only have to show / tell him something once & he does it . Wish the rest i've taught where as good as him , i mite ave more hair ( ) Keep it up Nick , wish i hadda started smithin' at your age , just remember bloke , u've still got a long way ta go Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I thought as much Dale, Nick's first bash was pretty well accomplished. I've had the pleasure of having good students and pleasure hardly covers it. Don't we all have a long way to go? I'm thinking another 50 years at least till I slow down some. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted August 19, 2011 Author Share Posted August 19, 2011 Here you are Guys, only the one pic, and Dale has the other leaf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Good looking leaf. Bottle opener looks very handy too. Even better is you had fun. Hope to see more of your future work! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 Phil , to show you how keen he is , yesterday arvo Nick came around with his " new " score , a Buffalo forge & blower He has a line on a 100 lb swage block as well , a bit ruff havin' a cnr knocked off , but it'll out last him . Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Was about to mention the forge Dale, good to see the PC behaving for a while When the folks get back home with the van I'll unload and take a pic. I'll get onto the boss and make sure the swage block isn't scrapped (its sitting 4 feet from the scrap pile) At first i was concerned the blower was seized, but after about 4 hours its pushing air better than my electric one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 here it is, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted September 13, 2011 Author Share Posted September 13, 2011 Right than, second hit, First task was a BBQ fork, all done but forming the handle, Second was a drive hook. Third was practicing scrolls. The forge: New legs almost finished, spreader braces underway and the assembly for the fire pot and airflow bits coming along nicely, may even have a fire in it by my third bash (sorry guys no pics ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomN Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 Great to see someone else starting out and with massive enthusiasm. I hope I have half as good an experience as you are having with my first go this Saturday. Loving the pics as well. The leaf keyring looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbeard Posted September 13, 2011 Share Posted September 13, 2011 looks great keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Howdy All, its been a while so heres an update, theres a new bloke in the group Jay, specializes in making chain male, it was his first bash last week, and I'm no expert but hes got talent. Lesson 3, mass production of Drive Hooks for upcoming show. With 2 forges going Jay and I teamed up to mass produce drive hooks. the first operation was Jay putting a short point on one end of the stock than passing to me to put the long end on. we soon found a speed and rhythm that suited us both with little time waiting on each other. Second step was to bent the stock back on its self about 1& 1/4 inches in from the short point end. Third was about 3/4" in bend the stock back to 90 degrees from the drive spike. Fourth was to put the curve in to form the hook, this was done using Master Dales expertise ( aka a Jig ) Finally turning a small scroll in the tip of the long point with the rat tail tongs and we were done. And to follow up on how i chose my username: a set of 12" gauge wheels, axleboxes and bearing housings, @ done, just need to order the steel to make the chassis. It will become a 1/2 size brittish narrow gauge tanker wagon, 6feet long by 2' 10" wide at the tank and weighing 1.5 tons when full. it will look nice behind "Merlin" when he rolls out in a few weeks you can comfortably fit 2 blokes in the cab, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awalker Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Nice train, but your definition of comfort and mine may differ a wee bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share Posted October 9, 2011 may look deceptive but thats no toy, 2 large blokes can fit in the cab rather easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awalker Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 Well, just another in a long list of thing to prove my wife's point that I need to get my eyes checked, I though it said 12 blokes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Well after many hours scratching my head wondering where in the jumbled mess known as the shed it was hiding, I finally located the post vice I knew I had. After stripping it down and disposing of a few 8 legged nasties the work began. First i had to remove the front jaw, and strip back the pivot boss so it would move freely, i than sprayed it with SPS (Switch Plate Spray, used in the rail industry for lubricating pointwork, its a spray on powdered graphite) than to clean up the old grease from the thread and box, easy done with a rag. after looking at the old bolt it had as a handle i decided to make a new handle, an hour on the lathe and the end result is rather nice. I than dunked the threaded section in a bucket of grease and re assembled the whole thing. Its got 4.5" jaws and stands about 3' 7" tall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Russell Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Way ta go Nick , keep this up & u'll soon ave as many " toy's " err i mean tool's as me Next is mountin' it on somethin' bloke Good find in " that " shed .. Dale Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rthibeau Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 good progress Nick....only question I got is using the term "mentor" and Dale is the same sentence ??? ^_^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 :rolleyes: What Richard Said!!!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Because we Dale! Looks like Dale scored large when you become his student! The very best to you and your mentor!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Ah yes well, In many ways Dale is my mentor, Hes the man to talk to about growing an awesome Mustache He's also mentoring me in the art of liver damage . Besides that and many other things he's also teaching me to Smith, Well than, lesson #4: Toasting fork / steak fork. Both Jay and I had the task of making our own and we went rather well. Jay, for his second lesson is Catching up fast and is showing heaps of talent. A sad moment came around lunch time, my dad called to tell me his twin brother (my closest uncle) had passed about 3am this morning (pancreatic cancer, he lasted several years and when i saw him last he was at peace and ready to go. Such is life, Its good knowing he's no longer in pain. After a bit of time I chose to get back to work, as there was nothing i could do for the family at this time. Jay had to leave mid afternoon, so it was just Master Dale and myself. the whole thing is coming along nicely with perhaps an hour to spend on the handle and it will be finished ready to sell in a few weeks. 4 days till GET HAMMERED @ MOONY's I cant wait, although I do hope that the funeral isn't on at the same time :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I also thought I read the word "Master" somewhere in a post . Hopefully it refers to his expertise and not how he treats those he teaches. Cause Dale is indeed a Master Blacksmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forgemaster Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Yes Yes yes let us all praise Dale the master blacksmith. (you are never gunna live this one down now Dale) "All praise Dale the master blacksmith, praise him praise him evermore, apprentice and striker bow down before him, praise him, praise him, evermore." (I knew those years spent in the church choir at St Peters Hamilton would be of use one day) See you on friday mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick builds trains Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Lol, nice one. but isnt the only reason to bow to a smith is when he throws a hammer at you? i suppose that's more of a DUCK! If i can only find my tools, i'll be making breakfast I'll be heading up straight after my uncle's funeral. Bringing Andy aswel. and some "special iron" See you in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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