so like the title says a lot of first today, been a long road to get here, being an OTR tuck driver dosent leave me a lot of shop time but i got r done. so enough talking here are the pics.

here is a short vid my wife took of me pounding on the rake.. i know i dont have a hood, ill bild one when i move in a cupple months tell then i think ill forge outside got pritty smoky on start up but the fan helped a lot

http://s1188.photobucket.com/albums/z412/hiltsbilt/blacksmith/?action=view&current=100_0080.mp4

how you like that box blower ? ez to make ?

Good Morning,

You are going to get very tired hammering with your wrist motion only. Lift up your arm and bring the hammer down with some oomph.

Hammering effort is the speed of the hammer & time. A lighter hammer gets more work done if it is moving quickly. By hammering with some speed, you will create friction, friction will make heat = loose less heat, get more work done.

Drawing out material always go Square,Octagonal Round. Square means you only have to turn your material 90 degrees, Octagonal means you knock the corners off your square, Round means make it round, not oblong.

The box bellows are good I like them, and they where easy to make... Tks for the hammering tips I'll give it a shot, the hammer I was using is a 2lb I have some smaller ballpings and a cupertino heaver ones also lol, but I'll stick with the liter one for now

I was told by an old boilermaker at my school who apparently had done some anvil work too, that you should place a rolled up newspaper in your armpit and when hammering it should stay there. Which in practice means you'd have to lift the hammer with either a wrist motion, an elbow motion, or a combination.

I was told by an old boilermaker at my school who apparently had done some anvil work too, that you should place a rolled up newspaper in your armpit and when hammering it should stay there

Just because some old guy told you to stick a newspaper under your arm doesn't mean he was right!

Think about it like this.....

You have muscle groups all over your body. The fine flexors in the forearm. The bicep and tricep in the upper arm. And the Deltoids in the shoulder (specifically, the anterior, medial and posterior).

By trying to hold the newspaper under your arm, you are isolating the deltoid from the task. Why? What did you gain from removing a large muscle group from job? The anterior and medial deltoid are designed to help raise the arm up and down.

Hiltsbilt, that's a mighty fine operation you've got set up there! I really like the firepot and box bellows. Good work!

Thanks Vaughn

Love the handle, what kind of twist is that?

here is a link to the vid i watched for it bud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWfMvhpAZ_g

Just because some old guy told you to stick a newspaper under your arm doesn't mean he was right!

Think about it like this.....

You have muscle groups all over your body. The fine flexors in the forearm. The bicep and tricep in the upper arm. And the Deltoids in the shoulder (specifically, the anterior, medial and posterior).

By trying to hold the newspaper under your arm, you are isolating the deltoid from the task. Why? What did you gain from removing a large muscle group from job? The anterior and medial deltoid are designed to help raise the arm up and down.

I think you're taking it too literally. I don't think he actually did put it under there but it's to prove a point. I never said he was right, I just stated what he said so please drop the attitude. This guy says the same thing, but with beer bottles instead and he's a blacksmith. (the video is in Danish so you'll have to take my word for it or get another Dane to confirm)

Anders, no attitude meant, hoss. I just wanted to clarify a point. That's sweet shop in the video!

Ok then. :)

Anders...holding your arm close to your body is the proper way to prevent elbow injury, bursitis and several other annoying problems. If you exchange proper form for a heavier hammer, that could be the result. Once proper form is established in muscle memory, your arm strengthens and heavier hammers come naturally, without lifting your shoulder. How do you think a blacksmith gets... "muscles in his brawny arms as strong as iron bands" ?,...not by lifting his shoulder he doesn't !

Anders...holding your arm close to your body is the proper way to prevent elbow injury, bursitis and several other annoying problems. If you exchange proper form for a heavier hammer, that could be the result. Once proper form is established in muscle memory, your arm strengthens and heavier hammers come naturally, without lifting your shoulder. How do you think a blacksmith gets... "muscles in his brawny arms as strong as iron bands" ?,...not by lifting his shoulder he doesn't !

I wasn't speaking the case that one should lift his shoulder, the opposite in fact. That was the whole point in the beer bottle/newspaper thingy under the arm. Of course no one forges with this tucked under there but it's to prove a point....