Tricks of the trade

[Rob Browne]

Armed with this info, hopefully my scrolls will stop looking like bits of twisted metal and start looking like works of art. Great discussion, thanks a lot.

[divermike]

What you folks are discussing is elegantly laid out in the book "the power of limits" explained in such a beautiful way, that it changed the way I look at things, man or nature created.

[brianbrazealblacksmith]

What you folks are discussing is elegantly laid out in the book "the power of limits" explained in such a beautiful way, that it changed the way I look at things, man or nature created.

Thanks, Divermike, I knew I cuold no do the subject justice. It is quite an extensive subject.

[CBrann]

Excellent explanation of the Golden Ratio... going to look to see how to draw them!!, like this thread it is fruitful!!

[Frosty]

I agree, this is proving to be a very useful distribution of knowledge, tips and tricks. A real keeper.

Thanks!

Frosty

[forgemaster]

Heat treatment tip
Most quenching oils will flare at around 380 deg C use,this for an easy tempering guide. After quenching in oil reheat your job either on top of your fire or with an oxy torch or in a hot but turned off furnace until you see the oil still on your piece begin to flash or flicker to flame. Burn off all traces of the oil and you will have tempered your job, to about 380 to 400 deg C. Technical name is flaring or flashing. Good for cold chisels cold sets etc, (will only work for steels quenched in oil, water will not flash like oil :-) )
Phil

[BlackSmithBear]

Found an interesting "trick" by accident...I work in a park that replicates a 1020's logging camp, and all the buildings have wood stoves, that the humidity was making rust on. I used a water based "stove polish/stove black" which requires wiping down with a rag after drying. On returning to the Blacksmith shop, I noticed that the anvils, and vises were also rusting a bit. I sprayed them with WD-40, and the only rag I had was the one I'd wiped the stoves down with. Xxxxxx if it didn't transfer some of the carbon black onto them...looks real nice too!
Bear

[divermike]

can you give me the product name?/ I's like to play with it!!

[Dragons lair]

All my anvils/post and caulk vise were wire brushed then stove blacked. Left the anvil
tops alone. Diver check at the oldest hardware in your area. Get the paste if possible.
Do a karate kid rub on rub off. Use rubber gloves. Called stove black or polish. Great on forges also.
Ken

[ThomasPowers]

Great idea, my wife is getting some stove black for her stove; maybe I can sneak a bit out to the forge.

Would you edit that to read 1820's or 1920's? I do 1020's and there are no stoves, open fires is all.

[Glenn]

* A little grease inside the socket will prevent the nuts from falling out of the socket while being removed. Great for holding the nut in the socket while your are assembling also.

* When using sanding blocks, the paper is clamped on the side, run across the flat bottom surface and clamped on the other side. Why not reverse the process and clamp the sand paper on the side, run across the TOP round surface of the block and clamp on the other side. This puts the sand paper in a perfect position for sanding those inside curves.

* If you are painting and do not want the paint on some odd shaped object, use aluminum foil to mask the part.

[pkrankow]

* If you are painting and do not want the paint on some odd shaped object, use aluminum foil to mask the part.

If you are painting something with threads that will need cleaned, take some Vaseline or other light grease and use a cotton swab or small stick to fill the threads. The paint will not bond to the threads and allow for easier clean up for attaching your fittings.

Phil

[yves]

I polish some of my work with fine sand rubbed with a leather mitten. It does not leave the scratches that sandpaper will. It is a way to highlith hammer work.

[Eddie Mullins]

An old thread but a good one, too bad the pictures were lost.

 

Since I commented, I'll add one. Probably common knowledge to most, but a new trick for me. I made door handles for our sliding doors at home. Upon assembly the multiple parts were under some tension as they were forged by eye, no template and purposfully left with slight variation. So I heated the assembly in the forge and allowed it to cool on its on, and was left with a perfect fit. Now I can dissasemble an reassemble with ease for fitting and painting.

 

ok 2,

 

Another useful tidbit I have become fond of is purchasing hex head bolts (not galvanized of course), first sanding the top of the head to remove any markings, then heat and square the head with a few hammer blows. Provides a much better finshied look for minimal effort. I have also found the same wrench that fit the hex, almost always works on the squared.

 

 

[rockstar.esq]

A bucket of sand or sawdust will remove oil on parts.  If you work it around, it'll even polish a little provided your sand isn't too oily.  That same bucket of sand can hold long parts upright for painting.