Alan Evans Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 It is all relative-context is all.... Back in the mid eighties I was asked to go down to the British Rail Engineering Works in Swindon and design some gates that the BREL blacksmiths could make. So there I was full of the joys of using my 5 year old Reiter 50kg hammer walking into a shop which dwarfed two or three 500kg Becher hammers (they called them basher hammers) chatting with the 'smiths to find out what we could do together. One of them asked me what sort of work I did and I went into "explain to student mode" and said "Well I don't work in the baroque tradition where you take a series of small elements and join them together to make a pattern, I start with a big bar and forge the forms out of it working like a sculptor with clay" As the words 'big bar' left my lips I happened to look down and noticed that my foot was resting on a billet of 200mm square (8" square) did I go red and start to gabble or what! :) Sadly they closed the works before we could set the project up. P.S. Do a search on BREL Swindon and you will get a clue as to the size. The works were designed by I K Brunel in order to build his railway. P.P.S. My Finlay 100 tonne horizontal press came from the similar BREL works in Southampton, complete with railway line profiled blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Found a bunch of locomotives but no forge shop :( Do you have a direct link? Also I would love to see some pics of your press :D Thanks for thinking of me, I promise to bug you some more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 I remember there was some footage of one of the hammers working on a documentary. May be this one http://www.britishrailways.tv/british-railways?task=viewvideo&video_id=1415 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan P. Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 I've a friend with many relatives who worked in the rail yards at Swindon. They have all died or are in the process of dying of asbestosis. Just thought I'd cheer you up with that thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Danger, This man has "A press of note" and the will/knowledge to use it! A word of warning though- seeing his set-up will cause a glazed dreamy look in the eye of most blacksmiths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 I've a friend with many relatives who worked in the rail yards at Swindon. They have all died or are in the process of dying of asbestosis. Just thought I'd cheer you up with that thought. Thank you for sharing that with us, it has lightened the not-particuarly-amusing tone of my anecdote no end. :angry: Did they come into contact with asbestos that was being shipped through the marshalling yards or in some horrid process in the actual blacksmiths shop of the BR engineering works that I was talking about? i.e. was there any particular relevance to the post other than a link to Swindon, the railways and the wish to spread gloom and despondence? :mellow: I am not really having a go at you. :) The awe in which we hold those industrial 'smiths with the big machines is only enhanced when we think of the pretty rancid conditions they were working in. It does also serve to temper my "Health-and-Safety-gorn-mad" irritation when I am told that it is dangerous to use a 3 tonne sling on a 2 tonne chain hoist to lift a 250kg gate.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan P. Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Post edited for excessive gloom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Asbestos was used for lagging in the old steam locomotives so anyone involved with re-doing a boiler or working on the "innards" of the old locomotives was exposed. (as was anyone who visited the shops where such work was done as well). It's always amusing when someone's "big work" turns out to be another person's "micro work"---like seeing a visiting person's "big knife" soon after having had to extend the sword heat treat furnace by a lot to do a particularly large sword... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Sculpture Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I think 8" bars were the norm for the R.R. shops. Its interesting to think they could make about anything they wanted just by nipping off a chunk. Once I figure out my XXL forge and have the money to build it I should be set to forge up to 6" square but will probably do more 2"-5" B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
small potatoes Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 This reminded me of some pictures my dad took when he was in the Navy in the early 50s. His ship had put into a shipyard in Sasabo, Japan. he happened into the shops when they were forging the crank shaft for ship engine. Big steam hammer, huge chain hoist, huge piece of glowing steel, and lots of man power. I would love to see something like that first hand. Just doesn't seem likely these days though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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