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I Forge Iron

Forging In July ( Sydney Australia )


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Toolish have you check out local museums and historical society's, or craft guilds in your area. You might find there are like minded people out there already. I started 20 years ago a group in Tamworth and we ended up with over 50 members at one stage. Maybe the ABA of NSW could do a demo in the area at some point, to create some interest.

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Hey guys, I have a quick warm up question before next weekend, hehe  B) , I was wondering where you guys get your steel to forge with? engineering shops? Scrapyards?

just wondering so I can get the ball rolling...

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It's not all that expensive to buy brand new 6 metre lengths of 6, 8, and 10mm round bar. Many basic projects and forging exercises can be made from these sizes, and there not to large to handle for the first timer. Scrap piles are good, but sometimes there's not enough material to make larger projects or multiple item of the same design.

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Wow Andrew, not sure how you found that, but that is an amazing video! I am at a loss for words...

That is a good look inside of the workshop too, anybody know about how many people are going to be coming to the event overall?

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Andrew great work on finding those videos, one of the guys in the Davy Press forging was my house mate and fellow apprentice who I haven't seen for over 20yrs. They showed shots of the single frame hammers that required a hammer driver, I tried to learn to drive these hammers, without much success. These guys could crack an egg under the hammers they had amazing control, which actually made your job easier. I don't know anywhere that operates single frame hammers, although I think Phil "Forgemaster" may have one.

In reply to Mr Aceman, we have well over 55 participants and I'm sure there will be registrations on the day. Just arrived home from helping clean and prepare space for next week, we had a good roll up of around 10 volunteers on the day. Nigel and Will picking up Jake today Monday from the airport, they will call in to the workshop, show him around then head up to newcastle for the remainder of the week and get him use to the Aussie way of doing things (laid back).

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Good stuff Andrew, the press gang could have all been put out to pasture with the purchase of a good electric manipulator.  I watch that and I see how with a bit of inovation that job could have been so much easier, eg a peg to stop the job rolling off the bottom block.  Little things like that, that come with something called experience and watching and learning how other blokes do things, and paying attention to the good stuff that other tradesmen come up with to do the job, and being flexible enough to change your way of working once you realise there is a better way to do it.

 

See you on the weekend

 

Phil

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Oh yeh we still have a steam hammer in the workshop, but it has not run since we installed the 5cwt massey, if needed it would take about a weeks work to get the steam hammer working again, (boiler washout, bit of pipe repair (rust has taken its toll on some of the steam traps) re connecting the boiler to the oil tank)

 

Phil

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Hey Andrew

Seeing as you have seem to have access to these sort of files, do you want to see if you can find a article called Bye bye blacksmith it was shown on ABC and is still in their archives, It was shown on 1st May 1982 on 4 corners, reporter name was John Temple, segment ID is 316410.  I have been meaning to buy it from ABC for years but have not got around to it.  It deals with the role technology has in the down skilling of the workforce, in this case the introduction of multibarrel cross carriage profile cutters hastening a loss of blacksmithing skills in the railways workshops.

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I operated one of these as an apprentice, it had six cutting heads and used a magic eye to follow the profile of a line drawing. all good till you made a mistake, then six stuff ups instead of one. We had a problem with the magic eye following the line when two lines joined each other and they did not blend in perfectly. we use to scratch the excess ink off with a razor blade to make the line flow freely and profile cut the steel without any problems.

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Even when I started in 1984, the writing was on the wall that institutions like the railways had a limited life. By the time I finished in 1988 the wind down was already happening. the only job offer for an apprentice who had finished his time (now trades qualified) was cleaning graffiti off trains. Most guys left and looked for employment else where.

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Disappointed I'm not able to make it to this event, my youngest daughter lives about 10mins from there so I would have had a place to stay as well. I best pull my finger out and get membership organised and keep an eye out for future events. Hope you all have a great weekend and if I don't see you beforehand I'll catch you at Get Hammered

Ian

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Yep was a good event enjoyed watching phil and moony working away. Good on you phil for giving that young guy the hot cut you made. Sure he will be hooked now. Waiting for the next hammer in coming up now.

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Gave away 2 hot sets to Jakob and to Yolande, always happy to give tools that I have made to the young up and comings.  Photos of the moon and I hook making.

 

7cwt clear space massey, hook was about 9 ton SWL started out as 600mm of 100 dia K1020 round

 

I slept sell on Sunday night.

 

Phil

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You guys earned it, even after your demo (which looked like a work out) you and Moony kept on working away at other side projects, which seem to be holding a crowed as well (Held my attention for most of Sunday).

I think the side work that you guys were doing while the main project was going on really added depth to the event and allowed people to see the range of blacksmithing.

Thanks

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