Norcal and I had a great forge day and wanted to share the fun.



Fueled by Smith and Forge Hard cider.

We worked on a few things including the start of a fully forged turning hardi tool for me and a few tomahawks and a file knife started for Norcal.

 

Norcal also helped me weld on some separators for my hammers on my anvil stand.

We also figured out that we have too few tongs between us we only had 6. I had 4 of them  :D . Just more things to make in the future.

Beauty! I worked very hard to get some good chops gathered at plastic deformation at a good heat.  Once I found the CBA, the world blew apart. I kept getting better, and the fuel bill for attending events was getting significant.  So,, I got some friends together, showed them what I was aiming for,  they all bit the hook, and I created my own micro-chasm of smithing buddies in my own community. I'm sort of proud of that.  Carry on, bros, and keep in mind, you can contact me, or Phil, who lives close, if you reach stumbling blocks.  Keep going 'till you hear glass break!

looks like you guys had a lot of fun!  i really enjoy getting to forge with a friend working on the next anvil over, makes it that much more pleasant, and an extra set of eyes and judgement come in handy more often than you would think, as well as the benefit of extra hands or a striker!

 Good for you guys! The more you can work together the faster you both will advance. Sounds to me like you need to make tongs next session eh? Brian Brazeal showed us a really handy little bottom die for tong making it's the correct height for setting the jaw offset, has radiused edges and a punch hole off center enough to make punching in the same spot on both halves easy. I THINK there was a half round indent for setting the rivets too but that may have been a second die, I don't recall.

 

OH I LOVE the "Born Lucky" T shirt. Perfect shop wear.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks guys we had a great time and yes Tongs are the next project. We live close enough to each other that we may make this a weekly event so expect more pics from both of us.

Here it is week 3 of the continuing forge days with Norcal and I. We decided to make another hardie tool, this time a bottom fuller for me. We didn't get far as I had Farrier clients next door to take care of first. (Thanks to Norcal for the referral)

 

One thing I never expected when making our own hardie tools is how fast a small anvil like mine can heat up, and how long it takes to cool down after.

Last week we finished up my turning fork hardie tool and made a hold down for Norcal.

And all this with a portable forge and anvil setup.

Here is a few more pics from our forge day yesterday.

 

 

And, here is a pic of my forge running.

 

Here is a few more pics from our forge day yesterday.

 

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My little forge gets so hot with that door open, you can burn your hands in a second. We used a pyrometer and gauged it at 2100*F!! That was only at 5 psi too. I wonder how far I can push it.

Norcal's forge was at 6psi and he got it up to about 2350*F.

Yet another forge day is complete for Norcal and Qhforge. We never actually lit the forges today, but we had fun fabricating a tack rack for a client of mine.

And then we had some fun with a jewelers anvil I picked up at a second hand store near by. We made it fit my pritchel hole with a carriage bolt and nut, the anvil was already threaded, and just spin the anvil till it is tight. Norcal came up with a surprise set of hammers too.

That little jewelers anvil is awesome. I wouldn't mind having one for my desk.

Week 5 in the bag. We started a few projects this week. I made a hoof pick (I try to make one whenever I start my forge to loosen up my shoulders), a bottle opener (correctly tested) with a glass marble inset into it (took it home and buffed it to a near mirror finish), normalized a putter head to make a spear, and started modifications on a useless pair of hoof nippers into a set of useful tongs. I punched the rivet out to make them easier to work on later(no Pic). Norcal worked on a forge hook, getting the bosses on his tongs just right, made a drift for tomahawk eyes, welded up more of his swage block, and drifted his tomahawk eyes. (all of that is cooling in a designated HOT area in the 4th pic) A very productive day even if we didn't finish much.

 

Norcal got his forge so hot that it was molten between 2 firebricks.

Looks like another good time!

We have a great time and that little anvil may come in handy sometime. Next week we will not be able to have our forge day, but we contacted McLellan Blacksmithing and we may be able to go on a field trip there the next week.