Chance to Connect with AK Smiths?

[AKHunter]

I've lurked this forum for quite a while, so I figure an introduction is due. I'm 25 years old, and an aircraft mechanic by trade. Currently, I'm the maintenance manager for a Bible camp, and a hobbyist bladesmith. My smithing skills are entirely self taught via books and extensive internet research, and due to that, they are relatively lacking. Which brings me to my first question, are there any smiths in the Palmer/Wasilla or Anchorage areas that would be interested in meeting up to give me a few pointers around the time of the State Fair? I know that its probably a bad time of year, but I don't make it into "town" very often.

My next issue is probably a common one, but I'm struggling to find good anvil, or anvil substitute. Anyone know where I can get/find/buy a forklift fork, large diameter axle, or other good anvil substitute? I'm currently using one made from the replaceable bit from a road grader blade. It's so-so at best, but all I've been able to get my hands on so far. I don't mind paying good money for one as long as I can get a good working anvil or post anvil from it. Since I have to ship it out to my town via air freight, I'll already have $0.50-$1.00 per pound in shipping above whatever the original purchase price is.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you! Yeah, there are a few of us in the Mat Su and Anchorage area and as many spread out around the state as well. I don't know of any on Lake Clark though but funny as it may sound I'd bet dollars to donuts there are a couple few anvils around. Lake Clark and Illiamna have been pretty intensely fished for a long LONG time. Where there is commercial fishing before it was cheap to fly parts in there were blacksmiths. You might start asking around you might be surprised what's sunk into the ground out back of an old cannery, chandlery, etc.

Next time you're going to get into town give me a shout I'm in Wasilla and there are guys in Palmer, Anchorage, etc. We'll get you hooked up for some anvil time, no problem. Keep an eye on the Association's section here we announce meetings, etc. if you're in town you're more than welcome to attend meetings, the more the merrier.

I'll keep my eyes open for something to serve as an expedient anvil for you.

Frosty The Lucky.

[teenylittlemetalguy]

It can be hard learning by yourself but not impossible. I know I really enjoy bouncing ideas off of other group members. Consider yourself one of the group and let us know what we can do to help. We will keep eyes open for anvils and anvil substitutes we normally do. 

I am in Anchorage. When you get dates and times set to come in let us know and we can work something out, with either Frosty or me. There are some others that may offer as well but just not see this post.

I will PM you my info.

What are you using for heat out there? We are mostly propane here. 

 

[AKHunter]

Thank you both for your offers!

Frosty, I have searched long and hard for anvils, and found 2 in the last 3-4 years. One was a roughly 150-175# Trenton that was sitting at the bottom of a fisherman's scrap metal pile. Though he had never used it, and admitted that he probably never would and that it had no sentimental value either, he refused to consider selling it at any price. The other (roughly 250# Fisher if I remember correctly) is owned by a local welder/metal fabricator. He's definitely not interested in selling, due to the fact that he uses it regularly, though not for smithing. So, yes, there are anvils around, but they are not common and convincing their owners to sell is the hardest part. TPAAAT does indeed work, even in bush Alaska, but it takes a great deal of patients.

Teenylitlemetalguy, I started off with charcoal, but am now using waste oil/fuel. Propane is just too expensive out here- roughly $10.00 per gallon.

[teenylittlemetalguy]

I figured propane was excessive.i was guessing you were making charcoal. It's what I would do in your shoes. I worry about the mess with waste oil, but I bet you need a way to burn waste oil anyway.

[metalmangeler]

Hello AK I have not been following iforge lately as too busy. Anyhow I was recently set up next to Krissy and kin at the Girdwood forest fair. My daughter Esther was out at Tanalian about the same time. you may have met her, she said she ran into someone out there who was interested in blacksmithing. I plan to be set up at the fair this year, if you come to the fair and find my booth be sure I know who you are I do demonstrations there, I can modify it to help you. know what you would like to see, tools, hooks, or what ever, remember I will be somewhat limited in the tooling I will have there but am still somewhat versitile. Mark

[AKHunter]

On 7/10/2016 at 9:53 PM, metalmangeler said:

Hello AK I have not been following iforge lately as too busy. Anyhow I was recently set up next to Krissy and kin at the Girdwood forest fair. My daughter Esther was out at Tanalian about the same time. you may have met her, she said she ran into someone out there who was interested in blacksmithing. I plan to be set up at the fair this year, if you come to the fair and find my booth be sure I know who you are I do demonstrations there, I can modify it to help you. know what you would like to see, tools, hooks, or what ever, remember I will be somewhat limited in the tooling I will have there but am still somewhat versitile. Mark

Yes, she would have been referring to me. When I started, it was all bladesmithing and I have done little else in smithing. Because of this, my basic blacksmithing skills are sorely lacking. Forging a simple set of tongs is a humbling experience. Thank you for your offer.

Keenan

 

[metalmangeler]

If you come by at the fair I should be able to demo a pair of tongs and maybe rough out a blade. I will plan on bringing something that will work as blade stock. Maybe you are leaving the blade world and we can do something else. Mornings on the weekdays will be the time with the least distractions, but come by when you can. Mark

[Frosty]

If you can post when you're going to the fair I'll make the effort to join you there. Mark's demo booth is usually in front of the livestock barn. Getting Mark to show yo how to make tongs is as good as it gets, he's a bone fide master of the skill.

I promise not to be a distraction. Honest.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Resident_Within]

I'm also in anchorage but very new to blacksmithing. All I know (next to none) has been learned from books and YouTube. But it would be great to get together with some smiths that are in the area and just see how you guys do things. How you guys have the forge set up and such. I joined this forum to late and missed the july meeting.

I guess I'll have to go out to the fair this year and see metalmangeler at work

 

@AKhunter. Anvils are hard to find. I was lent a 50lbs anvil from a friend but it is not really the size for what I want to do. The same friend and I ended up making a 150lbs anvil out of scrap parts from train tracks.

[Frosty]

The next meeting is Sept 24th. in Palmer at Pat's. If you want to come out, Wasilla, give me some lead time so I can coordinate with the wife and we can light a fire. Heck, maybe I'll finally get the new portable forge working and we can give it a good workout. I'm just waiting for the next shipment of bubble alumina refractory to get into town.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Resident_Within]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

The next meeting is Sept 24th. in Palmer at Pat's. If you want to come out, Wasilla, give me some lead time so I can coordinate with the wife and we can light a fire. Heck, maybe I'll finally get the new portable forge working and we can give it a good workout. I'm just waiting for the next shipment of bubble alumina refractory to get into town.

Frosty The Lucky.

count me in. I got my calendar marked.

[Frosty]

Excellent, see you there.

Frosty The Lucky.

[AKHunter]

@metalmangeler, Thank you for your offer. I'll do my best to be there during the slower times. I don't want to interfere with your business.

@Frosty My work has been focused on blades, but its "forge a little, grind a lot". I'd really like to flip that around. Forging is more fun and grinder belts aren't cheap. I've also had a few requests for decorative ironwork (cabinet handles, TP holders, and towel bars) but I'm not skilled enough yet, so I've always declined those jobs. If I can get some hammer time, that would be great. My hope is that I can have an experienced eye point out what I'm doing wrong, and get a few pointers on how to improve. If I can get some hammer time in with some of you gents, where can I pick up some metal to pound on in the Palmer/Wasilla area? Is mild steel what I would want for tongs? If any of you want to work with me on some blades, I can bring a few feet of 1084 with me when I come in.

[metalmangeler]

I like 4140 for tongs, for workshops or such we often use scrap, springs, potato digger bars, basicly a spring type steel. My main thought is that I can make a lighter tong also I can have more forging errors in my tool and not have it fail. That said many many good tongs are made from mild steel.

     Weld Air in Wasilla has steel, or Greatland welding on the Palmer Wasilla Hwy.

[Frosty]

Does Greatland carry 4140 in good tong size stock Mark? Weld Air doesn't, unless they started since last time I checked.

Jerry.

[metalmangeler]

With Greatland it is sometimes hit and miss on what they have on hand, they do use 4140 for some of the project they fabricate so they try to have a sellection on hand I have bought 5/8 and 1/2 from them. Larger than that might be a bit much for hand drawing reigns even more so without a solid anvil.

[Frosty]

Good to know, I like the punches and drift we made at the Aspery clinic I'll probably buy some of the rems from Pat for now. I guess I should call them about what they carry or sometimes have on hand rather than asking you. You order stock (O1?) for your blades from outside yes? Thanks.

Jer

 

[Resident_Within]

You guys make your own tongs? I wouldn't mind learning how you do this. I've come to realize one tong is not enough lol

[metalmangeler]

I have ordered my steel for pattern welding from outside, 1080 and 15n20, I think they are easier than some of the others so I am just keeping it simple at this time. As you know knives are more of a side item for me.

Res; it would be good to attend meetings as you get oppertunity, tongs come up from time to time. Mark Aspery included some tong work in the clinic this summer. There is of course a ton of info here on the subject as well, also on youtube though I find you will need to filter what is good from what is not.

[Frosty]

I know you've told me but I don't remember. Who do you order your steel from? I hate to admit it but I feel the dark side pulling. Actually blades are a good size for me and demanding enough to help get my skills back. I need to get the dove tails on the LG to stay put, using it and they work loose. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but the keys just don't stay put on the ram. I can eyeball the bottom dies so they don't actually come loose.

Jer

[metalmangeler]

I am not sure about your dovetail problem, I would guess just not a good enough fit. I would try upsetting hot. you will want the far end tight and the heat in the close end to be upset to size. I guess this is clear as mud.

    I have been getting my steel from Kelly Couples I seem to have lost my contact information I hope to find it again as he has always been good to me. Mark

[Frosty]

Thanks Mark. I tried fitting the key hot but heated the entire key so it was bending rather than upsetting. Your description is plenty clear I'll give it a try. In another thread someone suggested using a copper spacer with the key, I'll give that a shot if necessary.

I'll do a web search for Kelly Couples or check Admiralty. I have some nice sized band saw blade and strapping to play with, I've been feeling like playing with some pattern welding, I like the pretty patterns, might as well make something useful.

Jer

[Steelheadforge]

Hey guys, just signed up to this forum. Looks like a lot of good conversations going on. I'm 26 yrs old, live on the Kenai peninsula, work in the oilfield and have a family of 4. I just started forging as a little side hobby at the moment. Been gathering tools and found a small anvil (maybe 25 pounds i think). Found it at a local hardware store. I'm very interested in getting more into blacksmithing and possibly being apart of some of these meet ups. I have pretty much zero experience with forging anything other than books and many hours of YouTube videos.

Been having the same issue as many it sounds like and that is finding a good solid anvil. i have that small one and about a 13" section of railroad track.

 

[metalmangeler]

Anvils are difficult here if you don't want to buy new. You could weld a cap on you RR track flush with the top and slightly over size then use that as the top for and anvil, turn the rail upside down and you will have a larger flat surface using the cap you welded on to stablize it. If you weld on a box of 1" square you can have a hardy hole as well. Look in the knife making section here in the lessons part Rich hale shows a make do anvil from a round stock drop. Any heavy steel will work. a flat spot is nice, you might have a couple things to use so you can get the different parts of your anvil just not all in one block.