Chance to Connect with AK Smiths?

[Resident_Within]

cool, I'll be seeing you guys there.

[Frosty]

This question just came up again and I failed to answer it. Our meetings are open, everybody is welcome to come and participate in everything but club business. Watch the demos, meet the gang, tell tall tales, take a slash at doing some smithing, check out the tools and equipment, get addicted to smithing, etc. We typically have several stations set up and experienced guys to help you if you want.

If you want to be in the studio while we're working metal you MUST have safety gear, safety glasses, natural fiber clothing, cotton, wool, etc. synthetics melt on contact with anything hotter than about 300f tough HOT steel, chips, scale, etc. and it melts, sticks to your hide and deep fries you. It's a BAD experience.  Leather boots are a BIG PLUS, your pants legs outside the tops helps shed hot drops so they don't fall INTO your shoes.

Got it? Eye protection is a HARD MUST HAVE and WEAR. Natural fiber clothing is HIGHLY recommended. Ear protection is up to you but a good thing. Gloves are something you'll probably want, gas forges tend to get everything hot that gets near the door. I don't have hair on my left hand for a reason.

Be there or be square.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Wulfe]

I joined the group once upon a time, is there any way to see if I'm still in? Do you drop members due to inactivity over time?

[Resident_Within]

good to know Frosty. So it starts at 9 and ends when? I have some things I have to do in the early morning out near Sutton but plan to swing by when I am done.

I usually wear welding type gloves, long jeans that cover my boots and a thick hoody. and safety glasses of course. will that be good enough?

[Frosty]

8 hours ago, Wulfe said:

I joined the group once upon a time, is there any way to see if I'm still in? Do you drop members due to inactivity over time?

If you come to the meeting Pat can tell you if you're current. Membership is by yearly dues, $25.00/ year. No penalties and I don't think we send out notices. Would you like to be THE guy who does that sort of thing? You should be sure to attend from now on or we'll elect you, that's how I became president I had to go to the bathroom and came back to the meeting president.

3 hours ago, Resident_Within said:

good to know Frosty. So it starts at 9 and ends when? I have some things I have to do in the early morning out near Sutton but plan to swing by when I am done.

I usually wear welding type gloves, long jeans that cover my boots and a thick hoody. and safety glasses of course. will that be good enough?

It's this Saturday ,09/25/16 at Arctic Fires Bronze on Springer Lp road. The hoody isn't all  natural fibers it'll melt and burn heck out of you if, when you come in contact with HOt stuff. Have a flannel shirt?

Looking forward to seeing everybody SAturday.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Wulfe]

Where can i get soft firebrick? Was it at Ej Bartels? I'm fairly sure this was answered at the meeting today, but I don't remember. 

                                                            -Tyler Myrvold

[Frosty]

Yes,, E J Bartell now called "Distribution International."

Frosty The Lucky.

[Brandon1986]

Hello, I am working my way into this hobby. I hope this is a good place to ask a couple questions of you folks who live in my area.  I know just about nothing about this, just that the concept intrigues me and I already have most of the tooling I think I will need to get started.  The only thing I lack is a decent forge, and there is a guy on craigslist that I will be buying one from as soon as he gets that done.  I have a stack of excavator cutting edges welded together for an anvil weighing between 150-200#... rudimentary but from what I have read functional.  I noticed I missed a meeting yesterday in which I might have been able to learn some basics of the craft.  Is there any other meetings or public booths (such as the one at the fair run by a member of this forum if I am not mistaken) in the upcoming future that I would be able to attend.  My end goal is to be able to make decent blades to give to friends and family for Christmas birthdays ect.. Any help or pointers in a direction would be helpful, thanks in advance

Brandon

[Resident_Within]

Had a great time at the meeting yesterday. Got to know quite a few local smiths and learned a lot. I was not expecting to see so many people there. But it was my first meeting so I really did not know what to expect.

 

Looking forward to the one on Nov 5th.

Hey Brandon, I'm no pro at all but I made my own forge and anvil with a friend of mine (and his property heh) to give this craft a try and I am glad I did. totally worth it. I will say don't be discouraged if the first thing you make isn't what you had in mind. Try different things, different metals. I would even suggest buying some rebar and hammer that into blades, add some curves and such. It really helped me with hammer control and shaping a blade. I am now planning to move on to some other metals like rail road spikes, leaf springs and coil springs.

Even if you miss a meeting or two, I am sure some of the local smiths wouldn't mind letting you see the setup they use or help you with your own. I use a coal forge and hand crank blower. But I discovered yesterday that most of the guys are using propane. Which isn't a bad idea. It lets you decide how long you plan your forge sessions. Since I use coal, my forging sessions are usually several hours.

[Brandon1986]

My family owns Fischer Bros Excavation, and we do our own fabricating and maintenance.  That said I have scads of high carbon scrap steel hanging around, piles of rebar chunks of track pads that have been cut down, used cutting edges.  I stumbled across a piece of fresh cutting edge that was trimmed off about 1"x1"x6" I was thinking about trying to make a blade out of, and I will be buying a propane forge

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Brandon, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header it'll make it a LOT easier to hook up with Iforge members within visiting distance. I'm on Vine road.

Cutting edges wear pads and track pads are all high tungsten content designed for wear resistance and are pretty much useless stock in a smithy. Not only doesn't it forge worth spit you need diamond wheels and belts to grind it, worse it won't grind to a fine edge the tungsten carbide particles prevent it. It's like trying to polish sandstone.

However, construction equipment wears out LOTS of good stock, hinge pins for instance are typically 4140 chrome moly steel and are highly desirable for hammers, bottom tools, dies and if you buy or build one power hammer tooling.

NO, do NOT buy a stick of rebar to teach yourself basic forging techniques, it's WAY too inconsistent. Hit Greatland welding and steel or the Palmer Machine shop and buy a stick or two of hot rolled "mild" steel. I recommend 3/8" square hot rolled as excellent starter stock. It's small enough to make a finished product in a reasonable length of time while being heavy (thick) enough to hold heat for a good time and being heavier it takes more effort to make mistakes permanent. 3/16" round is a good size for making nails or such small projects, S hooks and decorative non structural stuff.

A good hammer control exercise is nail making, it teaches several things in a small fast and useful project. You learn how estimate how much stock to start with to make a finished product. Then it teaches how to make a consistent taper to a point with a defined beginning point. Then you get to learn to pein a head, upsetting the, again proper amount, of steel into the desired size and shape nail head.

You'll have to make a nail header first though. Using tools you made with your own hand is a true JOY.

If you want to get together, I'm the other side of Wasilla and home most of the time. Shoot me a PM and we'll establish more direct contact info. You can come over and play with my equipment and suffer my stories.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Brandon1986]

As soon as the frost hits and digging season ends I would love to take you up on your offer... I would much rather save myself the time of teaching myself vs having someone say "no you idiot why did you go and do some dumb thing like that" =D

[Frosty]

1 hour ago, Brandon1986 said:

As soon as the frost hits and digging season ends I would love to take you up on your offer... I would much rather save myself the time of teaching myself vs having someone say "no you idiot why did you go and do some dumb thing like that" =D

I don't know how that's going to work, I try really hard not to fall anymore. I could do that but it's more fun making you tell ME why it didn't work for you. I'm evil that way sometimes.

I picked up my new gas forge at Arctic Fires Bronze and talked to Pat today, your secret identity is blown. Give me a shout when you have time, a day or so lead time is good to coordinate, Deb's night vision is bad so I chauffeur in the dark.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Brandon1986]

Ok friend you TOTALLY lost me... Best I can figure you went where ever I am buying my forge from.. I can't be sure though, because outside of a phone number and a craigslist add I have no info on this thing, not even a name of the builder.  My guess is I came up in conversation.. I've also deduced Deb is your wife and you only have daylight hours available... Be that the case you are doing me a favor in getting me pointed in the right direction (for which I would be willing to pay you provided your fees are reasonable) so you name the time of day and I will be there if I don't have to work. 

[Frosty]

Wow, if you're that easy to lose I'm going to have to restrain my fun loving nature. Pat Garley on Springer loop rd. knows your family excavation company and says you've been over a time or two. He's a bronze caster.

She doesn't need a ride every day but it's getting to time I drive her before and after dusk so I coordinate with her.

I don't teach for money, you can chip in for propane and maybe a little steel occasionally if you come over often.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Brandon1986]

Ah, we work 2 crews the other crew most likely took care of him. Now I am up to speed. 

[Frosty]

Pat knows most everybody in the area, knew you by name. Not a big deal, I was just messing with you. Lots of folk know me by name and I don't remember them, goes both ways for everybody. Well, most everybody, I've known a couple people in my life who never forget a face or name. It CAN be a little creepy when you run into a complete "stranger" somewhere and they call you by name and ask about something only someone you know would know.

Frosty The Lucky.