pnut Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 I wonder if there's a risk of depleted uranium contamination. I suppose he knows what he is getting. I used to live at Edgewood Arsenal adjacent to Aberdeen Proving ground and they used depleted uranium in live fire exercises and testing at APG so it would make me nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 I have always used coal, and if I was doing it over I would go with a side blast to get away from the clinker issues. My old cast iron bottom blast forge will plug up with clinker. Charcoal doesn't form a clinker , so either blast style would work OK. Last time I called, a ton of coal from up the road in Utah will run $130 a ton. I am just about out of my old supply, so I will be getting a sample from them to try out. If you can get free wood, I would lean towards that, as it doesn't stink like coal does, and it doesn't give off the yellow green smoke green coal does when getting it going. This can be an issue if you have close neighbors. Propane runs $2+ -$3 a gallon here, and natural gas is not available in my valley. I forge outside, so I have plenty of ventilation. The main use of the hood for me is shading the fire so I can see the colors. Look around for a heavy equipment company rental or repair yard. Places that rent, or work on forklifts, excavators, bulldozers, pavement breakers, etc.. will have worn or broken parts that will make great anvils. Ask for items like large bucket pins, forklift forks, hydraulic breaker points, or any other compact heavy parts. Cast steel is OK, cast iron isn't. If it is a highly stressed part it will be good to forge on. Forklift forks can also be used to make a post vise. Breaker bits are designed to be driven through concrete and rocks, so hot steel is nothing to them. Bucket pins will be good tough steels, and probably in the 4140 / 1045 range of steels, so they can be made harder for use as a post anvil, or cut down and forged into hammers. Other good places to look are Semi truck repair shops, farm tractor repair and rental places, commercial and industrial companies ( commercial bakeries, cement pants, paving companies,pretty much any place that has machinery as it eventually wears parts out) - call and ask to talk to their maintenance shop. The bakery I worked at had broken mixer shafts that were close to 3" in diameter and 8' long when not broken. They didn't recycle, they just tossed them in the dumpster. The mixers also had large drive chains #80-2, and #80-3. The -2's were 10" long and the -3 were around 5'. The - number is how wide they are , a -3 is a triple wide chain. They also went through a bunch of #40 and #50 chains. Chains can be forged into billets, or used as hold downs on an anvil. The cracker factory I work at now scraps a lot of good sized shafts when they get worn, as well as bearings, chains, and other forge worthy stock. I was your age when my Dad and I got started in smithing. It is a lot of fun, but do me a favor, and heed this advice. Wear hearing protection at all times. Tinnitus is an accumulative problem. If your ears are ringing, you have done permanent damage to your ears. It may fade away, but over time it builds up until it reaches the point it no longer fades away, then t just gets louder. It is not fun to deal with a constant ringing in your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 I think it’s tungsten penetrators used as large punches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Yes, that's right. Thanks for the reminder. We actually have a blueprint on IFI about that, now that you mention: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Charles, yep they're called long rod penetrators. They're made from tungsten carbide or depleted uranium usually. Also called Kinetic Energy Penetrators Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel sparrow forge Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 I do have practice blacksmithing it is the first gift I got related to blacksmithing it is certently great and I will have to order new edge of the anvil. BIGUNDOCTOR .. thanks for the good spots to look for steel and it would likely be a good idea to move outside sence I am burning charcoal and carbon monoxide is a problem in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Hofi's are from the 6 Day War and predate the U238 version. I do not advise using pyrophoric materials for tooling---like DU. I found "Practical Blacksmithing" more interesting from a historical perspective and "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" more useful from a learning to smith perspective. However different writing styles appeal to different people. I just ran across an ad for "American Blacksmithing, Toolsmiths' and Steel Workers' Manual" in the back of a 1914 book on "Modern Machine Shop Practice" I'll have to see if I can find a copy reasonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 I agree Thomas, the complete modern blacksmith is another great book . I think the op was talking about the art of blacksmithing by Alex Bealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel sparrow forge Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 hey cool i have the complete modern blacksmith as well read it multiple times over the years even though i only started this year. plenty of learning to be done with that book. back then i started collecting steel and scraps to make forge out of and here i am now. (i was 5 or so haha always found blacksmithing amazing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 Alex weygers was an artist in many different fields and did a lot of traveling to places that it was simpler to make his tools than pack them with him. Pnut (Mike) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 5 hours ago, JHCC said: I think Hofi uses the titanium rods from spent tank-killer artillery rounds as punches, I believe those are tungsten carbide or HC steel, I don't think he'd use the depleted uranium penetrators. "The Art of Blacksmithing" by Weygers is one of the go to books for folk setting up a shop with what can be scrounged. He was a master boot strap guy. Nathan: When you start getting a handle on the craft you REALLY need to learn to forge birds, your sign in name begs a steel sparrow avatar. Seriously! Heck, start now. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel sparrow forge Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 Ok starting now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 12 hours ago, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: Last time I called, a ton of coal from up the road in Utah will run $130 a ton. A little off topic, but could you let me know where in Utah you get your coal? Im near Durango/Cortez, Colorado and getting ready to make my first coal run to Utah, but am still trying to figure out where to go. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 Morwood Coal in StGeorge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 Thanks much, ill prolly head that way this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel sparrow forge Posted May 4, 2019 Author Share Posted May 4, 2019 Just bought some bees wax from the guys who have bees on our property for 12 dollars ( quite a hefty chunk) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 I would give a call a head of time to see what they have in stock. It is already hitting 80's and 90's here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Thanks, I found their number and addy and will do that monday. Have you used their coal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 No I have not. I need to run up there and get a couple of buckets worth as samples to try out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Apparently the Utah Blacksmithing association gets their coal, and coke from Morewood coal within the last few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 On 5/5/2019 at 6:24 PM, BIGGUNDOCTOR said: No I have not. I just gave Morewood a call, and the "google" phone # is no good. So, unless you have an update, they may not be in business. I got this from Great Basin blacksmith association. I called and he sells coke. He is low and said call back in a week or two. ~$320/ton in a ton bag. He also carries it in ~90# bags. Ross Christensen, Salem,Utah. xxx xxx xxxx . I hope its ok to post this info here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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