Bubbadreier Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Hello everyone, I join you having never had the opportunity to actually move metal, but hopefully this weekend I will get to change that. I have been fascinated with the art ever since I was a young child, and I watched the blacksmiths at the Tulsa State Fair back in the early 90s. In the years that followed, I never made the time to learn even when my mother encouraged me to take a class or find a mentor. Now at 30 years old I am finally setting aside the time to learn. I am lucky that I have an active club in my area and on this forum, the Saltfork Craftsmen based here in Oklahoma. This weekend I am joining them for one of their regional meetings and I hope I will get a chance to learn from those that are there. I look forward to learning the craft and being a positive member of the community. Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 7, 2019 Share Posted November 7, 2019 Welcome aboard, sounds like you are off to a good start. If you haven't read this, I always suggest it to get the best out of the forum. READ THIS FIRST Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Welcome to the mad house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Take proper PPE, Safety glasses minimum, to the meeting with you and no synthetics, they tend to melt and deep fry your hide if they touch hot most anything. Natural fibers: cotton, wool, etc. and leather shoes, high tops with your pants leg over them is good to keep hot bits out. Have fun and take pics. We LOVE pics. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Note, do not rolle pants with cuffs facing up either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbadreier Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 Thank you guys for the advice. I didn't even think about PPE to be honest, I will definitely get that sorted. I am too tall to have ever had the opportunity to roll my pants up, almost always they are too short. I will do my best to take pictures and post them up!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Hearing protection is good too; either earplugs or over-the-ear protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbadreier Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 Another hobby of mine is shooting, so I do that that taken care of. Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Good. If I'd taken better care of my ears in my earlier career as a woodworker, I don't think I'd have as much issue with tinnitus these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbadreier Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 My dad has some tinnitus as well and he has always been very adamant when we would hunt and go to the range that we wear hear protection. Same with me mowing, if I tried without safety glasses and ear protection he would slap me upside the head! Thankfully I like my eyes and hears how they are so I will follow your advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 As someone here likes to say, make a list of every part of your body you're willing to lose, and protect everything else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Not to mention that losing parts is often painful and annoying (and with laparoscopic surgery the scars are hardly worth showing off!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Ah yes, the parental application of the factory reset... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Soft reboot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 The Gibbs maneuver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 Mother wooden, spoon fed important corrections. Dad never hit us, he was abused as a child and refused to pass it along. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 So karma saved them up for one good thump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbadreier Posted November 11, 2019 Author Share Posted November 11, 2019 Well I went this weekend and I had an absolute blast!! Now I am looking to build a JABOD forge and use the railroad track as an anvil (stood up and mounted). I was gifted a hammer by one of the members but I was told that they didn't quite get the striking face hard and that I would need to harden it. Can I just heat it up with a torch and quench? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 Do you know the alloy? What were you planning to quench in? Oil, Water, air, radish juice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 (edited) So long as your hammer isn't dead soft it's going to be harder than steel at forging temp. and if you miss you won't ding up your anvil. Even dead soft it'll be harder than hot steel. Pnut Edited November 11, 2019 by pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbadreier Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Thomaspowers, I haven’t a clue but I am sure I could ask the gentleman that gave it to me. Shows my lack of knowledge, those are things I didn’t even think of! Pnut, very good point. The test another gentleman did to show that it was still soft was to scratch it with the side of a key. Is that considered dead soft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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