DSW HandCraft Posted January 24, 2020 Posted January 24, 2020 Hello to all community members. My name is Daniel and I come from Zagreb, Croatia. I've been involved in blacksmithing for about 2 years, mostly as a hobby. I really didn't know much about blacksmithing when I first stumbled on some forging videos on Youtube by accident. I was actually looking for some videos about engraving and etching and I was offered by Youtube to watch some forging video from Chandler Dickinson. I never had the chance to see someone forging a piece of steel in person, and I was instantly hooked after watching the video. As a kid, I was always fascinated by tools and was hoping that one day I was going to have my own workshop. It took a while for me to collect a decent amount of tools because economy standards in my country are quite low, and tools are expensive. I really love to work with my hands, so I take interest in lots of fields: mechanics, electric work, woodworking, metalwork, construction, forestry, etc. I'm no expert in neither of these fields, but I believe I do quite well. I'm an aviation mechanic by formal education and have some engineering background from my brief time (few years) spent on engineering college. Blacksmithing has become my true passion. I don't know why it happened, but id just did! I don't spend as much time at my forge as I would like, because it is almost impossible to earn for a living by being a blacksmith in my country, so most of my time goes into my regular job. At best, I'm at the forge once a week. I have a really tiny workshop and pretty basic tools. I'm using a small gas forge, and do all of my work from scrap metal. It is maybe weird, but I see something poetic in that; like I'm giving a new life or a second chance to all those discarded pieces of steel that I find in the scrap yard. If anybody has any questions for me, feel free to ask, as I probably missed something to say in this introduction. If you like to see some of my work, you can visit my Youtube channel: Dsw Handcraft https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp_meev00MQr1EOa7QyChiQ I wish the best of luck for every member of this community in their blacksmithing adventures. Let us all cherish this beautiful craft! Quote
Glenn Posted January 24, 2020 Posted January 24, 2020 Build a hold down for your anvil or put a piece of chain across the anvil face with a weight on one end to hold the stock while you work on it. This may be of interest to you. A collection of blacksmithing links on YouTube Quote
ThomasPowers Posted January 24, 2020 Posted January 24, 2020 I have a piece of sq stock with the end forged down to fit around the end of the chain so I can step on it and apply pressure and it can be used for differing thickness workpieces. Quote
DSW HandCraft Posted January 25, 2020 Author Posted January 25, 2020 7 hours ago, Glenn said: Put a piece of chain across the anvil face with a weight on one end to hold the stock while you work on it. A sound advice, thank you sir! I really like the chain idea/method, and will apply that ASAP. Quote
Frosty Posted January 25, 2020 Posted January 25, 2020 Welcome aboard Daniel, glad to have you. Let's see: been interested most of your life, like to work with your hands, jack of all trades master of none, earning a living takes too much time to let you spend much at the anvil, Shop's smaller than you'd like. Uh, nope no questions you sound just like most of the folk here. You are going to fit right in on Iforge. By "chain" they mean drive chain, like a motorcycle rather than say a tow chain. We've been talking about using drive chain for hold downs we sometimes forget others might not be on the same page. Frosty The Lucky. Quote
DSW HandCraft Posted January 25, 2020 Author Posted January 25, 2020 Hehehe, seems to be that i'm in the just right place then Good point on the chain idea. I was thinking of using standard chain with really small links, or maybe thiner steel cable if i couldn't get my hands on some motorcycle chain. I figure that anything is better than fighting with the workpiece on the anvil Quote
Glenn Posted January 25, 2020 Posted January 25, 2020 No matter what you use, secure one end to the anvil stump. The other end just needs to cross (and a bit more) the anvil face to hold the hot metal. The end needs to reach to just short of the ground where you can attach a foot petal to step on (lever) and hold the hot metal securely in place. Quote
DSW HandCraft Posted January 26, 2020 Author Posted January 26, 2020 Yes, that was the plan. Thanks Quote
JHCC Posted January 26, 2020 Posted January 26, 2020 If you know any motorcycle mechanics, check with them if they've got any broken chains or ones that are so worn or rusted that they can't be used safely. And Welcome! Quote
pnut Posted January 26, 2020 Posted January 26, 2020 I started with a flat linked chain. You know the kind that have about a 45 degree twist in each link so they lay flat like a choker chain for a dog. It worked but a motorcycle or timing chain works better. I attached the chain to the stump with a piece of cable and an an eye bolt. The other end of the cable has a stirrup that I can put my foot on to create tension. It makes two handed operations much more manageable. Pnut Quote
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