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I Forge Iron

Justin’s Smithing progression. [PIC heavy]


Justin Topp

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Back in the mid 1950's my Father getting an electrical engineering degree was still required to design steam engines and forge a screwdriver in some of the required ancillary classes.   

Chipping chisels go right along with chipping vises---generally large cast iron vises used to hold castings while they were whittled down to size/shape with hammer and chisels.  When you see a 150 to 200 pound machinist vise they were generally chipping vises.

Might find if there are any ex-machinists in their 90's who still have their memory and can discuss the old days/old ways.

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Everybody in metal shop 1, my first in jr. high had to make a screw driver and draw file square stock cubes as required project. Dad had my screw driver on a shelf by his desk and an ashtray I'd cast in that same class on his desk for decades after he quit smoking. 

Can you imagine a modern metal shop class that had an ashtray as one of the choices for a required project? Heck, the one I made wasn't the only ashtray on the list. 

We did some chipping but not much at all, mostly to break welds or cut weld scarfs in plate. The bevel for weld prep was called a "scarf" at the time. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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In middle school we lathed a center punch or nail set and cast an Al trivet.  No forging though the shop had a Johnson Heat treat forge/furnace. O-A welding.  My "final" project was a house number holder I designed and used a DiAcro bender on the curlicues and then welded together.  It's still in use outside of my Mother's house about 50 years later. I really should make her a *nice* one now that I know how to...

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Huh interesting. 
 

I was referred to another book “american blacksmithing toolsmiths' and steelworkers' manual” but I’m having a hard time finding it in a physical copy. It seems to be a good resource though.  written in 1876 if I read correctly 

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32 copies of 'american blacksmithing toolsmiths' and steelworkers' manual'   listed over at abebooks.com including a bunch of "print on demand"  lots of those from India.  Also a mention that a copy was "Published by Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, 1907" I'll have to check my early Sears Roebuck catalogs for it and see what else they list.

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I’ve had an anvil offered to me and I just wanted to post it because it looks very similar to my anvil. A bit different and likely a bit bigger but nonetheless very similar. 
This is his anvil -

888D438C-BD69-4085-9C2A-0B1F6CAE241D.jpeg.cfc7f0529c0893dde025e5858748a68d.jpeg

This is my anvil 98BCB02B-3E6A-437D-B6B9-961E6155F9F9.jpeg.51cc2e49bdc2f85a42b6b5a5560932c1.jpeg

its at a great price but I doubt I will buy it unless it turns out to be quite a bit bigger than mine. Although it looks to be around maybe 175-200 pounds. Mine is 150. I’ve asked for markings so hopefully there will be a weight stamp. 

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 'American Blacksmithing Toolsmiths' and Steelworkers' Manual'  .... "Published by Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, 1907" I'll have to check my early Sears Roebuck catalogs for it and see what else they list.

Well I checked in my 1911 copy of "Modern Machine Shop Practice" and they didn't have a lot on chisels in it though they did discuss chipping a bit and suggested a 1.75 pound hammer with 16" handle and bringing it up so it's vertical at the shoulder in doing it.  Funny; in the back they did have an ad for American Blacksmithing Toolsmiths' and Steelworkers' Manual  Published by Sears, Roebuck and Co it was about US$2 if mailed...

 

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Built my first propane forge today  k26 bricks in a steel shell. Gets nice and toasty. forced air. I’ll be costing it in refractory soon. 5ish minuets to heat 1.75” round from cold 4x6x9 inch chamber. For a total of 216 cubic inches. Figured I didn’t need a massive forge so I went with a medium small one 

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FCD6AE4F-DBAB-4B42-B81C-4BE95E97189B.jpeg

BC2D13B1-0EC9-438C-B524-397D1E394582.jpeg

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Nothing ugly about those top tools.  Look quite functional.

You stole that post drill.  It even came with a chuck (though the auto-advance doesn't look complete).  Not going to share what I paid for mine, but it was a different order of magnitude...

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I didn’t try it real well but it was functional in the way it spins at least. I think it still works. But I’m sure I can come up with something if the advance feature doesn’t work / is incomplete. Even if I can’t for 10$ I can always resell it for more as a decoration or something So I won’t really be losing money regardless 

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