June 18, 20188 yr I don't have much in the way of tools yet and needed a hot chisel, so I made one out of a rail anchor. I understand the steel of these is 1060. Figured that leaving a few hammer marks when I sanded it wouldn't be a problem for such a tool, as long as it was nowhere critical. Not sure if I have the edge geometry right, I should be able to test it soon to see how well it works. Couldn't flip the pictures on my phone, so they are upside down. Edited June 18, 20188 yr by Arthur210 Added second picture. Added some details.
June 18, 20188 yr Looks good, I usually don't sand the shafts at all, just the bits... Today other than working on the propane forge, I made a bottom die for the Smithin Magician my wife made. She found a piece of massive leaf spring that's 15/16 in thick. It needed to be 3/4 in to fit the channels. She said you can't reduce it that much. I love a challenge so several hours later and an angle grinder, it fits. Temp was 94° F so we both got overheated. The camera angle makes the die look crooked, but both sides are the same and the top is round.
June 18, 20188 yr Hans, try letting your air hammer bit/chisel air harden. I had a similar experience yrs ago. I just let the second try cool slow, and just on a whim sharpened the end and tried it. Still use it today with only touching up edge as needed. I realize different steels are used, but might be worth a try. Al
June 18, 20188 yr Hi Al, thanks for your feedback, did wat you suggest end let them cool down slowly and will use the coal forge to harden the C45 tool steel they use normally for jackhammer chisels here. After my humble experience only air hardening is not enough. So after heating / forging on the modern gas forge and air hammer I will use the conventional manor again on the coal forge to harden the stuff. So modernism is not everything. See also (if you’re interested) a short article I wrote in the past to convince the local contractors to offer there worn out chisels to my old professional shop. For the rest of the audience please feel free to add or fill in. “In order to extend / improve the lifetime, function and stand times of expensive industrial chisels with a length of ≥ 400 mm, it is possible to re-forge them professionally. That is to say, once the points or chisel-point/cutting edge have worn off, these will be forged back into their original form. After this, the work surfaces (points or cutting) are again hardened and re-grinded. Hardening and grinding are essential as the chisel base material is tough and soft to absorb the blows and vibrations of the (jack) hammer. However, if the chisel were hardened thorough, it would break like a piece of glass. The multiple application of only the grinding of a new point on the soft front is only a solution of short duration once the hardened points or work-cutting are worn out! How does it work? The worn chisel front is brought to a temperature of 900 - 1000 ° C (yellow-red) by means of a blacksmith fire (gas forge) to forge it back into its original shape. The chisel (and only the front -after cool down to room temperature) is then brought to a hardening temperature of 810 ° C (cherry red) to obtain a hardness of use of approx. 55 HRC at the point or cut surface by (short) quenching (in water or oil) and using the rest heat to ‘travel’ to the chisel point (blue running colour) and final quenching to room temperature. With the subsequent grinding / sharpening of the point or cutting edge, the chisel is again suitable for long-term use. The preservation of a chisel is possible several times with only the result that it becomes slightly shorter after a few treatments. TABR provides local contractors and contractors with their preserved and reliable chisels for less than 35% of the new price of a better branded chisel. So contractors, contractors, artists do not hesitate, collect your finished / worn chisels and offer them to the local blacksmith or contact the author of this concise article.”
June 18, 20188 yr 22 hours ago, Daswulf said: Those sound really interesting ID, any pictures? here they are Das, components and assembled, just need clean up and paint and then 2 wine glasses and ready to sell
June 18, 20188 yr Das, When I'm helping ID on his stand, I spend the first hour selling these and the rest of the weekend telling folks we've sold out. very, very popular item.
June 18, 20188 yr 3 hours ago, the iron dwarf said: here they are Das, components and assembled, just need clean up and paint and then 2 wine glasses and ready to sell Is this wiht empty or full glasses?
June 18, 20188 yr I like your article Hans. Seems like a great way to get your name and services out there. Have many contractors given you work as a result? Bryan
June 18, 20188 yr 2 hours ago, Smoggy said: Das, When I'm helping ID on his stand, I spend the first hour selling these and the rest of the weekend telling folks we've sold out. very, very popular item. guess what you are doing on june 30th and july 1st smoggy?
June 18, 20188 yr So I took a 2x4x1/2 piece of leaf sprig and made this today. Really proud of this one. Nothing very special in looks, but it is my first project and first knife to come out of my coal forge. That's an accomplishment for me haha.
June 19, 20188 yr Took a propane forge and stand and a travelling post vise & stand and two small anvils, (91# A&H, 112 # PW) and stands and some scrap and drove about 5 hours uphill to the mountains above Santa Fe (about 7000') to teach a little blacksmithing at Family Camp at our Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande's Church camp. Lovely weather---even when raining! The main building has a large overhang so we could forge inside of the drip line. Had a great time and will probably be asked back again. I had planned to make marshmallow roasting forks; but everyone wanted to make chili peppers and S hooks... Unfortunately on the way up my truck had a bumper bender on the interstate off ramp in Las Cruces; no airbags deployed, no head lights cracked but my little truck is going to need a face lift. The other truck, which stopped dead in front of me needs a little rubbing compound to buff out the smear---not even a dent on it. I get the citation though; in bumper to bumper traffic during the rush hour I should have left 500' between me and the vehicle in front, (so 25 other cars could in cut ahead of me that might not have been so rugged as the big old truck was...) Oh well: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished A most expensive volunteering! At least the truck is driveable, at least I drove it 600 miles after the accident so far...
June 19, 20188 yr Dang Shawn, what did you do move your forge outside? It was only 94 today in my smithy without the forge lit. Knife looks great. 1/2 inch? man, that must have taken some hammering.
June 19, 20188 yr 6 minutes ago, MotoMike said: Dang Shawn, what did you do move your forge outside? It was only 94 today in my smithy without the forge lit. Knife looks great. 1/2 inch? man, that must have taken some hammering. That's why I tried the coal instead of the gas. I set it outside the door. Still about 90 inside though. I got the baby hammer out to move it to a manageable thickness. (8 pounds)
June 19, 20188 yr Sorry to hear that TP. Glad you worked on the next batch tho. As John said, cars( trucks) can be fixed. Sfeile, I wont use over a 6# hand hammer. Your crazy. Nice work tho. Found out the air pump is a separate part of the injection mold I got. So I unhooked and tested it and it pumps great. Company is still in business too so I could get parts. Now to figure out if I could use it or if I should sell it. Leaning on keeping it.
June 19, 20188 yr Sounds like you faired better than I did TP. Glad your ok. I get to play mechanic and welder for the next week or so getting B’ugly II serviced and fitted. It has a 16” longer wheel base so I have to stretch the bed.
June 19, 20188 yr Just when do I get time on this side of the border when the junkyards are open? Oh well I needed a good excuse to start looking through ones down here. Currently my new stock seller is in El Paso and my Scrapyard is in Polvadera...
June 19, 20188 yr Might have better luck sourcing used parts for an older truck on the south side, lol.
June 19, 20188 yr Trying to get better at leaves, made these key fobs today. Also finished up a skull/monster. I've been making a lot of these lately. Dillon sculpture really inspired me to give it a go. This was forged from some kind of round pin from a machine at work. It was scrap and my boss gave it to me. Started out as 1-7/8" round x roughly 7" long. Ended up as 2.5" square roughly and 3.33lbs
June 19, 20188 yr Bummer Thomas, glad it's only a little body damage, our bounce by date is long expired. Frosty The Lucky.
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