TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 My first attempt at a hot dog roaster, next time I’m gonna use 3/8” instead of 1/2” also next time I’m gonna use a hacksaw instead of and angle grinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Or a hot chisel, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 JHCC, I tried the hot cut first, a few times and all I did was make a mess of it every time. I definitely need more practice trying to get a good center cut using the hot cut. I just got frustrated and used the hot cut to shear off the botched part, and then I thought I’d be smart and use the angle grinder…. I didn’t get it very centered either. lol. So that’s what led me to think about using the hacksaw so I could go slow and get a centered clean cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Try doing your initial shaping, letting the blank cool, and then using a cold chisel to mark where you want the cut. That will give you a good starting place for the hot chisel in exactly the place where you want it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Thanks JHCC, I’ll definitely try that on the next one, that sounds like a lot better and faster idea than a hacksaw! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 A nice sharp cold chisel and center punch are good ways to mark for cuts and holes they can be seen and felt on screaming HOT steel. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Cocker Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 23 hours ago, Ted Ewert said: New flag holder on a piece of redwood. I love that design I hope you don't mind that I plan on stealing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 That's a great first fork TW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 My guess is a cistern cover. Very similar to the cover on one of mine: David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Thank you Daswulf! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Cannon Cocker said: I love that design I hope you don't mind that I plan on stealing it! Thanks, be my guest. TW, if I'm making something that needs material divided, if possible, I pound it flat first, then cut it. Much easier to get the material accurately divided and cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 I was leaning towards cistern myself. Watched a video of john Switzer (?) at the Black Bear Forge making a flower. So here is my take on one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 That’s a nice flower BillyBones! Ted Ewert, thank you for the tip I hadn’t thought of that either. I will definitely use all of yalls ideas when I do the next one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lary Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Playing around with consistency. These were bolts and washers that go through wooden spools. Turned them into swivel hooks. Another Black Bear forge idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 TW, another good trick is to do the basic tapering before you cut the split. For example, see the first three and a half minutes of this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Boy he makes that’s look easy compared to what I was doing lol, thanks JHCC. I think I’m gonna try make me a hot cut chisel too that looks like he has a lot more control over the cut, than me guesstimating where the center is on the hot cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Cutting a line; you need a hot cut with a rocker edge to it so you can start it inclined in a previous cut and then bring the chisel more to the vertical and then inclined the other way. Helps prevent second cuts. Also having a good hold down helps a lot. I use a chain with a step bar on the end as it's fast to engage so you lose less heat. My favorite hot cut for this was made from a S-1 pharmaceutical punch. Resists deformation when cutting hot metal very well indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Masterson Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Billybones and lary - I’m big on black bear forge also. He’s definitely the channel most responsible for me actually starting to smith. Good stuff. I put 8 more pieces into the frame of the sphere for the globe this weekend and got the continents finished up as far as cutting out and grinding. I think I’ll have to sand them to have a decent finish and I think they’re going to end up being a little small but that’s ok - I definitely plan to make another one. The new pieces are 3/16” where the old ones are 1/4”. They’re out of whack enough that the different size isn’t really isn’t affecting much. It’s only a good sphere until you get up close lol. I notice that the Great Lakes look I carved out the letters TV also - really don’t like that lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalfgreen Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Woohoo. Just got a car port to turn into my shop area. Time to get this started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Congratulations Gandalfgreen! Cant wait to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 "all sooted up on the underside and with dings from banging long pieces of stock into it!" Fixed that for you TW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Thanks Thomas lol, well my shop building is used for my business my blacksmith shop has to live under a Osage orange tree with wisteria twisted in for now. it’s a pain walking back an forth when you forget something and in reverse it’s a pain when I’m trying to bring in a machine for repair and I have to move a ton of blacksmith stuff, so I need to either build another building for the business and then convert this one into a blacksmith shop or I need to copy Gandalfgreen and get me a carport so I can have a temporary designated area for all the blacksmith tools. But if I don’t quit dragging home rusty “stuff” every other weekend I don’t think any building is gonna be big enough to do any kind of work in lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalfgreen Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 That osage orange tree sounds nice always wanted a piece to make a bow with. I am about put together the carport now waiting on my help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 “Under the spreading Osage Orange tree….” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 "How big a building do I need to do blacksmithing?" "You need one *twice* the size of the one you have." Out here my shop started as 20'x30' and I had to sell an irreplaceable item to pay for that. Then I added on another 20'x30' on the cheap: (Free utility poles, free hail damaged propanel and overruns from replacing hail damaged propanel, gravel from the arroyo floor,...) Once the Electricity is in I'm thinking of adding a 20x15' carport to the front of it... "Under the spreading bodark tree" scans better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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