ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I'm still trying to get Twisted Willow to do a load to Quad-State! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothman_c3w Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I really appreciate the tips and input y'all. Frosty, I noticed the creasing on the sides as I dished and hammered it out as I went. I'll have to practice more on that to get more of a curl up, I reckon. I am not a fan of rigid handles either, but pipe is all I had laying around at the moment. To answer your question, I have a swage block from Holland Anvil that I used for the dishing. JHCC, I think I have some 16-ga laying around somewhere, I'll try that. I have been thinking about getting a fly press for quite some time, I just don't have a lot of space. Since the fly press makes larger bowls from the same blanks compared to dishing, that tells me there is more stretching and thinning happening in the metal. Do you plan to start with heavier gauge material to make up for that or is that not an issue? I like a heavy, solid feel to a bowl, but I'm trying to strike a balance between thickness and workability. BillyBones, the hall tree looks great, is it pretty stable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shainarue Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Nice hall tree Billy! Mothman, I think the pan looks good - especially knowing it's your first. FWIW, I can't see where the weld might have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lary Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 That's some real clean forging Mothman. Pretty nice Billy, that type of project really tests your ability to make consistent pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Mothman, you did a great job Billy, Your parents are going to be very proud to show that off, I've been waiting to see the finished product since you teased us with the legs, and you didn't disappoint us. Thomas, good to see you back, I was getting worried because I hadn't seen anything from you in a couple of weeks. I hope everyone stays healthy, be careful with this new covid, it has hit a lot of people in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natkova Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 On 1/6/2023 at 7:46 PM, Arthur210 said: Just a short session this morning, but enough to make good use of the nail header. First attempt was a failure (passed through without making a head), but here are number 2, 3 and 4 (from left to right). Fun! They look like mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 16 hours ago, Mothman_c3w said: is it pretty stable? It is on my work bench. I figure when i take it to my parents i will take a couple bending wrenches with me so if the legs need a bit of tweaking i can do it. I tried to get the foot print big enough so that a few coats wont pull it over yet small enough not to be in the way. We had one when i was a kid that tipped real easily. 7 hours ago, lary said: tests your ability to make consistent pieces. Yes it does, and how to place them. One leg came out about 1" longer than the rest, it went on the back. The legs were from another project i never got the OK to finish. So i had to straighten the stock that had been bent, twisted, and drawn out to start with. That made it a bit more challenging than starting with new stock. Now i figure here in a day or 2 i will get an OK to finish the project the legs were for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 My solution for matching lengths on multi legs was to forge a large headed round rivet the same diameter as the leg. Drill and tap the bottom of the legs and thread the rivet. Now you can adjust your level. If anyone asks why, then tell them that often floors are not level and this solves the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Fitting perfect work to an imperfect world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Just got back from mom and dad's, either their floor is as skewed as my bench or i got the legs spot on. No tweaking was needed. Had i not taken tools to do it with though they would have been all out of whack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Very true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Billy you got lucky, you’re right if you hadn’t brought the tools you’d be going back home to get them, at least that’s how it always works for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Beautiful tree Billy remember to explain how many years f intense study you've done to get the legs to come out that well first time. Blacksmithing and Bull shooting, same abbreviation, Yes? Mothman: I don't recall what the proper name for creasing the rim of bowl is and I looked it up not long ago. Do the series of creases as soon as you start and use the swage block, a V swage is better than round but the step on the anvil face works as does a single piece of round stock on the anvil face. If you use the V swage don't try to make sharp creases, it's the straighter-ish sides in the V configuration that aids shrinking. It's covered briefly in, "Metal Techniques For The Craftsman," by Opi Untract. Check the pubic library and maybe have them ILL a copy. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothman_c3w Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Frosty, thanks for the impromptu lesson. To be honest, I thought that dishing mostly consisted of constantly flattening the wrinkles as they arise, not intentionally causing them to start with and shrinking them back in. It makes so much sense now. I don't think I would have come up with using the v-swage technique until after much trial and error. I'll have to add that book to my collection. Funny enough, I've been eyeballing Oppi's enameling book for a while. Time to hit up eBay or ThriftBooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I just ordered a copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad J. Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Guided the girlfriend through making an s hook with a leaf for one end. Really let her fight through it and answered her questions. She's having a lot of fun with it I kinda decided I'm going to make a rapier for my next big project. Learning from my mistake with the oakeshot 12, i cut my steel down closer to my final dimensions starting with a piece 1x40 x 3/8. It grew a staggering 16 inches as I worked it down to what I wanted. I also started in on the guard. My goal is to... not take over a year to finish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Spent most of the weekend helping Lisa do inventory at the yarn shop, which fortuitously meant getting a chance to talk with her landlord about a possible commission for a pair of handrails on the front steps. We’ve agreed on the basic design sketch; now to make proper dimensional drawings and a cost estimate. More to come…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire plus Bird Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 As part of my shop reorganition, I need to move the old workbench in my woodshop that my grinders currently sit on out to the smithy. Before I build a new workbench for the 2x72, which is staying inside, I figured it was time to build a tilting stand so I can run it either vertical or horizontal. I could have bought one from the manufacturer for about $300, but I had some angle iron and square tubing hanging around and thought this was a great opportunity to work on my fabricating skills. My welding sure isn't anything to brag about and I really do need to spend more time designing things before I start building, instead of seeing something in my head and just charging ahead. All that said, it came out decent looking when painted and should be nice and functional. Now I need to get some mounting bolts and top material for the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 F+B, the end question is whether you had $300 worth of fun and enjoyment and satisfaction in building it rather than buying a commercial version. However, I'm not sure I completely understand the function of what appears to be a large star shaped nut on the threaded pivot. It appears to have a threaded sleeve to engage the threaded bolt. So, is it brass? Is the idea to have a massive nut which can be hand tightened and not need a wrench to hold the table in the desired position? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire plus Bird Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Yeah, at least $300 worth satisfaction. That's definitely the point of why I picked up blacksmithing, something interesting and creative to do. The part in question is a nut, set in a wooden, not brass star. I had it laying around from another project I started and nevr finished. The purpose is indeade so I can hand tighten the pivot. I think it needs to be a bit bigger, so I may redesign it or weld an arm onto the bolt head on the other side to make it a lever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzkill Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Unless you want to be able to hold it at a position between vertical and horizontal I'd suggest just making stops so that it rests/locks into either of those two positions. Unless you found the center of balance for the grinder and set up your pivot accordingly, it will probably be fairly heavy in one direction, which coupled with vibration may make it difficult to keep in a position without something locking it into place. It looks nice and sturdy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire plus Bird Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) Great point. There is a postive stop in the vertical postion already. It's just barely visible in the picture on the right side between the two pivoting mount brackets. I plan on building a horizontal stop on the new table that will support the middle of the frame. Edited January 10, 2023 by Mod30 Excessive quoting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 I got some brackets made up today for at least some of my grinder belt: One more step towards organization! Now just have to start actually organizing… Keep it fun, David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire plus Bird Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Nice, David. I really should make some similar hooks how that I'm redoing my grinding area. Belts take up a crazy amount of space. Is that PVC tubing cut in half? If so, what size. I'd guess 4-inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Masterson Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Wow Mothman - really nice cooking pot. The pot itself especially. So I was able to build this coal forge entirely from scrap except for the fire pot. And blower obviously lol. Took the better part of a weekend. Really happy with the way it came out but I struggled with my first fire yesterday. The fire pot is pretty large. It was smoking like crazy - I’m thinking I started off with too much coal…? It took quite a while but I did eventually get a good fire going but it was too far down in the fire pot. Seems like I’d have to use a very large amount of coal to have it built up so my work piece could be parallel with the top and be in correct spot of the fire. Questions: 1. How long does it usually take you guys to get a good useful fire going? 2. Should there be very little smoke coming from the fire after it gets going? 3. I mentioned the large size of the fire pot..I was thinking I could put four bricks in the bottom, one up against each side, to kind of hold the coal to build my fire higher up without using so much coal - thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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