What did you do in the shop today?

[Daswulf]

Yup. Fun when it is so soft and dull to hammer at first then when you finally feel and hear that tinking and it is a solid bar. 

[bluerooster]

I've just about given up on cable. I end up with cold shuts all the way through it. And don't know about them until I'm just about finished with the project. 

Anyway, I got a little forge time in today.  Tried to make another basket twist, but I couldn't get the weld to take on one end.  The other end set just fine.  I thought I had this end set, but after another heat, it blew apart, and can't get it to stick again.  I've done about 5 or 6 of these, without too much trouble. But this one is being a pain.  One thing I did differently today is, I didn't tie the ends together. I usually tie them together with a bit of tie wire.  Mabe that's what it is. The tie keeps things in place and doesn't let them move around.

So, I set it to the side, and set about the task of flat jaw tongs, and a rivit to hold them together.  I still need to draw out the reins, punch the hole, and dress them up. \

  Also managed to fabricate a big old clinker.

[Daswulf]

Tongs are looking good.  You need to keep the cable tight, well heated and well fluxed as you go. It is a workout.

[bluerooster]

Yes it is a workout. I guess hammer in the direction of the lay, as to tighten it up under the hammer.

[Daswulf]

Early off in the heating and fluxing process I put it in a vise and twist it tighter. Few taps then reflux and reheat. It can tend to want to spread out and separate if you don't keep it tightly twisted.  

[Goods]

Ok, I’m getting close to the finish line with this picket. I made a rivet set and bolster today out of sucker rod and end:

Made the rivet and set it good to one floret:

Finally, I did a setup check for the riveting:

Now, I have a problem! Looks like I’m going to need a torch to do the final riveting, but I haven’t bought the gas yet. Nor have I developed that skill set. I may have to go to one of the other smiths shops this week to finish it…

Keep it fun,

David

[Rojo Pedro]

Real nice David. very well done!

[Les L]

Goods, that’s beautiful!

Bluerooster, I forged the cable in a V swedge while turning it in the direction of the lay and had no problems with separation, kept it at welding temperature while doing it 

[bluerooster]

Goods, That's a real nice picket.

Les L,  I've got a V swedge, and used it as well. I started out by opening it just slightly, heating it, then flux, and tighten. Then slowly brought it up to welding heat, and held it there to allow it to soak through. Clamped it in the vise and twisted it tight as I could, more flux, then back in the heat. Then to the V block tapping and turning as to tighten it more.  It seemed to be getting solid by the third welding heat. And also considerably smaller cross section than what I started out with.   I continued to work it a high heat, just on the verge of fuming, bright yellow. For a few more heats, then started drawing and shaping at a bright orange/red heat.  Just in hopes that the wires will continue to merge under the hammer. I'll post pic of the results.

Cable, and blade made from it.

One of the delaminations.

And another,

 

 

 

[Daswulf]

I had one sort of like in the last picture happen when I quenched it but it was in a spot that wasn't too much of a worry. Other ones didn't have any.  No need to waste it, you could see if it will make a smaller blade. It is a lot of work but that is how we get better. We gave up after a failure or two we wouldn't get far. 

Just to ask, the cable is solid metal strands and not a rope center correct? 

I've been using a bit thicker cable on mine. 

[Goods]

Okay, I broke down and did it:

Took off work early, hit the welding shop, brought them home, and properly set them up. In a day or two, I’ll try my luck at it…

Keep it fun,

David

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

bluerooster, bladesmiths don't make mistakes just shorter knives.

1 hour ago, bluerooster said:

One of the delaminations.

 

[Les L]

14 hours ago, bluerooster said:

a bright orange/red heat

That may not have been hot enough. When I first started drawing mine out I noticed a couple of spots that were trying to separate so I started working it at near welding heat and didn't have any trouble after that. It may have been, or probably was, beginners luck, but I'll take that anytime. 

Starting to get in the holiday spirit so I made the wife a decoration.

[Frosty]

I helped a friend weld up some cable. Cleaned it in gasoline, then acetone to rinse the additives out. We twisted it open slightly to get the flux to penetrate the yarns, then brought it to welding heat and twisted it closed as tightly as we could, refluxed / heated and started forging it in a V swage in my swage block. We ended up using a piece of 3/4" bar stock as a top die. 

A flat top tool in a V block seemed more effective than using one of my V or round top tools. It's also one of the only times my 22lb. mason's hammer has been THE choice. 

It went right together and the sound of the fully welded billet is distinctive. We didn't stop there we heated and fluxed it one more time to make sure there weren't any unwelded spots. The blades came out well though not spectacular.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Arthur210]

Just finished fabricating a number of tools for the shop last night, made over the last 2 weeks.

First a portable hardy hole, because the one on my anvil is uneven and slanted, and I did not want to have to remake all my tooling if I ever decide to change my anvil again in the future. The surface is welded together from pieces of 1.5" x 3/8", the hole is 1" (to fit square tubing that I'll use for tool stems) and the legs are filled with sand.

 

Then I made a pair of tolls that should make shaping spoons and the like much easier.

 

And finally, a small guillotine tool (for 1" x 1/2" tools), also welded together using 1.5" x 3/8" bars. My welding is getting better too!

 

Looking forward to the next time I light up the forge. Probably not today, it is rather chilly at -13 Celsius.

[Daswulf]

Les, nice work on the angel.

Arthur, those are some fine looking tools that will no doubt be very useful. Interesting way of making the hardy hole. Thanks for the in progress picture. 

 

[gewoon ik]

Some stuff and bits I did all at once and in between because they are all needed for the same project (you can see the beginning). Also gifts.

 

Tiny keyrings for a secret santa at work. Started from 6mm round. Not really happy with them, they look a bit hasty made (what is the case). Maybe I redo them, it i have time (stay tuned for some more hasty made keyrings)

A tool for twisting. The square is for 20mm, the round needs to become square 22mm.

I made it from mild steel some 40x10 strip of i think 360mm in length. Draw out the handles by hand to round 12, it is a bit tapered because 1/ lazyness and tiring and 2/ strength. 

I made also a very cute and tiny springfuller to fuller the transitions from flat to square. 

I have some space for other squares. No need for them at this moment, so no holes. The stump needs to dry first so it can become my new anvil stand, the one now is to high)

 

 

Tongs for 20mm. Perfect for 20mm square or 20mm flat. Big stuff.

made the hooks at the end wrong, will redo them. I like how they feel.

they are made out of 20mm square a piece I was given. And since most tongs start from 20mm, I decided to make 20mm tongs (and buy 6m of square 20). Reigns are forgewelded on (I'm not an idiot trying to draw these out, i have 12mm round laying around). Welded in coalfire, my gasforge is no good for welding. 

Have to cut to length.

So my project involves *drumroll*

square 20mm that needs to be twisted. The shovel i made needs handle and i will make a twisted one that i will rivet to the tool.

[BillyBones]

That is how about all my tings are done. Heck i do not even usually forge weld, just break out the little stick welder and i am done. They are ugly but they work. I did recently make a couple sets of small light duty tongs but they were made from 3/8" (10mm) round bar so no drawing out. 

 

[gewoon ik]

had to forgeweld a firepoker for my teacher.

First the baskethandle, than the ball at the end and than the piece that will become the poker itself. (i have to take a picture of the finished product as well, now i think about it)

So i just trow the tongparts in the fire as well and voila.

i have a tendency of working all my steel in the coalfire at the edge of no-sparks (and unfortunatly sometimes over), so the forgewelding part is "easy" for me somehow. To the frustration of a lot of my collegues. 

[Goods]

Well it’s finally done!

There are definitely things that can be improved on, but there were a lot of firsts in this for me. Definitely a learning experience!

Keep it fun,

David

[Arthur210]

Very nice!

Good(s) job!

[JHCC]

A little repoussé on the road:

 Also, not my own work (obviously), but here are a couple of interesting artifacts I saw in the museum of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO. 

On a side note, my hotel room has the most horrible faux-RR-spike hooks ever:

[Hefty]

So much amazing work on here recently, I can't keep up! Well done everyone! Goods, I love the picket!

I'm not great at the "today" part of "what did you do in the shop today?", but here is my latest work:

At the end of last week I ran a group activity at our staff community building day making copper split crosses. 4 x 1 hour long sessions with 4 or 5 in a group. They did all the hacksawing and most of the bending and hammering, I annealed the pieces for them as required with the oxy/acetylene torch and water. Only two that didn't turn out as planned and both were salvageable as smaller crosses. Here's one group's achievements:

It was great fun teaching teachers and support staff a more hands-on subject!

And with a spare piece, I tested out some decorative punching and made one that I will give to the lady who will be our new chaplain. (still need to polish it).

Cheers,

Jono.

[BillyBones]

Goods, 100 more and you will have a nice bit of porch railing. Very nice job. 

[bluerooster]

Went to the scrapyard today, found a bucket full of 3' x 5/8" square stock, but was already spoken for. 

Came back and worked at cleaning up the shop. Found and fixed a fuel leak in the shop heater. Small pinhole on the bottom of the tank, causing diesel to soak into the wood floor.  

Then out to the forge to draw out the reins on the tong project. For some reason the camera can see in the dark better than I can.  I thought I had them in pretty good shape, the camera tells me there's more work to be done.  Guess I need to put a light in the smithy.