Jump to content
I Forge Iron

What did you do in the shop today?


Recommended Posts

I started on a new gas forge on Saturday.
So far i've got the main body welded up, with channels on the front and back to hold soft fire bricks for adjustable doors.

Also got the ceramic fibre stuffed in and fairly well saturated in ridigidiser. Still waiting for delivery of the refractory cement (and a new holesaw to cut an opening for the burner).

sGDCHLS.jpg

Unfortunately i've ran out of mig wire, cutting discs, and suitable plate to finish up a few more bits on it (handle on the top, few bits of thicker plate on the front/back to close in the wool edges, and i'll probably add some decorative touches to make it more artistic than a badly rolled sheet of steel)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 26.2k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • JHCC

    3131

  • ThomasPowers

    1935

  • Daswulf

    1642

  • Frosty

    1640

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

2 hours ago, JustAnotherViking said:

and a new holesaw to cut an opening for the burner

Quick hint: I've made very effective hole cutters for ceramic blanket by just sharpening the end of a piece of pipe or tubing with a belt sander then cutting a couple of notches in that sharpened edge.  The stuff cuts very easily just rotating this by hand provided it is done before the rigidizer is cured.  If you use a pipe one size smaller than your burner flare you can protect the end of the flare with the small ring of blanket that will be left covering front of the flare.  That can be slightly compressed to the correct diameter and should also be rigidized and sealed with refractory. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ausfire said:

What are you using for the sting?

I had a bolt forged into the stinger but after assembling other parts it looked to big and I tossed the bolt on that is there now. I was just going to grind it into a stinger. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Next Saturday I have ‘Christmas, Birthday and Thanksgiving at one day’.

Able to pick up my brand new welding machine and plasma cutter. Arranged by a friend of me, wrote his welding procedures and quality handbook in my free time for his metalwork company. Now he is ready for ISO certification.

Some specifications about the ‘toys’

-Pulse inverter welding machine is able/equipped to carry out 3 different welding processes SMAW, GMAW and GTAW (stick, MIG/MAG, TIG) up to 200 Amps. Also able to change polarity for aluminium welding.

-The HF-inverter plasma cutter is able to cut up to ½ in mild steel plates with a reasonable size and accuracy of the torch.

‘Good by stick welding’ with the 160 Amp hardware store stick welder and the noisy angel grinder. Want to use the stuff to build scrap sculptures and cut out blanks for ornaments and signs.

Keep you updated with the results of course.

Happy Hans

image.png

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually had a somewhat productive day today. I felt like I was pretending to be a real blacksmith. :lol:

 

First I made up some turning cams that will fit in the hardy.

DSC_0588.thumb.JPG.262a99edff42d8bbc7e4ecdaabc6b32f.JPG

 

Then I made up a fullering tool.

DSC_0589.thumb.JPG.2bb553d70d34679b8456995995b407ae.JPG

 

Since I made all these new tools, I decided I should have somewhere to put them. Not sure how long this little fire-catcher is going to stay though.

DSC_0590.thumb.JPG.5cad10c88b484db2ffade8af0ad29932.JPG

 

Then I started hammering on this heavy 3/4 inch thick piece of truck spring I had to make a hot cut tool. I started pounding away to make it fit in the hardy, then thought "Dummy.... You just made a fuller tool, use it to stretch that material....." It actually worked pretty darn good and saved me quite a bit of hammering.

It's ugly, but I think it'll work.

DSC_0592.thumb.JPG.6b3bf18bb4c15d452cf6ae2d08e68117.JPG

DSC_0591.thumb.JPG.5e23f8d523707159974e9f38d3aa81dd.JPG

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Shady McGrady said:

Nice work sfeile. I like that hot cut tool. Inspiration!

Thanks Shady!

21 minutes ago, SFC Snuffy said:

I made my very first bottle opener today.

Not bad at all. I still haven't tried a bottle opener.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First, the bad: completely messed up the project I was making for Lisa for Christmas/Valentine’s Day. Went with Pplan B, and completely messed that up too. Well, there’s always Mother’s Day.

 Now, the good: the treadle hammer is finished.  I put the 10 one-pound chunks of lead inside the head, melted the dental foils (in a tin can on the forge), poured them in as well, and welded a steel cap on the other end. I estimate the head to weigh between 35 and 40 pounds, which is perfectly balanced by the springs and the weight of the treadle itself.

It works great, with good control from light taps to heavy hits. I’m feeling really excited and inspired.

Here is a test piece I was playing around with, trying out a combination of fullering, chasing, and scrolling:

DD8B907E-5898-4F41-9663-E226817A8D3B.jpeg

I’m going to do a detailed post later, describing the treadle hammer and its construction, but in the mean time, here’s a short video overview:

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JHCC, Construct a bar that locks the hammer head into the UP position. This would lock the end of the hammer handle at the spring to hammer connection solidly to the stand. Without that lock, the hammer can be accidentally activated, or activated by grabbing hold of, or leaning on, the hammer head.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...