Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

I Forge Iron

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

What did you do in the shop today?

Featured Replies

23 hours ago, JHCC said:

What can I say: I’d never used a power hammer before.

You did just fine!  It was nice to finally meet you, looking forward to next time.  If anyone else finds themselves on the west coast of New England give me a shout.  

  • Replies 30.5k
  • Views 2.9m
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  1. Well if that is the case.. I'm always up for a day trip.. How bad are the roads up you way? 

    Motorcycle season is coming..  That would be a great road trip.. 

I have bricks in the table to trap fuel (meted the one in the tuyere side).

as to lowerd anvil, as I am not working shoes all the time in it, yes

Finally succeeded in getting the Columbian bench vise apart. 

86CD06AE-B939-49E6-81ED-BC422F7E4E62.jpeg

Finally got around to fitting a new handle to my hammer. Broke the old one last forging session. Not sure how but I managed to get a super solid fit without having to wedge the end. 

1 hour ago, JHCC said:

Finally

What finally did it? Longer soak?

Opposed wedges and a sledgehammer, to force the jaws apart. Tried a scissors jack, but the screw snapped. 

59 minutes ago, Eventlessbox said:

Finally got around to fitting a new handle to my hammer. Broke the old one last forging session. Not sure how but I managed to get a super solid fit without having to wedge the end. 

Wedge it anyhow.. You will find it will loosen and come off when you least expect it.. 

An eye usually is setup with a hour glass shape in the eye so it is designed for a wedge to expand the handle into it.. 

Hammers originally were straight punched and they had bars welded inside the eyes so they could be nailed to the handle.. 

Made a little headway on another less paul guitar. Really want one for the sales table at an event coming up. 

Neck, headstock and knobs are not welded up yet. The saw blades and gears are tack welded together but just set on the body frame yet. 

20190322_231155.thumb.jpg.13a6d1bfba76f87e753ffba1159df336.jpg

Got a little messed up from the getgo setting things to weld the underside and wanted the bigger saw blade to be the knob base but added a piece and the knobs will fit fine. 

Still clinging to the hope that one day the guy who works in a body shop will make a Les Paul from a fender. 

First success at tongs/pliers. I've made few from kits via Ken's custom iron, but haven't been successful with making my own entirely from stock until now. These were made from 5/8" square mild, intended for random thin stock. 20190322_180414.thumb.jpg.47c5428ad1635438e8c409caaa73f0bf.jpg20190322_180427.thumb.jpg.c91eb1ac3695ed717823d1dc652846b2.jpg

moments earlier:

20190322_124022.thumb.jpg.6d48d54721f389e8206138f9bf63e26a.jpg

3rd attempt at acanthus leaf. Turned out ok 

699B8DD4-B4B8-4DF2-887B-5EE469CAB726.jpeg

B7CACBA0-DC27-41E7-966F-55C5377A7AB9.jpeg

Mudman, 58er, nice work! 

John, I could do that but I'd need an old fender. The modern stuff is small, thin, and just no fun. 

And you can take what's left of the old fender and make a Lead Sled Zeppelin! 

While working with our 40+ year old metal cutting bandsaw, the pot metal handwheel for the vise broke. I looked on the internet and found a bunch that would work but good grief you would think they were made of gold, from $20.00 to as high as $100.00+ U.S. I thought to myself "self you can make one". I found a ring with a set screw that fit the shaft in our resource bin and forged the bar, welded them together. Took me about a half an hour and it works like a champ.:)

100_2034.thumb.JPG.58c37103a7057709fba4991fb5bbfb5e.JPG100_2033.thumb.JPG.21c756396978608f51f0134ad1811fa9.JPG

Finished bringing the vise back to life. 

6EBFEFB3-7705-4497-8D6E-B471EA1D6F04.jpeg

Still need to make a new handle for the pivot lock, but this one’s functional. 

And figure out where to mount it, of course. 

Irondragon, I'd have thought the same. Nice fix. 

John, thats a nice big vise. It should serve you well. Time to make a Heavy duty work bench?

Great work on the vice, John. There is satisfaction in giving new life to something like that.

Das, that guitar is coming along well. Do you anneal those saw blades before welding? I use them occasionally in sculptures but I find them hard to weld; they want to go brittle and snap. A slow cool in the forge seems to help.

I'm still at work on the crocodile … another month or two yet.  Only problem is I'll need a crane to shift it. ^_^

49 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

John, thats a nice big vise. It should serve you well. Time to make a Heavy duty work bench?

Might see about welding up a mobile stand. I’m not sure where I could fit a workbench into my corner of the garage. 

Aus, I just had at them. There will be a couple points of contact each. I'll give them a little tapping each to see if they want to crack but no problems so far. They tend to want to warp when I heat them up too much so I've been leaving them as is. Now if it were something more structural that would be a different story. 

Really looking forward to seeing progress on the croc. You have enough great old scrap there that you should be able to weld up a small crane easy. :D

 

13 hours ago, 58er said:

Turned out ok

Nice leaf!

Thank you

made an auto punch for my press. Does anyone know anything other than coal dust to use as a punch lubricant? 

B85708D5-FA58-487D-8E98-6FE8F23FB282.jpeg

Lots of discussions here about punch lube. Google “iforgeiron.com” + “punch lube”  

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.