What did you do in the shop today?

[Daswulf]

Lol Billy.

Yeah Frosty. They just think I'm too busy and tired so they get a pass.  Christmas is coming and the turkey is getting fat. Tho. we are planning on ham for dinner then, they are never of the possibility list. After cooking one they don't seem so intimidating to me anymore. 

 

Jennifer, that's a beauty of a basket handle. What size sq. stock for the shaft of it? I tend to battle with weight vs. length/strength for pokers. I have wasted a lot of time forging sq. stock down on the shaft to lighten it up a bit. It really seems a waste of time and fuel. 

[swedefiddle]

Rojo, I count 8

Merry Almost, Neil

[Daswulf]

I thought 6

[jlpservicesinc]

Thank guys.. 

It's 6, 3/16" square stock pieces.. Should be 7 to keep the twists even..  they are turned opposites to give them shine. (contrast) so it's best to have them always have the left and right twists be there vs left, left or right, right.

The ideal is to keep the left to right bars from appearing next to each other.. 

Das, I like 3/8" square for shanks..  Keep this in mind when making handles,  if the basket fits the hand well the shaft weight almost disappears. 

Just like all tools the difference between a good tool and a great tool is usually how it feels in the hand. 

So with this, I have a tendency to only taper small or short length tools that have funky handles. 

3/8" is the smallest I will go on a long poker because people have a tendency to use them as pry bars.. 

The video on this topic on the YT channel covers the basics of how this was made. 

[Frazer]

Jennifer, I like that handle a lot.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I love that anvil..

[Gandalfgreen]

keep seeing these makes me want to try.

[jlpservicesinc]

1 hour ago, Frazer said:

Jennifer, I like that handle a lot.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I love that anvil..

If I can work things out.. I might start making my own custom design anvil with all the features I would want.. 

Dual side shelves, dual upsetting blocks, radius or crown in the face lengthwise with a slightly raised horn so it can be dressed by the owner.. Dual hardie holes..  About 500lbs and 4.5" wide.  

Over the winter I'm going to make the pattern..  

H13..   

 

Gandalfgreen if you can forge weld then go over and watch the video..  It's only a 4 strand handle but shows all the steps to get to more counts.. 

[Frazer]

Jennifer's videos and some consultation (in this very thread IIRC) is how I learned. Here's the link to her channel, just search basket twist in there. I believe there are 3 videos on them.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8WRbArfgi8kSaDek7kh_1Q

[Gandalfgreen]

thanks I will watch this week very excited for friday lol been a long 3 weeks excited to get back at it.

[Frazer]

Oh, and practice.. Lots of practice.

You may want to try an easier weld to start, just to make sure your forge can get up to the proper temperature. In other words, start with the poking end of the poker, then work on your baskets, then work on joining the two. Start with practice pieces. On your final one you wont open up the basket until after it's been joined with the longer bar.

There are lot's of handle options for your practice pokers. Here's one I did a little while ago with 1/2" sq bar.

[Donal Harris]

I’ve never seen a basket twist like that before. I can see it would be nice on a curtain rod too. 
 

Frazier, how did you get the fullering so even?

 

Still not finished with it. The etching didn’t go well. I soaked it in muriatic acid for 26 minutes, then another 26 minutes, then another 26. Still not etched well.  Added hydrogen peroxide and soaked it for 26 minutes, and then again.  Much of the grain is really just scratches from the grinder and sand paper.  Tonight I may take it down to 1000 grit and soak it for 2 hours.

Looking at it I am reminded of the cups and plates  my daughters would make me in preschool.

 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

I think it’s coming along nicely DHarris! 
 

 

[Frazer]

I used fullering dies in my guillotine tool, but a spring/gate fuller would do just as well. Depth controlled with heat and hammer control. It's easy enough to do by eye.

I like the tree, very festive. Do you think ferric chloride would etch it any better?

[Chad J.]

Did you vary the twist pattern on the pieces?  

Edit: This was meant for JLP on her basket handle

[Donal Harris]

Not sure. I use either vinegar and H2O2 or muriatic acid or muriatic acid and H2O2 because that is what I have. I usually use vinegar and H2O2 because I don’t have to worry as much about the timing and it is easier to handle. My problem here is the copper. Vinegar and H2O2 eats copper rapidly.

 

I wanted to use smaller wire, but snapped the bit. Then snapped the next bit and the next. I should have used the drill press instead of a hand drill. 

[jlpservicesinc]

Frazer, Excellent advice. 

Dharris.. Love the tree.

Chad J.  only variation is left hand and right hand turns..   The turns will change based on which way you twist the handle before the basket it opened..   In other words depending on CW vs CCW will make some of the bars tighter twisted and some will open a little. 

Ideally if someone want to figure out the exact ratio it might be worth it to make them look perfect.. 

For me, clean forge work is important..  I actually have a tendency to leave defects in now depending on where the product is going.. 

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Today I tore Down one of the post vises I picked up yesterday,

i wire wheeled every part including inside the screw box cleaned everything up then oiled and greased it an put it back together 

I didn’t find any brand identification on this one just a weight stamp for 35 pounds and a serial number 1001 on the leg side, and a number 27 on the screw box, 

I think it’s a nice little vise, I’ve been hunting for a little and lighter one to make portable to go with my tiny Buffalo pancake forge,

well that an because I’m to lazy to pack around my heavier ones lol, 

I still gotta make a spring and wedge for it but other then that it’s complete, then I’ll start looking at making a portable stand for it, 

 

[Goods]

Today, I truly appreciated having the forge at my disposal. Went the change the bulbs for the headlights on my wife’s van. Talk about a crowded. I could barely get my hand in to get to the bulbs let alone release the catch for the wire connector. The wire harness was so short couldn’t even get I into a good place with the bulb out but still connected. 5 minutes later with a piece of 1/4” square stock, ball peen hammer, a little grinding, and post vice for making a compound bend; I had an offset pry bar/screwdriver to easily pop the release tab.

Never thought that would come out of my shop, but it saved many hours of cursing. (Ok, it never left the building…)

David

[Gandalfgreen]

Everything will be practice for me still very new but have plenty of great ideas. going to practice forge welding hopefully soon.

[George N. M.]

Goods, that is the first step on your journey of thinking like a blacksmith.  The next is when you think nothing of making a tool to make the tool you need.  Being able to do things like this just makes life easier.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand"

[JHCC]

And then it’s “Making a tool to make a tool to make a…what was I making?”

[TWISTEDWILLOW]

Gandalfgreen, your gonna do awesome! Your already a professional in your line of work, so your already used to working on complicated projects and paying attention to detail I’m sure you’ll ace it first try! 

if I’m wrong then I’ll just have to owe you a cold one…. but then I’ll bet again that you make it weld on the second try! Lol 

 

[Gandalfgreen]

thanks I apreciate that. Monday and Tuesday if I get some decent non windy non wet time the forge will be fired and I will be hammering away.  I think after I practice some hammering I will just attempt a forge weld or 2 on whatever I have just want to learn.

[Glenn]

Goods:  Figure out what you need and make it.  Then it becomes second nature to just make things and you wonder why everyone else has to delay their project until they can get to town and purchase an overpriced tool.

You know you are hooked when the neighbor asks why your project has square washers.  You reply because I ran out of the round ones.

 

[Frazer]

3 hours ago, Gandalfgreen said:

going to practice forge welding hopefully soon.

You have a huge asset (perhaps that's not the best word, but for the sake of brevity I'll use it anyway) having John locally. Once you get to that stage I'm sure he would be happy to give you some tips. It's said around here often, but there is sometimes, IMHO, an unnecessary mystique or perceived difficulty around forge welding. It's a process involving a proper forge environment, sufficient heat, appropriate pressure (aka whacking) and avoiding that urge (especially in the early stages) to whack it "just one more time". Of course you have to get a decent grasp on some of the other fundamentals first, but having someone there to help while you're getting your legs under you will save you a lot of trial and error, especially when welding. 

I hope you have some nice weather and are able to get into the shop.