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What did you do in the shop today?


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On 11/10/2022 at 2:17 PM, JHCC said:

Here's some simple blacksmith math

This works for close, and perhaps "close enough", But if you want to be able to create an object in your minds eye, transfer that, in this case a taper, no matter the ending, to a real finished project and be able to duplicate it you need one more math detail. And considering the "higher math" used in this thread and use of spread sheets, ;) you need to know the weight of parent stock per lineal foot or inch. Now you can compare the volume/weight/mass of your imagined object to its matching volume/weight/mass of parent stock and know exactly what length of parent stock you need to create your object. These numbers are given in most steel spec sheets and, I'm sure are in the Mechanics Handbook and could be added to the spread sheet that was made.  This also brings up another critical detail and that is transitions. Transitions are where different shapes begin and end. For a tong blank, where do the jaws begin and end, same for the hinge boss. Where do your reins begin and are they rectangular for a ways, then does the taper start? To me, these detail are what makes it possible for me to draw anything and forge it in iron. When you break your drawing down to these areas, you then can figure up how much parent stock is needed for each part. You then know just how much total parent stock to start with and can center punch the transitions and make/forge each individual section no matter how complex your project is.  And duplicate it anytime you need if you keep your drawings and notes.

As for scale loss, unless you are a total nube and beating your work to death with too many heats, scale is not a factor. 

Edit: what I mean by weight of parent stock per lineal length is how much does say 1/2" square stock weigh per inch? Same for 1" etc.

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True, which is why I started my post how I did. And also it's very situational. If I'm forging a taper in a 2' fire poker, I do as you suggest, but if I'm figuring out details for a railing that must fit in a given space, I definitely go the extra steps. And once it becomes habit,, well Its as easy to do one as the other.  

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Not cold frozen this time of year or your weather got weirder than usual. Turn it upside down give it a shake and rattle the handle. Sometimes a little something gets shaken loose and catches a cog in a bad way. Gears shift a little and if two go the wrong way they can lock up. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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I’m just jokin y’all 

It snowing here right now but all the blowers are working fine, it not cold enough here currently to actually freeze anything up,

I had just found a picture from last year during a hard freeze we had of some of my blowers and thought I’d crack a joke about the cold today,

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On 11/14/2022 at 7:15 AM, JHCC said:

As with so many issues about precision, the question is "How precise is precise is enough?"

Actually for me, its neither a question nor an issue. There is no reason a Smith can't work to a 64th. If you can't then even a simple mortise and tenon railing will be a chore. If you can, then you might as well do all your work to a 64th. ;) 

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Spent a few hours at the forge tonight and froze my toes off. But I got another brooch turned out! Each one a little better than the previous. Ashley only needs 4 total so I only need to do two more. I think the next one I want to do a rope twist so it will be a multi-staged process. Probably get as far as the twist with scrolled ends and then leave the curving and needle for next forge time. received_3359143700998489.thumb.jpeg.1d9e231d46e07c2df03797fe819d5cdc.jpeg

Temps somewhere between 25-30 Fahrenheit. I really need to get a heater out there, lol

Oh, that reminds me, is it harmful to quench mild steel in super cold water? 

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Your brooches are coming along nicely and improving as I'd expect. Rope twists are fun, one of my favorite. They provide a good grip and have a smooth feel, a popular twist with the ladies.

Quenching in "super cold" water would be really interesting to watch  please shoot it on video!  No, quenching mild steel won't harden it provided it really is low carbon. A-36 can have inconsistent carbon contents and odd alloying metals so weird things can happen. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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A couple other things you can do is use a wire wheel to get a silver color.  After that, you can use a propane torch to put interesting oxidation (tempering) colors on.  I've had folk oo and ah over ones I'd done to blue.

Once you are comfortable doing them in steel you can get some bronze brazing rod (1/4" or 3/16") and do them in bronze.  They will buff up to a very nice gold color.

BTW, the commonest and most popular size I make is about 1 1/4" inside diameter.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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Love it Hefty! 

It was a little warmer at 30-35F tonight which is good because it took me WAY too long to do what I did, lol 

So tonight's plan was to get the next brooch started by drawing out, tapering, chiseling, and twisting for the rope twist. Took me almost 2 hours just to get it drawn and tapered! I have a few guesses as to why and will rectify for next time.

Anyhow, I was finally ready to chisel and was rudely reminded by my holdfast that it didn't actually hold things... 

So I got to pounding on some rebar to make another. Got it done, did a test fit with the piece in going to chisel and called it a night. Hoping to get back out on Saturday. 

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New hold down looks good to me Shaina!

no smithing here today but I did start getting the shop ready for santy! Lol

ash had me climb up in the loft to hunt down a little table top tree she bought 10 years ago and ain’t seen since so she could take it to work,

while I was up there digging through cobwebs and dust looking for her mini tree I found this one too,

not sure where it came from or how long it’s been up there but I brought it down, blew it out with the air compressor and set it on one of my shop tables, makes the shop look purty!

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