Jewelersmith Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 This is Steve Gridley from Maryland. I’ve been a jeweler since the 70s and have a farming background and some hot shoeing back in the day. My dad and I did a lot of metalwork repairs and he passed on a good mechanical background and taught me how to make or fix just about anything. Professionally I’m an environmental geoscientist and geologist. Worked a good many years in oil and gas drilling and completions and still consult with government agencies and in the private sector. I just ventured into DC TIG for repairing antique jewelry and thought I’d try some metal pounding when the “new” old anvil that just came my way (still need a few things). I buy and sell metal and have some sterling scrap I was thinking of working. So for this I’m a beginner again. But that can be fun and entertaining. Looking forward to sharing what I can from my odd background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Welcome! There have been a fair few smiths who have taken the path from jewelry to blacksmithing — Albert Paley springs to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Welcome from the Ozark mountains. You are in good company, there are many of us here with diversified backgrounds. Sometimes I confuse myself when planning something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. Forging non-ferrous metals laike copper, forgable bronze or silver takes a lot of concentration and attention because it has a lower melting point than iron or steel. It is VERY easy to melt it in a forge. Also, you do not a have the colors of the metal to guide you for temperature like you do with steel. It will get to a dull red color and then fall apart of melt. I will leave these metals in the fire for a specific time measured either by counting ("one, one thousand, two one thousand, etc. or, if I'm using my coal forge, the number of turns of the blower handle). If it is too hard when it comes out I add a bit of time for the next heat and if it feels too soft and I'm too close to melting I back off on the time. You also have to consider the temperature of the metal when it goes back into the fire, e.g. it might take 10 turns of the blower to get the metal from cold to hot enough to forge but subsequent heats may be only 3 turns. You have a very narrow temperature window where the metal is soft enough to forge and where it will melt. And be aware of what alloy you are using. Brass generally has lead in it which makes it nice to machine but makes it unforgable. Some bronzes are forgable and some are not. Sterling works differently than pure silver. I have never tried various finenesses of gold. but I suspect that the higher the karat value the better forging it would be. Non ferrous metals are much less forgiving than steel. Mentally I'd say it takes 2-3 times the concentration than doing the same object in steel. I cannot have any distractions like music or a visitor if I am doing something in nonferrous. Of course, nonferrous is much easier to work cold than steel but remember to anneal early and often. Things can work harden suprisingly fast. There are a couple of old geologists already here, Thomas Powers and myself. We both had to move to new careers when oil, gas, and minerals busted in the early 80s. Thomas went into IT. I went to law school. I still consider myself a "recovering geologist." It's one day at a time and you are never cured. "My name is George and I'm a geologist. (applause and greetings) I've gone 27 days without hitting a rock with a hammer or making a map. (more applause and congratulations)." Whenever I feel a compulsion to hit a rock with a hammer, take a sample, test for hardness, or make a map I call someone up and they talk me out of it. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 A buddy of mine has his doctorate and teaches at Tulsa. He used to work for Devon. Shaping shoes is harder than many smiths think, so between your experience with shoeing and jewelry you have a leg up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 I agree with Charles. Having done hot shoeing, you bring a lot of skills to your new endeavor. To name a few. a basic understanding of hot metal, Bending iron to fit a pattern by eye meaning fitting a shoe to a hoof or any iron to the pattern you draw full size on your layout table, Leveling by eye meaning every shoe must be brought into plane meaning if you can bring it into a plane, you can bring it into 3 dimensions, Filing a level surface and setting basic angles by eye meaning this is a good starting point for filing other shapes such as filing the edge of a leaf from crotch to point and from vertical to flatsmoothly and other file flourishes. Not to mention these similar skills that you bring from your jewelry. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Good Morning, Steve Welcome from the Left Coast of Canada, or from the south tip of Vancouver Island. There is a HUGE cross-section of knowledge with the members of this forum. Our local affiliate is Vancouver Island Blacksmiths Association. We have our home Blacksmith Shop at Luxton Fairgrounds, 15km from downtown Victoria. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Howdy from eastern Oklahoma and welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted October 1, 2022 Share Posted October 1, 2022 Greetings from SE PA. Don't forget- it's supposed to be fun. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 27 Days----how do you do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 Not to mention bending stock the hard way… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 4, 2022 Share Posted October 4, 2022 You mean bending stock the hard way on PURPOSE don't you Charles? I've done it accidently too many times to count. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 Yep, of corse my side of the anvil simply call it forging a shoe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 It's not really the hard way for you is it? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted October 6, 2022 Share Posted October 6, 2022 Not at all. Tho I get laughed at for forging from all 4 sides of the anvil, lol . all depending on the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 7, 2022 Share Posted October 7, 2022 We'd have to space out anvils so we didn't run into each other then, I work all four sides of mine too. That's what I like about a steel tripod stand on a concrete floor, I can spin it around reasonably easily. Sometimes I do have to brace it to use a bending fork though. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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