Dave Hammer Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 (edited) Personally, my experience is that wrought iron tires run the whole gambit of grade. Some are, as Irnsgrn noted, very poorly refined. Others I have found to be extremely well refined. If you cut, bend and break a piece from one, you can see what you have. The smaller the fiberous characteristics, the more refined iron you have. Most tires I have used would be (my opinion) in the poor to medium refinement categories. I like to make small objects, then etch them so the grain shows. The poorer the refinement, the more the grain shows. If the wrought is highly refined, the grain, although there, does not stand out as much. If extremely refined, it is difficult to tell it's wrought iron using the cut, bend and break method. I'd consider the first example below medium to poorly refined, the second poor, the third is medium. Edited April 26, 2009 by djhammerd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamisarrius Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Hello there, Well it's been a while since I have posted so I think it's about time I gave an update on the various things that have followed me home. A 30lb anvil, 100lb anvil, 112lb anvil. 3 machinists vices 30mm, 100mm and 200mm jaw lengths. A metal sheer. 6 scroll swage tools 3 T stakes about 10 other hardy hole tools 15+ pairs of tongs 25+ hammers, a few really nice ones but most will be reshaped at one point or another a large selection of files and other tools thar are sitting waiting for me having space to sort them. I started to take pictures but it was getting to be far too much and was taking too much time. I also started to build a forge our of a 25 gallon steel drum but have still to find a blower so can't take that any further yet, building one out of bicycle parts was mentioned a while back and I've been considering that. But the question is, what do you all think? Oh and I will add that I have been lucky enough to find several people who after hearing about a genuine interest in an unusual hobby have either had something lying round or have known someone who could help and as a result of that the total cost to me has been a fair few miles in travel and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Good news on your acquisitions and the generosity of folk in your neighborhood. Do you have power where you want to do your forging? If so a hair drier will work till you find a proper blower or a shop vacuum though they're pretty powerful and you'll need to build a waste gate or such to control the air flow. Have you considered a bellows? They don't have to be fancy to work. A box bellows is easier to build than a leaf bellows. Then there are the steel drum in a steel drum full of water bellows being used in the 3rd. world that look plenty efficient and about as easy to build as it gets. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Coming home from Tannehill earlier this month I found a recycling center. They had about 18 old wagon rims for sale. Picked up a few just for something to spend my money on. Got home and cut one of them in half. Broke it apart and it was wrought iron. Went back and bought all 15 that were left for a really good price. So far out of 9 that I have cut up, 7 of them are wrought iron. This really surprices me because I was always told that rims were not wrought iron. The last photo shows the metal that was not determined to be wrought iron. I will spark test it and do a water quench to try to figure out what type of metal it may be. The size of the rims is 2-4 inches wide, 3/8-1/2 inch in thickness and the smallest rim I found was a minimum of 9ft 6 inches in diameter. I'd like to have seen the wagon those rims came from if the smallest was 9ft 6inches in diameter !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassomeoneelse Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Hey John, I may have explained it wrong. I took the tape measure and taped it to the rim and ran it around the rim till it touched again. Maybe the right word would be circumference or perimeter. Hopefully that will clear things up. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 (edited) Thanks for that, I thought they must have come fom the Land of the Giants. A three foot diameter is a little more imaginable, (almost a disappointment) Edited April 27, 2009 by John B Additiona size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope686 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I keep getting yelled at for bring things home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I'd like to have seen the wagon those rims came from if the smallest was 9ft 6inches in diameter !!! Almost John B. Read Caption #17 at bottom right corner for a description Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archiphile Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 A very kind fellow delivered this to my door step on Sunday. I was blown away. The only words that I could muster where Thank you so much. Not to mention O my Bob that is beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 [ATTACH]13817[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]13818[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]13819[/ATTACH] I keep getting yelled at for bring things home Well, stop stacking it in front of her window! Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 A free post vise and delivered to boot! You lucky dog you. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBurnson Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Hello, I'm new here and new to blacksmithing, so I thought I'd introduce myself in the most appropriate thread. Most of my shop was given to me by friends and relatives. I was basically set up for blacksmithing before I even had a place to set up. I started with a 80 lb and a 100 lb anvil (I gave the 80 lb one to my neighbor), a small portable coal forge (sold to my neighbor), two post vises that needed some parts swapping, an electric blower, and some odds and ends of tools and stock to work with. These items were given to me by a friend of mine. They belonged to her husband who had gotten dementia and was unable to use them. Another friend of mine gave me a small drill press and a small vise. I found an old lawn mower minus the engine at my parents house, and I turned it upside down and made the table of my forge, then I picked up a brake roter from the metal bin at my work, and fastened it below the hole in the lawn mower for the fire box. My parents also gave me an old belt driven grinder. So really the only things I payed for was my table saw ($25 at a second hand store) and the 2 inch pipe ands fittings for the duck's nest and tuyere. So I've been pretty fortunate so far. I have a friend who has a double horned anvil that I'm gonna try to talk him out of, but I don't know if he'll give it to me. It'll be worth buying though because it's a nice one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Welcome aboard D, glad to have ya. Sounds like you already have one important skill for a blacksmith, you're some kind of gold medal scrounge! Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgtwister Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 welcome d sounds like you step in a lot of poo but i have had my share to my father was apart time farier so i got his anvil and tools he had when he moved i have had many tools givin to me also it pays to know alot of people with this hob orgtwister Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Garage sales are starting so today I got a LOT of knife handles, The burl is?- madrne, myrtle wood, the base is very heavy, Iron wood? Nice hose reel, gauge and 6#'er Found the Mother of pearl last week. Any ideas on the wood, ways to ID? Thanks Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnsrgn Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Exotic Wood, Exotic Hardwood & Exotic Woods at Woodcraft.com - Woodcraft.comhttp://www.rockler.com/CategoryView.cfm?Cat_ID=1458 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markb Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Thanks Looks like madrone burl from the woodcraft site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammernhand Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 today a p&h 1861 enfield rifle followed me home i will have to make a nipple seal and brass teardrop chain to replace the only missing thing on it,good deal to,along with 1 other item the trade included a ramp hoe and a tomahawk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted T Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Thanks Jr.!! :cool: I just signed up. I did not know that I had a store so close to me. Ted Throckmorton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 today a p&h 1861 enfield rifle followed me home i will have to make a nipple seal and brass teardrop chain to replace the only missing thing on it,good deal to,along with 1 other item the trade included a ramp hoe and a tomahawk. Aw, come on man! How's about a picture!? Sounds as tho you had a good day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anarx Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 Well i got my hands on 2 leaf packs from an 80's Jeep. coil spring cut offs from a honda, RR spikes from the tracks, and 2 13" 8 bolt break drums with a 4.5" hub diameter for fire pots. all of that i have gotten for free. i have a friend who works for an auto shop. so sometimes getting free materials is not too hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 This followed me home yesterday. Deb spotted it on Freecycle and it was only about 4-5 miles from here so it was a doubly good deal. No drafting arms unfortunately but . . . still. Heck, I spent many hours at one of these and if nothing else it'll make a dandy work table. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfshieldrx Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Was going to mow the grass, which as my Dad used to say, was "Knee high to a tall Indian." Pouring down the rain, so went to the local steel supplier instead. Bought a stick of 1/4 inch round to make some wall hooks. Since it was a 20ft length, I asked to have it cut. Had a great conversation with the guy doing the cutting...woodworking, gardening, blacksmithing... Did you say blacksmithing? When he found out I was into the "black arts" he loaded me up with four times as much scrap as the piece I paid for. Then, on the way home, I noticed a leaf spring just lying next to the road...did a u-turn and threw it in the back of the truck. A little further down the road and I spotted an automobile coil spring sitting in front of a local repair shop..."Yep, its yours if you want it..." I WILL be taking some "forge-gifts" to the gracious donors... bart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Frosty, Nice table. I think that I spent twenty-five years bent over it's twin brother.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Stopped at an estate sale this morning and found this lil set of forged tweezers. Looks to be forged from a piece of 1/8" carbon steel and still has hammer and file marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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