Very nice gift! A keychain leaf would certainly be an appropriate thank-you. 

I haven't done much brass forging myself, but I gather that you have to be careful about forging it too hot, as it can crumble. It loses heat quickly.

The first thing I would make from the brass is a small brass hammer and a drift.

IFCW- what is the benefit of a brass drift? I already have a hammer. JHCC, I’m guessing that that is a result of the low melting and boiling point of zinc. I’ll make sure to keep it low

You can forge brass cold usually, give it a try on a small piece but brass work hardens abruptly, you'll need to anneal often, about every 3rd. blow. No fooling 3 blows are safe, 4th is a probably maybe but more and you're looking at cottage cheese crumbles. 

You can move it as far as you can on the first blow. Seriously hit it as hard as you can with a BIG hammer. You'll feel, more hear, some resistance on the second blow and it'll be clear on the third. Thud, Thunk, Tink. Do not TINK copper alloys they don't take it well. 

Too anneal, just heat it till it starts to show red, you can chill it in water, let it air cool or take it to the anvil, it's good for another # blows. I take it to the anvil right out of the fire but don't count on a 5th. blow. Do you need to ask me how I know? 

Copper is fun to forge but it's alloys are finicky touchy.

Frosty The Lucky.

I use brass drifts for gunsmith work, when I don't want to mar the finish, or where a spark would be hazardous.

Ah. At the moment, that’s not a concern for me. My pieces don’t have much of a finish to speak of, and no anti sparking situations.

Several of my tools finally came home from my family cabin.   A couple routers, sawzall, drill, 12 inch disk sander, and a could small work tables.  Also found a pressure vessel for a pump system.  But sure what I'll do with it yet.

Many brass alloys are not hot forgeable.  Still pretty stuff though.

I think that most people here probably already know this but I'll mention it for new folk who may not.  Generally, the reason that brass will no forge hot is that most brass alloys contain lead which makes the alloy softer for machining.  When heated, the lead melts at a comparatively low temperature and causes the metal to crumble when hit.  I have yet to encounter a brass (copper + zinc) alloy I could hot forge.  Bronze (copper + tin), yes but it has to be the correct alloy.  I just assume that any scrap brass I find will have to be cold worked or cast, not forged. 

If you are buying new metal from a supplier ask for the alloy content or, if they don't know, find the alloy designation on line.  If there is any lead (chemical symbol: Pb) you will not be able to hot forge it.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

My gf volunteered me to help a friend move a hutch from her deceased father's house and in return I was allowed to pick through the tools that were left in the garage.  He made jewelery a a hobby for a while.  I couldn't get it all on my bench for one picture,  sorry.  I also grabbed a couple hand saws and a few crow bars, one was a Stanley #8 marked high carbon.   

 

2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Many brass alloys are not hot forgeable.  

Naval brass is forgeable. Something to contemplate.

Copper alloys are like buying coal.  Test a small amount before buying a ton of it!

Luckily it was a gift. I didn’t get around to trying it today, but I’ll give it a shot next time.

Nice Score Chad J.!

I see what you did there, John.

Steve

Really Stash, this is like Wilde's statement: “America had often been discovered before Columbus, but it had always been hushed up.”    Well John's is probably shaking like a bowl of Naval Jelly...

Finally followed thru on redeeming a gift certificate to an online store...Aspery’s Skills of a Blacksmith, beeswax, a slitter, and a brass brush were dropped at my door. Also recently found some more road kill steel, and I bought a couple bags of coal from a local supplier.

While riding the train home, glanced down when we stopped unexpectedly and saw this steel on the adjacent track. Looks like some large two person tongs for lifting track? And some thick plate. This is an active track and property cannot be taken. It is strange though how they just seem to abandon bits and pieces along the way and never seem to clean up when they’re done working on the track.

The tongs appear to me to be rail lifting tongs.  Two workers each take a side of the tongs and the weight of the rail holds the tongs together.  With the weight of modern rail 2 workers can only carry a fairly short piece of track.  The flat, rusty pieces of steel look like fish plates used to bolt lengths of track together.

If the windows of the train opened I'd be a bit tempted to have a strong magnet on a piece of shroud cord and go steel fishing out the window at opportune moments. ;-)

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

With the spread of the tongs I would say wooden tie moving tongs, not rail.

The set of rail tongs I have, the bits are shaped to fit around the top of the rail, I agree that those look like sleeper bits.

Mail call!

Wow that was quick. Seems like you just ordered it a few days ago.

Ordered the 19th, arrived on the 22nd. Of course, my torch is still on backorder from ESAB until the middle of May, but at least now I can figure out the best way to attach the gas saver to my welding cart/torch stand.

On 4/18/2021 at 11:25 PM, JHCC said:

Naval brass is forgeable. Something to contemplate.

I have a large supply of Naval Lint, but alas, no Naval Brass.

This old hewing axe, finnish pattern:

 

And this compressor block I am getting tomorrow, rebuilding my compressor with something heftier