October 8, 200817 yr No problem, I appreciate the heads up. It's hard to tell with some of it. Everything looked the same. I tried to figure out what it could and if would be made with a galvanized coat. There is also a cross link bar to a car or small truck that looks it could be galvanized too, but I fairly certain it's not. Thanks again guys.
October 8, 200817 yr If you really want to use a piece of galvy you can remove it by soaking in vinegar for a while or muriatic acid for a much shorter time, if you KNOW what you're doing. If not, stick to the vinegar and be patient, your patience will be rewarded. Frosty
October 12, 200817 yr Went to an auction today and picked up a few things.. The set hammer and 6lb sledge were $8 each, the three hardies were $9 each, and the box of drill bits was $7 (sizes range from 1/4 to 5/8, all HSS). The Black and Decker toaster oven is for heat-treating, etc. cost me $2 at the local thrift store. The big sledge head and thingy I don't know the name of by the box of drill bits were freebies.
October 12, 200817 yr thingy I don't know the name of by the box of drill bits were freebies. thingy = wood splitting wedge. or a square punch
October 13, 200817 yr I'll try to get pictures but went to a friends yard sale and picked up a milk crate about half full of horse shoes for $1 and another milk crate filled with misc tools and widgets for another $5 including a decent little cross pein, a large punch, about 10 wood handled screw drivers, a medium sized pair of channel lock brand channel locks, 2 pairs of real vise grip brand locking pliers and I don't know what all. The man also deals in scrap metals and I now have him tuned in to hammer heads and such for me, so maybe, just maybe there is more to come?
October 14, 200817 yr I bought about 20 lbs of steel round and flats from a garage sale. The flats were precision ground A-2, but I cannot figure out what the round bars are made of. The box was from MSC direct, and the bars are 36", so they must be some kind of tool steel. Does anyone know the color codes for MSC? They don't seem to be on the web page. :(
October 17, 200817 yr I just got these sorted, some painted for my shop, some for the group, shaping dies from a machine shop, all tossed in a big box, sold for less than scrap metal price. I figured some of them would make decent shaping tools, fullers, hardies etc.
October 17, 200817 yr I hope to get an industrial band saw in use and cut some of the larger pieces into manageable sizes, weld hardy posts on them and benefit the group. Just gotta make a new shelf in the shaping tools area now, always a good problem to have. I have some beautiful V blocks, some odd half rounds etc. should be able to make some nice "iron in the hat" contributions as well.
October 18, 200817 yr Heres a nice Champion hammer that jumped in truck with me today..It is nice shape with the mark pretty much 100%..i love these old Champion and heller hammers..They just feel right..
October 18, 200817 yr Have you ever taken the time to count how many hammers you have? I was just thinking that if all you guys are like me, we must have 80% of the worlds hammers locked up in our little blacksmithing world, I also think they breed!
October 19, 200817 yr Well I did a quick inventory to see how many hammers I had left after a burglary/theft last month. I counted at least 100 hammers of different types and uses. I still have to inventory another one of my shops. The hammer types include: Claw Hammers, Framing Hammers, Rounding Hammers, Roofing Hammers, Cross and Straight Peen (Pien) (Pane) Hammers, Sledgehammers, Welding Chipping Hammers, Rail Road Spike Hammers, Rubber Mallets, Masons Hammers, Cobblers Hammer, Repousse Hammers, Body and Fender Hammers, Club Hammers, and Hatchets. I also found at least 26 top tools such as Hot Cuts, Top Swedges, Square Punches, and Round Punches, flatters, and spring Swedges, and Fullers. I also have some Hardie Tools such as hot cuts, but only a couple of bottom Swedges left. This is all I have left after about 50 years of collecting them. The moral to my response is: Lock your doors, get a big dog, or what ever you have to do to keep burglars out! Ted T
October 19, 200817 yr Ted, I am really sorry to hear about the burglary. I always keep my shop locked, when I'm not here and working in it. But like they say. "Locks just keep honest men honest". If they want my stuff, they will get it. I hope that never happens.
October 19, 200817 yr Inventory!!!!!!! Certainly I'll put a couple weeks aside for that in my next life. On the hoarding subject. My three year old wants a tree house. No suitable trees in our yard. No cash to go and buy a prefab one ( which I wouldn't do anyway. Not quiet enough cash to buy nice wood to build from scratch. So I'm watching Nat Geo the other day and they start talking log cabins. Of course..... The local ply board factory sells logs..... What else do I need, Hmmmm Axe, got heaps Bowsaw, got several. Adze, got two. Brace and bits, got a selection. Froe (For shingles), spikes ( to hold the logs together) hinges (for the door) Got a forge I can make those. Cool I'll start a thread when I get some pics and keep you guys posted. Carl
October 24, 200817 yr The hot cut chisel, cold cut chisel and hardy were recent ebay purchases, I put the new handles on today. The vice, picks, and wire brushes were picked up at a recent garage/estate sale for under $20 total.http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/data/500/medium/P1070225.JPGhttp://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/data/500/medium/P1070226.JPG Edited October 24, 200817 yr by Sask Mark
October 26, 200817 yr My landlord said I could take any scrap in the yard that I want for my blacksmithing.. I wandered around a couple of the piles yesterday and this is what I dug out.
October 26, 200817 yr jkeller, thats great! Lately I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about trying to find a post vise to use. Fantastic! Nice landlord btw..
October 26, 200817 yr I got me a magenet from a speaker yesterday outta of one of my freinds truck. It was just laying there LOL.
October 27, 200817 yr No pick yet but I got a nice pair of farriers tongs(horseshoe tongs) and a pair of flat jaw tongs for $5 at the flea market yesterday Good find..
October 28, 200817 yr Recently picked up the following items from an elderly gentleman north of Columbus,Ga. He said that they had been in his family for a long time. 1. An Armatage Mouse Hole anvil, marked weight 83#, shows considerable use and rust pits, face convex. Based on markings, 1916-1927. Am considering light belt sanding to get a better woorking surface. Comments/suggestions? 2. An English weight marked anvil, 140#, face a bit better than the above. Also considering using a belt sander. 3. A post vise, appros 35#, no spring or mounting bracket. 4. 2 cast iron skillets, one pre 1890, which I hope will clean up well. All of the above for less than $1 per pound.
October 28, 200817 yr I install replacement windows, Last fall I replaced a bunch of basement windows in a church. They had bars on all the windows. I took all of them home and checked the type of steel with a spark test and cut and break test. I was quite happy to find I have 130 pc's of 5/8" round by 40" wrought iron.... The church was 108 years old.
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