Pat Masterson Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 On 4/12/2022 at 11:57 PM, ThomasPowers said: By "traditional looking firepot" do you mean the cast iron ones that have been used for about 150 years or the "trench" firepots that have been in use 3000 years? I would assume the fact that I’m pretty new to this means that “traditional” is different to me than others but I mean something like this. If I could find enough scrap 1/2” plate I think I could weld one of these up. Would 3/8 be thick enough? Probably not I’m assuming. On 4/13/2022 at 4:43 PM, ThomasPowers said: Are you kidding me Thomas?!? I swear the things people find in scrap yards on here drives me crazy - I never get that lucky. That is an awesome hall - nice going. I could’ve sworn I read something about the red slitting chisel I posted about a few days back in a reply but I can’t find it. Something about rounding off the sharp corners I think…sound familiar to anyone lol? I didn’t get a chance to fully read it or reply but I’m just interested in whatever the opinion was. Maybe I was dreaming about chisels though and that’s where I’m getting this from. Wouldn’t be the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Without going too deep into the rabbit hole, "traditional" is one of the most frequently misused words in blacksmithing, especially when you consider that the most enduring tradition in blacksmithing is innovation. Best not to use it at all; if you want to refer to a specific time period, take your best guess as to the correct century (and be explicit that you're guessing!) or designate "pre-industrial", "medieval", "colonial", or whatever. Referring to a specific place can also be helpful, as mid-nineteenth century blacksmithing was quite different (in some ways) in Japan that it would have been in England. As for the firepot question, 1/2" would be better than 3/8", but you might be able to get away with it if you're only planning on small fires for smaller work. That said, buying the firepot from Dave Custer (Fiery Furnace Forge) would be a great choice, not only because he makes a good product (I have some of his tongs, and they're great), but because his wife has been seriously ill and they can use the income. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Ditto John on the firepot, 3/8" will work fine until you find some 1/2" to make one from. Also about helping support Dave Custer, he's the kind of man I'd be proud to know, as good as they get. Rounding the corners of the blade and up the shaft of the bade makes for a better chisel. Curving the profile of the cutting edge similar to an axe blade makes it much easier to control long cuts say incising a bar for a rope twist. It also penetrates more easily if you're parting or slitting stock. If you look at the pic you posted you can see how the chisel is tapered from the edge back to the shank and THOSE corners are sharp 90* edges. Those are what need to be rounded or they'll leave sharp inside corners when you slit a hole making four stress risers which make it more likely to cause the bar to break if drifted out or in use later. You don't need to get carried away and make the cheeks of the chisel round but you do want to radius those edges. Make sense? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 "Traditional" is one of my buttons as many people using it have no concept of the history of smithing and often use it as a "club" to indicate that their work is superior because they do it in a "Traditional" manner. I had one fellow tell me he would never use a triphammer because he did "traditional smithing". As the earliest triphammer I have seen good documentation on dated to the 900's, yes 900's, I asked him if he was smithing with real wrought iron and using charcoal for fuel as those would be mandatory to smith in a pre-triphammer smithy. I sometimes ask how many people are working in their smithy as well as having a single person smithy is NOT very "traditional" at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Yeah, me too but I'm going to try and avoid noticing when someone pushes a button unless it's going to put them in danger or something serious. I'm starting a new Frostyverse tradition. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 I hear that the Frostyverse is pretty chill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Oh BABY, you have no idea! Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hheneg Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 105 KG Refflinghaus 58 from Mr. Nietfeld. Will be mounting on a stand tomorrow. Soon placing is predecessor for sale Emmerson Tradition 150 from 1995. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 Close ups PLEASE? I like giving my anvil envy a good workout you know. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.J.Lampert Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 15 hours ago, hheneg said: 105 KG Refflinghaus 58 from Mr. Nietfeld. Will be mounting on a stand tomorrow. Soon placing is predecessor for sale Emmerson Tradition 150 from 1995. i wonder what shipping to Canada would cost... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazer Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 1 hour ago, Frosty said: Close ups PLEASE? Agreed, what a tease! I actually talked to Dick about that one and 300lb #57 he had in stock back in January, but I'm holding out for something a little different. It will probably be a while. Anyway, congrats! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your experience with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.J.Lampert Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 new idea i get my pilots license (10-20 thousand) buy a plane (100 to 1.5million) fly down and get the anvil see you in 10 years please hold it for me... but in all seriousness i am looking to get my private pilots license over the next year or so can get down and visit all you wonderful folks if fuel would ever go down M.J.Lampert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Masterson Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Wow - now that I think about it I remember FFF (wasn’t aware of his name until now) mentioning his wife while we were communicating about a small drift set I bought from him. He definitely makes great products so for that reason plus his wife being ill he’ll be my go-to eBay seller. He makes an entire coal forge set up to go with fire pot that looks really awesome - maybe my next bonus will go towards that. Thanks for the advice on the scarfing and welding guys. I also think my coffee can type has forge has something to do with it. I know it can get to forge welding temps because I’ve done it but the way I’m set up just makes pulling two pieces out at the perfect time for a drop the tongs weld really awkward. And sometimes it just runs really weird out of no where. It’ll seem as if there’s an incredibly strong wind blowing through it from back to front but there will be next to no wind and a fire brick covering the back so I think there may be something up with the burner. It’s not the highest quality - I bought it to see if this was going to be something I wanted to continue but I think having a nice open coal table where I can get short welding heats will help. But you guys are right none of that will make up for just practicing making correct scarfs. I didn’t want to post too long a video so this might not explain it well but seconds before and after this, without making any changes to air flow or gas pressure it stopped with the crazy dragons breath and went back to what I consider normal - normal being where I’ve been able to forge weld which I think means I had it running at least close to neutral/correctly. IMG_2982.MOV Oh and yeah we definitely need some close ups of that 105 kg’er! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Masterson Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 On 4/19/2022 at 10:49 AM, Frosty said: Yes, thanks Frosty. Rounding the corners you speak of definitely make sense now. I plan to use this as a slitter to start making small axes and tomahawks. I could see how those sharp edges could really create problems like cold shuts and stress risers. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 You're welcome Pat, it's my pleasure to help folks not repeat mistakes I've made. Now go forth and make spectacular new mistakes nobody's seen before. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Frosty, original mistakes are like Original Sin, after thousands of years folk have explored almost all aspects of both. However, there are still talented folk out there who can come up with something no one else has ever thought of. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 As long as nobody gets hurt in the process. The ones that don't mind sharing their exploits and mistakes so others can learn what not to do are to be admired. Saves a lot of pain and misery. Sometimes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I went to the flea market today and found a worm perfect for a frankensblucket neck bolt/electrode. It was part of an industrial motorized chain fall. Vendor said 5$ and then asked me if I knew what it was. Nope. 3$. Then he threw in a coffee can of skeleton keys. I love the flea markets around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 Found a combo wrench that both ends are perfect for a bottle opener---nice and rusty too; fleamarket in Las Cruces NM was a disappointment otherwise, 10 times the population and not many vendors compared to the local one. Hopefully it will pick up over time to where it was pre-covid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 The last time I was to a big flea market I noticed that there was a lot higher percentage of vendors selling cheap Chinese junk and fewer selling good used stuff than there used to be. Possibly a sign of the times. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 I miss good flea markets, I haven't been to one in probably 20 years. <sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leather Bill Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 The best flea market around here is an annual event that started about 5 years ago and grows every year. Starting in a small village at daybreak, vendors are set to serve coffee and various other food and drink. A booth sells brochures and maps of the 40 mile drive on which sellers are located(booth proceeds go to non-profits). Sellers are set up in their yard or on roadside short distance from home. Lots of sellers bring out items to display and post a list of collections, large items and other things available but not displayed. Sellers that wouldn't spend time hauling things to central locations and the few that do never take everything they are interested in selling. Pretty much fashioned after neighborhood garage sales but includes many farmsteads and rural households that tend to have more strorage space,indoors and outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 Speaking of flea markets, one of my spy’s stopped by the shop a couple days ago to tell me about a big lever operated blower he saw in a junk store and apparently there is also a weird looking anvil, He asked about the anvil and they told him it was a railroad anvil, I was skeptical thinking it was just a beat up ol bridge anvil from the oil fields, those pop up from time to time here locally so I pulled out AinA and showed him a picture of a bridge anvil and he said no it didn’t look like that, so I flipped through an show him a picture of a railroad anvil and he said yes it looked more like like that, that perked my interest, because I’ve never seen one in person before, so I attempted to go have a look yesterday but they were closed, imma have to run over there sometime this week an see what kinda anvil it really is an how much their asking I don’t really need a railroad anvil but I hate the thought of it being cold an all alone in a junk store If that what it actually is, I believe it would be much happier in a smithy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 Next TW will be wanting a Railroad to go with the anvil... My large Fisher came from a RR repair shop, it was the anvil for a Blacker Power hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 Funny you mention that Thomas… a few months ago I saw a small steam powered locomotive with Several passenger cars a coal car, an I think a caboose too! Not to far away over in Muskogee, Also it all came with 2000+ foot of track and everything needed to make it all work, My guess is, it came outta a theme Park years ago, the asking price was a bit outta my toy fund range though at $15000 my wife asked what on earth I’d do with a small train an railroad an I said I’d just set it up in the field and take Max an his friends for train rides! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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