Farmweld Posted May 16, 2019 Share Posted May 16, 2019 Hi Ausfire, Can't remember where I got that lot from as it was about a year ago and I tend to order from whoever can give me the cheapest price. There are a heap of different suppliers in Adelaide who all bag each other and trade amongst themselves all the time so you have to play them off against each other to get the best price. Galv pipe I will always buy from Orrcon as they have an aussie product which is electroplated rather then dipped and its a lot better to weld, bugger all fumes/smoke and spatter. The rolling mills in the eastern states mainly produce pipe and RHS/SHS, Whyalla rolls rail and heavy sections. Most of the black steel in Australia in the smaller sizes is imported so your dealer just needs to shop around, someone will have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 21, 2019 Share Posted May 21, 2019 Thanks Andrew, I googled all the steel suppliers in Adelaide and square bar starts at 10mm in every case. If you know of anywhere in Australia I can find some I would appreciate the link. Surely someone is importing some 6mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Hi All, I posted a while back in the Intro forum and about my JABOD but I thought it was about time I joined the list here! I'm from the southside of Brisbane (actually, technically in Logan), in Daisy Hill. Just starting out. My original plan was to jump straight into knife making but I took some of the advice I read on here and I'm building up my basic blacksmithing skills first. I'm really glad I did, I'm loving it!!! I just need one of the following, either: 1. a more efficient way to burn charcoal in my JABOD (going through too much, too quickly) 2. coke instead of charcoal (with a taller fire bowl and a smaller fire ball I gather it will use less fuel) or 3. to build a gas forge (I WILL do this but it will be a little more long term) SOO much to learn! Anyone else in south east QLD that I can bother? Cheers, Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 What are you using for air blast Jono? It's really EASY to burn charcoal too fast, it wants a gentle air blast, a blow drier makes enough air for a really BIG fire. About 1/4 of the output of a blow drier is enough for most small work. I consider knives small size stock unless you're welding up a billet, then you might want 1/2 a blow drier's output. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Hey Jono! Nice to hear from someone from my old stamping ground. I know Daisy Hill and Slack's Creek pretty well. Did my teacher training at Mount Gravatt Teachers' college 50 years ago. At that time Daisy Hill was out in the bush and the father of a good mate of mine was the forest ranger. His surname was Dennis. Do you know Dennis Road there? And yes, welcome to the forum. You can learn so much here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 3 hours ago, Frosty said: What are you using for air blast Jono? It's really EASY to burn charcoal too fast, it wants a gentle air blast, a blow drier makes enough air for a really BIG fire. That helps explain it: I'm using a hair dryer! Following advice I read on here, I was keeping it back 6" or so from the tube connected the tuyere and pointing it toward it but not right in. I think I was still pointing it too much straight at it and not being patient when taking a heat. I'm only working small stock at the moment. Not even knives, yet. I'm making forging 8mmx13mm bar to roughly square and making little leaf keyrings etc to practise my hammer technique. But, even though the stock is small, it has still been taking longer than I would have expected to get to a decent orange heat (but, being a noob at this, I may just be expecting too much). 1 hour ago, ausfire said: I know Daisy Hill and Slack's Creek pretty well. Did my teacher training at Mount Gravatt Teachers' college 50 years ago. At that time Daisy Hill was out in the bush and the father of a good mate of mine was the forest ranger. His surname was Dennis. Do you know Dennis Road there? Hehe, I'm a Design and Technology teacher and did my degree at Mt Gravatt! Daisy Hill is a little more built up these days. A few recent estates have been developed in the past 5-10 years. Yes, I know Dennis rd. I drive across it at the roundabout on Springwood rd every morning on my way to work! Cheers, Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 Jono, where are you getting your charcoal? Do you have a good supply of natural bush charcoal? Those heat beads you get from K-Mart are worse than useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted May 22, 2019 Share Posted May 22, 2019 I've been using lump charcoal from Bunnings. I used to have a mate who had a small business selling kamado bbqs and hooked me up with good gidyea charcoal but he's stopped the business and lost contact Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 23, 2019 Share Posted May 23, 2019 Gidgee charcoal is brilliant stuff, but since I left Mount Isa some years ago I haven't had access to it. There is a guy in Brisbane marketing lump hardwood charcoal but freight is the killer for me. I am lucky enough to be able to collect bush charcoal. The 20kg bags of lump charcoal from Bunnings are fine, but it's expensive for every day forging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 On 5/21/2019 at 7:21 AM, ausfire said: I googled all the steel suppliers in Adelaide and square bar starts at 10mm in every case. If you know of anywhere in Australia I can find some I would appreciate the link. Surely someone is importing some 6mm. I got mine through Southern Steel Supplies. I can check with them who they buy it from but I know they had it in stock a month ago. If all else fails I can cut some down to 1m lengths and post it up to you. A quick check with the online calculator says I can get 10m to you for about $30 - $35 and the cost of the stock is $10. Let me know if you want some. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 Andrew, Thanks for the kind offer, mate. I did download the Southern Steel Supplies product catalogue. Like all the others, square bar starts at 10mm, so the stuff you mention must be old stock. That postage price seems pretty reasonable from Adelaide, so I'll have a think about that and let you know if I want some. Pity it's such a long drive. Otherwise, we could come down to visit the Birdwood Motor Museum and get some steel at the same time. Darryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hefty Posted May 25, 2019 Share Posted May 25, 2019 I had a number of breakthroughs today! The first one, and biggest, was that I can seive the ash from my kamado bbq and get peanut size charcoal giving me better control of airflow, fireball size and thus, each heat of the steel. This is awesome because I've got a big ash bucket to go through! It looked like a lot of coke fires I've seen in videos, compared to my previous charcoal fires that were lumpy as and lost too much air to quickly. The second was that my new 1kg cross pein hammer arrived yesterday so today I gave it a quick dress to smooth the sharp edges of the cross pein and flat die and got to work. HOLY COW WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DECENT WEIGHT HAMMER MAKES! I was able to easily forge 13x8mm bar to appox 10mm square, no sweat, where previously this was a task in itself, before I could even think about forging anything from it. (I'm sure being able to take a decent heat also made a big difference here) The third was that with decent heat I was actually able to make a half decent penny scroll. Gimme an honest critique? All in all, an awesome afternoon's forging where I learned exponentially more than in my last few sessions combined! Cheers! Jono. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 26, 2019 Share Posted May 26, 2019 Jono … nice hammer, and yes, it certainly makes a difference. Your scroll looks fine. Sounds like you had a good day all round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted May 30, 2019 Share Posted May 30, 2019 Hi Andrew, I rang Southern Steel Supplies in Lonsdale to check if they still had some 6mm square, and talked to the Sales Manager Brad Fox. He said they did have some old stock left, and I got the impression they weren't going to get any more. So, if your kind offer to get some and mail it 3500 km to me up here still stands, I'll take you up on it. If you could send up 12 metres (2X6) cut into 1m lengths that would be fine. Perhaps you could PM me with your mailing address (or a BSB etc) and I can send or bank transfer you the cost. I think your Southern Steel Supplies must be the only place in Australia that has any 6mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Hi Darryl, Sorry for the late reply, haven't been on here for a while. I'll chase it up and get some in and get back to you once I've got it. Any chance of a PM with your email/mobile number and then we can arrange it all offline? Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted June 22, 2019 Share Posted June 22, 2019 Sure; done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 G’day blokes and blokets. I’m brand new to the forum (it’s actually the first forum i’ve Joined ever) and couldn’t yet even call myself a hobbyist. Perhaps an aspiring hobbyist. I live in Brisbane in an appartment so I have no workshop, basically no space and have to keep the noise and mess to a minimum. Not the best environment for blacksmithing. All I’ve been able to do so far is practice making a few things with a dremel. But about to do my first knife making course and move to a house so eager to get started. Very keen to learn so teach away. neddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graynomad Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Hi Neddy. There's a mob called QMAC (QLD Metal Artisans Collective) based in Brisbane. I think they have regular forge days out at Ipswich you could go along to. FB link removed Here is their web site https://www.qmac.club/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 1 hour ago, Neddy said: I live in Brisbane We won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show location. That way the rest of us the world over won't dunn ya when it will help answering questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 Thanks guys. Just changed the profile to show brizzy. I’ll definitely check out qmac thanks nomad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 Hi Neddy. Where did you do the knife making course? I did one with Terry Drennan at the Cobb and Co Museum in Toowoomba. Great bloke. Perhaps you've done the same. Anyway. welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnskij Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 G'day everyone. Not Aussie, but has lived in Australia for quite some time now. Decided to stop just lurking around and just signed up to the forums. Currently forging away in Cairns which at this time of year is quite a challenge for someone born and bred as a nordic to say the least. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWS Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 Peter here Aspendale Melbourne Australia...VB and The Mighty Saints... FB link removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWS Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 Howdy to all You Aussie's...Wondering about any experiece's with the Australian BK-224 lb Anvil...Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 Seen plenty in use around here. I know of one in a mechanic workshop in Maroota that is easy 700 lb. 3 generations of mechanics doing truck springs repairs on it, not much damage. Is that one in the photo yours? The anvil looks terrific. However ... I wouldn't like to work with that base. On 2/13/2020 at 9:41 PM, Bonnskij said: Not Aussie, but has lived in Australia for quite some time now. Decided to stop just lurking around and just signed up to the forums. Currently forging away in Cairns which at this time of year is quite a challenge for someone born and bred as a nordic to say the least. There was a guy born in Sweden living in North Queensland doing metalwork and complaining about the heat ... "Platypus gardens" was his nome de plume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.