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Linux Assassin posted:When Terry Pratchett was knighted he insisted on making his own sword with star metal: I think I want to make a ring out of one, someday. I've got enough here to make several. Not sure what else I want to make out of them yet. If anything, it's just pretty awesome having little chunks of space iron. I have seen 4kg chunks of meteorite though, and that would make a loving badass hammer. They're around 800 dollars unfortunately 
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Dec 1, 2012 17:16
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Slung Blade posted:I think I want to make a ring out of one, someday. I've got enough here to make several. Not sure what else I want to make out of them yet. Well you don't have to make your whole blade out of star metal- just add some to it, because then it was 'alloyed with stellar iron', which honestly sounds pretty cool.
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Dec 1, 2012 23:12
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Axe Making http://vimeo.com/37360333 Bastards only have a teaser up for the Damascus knives video. http://vimeo.com/46430171 http://vimeo.com/53985815
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Dec 2, 2012 00:21
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That axe video is amazing, and welcome since I'm seriously considering making an axe or probably a hatchet next. Edit: In his axe and knife videos, he has a rod of steel that he uses as a handle. Assuming that's just welded on for convenience, that's totally brilliant, and I'm totally stealing it for all my future projects. Way easier to just hold onto that than to manipulate a large piece of steel with tongs. Carbon Copy fucked around with this message at 22:53 on Dec 2, 2012 |
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Dec 2, 2012 22:05
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I bought titanium  ...albeit only 16 feet of 16-gauge commercially-pure titanium wire, but I'm sure I can find -something- neat to do with it. Maybe try making a piercing or something.
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Dec 3, 2012 00:41
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Carbon Copy posted:That axe video is amazing, and welcome since I'm seriously considering making an axe or probably a hatchet next. That's a pretty common thing, almost every damascus billet I've seen being made has had a handle welded onto it. Save precious seconds when forge welding the billet instead of dicking around with tongs trying to dig it out of the fire or what have you. drat fine idea it is though. Thanks for sharing Monkeynutz, that is an awesome series of videos. Dude's a craftsman.
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Dec 3, 2012 01:43
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Since there is not a non-ferrous thread: Silver solder. What do I need to buy? I have a broken bronze pump handle for a boat to repair. The hardware store has a 6% silver solder, but it doesn't seem like a high enough silver content to matter much. I was thinking about Safety-Silv 45 or thereabouts, but no place local stocks it. LWS only stocks gas and electrodes and a few torch tips and accessories.
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Dec 3, 2012 03:43
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Try an HVAC supply store. Usually A/C and refrigeration systems are silver soldered.
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Dec 3, 2012 05:30
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Ambrose Burnside posted:I bought titanium I remember when I thought Titanium was cool. Now I have like 10 pounds of scrap Titanium lying around our shop like it ain't no thing.
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Dec 4, 2012 02:49
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the spyder posted:I weld cast aluminum automotive parts like he is intending to do. Pre heating is KEY. It takes more amps, a very clean surface (do NOT use a brake cleen/carb clean/ect- it will get stuck in the castings pours and poison you depending on what it is), and a lot more heat. I have welded a good amount of cast Al. 1. Cleeeeean! I use 90%+ isoPropyl alcohol (it evaporates cleanly without leaving residue) and scotch brite. Do this before your preheat. 2. I smaller diameter cup helps too. Ar tends to lower the ionization energy and hence energy of the arc. Don't lower your flow rate. 3. If you are repairing a casting that takes multiple passes, I recommend inter-pass heating. 4. You need to post-heat and slowly bring the casting temp down. This means heating it up, wrapping it in pink-panther insulation, coming back a few hours later, unwrap, heat some more. The amount of post heating is proportional to the thickness and amount of welding you did on the casting. 6. Use 5xxx series rod. One time I took a broken motorcycle part that was an Al casting, wrapped it in tin foil, and threw it in a gas BBQ for an hour. That was all she needed.
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Dec 4, 2012 03:10
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Experimented with repousse without chasing. I roughed in the general shape with modelling punches (those amorphous borderless indentations in the last pic are what the others started with), then flipped it, started doing whatever surface-work came to mind, letting it form itself. Eventually I gave 'em borders with undercutting tools, which push the metal under itself and create a "negative space" that makes the repousse look like it's floating off the sheet, or is welded on, when it's just the one contiguous sheet.   Egghead gnomey dude didn't turn into a person until halfway through, so if I really cared I'd raise the eyebrows properly, maybe try for ears, but whatever, it was a freeform practice piece.  The face isn't really undercut because I annealed it and then did the face roughing-in, which pushed it flat enough to no longer make a proper undercut possible, just a lining-in. I could anneal it and push the entire area up with a big modelling punch but, again, ain't worth the effort. Forming stuff this way is very intuitive and easy because the work you create fits the tools you have, as opposed to working off a predetermined sketch where you either make tooling for the job or kludge along half-assed as best you can with what you have.
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Dec 7, 2012 21:28
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Oh good. I needed some extra tips on welding aluminum. But really, I came here to brag. They got the new power hammer installed in the smithy. I had only used an 85lb hammer before. The 200lb is a world of difference, and it is so precise. I will be able to do in minutes what used to take a couple hours. That means more product and commissions will be possible. That means less day job more doing what I love.  I think I'm in love.
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Dec 8, 2012 08:15
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ArtistCeleste posted:Oh good. I needed some extra tips on welding aluminum. I hereby request a video of you making stuff with that. I've spent a couple of evenings looking at videos of powerhammers online and I'd love to see a "making of" video where you made something. Or want to see that thing smack some metal.
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Dec 8, 2012 17:48
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Uncle Enzo posted:I hereby request a video of you making stuff with that. I've spent a couple of evenings looking at videos of powerhammers online and I'd love to see a "making of" video where you made something. Or want to see that thing smack some metal. I found a broken crow bar and and want to make some swords. I'll see if I can get someone to take a process video. I'm really busy right now, so I can't say when I will get to it though.
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Dec 8, 2012 18:25
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ArtistCeleste posted:I found a broken crow bar and and want to make some swords. I'll see if I can get someone to take a process video. I'm really busy right now, so I can't say when I will get to it though. It doesn't have to be some artistic cinematic thing with soulful guitar harmony, emphasizing the old world craftsmanship and connection with nature, like that latvian guy a couple posts up. A steadily-held half-decent camera looking over your shoulder would be just fine. I actually prefer the videos where they show every step over ones where they cut out the "boring" parts. The only thing that isn't fun to look at is the heats, and if editing those out is too much work we can always skip ahead. For commentary, I'm fine with the person making it just kind of calling it out as they go along. Heck, are you anywhere near western NY? I'll take the video. I'd love to see that thing in action.
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Dec 8, 2012 18:35
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I am needing some more money for the holidays and want to see if any goons are interested in buying a hand crank forge blower. I bought this thing years ago and since I no longer use coal I want it gone! The gearbox is in great shape and it really moves some air! I can get more pics if anyone is interested. Asking $120 but throw me an offer if you want. 
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Dec 10, 2012 07:51
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iForge posted:I am needing some more money for the holidays and want to see if any goons are interested in buying a hand crank forge blower. I bought this thing years ago and since I no longer use coal I want it gone! The gearbox is in great shape and it really moves some air! I can get more pics if anyone is interested. Asking $120 but throw me an offer if you want. Rip the crank off, throw on a DC motor and some mounts and sell that bitch for like $500+
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Dec 10, 2012 14:29
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Shoot, where are you located? I can't imagine shipping that thing would be cheap.
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Dec 10, 2012 19:28
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MonkeyNutZ posted:Shoot, where are you located? I can't imagine shipping that thing would be cheap. Im about 20 minutes south of Philadelphia in Wilmington, Delaware. It weighs about 25 pounds by my best guess. I don't know where you are to calculate the shipping, but the box dimensions required are 14in long X 12in wide X 12in tall. I can ship USPS, FedEx, or UPS. I can possibly remove the crank handle to fit in a box 9in tall by drilling and tapping the retaining pin and then pulling it out, but no guarantees there. That pin looks like it is the original one.
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Dec 10, 2012 23:52
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My zip is 44253, looking at USPS it'd be about $75  . My forge plans are a few years off anyways.
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Dec 12, 2012 01:49
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http://www.kmstools.com/ just opened a store in Calgary. There hasn't been a decent tool shop like that here since House of Tools shut down. Busy bee is ok for some things, but those guys are mostly for woodworkers. I bought a drill press  Also its location is a former strip club. The girls are gone but I still have a throbbing erection 
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Dec 12, 2012 04:21
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MonkeyNutZ posted:My zip is 44253, looking at USPS it'd be about $75 UPS estimates $22.06 to your zip code.
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Dec 12, 2012 04:43
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Hmm, I'm not going to be in a position to build a forge for another year but I'm still interested. I'd hate to see that blower just sitting in my basement not being used. Now the question is if I can find a source of fuel. It looks like good coal is too hard to find in my area so what about hardwood charcoal? Pros/cons vs coal? The internet doesn't seem to have any definite answers. Does one require more air to run (which would be better for a hand crank blower)?
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Dec 12, 2012 16:47
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What's the best way to remove rust and polish a carbon steel axe head? I've been using sandpaper which seems to work well, then I tried a polishing kit with a rough compound on a drill and it just isn't working well. I assume it's pretty hard metal.
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Dec 12, 2012 17:55
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MonkeyNutZ posted:Hmm, I'm not going to be in a position to build a forge for another year but I'm still interested. I'd hate to see that blower just sitting in my basement not being used. Now the question is if I can find a source of fuel. It looks like good coal is too hard to find in my area so what about hardwood charcoal? Pros/cons vs coal? The internet doesn't seem to have any definite answers. Does one require more air to run (which would be better for a hand crank blower)? If you ever go up the 90 to Buffalo, you can get coal for dirt cheap around here. That said though, Lowes sells lump charcoal 20lbs for 15$. It's not a good deal, but it works fine, smells ok, and is easy to use.
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Dec 12, 2012 19:28
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Charcoal is better than coal, strictly in terms of dealing with issues. Because coal produces clinkers (slag, basically) which you have to deal with, whereas charcoal burns to just ash. I don't know if coal burns hotter than charcoal, but you can get charcoal hot enough to forge weld so I don't think any difference that's there is significant enough to care about. Price might be a factor. standardtoaster posted:What's the best way to remove rust and polish a carbon steel axe head? It is probably carbon steel, heat treated to get a good hardness (although for an axe it's usually not quite as hard as a knife because it needs to be a little tougher). You need a polishing compound intended for hard steel (so, probably something with diamond in it). Better is if you have a bench grinder and you can put a polishing wheel on it, because you'll want to push hard against it with the axe head and it's hard to do that with a hand drill. For rust removal, though, you might consider a chemical treatment - or even more fun, electrolytic removal. Is the handle removed? If so, all you need is an automotive battery charger, a piece of sacrificial metal (ideally also steel), and some baking soda. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5I5WBG5HPw Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 19:43 on Dec 12, 2012 |
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Dec 12, 2012 19:32
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I've worked with both charcoal and coal, and in the vaccuum of the workshop- i.e. not considering cost or sourcing logistics- I preferred coal, but now work with charcoal because of prior-mentioned issues external to the actual working properties of either fuel. The most important basic differences between either are energy density, the way it burns, and of course cost/availability. Coal is heavy and energy-dense and burns slowly, which is a very nice thing because you just waste less time worrying about keeping the forge well-stocked with fuel (we don't have assistants anymore  ). In addition, coal has another entire aspect to its use that charcoal doesn't- coking up. Coal will coke up with heat, which happens along the edges of the forge fire automatically. Coke is the actual fuel you're usually trying to burn, but you can't easily buy it in bulk anymore so you just take steps to create coke automatically as you work (heaping coal up around the firebowl and sprinkling water on it as you work and pushing it forwards into the firebowl periodically). Coke sticks together, so this means you can do really cool things in the forge fire- for example, you can make a self-supporting self-consuming "forge chamber" out of coal with a large open space in the middle, something not possible with charcoal. However, coal doesn't burn clean, which is a huge issue because it means you have to design your workshop with adequate ventilation in place, which usually takes the form of a large-bore side-drawing hood (google around for 'em, I don't know much about coal ventilation). In addition, coal is usually sulphurey and has other impurities (aside from the clinkers, which are another issue) that burn off and cause cool things like forge rash. The worst aspect, imo, is that coal is hard to find and expensive compared to charcoal (but anyone smart about charcoal pays nothing for it, so maybe that's not fair). Charcoal is much less energy-dense than coal, and has a very low density, which means that you burn through fuel fast. I've put away a whole big paper sack (however large they are, size of a big potato sack/small lawn waste bag, typical bigger-sized barbecue lump charcoal bag) of charcoal in a day without really noticing. In addition, 'cause it's so light, turning up the blast can easily blow the charcoal everywhere if you're down to using the smaller chips from the bottom of the bag/bin that inevitably form a large proportion of your actual charcoal supply. If you want to weld you need to form a very thick bed of charcoal for insulation, 6-8 inches to start. The charcoal consumption we're talking about there is unbelievable, without an assistant you end up spending a lot of time between heats just putting more fuel on. And because charcoal doesn't coke up and stick together like coal, you can't do Useful Fire-Shaping Things. Charcoal has two things really going for it- it's exceedingly easy to produce yourself for Virtually No Money, if you live in/have access to a place without neighbours up your rear end, and it burns very clean. Charcoal forges run without hoods just fine, as long as the building is fairly well ventilated (think about the airy construction methods a historical forge would have used).
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Dec 12, 2012 20:27
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Leperflesh posted:For rust removal, though, you might consider a chemical treatment - or even more fun, electrolytic removal. The whole point of electrolysis is to light matches and poke the bubbles with the match. Usually you get some splatter on you, but that's part of the fun. This guy didn't even try it. Total waste of hydrogen production.
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Dec 13, 2012 02:12
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MonkeyNutZ posted:Hmm, I'm not going to be in a position to build a forge for another year but I'm still interested. I'd hate to see that blower just sitting in my basement not being used. Now the question is if I can find a source of fuel. It looks like good coal is too hard to find in my area so what about hardwood charcoal? Pros/cons vs coal? The internet doesn't seem to have any definite answers. Does one require more air to run (which would be better for a hand crank blower)? I've used both. Working up at the park, we use coke (cleaned out of rail cars) for most days, but for special weekends we use nice metallurgical coal that was donated some years back. The coal forges really nicely, and the coke burns hot as gently caress, so hot that we have to put a ceramic insert in the cast iron firepot to keep it from melting itself. When I built my first forge, I made it with charcoal in mind. I don't fire it up often because I have a gas one now, but it still works great whenever I need it for a large object. I have done some really rudimentary welding with it too. That's still a skill I need to learn properly though. Given the choice? I would use charcoal every single time. I got really sick after a long weekend of demonstrations last year, I had a cold, mostly got over it, and then we had our big show. The dust and smoke and soot from the coal made me cough for about 2 months after all was said and done. I was fine after this year's show, thankfully, but only because I wasn't sick beforehand. Coal is nasty, nasty stuff. It stinks, it smokes, it pollutes like crazy, it's hard to get unless you live near a pit / mine / railyard. It does forge really well though, I can't disagree with that. Charcoal is really, really clean, smells nice, easily available, theoretically carbon neutral, and if managed correctly an infinitely renewable resource. You don't need a clinker breaker in your firepot, mine is literally a pipe with some holes drilled in it. Plus with a hand cranked blower it's real easy to regulate the air flow so it doesn't all blow out of the forge, just chill out and take it slow. Plus you can smoke meat with it!
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Dec 13, 2012 05:45
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That's my favorite part of charcoal forging, when I get hungry I just break out hotdogs.
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Dec 13, 2012 06:04
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A minor addendum to that is that lit charcoal from the firebowl may or may not be excellent for smoking hash off of as you work 
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Dec 13, 2012 14:13
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I had a real quiet week at work, so I built a log splitter for a friend at work. Apologies for the photos, I don't actually have a real camera. The base is inch plate I scored from work and my friend supplied the I-beam. I bent some 1/2 inch flat bar loops so it can be moved on forklift tynes.   The splitter is inch plate beveled with 1/2 inch plate welded to it to make an arrow then ground to a smooth point. It is welded to a plate that has tabs to keep it centered on the beam   Cylinder top mount  Control valve mount  It needed a name,  Final product,  .I tested it with a porta-power and it worked well, my friend took it and is plumbing up the valve and cylinder, he intends to run it off the hydraulics on a skid steer loader. The majority of the welding was done with Lincoln 81Ni1-h flux core, and a little bit of solid wire when i ran out of gas on the welder with the flux core in it. I have some photos of some of the jobs i have done if you are interested too. Cheers
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Dec 13, 2012 17:59
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Can you talk a wee bit more about how you made the splitter wedge? Particularly on how you filled in between the two bevelled faceplates and the centre post?
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Dec 13, 2012 18:21
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Can you talk a wee bit more about how you made the splitter wedge? Particularly on how you filled in between the two bevelled faceplates and the centre post? Sure can, the side plates are welded back far enough from the tip to follow the bevel in the centre plate, then the leading edge was filled with weld and ground to a nice point. The sides are actually hollow, I just cut some flat bar to fit the gaps and welded them all in. These photos might show it better,  
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Dec 13, 2012 19:02
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MonkeyNutZ posted:Hmm, I'm not going to be in a position to build a forge for another year but I'm still interested. I'd hate to see that blower just sitting in my basement not being used. Now the question is if I can find a source of fuel. It looks like good coal is too hard to find in my area so what about hardwood charcoal? Pros/cons vs coal? The internet doesn't seem to have any definite answers. Does one require more air to run (which would be better for a hand crank blower)? The others that posted have all the info you need. No pressure, but please let me know your choice soon so I know whether to keep looking for a buyer or not. You can PM me or post here. 
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Dec 14, 2012 00:23
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My old man wants to build a new forge, do you think one of these would make for a good start? it's 90mm deep and about 460mm across, also he made an anvil a few years ago out of a broken cart axle with a bus spring welded on top.  the problem with it besides being too light is that it is either dead or bouncy depending on where I hit it, got any ideas?
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Dec 14, 2012 01:32
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I am excited. Tomorrow I am heading over to the tool shop at the other end of the city to pick up some drill bits, a morse taper #1 finishing reamer and maybe some square steel stock if they have it. Then I am heading over to a skateboard shop to buy a bearing. I saw a neat tool you can make with a skateboard bearing that lets you true up a workpiece in the lathe without indicating it. Attach the bearing to a piece of square stock that fits your tool post, and then run teh lathe with the workpiece in it, but no tightened down totally. Slowly move the bearing in to workpeice and it will even it out in the chuck, centering it nicely. http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Tooling/CenteringRoller/centeringroller.html Next weekend, I will be turning my first tapers on the lathe using the offset tailstock method. I can't wait.
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Dec 14, 2012 01:46
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I've barely welded anything save for a few little projects at work in nearly a year. Last year around this time I was living in a hotel, stick welding a railroad bridge center column in the rain  I've been looking at pictures of industrial styled/found material furniture and the common theme seems to be absolutely awful workmanship. It's rarely welded, and if it is it's usually badly done. Joints are terrible, wood work is terrible, etc. I've decided to make my own in hopeful celebration of a potential full time job.  I spent about 3 hours cleaning the garage and only got this far before giving up and just starting the project  First of two leg/rails, then they'll be stuck together with a couple crosspieces, then wood slats between in a vague version of this, albiet smaller and more of a test than anything remotely serious.  e: and I'm using free steel, but it's weirdly high carbon and doesn't mig weld very well at all, so I have to 7018 the whole thing. Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Dec 14, 2012 |
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Dec 14, 2012 03:02
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what a cool thing, thanks!
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Dec 14, 2012 03:06
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Any machinist goons local to the Philadelphia area interested in flattening the face of an anvil for me? It is wrought iron with a steel face and is sunk in the middle from use. Need to take between 1/8 and 1/4 inch off the edges. Surface grinder and/or milling machine would need to be used.
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Dec 14, 2012 22:45
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