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Pagan posted:I made a forge out of a roasting pan and an air mattress inflating pump, like this one : http://www.target.com/p/coleman-high-performance-electric-pump/-/A-11115253 There's also something called a side blast forge. No clinker breaker required, and no special construction set up is necessary as long as you don't care about getting fancy. Air comes in from the side, and clinkers just sink under it, clean it out whenever.  Downside is, you have to have a bigger fire, and the fire kinda spreads out in a fan shape away from the outlet. All manageable of course. The guy where I grabbed that image from has a good write up on it, and a link to a good pdf on the subject. http://www.jacoblefton.com/2011/03/14/the-workshop-it-lives-and-so-does-my-side-blast-forge/ http://assets.calsmith.org/cba-cdn/412/Side_Blast_forge_original.pdf Personally, I'd use a ceramic pipe instead of that deathtrap water jacket one (steam can build up and explode). Or even a thick copper blower pipe. ArtistCeleste posted:So, I have officially been making a living off of blacksmithing for 6 months now. I am a much, much happier person than I used to be. I just need to work on getting faster. I finished my first stair rail. It is 68 inches long and I couldn't be more pleased. There is a handrail that fits along the wall for 11 steps. Everything was the absolute perfect length and the breaks were all 90 degrees to plumb. I tapped and drilled the long rail on site to ensure the brackets were aligned with the studs. You're livin' the dream AC. Your stuff is amazing, thank you so much for sharing your talent with us, those railings are incredible.
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May 10, 2014 07:02
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ArtistCeleste posted:I have been in crazy workaholic mode and have really missed this thread. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OffF5BuGaFA This is a video from the guys who designed the drawing machine that I based mine off of. Mine looks almost the same, except I went with a bigger and stronger winch, and larger square tube as a base.
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May 10, 2014 11:59
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Brekelefuw posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OffF5BuGaFA This is really cool, I always figured it was some sort of more intense drawing system for larger tubes than what I make(1mm-4mm inner diameter) so it's neat to see that basically it's the same!
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May 10, 2014 17:07
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Slung Blade posted:Awesome, you want to post it in here or PM me when you're finished so I can add it? Totally cool with just linking your post in-line if that's what you'd prefer. Brekelefuw posted:Yeah. Casa Loma campus. It is Wednesday nights 7-10. This semester's class was cancelled due to low enrollment. I am going to take it again in September. Sign up so there is a better chance of it happening. $285 for 10 weeks. The teacher is fantastic, and knows a ton about just about everything related to metalworking. He showed me a picture of a Mokune Gane teapot that he made that was insane.
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May 10, 2014 22:23
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Awesome. I will need someone to do some chasing and repousse on the trumpet i build in that class.
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May 10, 2014 23:31
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 i'm not that good...
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May 11, 2014 01:16
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ArtistCeleste posted:I finished my first stair rail.
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May 11, 2014 11:26
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MrPete posted:Does this mean part 3 of the video will be done soon? My husband is currently editing it. Thanks for watching! Thanks Slung Blade, I am flattered. Brekelefuw, thanks for posting that. How does it hold the tube, is it just tension? How do you get it started? I couldn't tell how they inserted the end in to start drawing it. So, you made your own? How difficult was it, and how long did it take?
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May 11, 2014 16:40
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ArtistCeleste posted:My husband is currently editing it. Send them over to the hobby video editing thread...
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May 11, 2014 20:06
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ArtistCeleste posted:My husband is currently editing it. Thanks for watching! The mandrel that the tube is formed over is tapped on both ends. The tube is annealed and then one end is hammered over a round ball so that the end is rounded and small and work hardened. Then the mandrel is greased and inserted in the tube and threaded on to an eye bolt that is attached to the pulley on the drawing bench. An annealed steel fender washer is also attached between the eye bolt and the mandrel/tube. The steel washer is what forces the tubing to shrink to the mandrel size as it is pulled through the angle plate. After it is drawn, the tube is stuck to the mandrel (which is why you grease it.) To get the tube and mandrel separated, you make a steel donut that is the exact size of the mandrel and draw the tube in reverse. They show that in the video. To build the bench was quite easy. All you need to be able to do is drill holes in a few things. It took me maybe 2 hours to build the machine, although I ended up building it twice, because I didn't reinforce my first version enough, and the steel body bent on my first attempt to draw something. It is now really heavy duty, and I doubt I will ever bend the machine. Total cost was about $150. Two 2" x 4' square steel tubes, a 2500lb winch, winch cable, an eye bolt, some nuts and bolts to hold the stuff together, and a steel angle plate. Also a 3/4" drill bit to drill through the angle plate, since I didn't have a drill that large on hand. Making the mandrels takes a while for me because I am doing them on my Sherline, and I get a lot of deflection in the middle of my piece because they are long and thin. I cut them to maybe .015" off of my tolerance and then file and sand them to size to make sure that there are minimal chatter marks in the final product.
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May 12, 2014 04:22
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I have an air / acetylene torch I use for jewellery work, and I'm wondering if it would be adequate to braze some 1/4" mild steel. I need to braze a few short lengths of pipe into the inside of a section of angle iron. Does anyone know if that is possible? If so, what should I use as the filler, and do I need darkened eye protection?
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May 13, 2014 20:15
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Depends entirely on the torch's capabilities, so: maybe? My bog-standard propane plumber's torch can get 1/4" rod yellow hot when coupled with cunningly-placed firebricks for insulation. And brazing is very forgiving if the application isn't structural or otherwise subject to a lot of stress, you can do it 'properly' with the ideal brazing wire and tools for the job, or you can just stick a copper penny in-between the parts to be brazed along with some borax and jam it in the forge, like blacksmiths used to do. I've brazed non-critical components with yellow brass wire and mid-temperature-range jeweller's flux just fine.
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May 13, 2014 22:35
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Awesome, thanks. I will probably see how it goes in the next week or two. This thing gets hotter than a propane plumbers torch for sure, especially if I swap a large tip onto it. The project I have in mind is definitely non critical. The parts won't be subject to much stress at all, and if they fail it doesn't really matter. I will pick up a pack of brazing rods and give it a shot.
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May 14, 2014 01:15
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Yeah, the actual flame temp is irrelevant for basic brazing because any gas-atmosphere flame excepting maybe butane gets hot enough to melt basic brazing alloys, it's about the actual BTUs at play.
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May 15, 2014 00:34
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I'm going to be getting a Bernzomatic TS4000 Propane torch in about a month. Some quick googling tells me that it's not suitable for blacksmithing on it's own, but could I build a forge around it? Or would I be better off building a charcoal forge? I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I've never really done any kind of smithing.
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May 17, 2014 02:36
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I have been having fun with my little forge, and one thing I'm working on is a knife blade. I picked up some old lawnmower blades, and I thought I was doing pretty well until I went to quench harden it. Unfortunately, it warped. Just a little twist, but enough that it's not flat. What's the solution? There isn't enough material to grind it flat, and it's too springy to just hammer flat. Is my only solution going to be, bring it back up to forging heat, flatten it, and then hope it doesn't warp again during the next quench?Beardless posted:I'm going to be getting a Bernzomatic TS4000 Propane torch in about a month. Some quick googling tells me that it's not suitable for blacksmithing on it's own, but could I build a forge around it? Or would I be better off building a charcoal forge? I apologize if this is a stupid question, but I've never really done any kind of smithing. I have seen some very well done gas powered forges. http://www.anvilfire.com/article.php?bodyName=/FAQs/gas_forges.htm My biggest concern would be cost; Propane is expensive and that page says "even a small forge can go through a BBQ size can of propane in a day."
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May 17, 2014 15:37
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Pagan posted:I have been having fun with my little forge, and one thing I'm working on is a knife blade. I picked up some old lawnmower blades, and I thought I was doing pretty well until I went to quench harden it. Unfortunately, it warped. Just a little twist, but enough that it's not flat. What's the solution? There isn't enough material to grind it flat, and it's too springy to just hammer flat. Is my only solution going to be, bring it back up to forging heat, flatten it, and then hope it doesn't warp again during the next quench? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBVa2bw3r_k I was thinking of making something small like this, at least to start with. Or is that a terrible idea and I'm going to blow myself up? I wouldn't mind going the charcoal route, I just figured that since I'm going to get a free propane torch I might as well use that.
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May 17, 2014 16:21
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Pagan posted:I have been having fun with my little forge, and one thing I'm working on is a knife blade. I picked up some old lawnmower blades, and I thought I was doing pretty well until I went to quench harden it. Unfortunately, it warped. Just a little twist, but enough that it's not flat. What's the solution? There isn't enough material to grind it flat, and it's too springy to just hammer flat. Is my only solution going to be, bring it back up to forging heat, flatten it, and then hope it doesn't warp again during the next quench? Always quench blades on edge- if you quench a blade on an angle or with one of the flat sides touching the water first, it'll cool unevenly and warp, or even trap an air bubble on the underside and make things worse. Also begin stirring it around as soon as it's fully immersed, to clear away any clinging bubbles from the water boiled away during the quench + so it doesn't sit in a bubble of hot water. Additionally, using brine (add salt to the water until a fresh egg will float in it, sayeth smithlore) instead of fresh water is supposed to help- the salt content slows the formation of the steam barrier that can disrupt even quenching. Ambrose Burnside fucked around with this message at 23:18 on May 17, 2014 |
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May 17, 2014 23:14
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Always quench blades on edge- if you quench a blade on an angle or with one of the flat sides touching the water first, it'll cool unevenly and warp, or even trap an air bubble on the underside and make things worse. Also begin stirring it around as soon as it's fully immersed, to clear away any clinging bubbles from the water boiled away during the quench + so it doesn't sit in a bubble of hot water. I ended up re doing it, and I read on iForge that you can sometimes get a few moments of hammering out of a piece after quenching. I got it mostly flat; it's got a hint of a curve in the handle but for my first piece, I think it's pretty good. The epoxy is drying on the handle tonight, and I should have some brass rod arriving early next week. I'm surprised at how much thinner the blade ended up after grinding and polishing. Probably doesn't help that I ended up doing two rounds of it; one before tempering and again after. But, it's going to make a perfect filet knife; it's amazingly flexible and springy, but still stiffer than my storebought filet knife, and should hold a better edge. One thing I'm wondering about.... I'd like to try building my own belt sanding rig; something kinda custom, mounted on a wall, maybe with water flowing over the belt. I can shape supports and struts, but where would I get a roller bearing... thing? The round spinning dowel-like pieces that the belt rolls over, what's the best way to get those? Has anyone here built their own sanding / grinding rig?
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May 17, 2014 23:53
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I'm not sure I would, but you could just get conical bearings or roller bearings from any auto parts store in the appropriate size and then make a roller tube to fit them and an inner spindle to fit them. If you choose the size carefully, you can just fit them into pre-existing materials pretty easily, maybe after a little lathe work.
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May 18, 2014 03:57
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Pagan posted:I ended up re doing it, and I read on iForge that you can sometimes get a few moments of hammering out of a piece after quenching. I got it mostly flat; it's got a hint of a curve in the handle but for my first piece, I think it's pretty good. The epoxy is drying on the handle tonight, and I should have some brass rod arriving early next week. I would suggest finding a broken belt sander (the 'you hold it' kind) that has functional bearings and dismantle it, scaling it further out. This way you have a known good set of components that work together for driving a belt (assuming you don't bungle something dismantling it) complete with a belt guide. Even better if the belt sander is mechanically functional except for some case damage that makes it no longer functional as a belt sander (missing handle, warped base, run over by a car, etc), then you also have a belt driver motor.
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May 18, 2014 07:03
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I'm in the middle of building my own belt grinder using a bunch of aluminum flat stock, I am using these wheels for a 2x72 belt, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Complete-Be...=item4d1c76e33b
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May 18, 2014 19:02
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Beardless posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBVa2bw3r_k this is really neat and seems like a fine size for heat-treating tools and brazing small things
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May 19, 2014 06:07
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Chubby Checker posted:I'm in the middle of building my own belt grinder using a bunch of aluminum flat stock, I am using these wheels for a 2x72 belt, Have you ordered these yet? If so, hows the quality? I have a 1.5hp Baldor motor I've been saving to build a grinder with and until I'm much, much better @ using our lathe, these look like a good option.
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May 20, 2014 05:19
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Chubby Checker posted:I'm in the middle of building my own belt grinder using a bunch of aluminum flat stock, I am using these wheels for a 2x72 belt, Please keep updating us on this, I've been looking to buy one but I just got given some mint 2.2kw TEC three phase motors that would make a hideously powerful belt/disk combo facer/linisher.
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May 20, 2014 13:44
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Thirding all that; I would like to see how you build your own setup. I was looking at something much cheaper http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AKF4EE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1MPE0XJFXVIA4 But I'm wondering if the forces and stresses generated by a decently powerful motor would just destroy those.
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May 20, 2014 16:36
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Pagan posted:Thirding all that; I would like to see how you build your own setup. I was looking at something much cheaper Half of me is hoping you're kidding, the other half is scared. Just no. Those are 100x not meant for this application and would overheat/melt/explode- you choose the order.
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May 20, 2014 17:20
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the spyder posted:Half of me is hoping you're kidding, the other half is scared. Just no. Those are 100x not meant for this application and would overheat/melt/explode- you choose the order. I was planning on using those to mount steel pipes that would spin; not put the sandpaper directly on the nylon. But yeah, it was just a thought, not a full fledged plan.
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May 20, 2014 19:30
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Putting pipe over them would maybe work but probably not for long. There can be a fair bit of heat and load generated in these kind of applications. A few large double row bearings could be had from a specialised supplier for not much more. As you don't need a specific size you can shop from the bargain bin and get a much higher quality bearing: http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/Clearance+Bargains/c4711/index.html
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May 20, 2014 22:28
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I'll take some photos along the way. I got those wheels in last week and they are amazing quality, finished on all surfaces, no sharp edges, chamfers all around, press fit bearings and loose fit spacers, really impressive stuff. The cost is well worth it when you consider materials, bearings and the 2 or 3 days it would take me to turn them. The rest is basically 3/8 plate and 1" square bar. I'll be using a 1hp 3phase motor (ebay, $65 shipped) with a KBAC-24D VFD, it takes 110v single phase and outpus 220v 3 phase. Most importantly the VFD is in a NEMA4 enclosure so dust, grinding grit and other crap can't kill it. http://www.walkerindustrial.com/KB-Electronics-AC-NEMA-4X-Hybrid-Inverter-p/KBAC-24D-GRAY-GFCI.htm So $150 for pullies, $100 of aluminum, $65 motor, $220 VFD. Under $600 for a 2x72 variable speed belt grinder. Hopefully it doesn't suck?
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May 21, 2014 03:10
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Perhaps an even more economical way would be to go to a junk yard and get a spindle/bearing/hub assembly from a rear-wheel drive truck. Automotive bearings are made to spin at high speed for long times under load. Even if it has a steering knuckle it shouldn't be too hard to cut it apart until it's down to what's needed.
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May 21, 2014 05:15
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Chubby Checker posted:I'll take some photos along the way. I got those wheels in last week and they are amazing quality, finished on all surfaces, no sharp edges, chamfers all around, press fit bearings and loose fit spacers, really impressive stuff. The cost is well worth it when you consider materials, bearings and the 2 or 3 days it would take me to turn them. The rest is basically 3/8 plate and 1" square bar. Just a heads up, 3ph motors operate at diminished HP when ran on a 1ph to 3ph VFD. I'm using a Teco on my 1.5HP Bridgeport and there is a noticeable difference in HP from when I had it straight wired to 3ph. Usually you would want a 1.5hp 3ph motor to get the equivalent of 1hp when using a VFD. *Edit: Check out this http://www.factorymation.com/Products/FM50_230V/FM50-201-OC.html and if you deem it will work for your application, you can save yourself $100. the spyder fucked around with this message at 19:04 on May 21, 2014 |
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May 21, 2014 18:40
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I recently started a beginners course smithing at a local smith. It's pretty basic but awesome all the same. Made an album with some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/6v7C1 Made hooks, nails, a bottle opener, more hooks and a bbq vork. Also made a lot of mistakes that mostly got fixed or turned out ok:  It's a hook you mount on the wall with a screw. It's a leaf but i burned the metal because i left it too long in the fire. But now it's a pretty autumn leaf!  My bbq fork. When working on it i also burned one of the prongs and it got really thin and flimsy. The smith fixed it by welding it but while putting the finishing touches on it it burned again and i lost a piece and one of the prongs was much shorter than the other. Fixed that by straightening it out and keeping the other prong in a curve. The smith commented on it with a understated 'yeah, that's a pretty unique looking fork'. I still need to grind a polish it a little so it's not that rough looking and i can give it to a friend of mine for his birthday. I hope he's happy with a lovely bbq fork  Tomorrow's probably my last evening in the course, hope to continu this summer and enroll in the 'advanced' class in september where you get to make some tools and a knife. engessa fucked around with this message at 23:44 on May 21, 2014 |
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May 21, 2014 23:13
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engessa posted:I recently started a beginners course smithing at a local smith. It's pretty basic but awesome all the same. Made an album with some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/6v7C1 I've been doing forging on my own, but I signed up for a course too. It looks like you got to make some cool stuff! I'm hoping to learn how to forge weld. I've tried it a few times on my own, but no luck. That's that real downside of trying to learn on your own. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, but I have no idea what. Hopefully the class will help.
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May 22, 2014 00:01
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Pagan posted:I've been doing forging on my own, but I signed up for a course too. It looks like you got to make some cool stuff! I got my first taste of forge welding last week. First weld was pretty ok, second one failed miserably, probably because i re-used the borax and it was a little dirty. A class is always a good idea!
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May 22, 2014 15:08
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I kept working on the knife this weekend. Here's the rough shape.  Started grinding for about 15 minutes. Got a lot more to do.  The spine is a bit thick to be a kitchen knife, so it'll be more of a utility knife I suppose. It's about 8 1/2" long, with the blade being a hair short of 5", the spine is roughly 1/4" thick. Was made from a 2" long piece of leaf spring for a huge van (astro or safari or something). Pretty proud, though it's got some imperfections. There are areas where the metal folded a tiny bit and then got hammered back into shape but did not weld. Good learning experience and I think the next one will be better, once I finish this.
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May 22, 2014 15:33
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Not a bad first knife! One of the things you'll learn at this stage is how one or two hammer blows that were slightly too heavy, results in a ton of extra grinding/filing work to fix. Your next knife you'll probably have a much better/smoother result as you improve your hot hammerwork, and that will lead to less time spent grinding out the deep dents. A slightly-too-thick spine is no bad thing: you can always take a little more material off, but once you get too thin, you're screwed.
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May 22, 2014 16:33
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Blacksmithing question : I'm use a coal forge, and purchasing "blacksmith's coal" from a local supplier. How clean should this all burn? I'm ending up with a forge full of ash; chunks of coal that didn't burn all the way, and of course, clinkers. I do what I can to get rid of the clinkers, but I still have to empty my forge either every time or every other time I use it. Is that normal? Or should coal burn away completely, eventually, and leave nothing but clinkers? Also, how often do you add fresh coal?
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May 24, 2014 15:51
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Flat stock is easy to burn especially with so much detail. I still do it. And your lovely BBQ fork looks great for a first try. Nice work drifting. Classes are way better than trying to learn on your own. I wouldn't be nearly as good without a great instructor. RECAPITATOR, when you are getting cold shuts, or it starts to fold like those fish lips on the end, jam the end that is starting to fold onto the face of the anvil until those edges are flat again. Also, aim for the corners when you start to taper flat stock. With good strong blows it should force those points down into the metal instead of folding them over. And study this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUPM9emeOZU He has the most perfect technique I have ever seen. Edit: Forging flat stock starts at 3:08 Out of curiosity, what will be your heat treating method? ArtistCeleste fucked around with this message at 18:36 on May 24, 2014 |
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May 24, 2014 18:32
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Thursday i made a fire poker: More forge welding which went much better than last week. We sorta cheated a little by machine welding the pieces a little together to get it in the fire in one piece. How would you do that without welding equipment? Tie it together with some wire and put it as one piece in the fire? Or heat the pieces separately and forge them together on the anvil?
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May 24, 2014 19:39
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