"Backyard Blacksmithing" pounding iron on the forge this evening!

I got an half hour lesson in splicing in the back of the rope store one day. We were making a halyard to fit a certain area on the sailboat and the splice had to be done on the boat. I practiced a bit at home before I had to make the splice for real. My teacher said that you could use almost anything for a fid but I think I have a real one around here somewhere. I don't think it would take you long to learn how to do it.

 

Spent the day making a few hardy tools for the anvil and an adjustable bending tool for the vise. The bic will be for small hot work and I made a small cone mandrel the hard way by fingering a thick walled pipe and bending the fingers together and welding and grinding. I know it should be hardened steel but I used what I had. It is old well pipe so I may be able to get a bit of hardening on it. I have no metal turning capabilities so the surface is flap disc sanded by eye. Very rough and ready but good enough for who it's for. I will use it for hot truing rings or hooks. Also for flaring eyes for pickaroons or small axes. light duty only. I could fill it with lead and make it a bit more heavy duty. The adjustable hot bending jig using the Harbor Freight bending rollers is a YouTube idea that is ingenious. I can use any of the 7 different rollers and adjust the spacing. Cool for making S hooks and hook ends. I hope I haven't offended someone by not using traditional coal forge welding and shaping but I will use anything from CNC plasma and arc welding on back in time to heat shaping with my small gas knife forge and anvil to get the job done. Just a hobby here.

 

Nice work!!!
That’s what it’s all about making tools out of what you have on hand.

 

Very well thanks, and likewise for you and yours!

 

Thanks. Have to put some hammer holders on the anvil stand and then I think I'll try my hand at some blacksmith baskets or onions!

 

Spent the last few days making a blacksmith basket twister. There are similar designs on You Tube and also for sale on the internet from China, Russia or Ukraine. I decided to try my own hand at it. As with any prototype or first design there were many fits and starts as well as the handicap of using only what's on hand. I had to use 3/4" by 3/4" drive and 3/4" by 3/8" drive sockets as arbors as I have no way to cut square holes. Thank heavens for the trusty cnc plasma cutter for some of the parts making. I finally made a unit that works...with some qualifications. I twisted four 1/4" sq rods into a basket. It required effort for the initial twist but as designed, when you untwist, the acme screw backs up to help untwist the basket with a lesser effort. Eureka!
I made one basket out of 3/16"hot rolled round rod that I immediately made into a fire pit hotdog fork. Again, Success! I tried both 3/16" sq key way stock and also some more 3/16"RR but apparently the RR was cold rolled and the key stock was too hard so they both broke at the square chuck before one turn. I can see that only annealed (hot rolled) or mild steel will twist up properly. I will be able to find the 3/16" RR but the 3/16" sq stock will have to be ordered. Fairly happy so far but I really need to find and successfully work some hot rolled 3/16" materials to be totally happy with the build.

 

Beautiful

 

That's a pretty sweet set up that you have there! Beats putting one end in a vise and trying to twist the other end with a wrench.

Best part is you can make each one nice and uniform!

 

For everyone’s viewing pleasure….
I love watching this guys channel. This one was newer and FHC related. Sure would make a fun project.

 

Thats great.
Looks like you have a pretty well stocked shop.
Always like to see what you have been working on.

Trying now to do more with the water-jet and CNC type work myself.

Thanks for the pictures.

 

Thanks buzz-saw My understanding is that you have access to equipment that is far more sophisticated than mine. If I got my hands on some CNC milling equipment I'm sure I could destroy it in a big hurry! If you need some dxf files for the water jet (although I keep some files proprietary), don't hesitate to holler!

 

I might have to consider taking you up on that. Last couple weeks have been nothing but CNC work. Trying to get dialed in to run some more detailed files like a picture.
Also 4 machines getting new CNC systems installed. Been just over 14 months since we put in a perposal for them. Will be a giant upgrade for the shop. thanks again for the offer. I’ll be in touch.

 

Looking forward to it! Have fun with all that new equipment.

 

Not blacksmithing but fabricating a barrel stove. Have had two small barrels taking up space in the shop for ages from when I was making elk camp tent stoves. They were made so all the fixtures were of heavier steel so that when the barrel inevitably rusted or burned out, they could be unbolted and transferred to another barrel. The design incorporates an ash chamber that keeps the bottom fairly cool so it can be used on decks and patios. The first and only upright stove I made flew away on Craig's List the instant I posted it. Went to a guy with a fairly small wall tent who needed to conserve space. I decided to make another for me to play with for a while. They really throw the heat all around and are fun to sit around and have toot with friends. Little smoke and ash since it is piped away high. Just got done and haven't even fired it up to set the paint. I'm pretty happy with it and it has kept me out of bars and picking fights for the past few days. Nothing but rain in the forecast for the next week so will have to wait a bit to have a few buddies over and light the fires!

 

Nice !!

Reminds me of an upright my father had when I was in High School. I did my best to keep it full of pine and cedar and was really happy when the pile of cherry was given the OK to burn.
The stove is buried in my garage, one of things I didn't want to part with after I was tasked with cleaning out his barns when he passed.

 

Cool idea. Pallet Pete might be interested in one instead of the potbelly he was thinking of.

Edit: well never mind. Looks like he's got something already.

 

Seeing his posts a while back may have been what put me in mind of making another one.