Brand new to black smithing and have been playing around but discussion and tips would be much appreciated (pic related my forge)
>>966684
While hammering anything more then just bending something. 5 strikes on one side, flip the piece, 5 strikes on that side, never just hammer one side other wise during any hardening its gonna bend towards the side you hammered the most.
>>966685
duh. doesn't everyone know that? iv never even done anything like that before.
Electric forges are pretty cool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLaBFkeHG0A
It's a meme video more than anything, but hot damn laser derusting is cool.
>>966707
i need that
I can vouch for pic related.
Just made a forge from a brake drum but its a little small. Would one like OP's picture be better for larger work or does more surface space just mean more fuel wasted for not much benefit?
A guy I know could hook me up with a rotor or even a tractor trailer brake drum if needs be.
Just finished making this foundry the other day. Haven't had the chance to try it out yet, still looking for a used/cheap pot. Anything i should do or change before melting some brass?
>1/8 thick walled air tank
>exhaust pipe burner with cast iron end
>walls are locally sourced white sand, sifted. With 16oz fluid of white shop sweep (kitty litter) and 8oz fluid of cement powder, rocks and gravel sifted out, per 2 gallons of sand
>coffee cans for center, lid to base, with 4in deep of above sand mix between burner and disc black base
D-did i do good?
>>968222
And i side. Sorry this one is a potato. Only had a little propane, it never actually heated up.
uses a disk brake as a fire pot. computer fan as blower. using coke as fuel.
Anyone know where I can find some good clay to properly make molds for casting? I imagine wallmart wont have this shit and ill need to go to an art store or something.
Where would I go about finding an anvil/anvil substitute?
>>969380
Ebay or craigslist. Search railroad track anvil. You won't find any decent real anvils less for less than 500, and quality can range from great to I see a little steel in the rust. However you can find some bigass excavator pins from scrap yards that might be worth your time, they won't have a horn though so you gotta find something else cone shaped or round to smack on. Just don't get a cast iron anvil, they are shit.
>>969380
>>969555
A buddy of mine grand father told my of a simple way to harden a railroad track.
You'll need track, 20g used diesel motor, shit load of hardwood, forge blower or shop vac that blows, 5-6 feet of exhaust pipe or 2in cast iron pipe, two 6 foot of cast pipes or 5/8 stock, steel 55g drum cut in half for the motor oil
>torch and grind out horn on foot long piece of track, very important to do before hardening. If you can surface the track do it now as well
>dig 3 foot deep by 3 foot across hole with a trench for the exhaust pipe to the center of the hole
>put the pipe in the trench, make sure the end out of the hole is access for the blower
>fill the hole with hard wood and light
>run blower as needed to keep fire burning hot
>keep adding wood untill you have a full 3 foot deep bed of coals burning, this should take a few hours if you have good wood
>drop track in coals track down
>turn blower on and continue adding wood
>when the foot is light orange, the track will be yellow
>use the pipes/stock with a buddy to pinch the track and lift it out
>CAREFULLY lift the track and walk it to the drum of ised diesel engine oil
>DROP the track in the oil, do not hesitate, if you set the track in the oil it'll boil and catch fire. You will get severely burned.
>Wait about an hour to an hour and a half and fish out your new anvil
I could barely grind mine after hardening it this way, i should have let it get hotter but I'll know for the next one.
