[TheForge] A small project, questions from a new hammer.

[Phlip]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Belfer-Shevett" <shevett@homeport.org>
To: <theforge@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2002 3:29 PM
Subject: [TheForge] A small project, questions from a new hammer.


> (I had a small mail burp.  Apologies if this is a duplicate)
>
> Hi folks... First post to the list... hope I don't embarrass myself too
> much.

Welcome, and well come ;-) No, you can't embarrass yourself any worse than
Roy does with his passion for turnip wagons ;-O

>
> I've been working with a smith in NH, and he's been teaching me
> wonderful work, and I'm ready to get some things done in my shop at
> home.

Good start...

> I've acquired a -monster- anvil that I'll be grinding down and getting
> into shape (it hasn't been worked in a good 20 years and is slightly
> rusty, with a lot of grease on it - but it rings true...)

Not sure how big it is- do you know, or does it have markings? but if it
rings nicely, you may want to use something to dampen the sound- it can
really get on your nerves after a while.

> Over the weekend my roomate managed to fold one of our mower blades on a
> rock, and I'd like to straighten it out.  First project!  Wahoo!

Ummm, not a good idea for a first project. I'll tell you why in a moment.

> The problem is, I haven't invested in an NCcraft gas forge yet, and I
> have -very- little experience working coal.  I know most of the 'be
> carefuls' about it (coal heats faster -specially smaller pieces, and do
> NOT burn the metal :)

> I do not have a coal forge, but I can get a series of fire bricks and
> set up a simple hot pot for this one job (I'm impatient - i can take the
> piece to the gas forge for my next class, but I'm dying to do some work
> here).

You'll also need some kind of blower.....

> The other question - where do I get a sack of coal?  I'm assuming Bob's
> Charcoal Briquettes are probably not appropriate for this - or are
> they?

Actually, you could make worse choices than charcoal briquettes ;-) Bad
coal, for one ;-O

> I could also set up a wood fire on brick, let it burn down to coals, and
> work that, but that seems time consuming.

Also inefficient, also unlikely to work.

> Suggestions?  I have -very- little chance of doing any real damage aside
> from using the wrong type of brick and cracking a hastily built forge -
> if I destroy the mower blade, I'm out $20 for a replacement blade :)
>
> Thanks, and I'm officially addicted.  Alas.
OK. You have several problems here. First and foremost, is that you don't
really understand what you're doing, the nature of the materials and tools
you're working with, and so forth. Basicly you know that if you heat metal,
it gets soft and you can shape it with a hammer.

That's a good place to start, but not enough to safely do the project you
intend.

For starters, you're not working with mild steel with that mower blade,
you're working with some variant of a high carbon- one of the guys here can
likely tell you which one. My suggestion would be to go get and install a
new mower blade, and use the old one to play with and learn from.

In order to fix it properly, you'll have to heat it, removing all of the
factory temper, reshape it so that it's balanced and angled properly, and re
temper and anneal it. If the entire sequence isn't done properly, you could
wind up with pieces of sharp steel flying through the air- not a preferred
situation.

Furthermore, with a forge, the important factor is not so much the fuel
itself, as it is the rate at which you can get the fuel and air to mix. That
is more important to the heating than the equipment you use. Firebox
materials and shapes are merely conveniences, to help you shape the fire to
an efficient form for the air to mix with it (and not to, in some sreas) so
you can heat whatever part of the project you need to, without burning the
house down ;-)

Suggest you replace the mower blade, scrap the old one and maybe make a
knife or something out of it, build yourself or buy yourself a forge, and
work from there.

Where are you? Maybe one of us is close enough to help you get started?

Phlip