[TheForge] Finishing Swage Blocks

Thu Jan 16 11:23:05 2003

Phil,

Are we getting a little anti-intellectual backlash here?  Watch out.  On =
this group, you're associating with a lot of smart people!

So are you telling me it's somehow more virtuous to work HARD when you =
could work SMART instead?  Acid is cheap.  Asphaultum (you don't have to =
like that Latin-sounding name - THAT'S what it's CALLED) is cheap.  =
Combine the two and a little smarts and just MAYBE you'll save yourself a =
whole lot of elbow grease.

This combination is how etching is done.  Coat metal with asphaultum =
(which rather like tar, but gets solid at room temperature), scratch =
through to the bare metal, put in acid - voila' an etching.  (Great stuff =
for showing to the young ladies...)

My reason for inquiring was to see whether anyone had tried it already, =
and what results. =20

I am not in academia.  I am an industrial analytical chemist.  Not to =
proud to think before I go to work.

Bruce
NJ

>>> [email protected] 01/15/03 06:25PM >>>
Gheez! - Ashphault and acid!  Oh boy! Here we go. Just try a little "elbow
grease". You're making blacksmithing way too complicated again, Bruce. =
Just
read John Newman's response on finishing swage blocks and follow
instructions!  I remember a master blacksmith tell me once, a long time
ago, - "sometimes ya' gotta put down the text books and pick up the =
hammer".

Tell us the truth now. I've gotten e-mails in the past week and the
consensus is you're in academia(remember ..."put down the text book"). =
Tell
the truth now, Bruce.

Asphaultum and acid, phew - that's a good one   :o)))

Phil
Jordan Forge

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Freeman" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 4:01 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Finishing Swage Blocks

Lotta talk recently on this subject.  I have a Green and Mengel block I =
need
to finish.  I had previously tried flexible sanding disks, but found it
rather tedious and didn't get very far.  I just picked up a couple flap
wheels I'd intended to try on the angle grinder.

What techniques have the rest of you used, and how effective were they?

I was wondering whether acid etching would work.  Coat the block in
asphaultum - which resists etching compound.  Then lightly sand the =
regions
you want to finish, so that you cut through the asphaultum down to the =
HIGH
points only.  Acid etch ? should reduce the high points, selectively.  =
Then
rinse off the acid, sand a little MORE asphaultum off, and re-etch.
Presumably this would take a few cycles.  When the area is smooth, recoat
with asphaultum and leave it alone until the rest of the block is =
finished.
Finally wash off the asphaultum.  Note that I haven't tried this and am =
not
advocating it.

Bruce
NJ

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