Help Doc! She has spots and complains of ringing in her ears and halucinations.

gurkha berserka · Mar 2, 2015

Super cool picture Ndog... Love seeing them, keep'em coming!

Bawanna · Mar 2, 2015

Amazing! We got a Junior Bookie on our hands. Wonder how the stove holds up to that much heat?

You done really good weed hopper. Mind boggling.

ndoghouse · Mar 2, 2015

Bawanna said:
Amazing! We got a Junior Bookie on our hands. Wonder how the stove holds up to that much heat?

You done really good weed hopper. Mind boggling.

Well i wondered the same thing but I actually got it as scrap from a neighbors house that burned down with it. I figure if it could survive a house fire then it could probably survive this. I did pile up some ash on the sides and left a good layer on the bottom for some added protection and brought it up to temp slowly. The woodstove is just temporary anyway. Im gathering parts for a gas fired forge in the meantime. I also want to build a charcoal forge outside for when the weather is good and dont want to heat up the house in the summer.

guruguru · Mar 2, 2015

What kind of wood do you guys use for the stumps? Does it matter?

Saw a house that was remodeling cut some trees down. Was thinking about going and grabbing one of their trunk pieces.

ndoghouse · Mar 2, 2015

guruguru said:
What kind of wood do you guys use for the stumps? Does it matter?

Saw a house that was remodeling cut some trees down. Was thinking about going and grabbing one of their trunk pieces.

Those are post oak stumps. I also have some cedar as well. The heavier the better.

philllll · Mar 2, 2015

ndoghouse said:
Well I fired up the forge this weekend Doc. I know it aint like yours but it worked. I used my shop vac connected to a variac transformer so I could adjust the airflow and seemed to get pretty hot.

Anvil needed some touch up.

I was really surprised how sharp you can get a knife just by peening. Finally got some use outta that cheap Chinese belt sander

Getting perturbed with the vice grips and channel locks I decided to make me a set of tongs. I fullered and twisted out an area for the pivot pin and then beat it all square.

After a bit of trimming and pin installation this is what i ended up with. It still needs some adjusting to hold plate stuff but a couple hours and scrap id say this project was a success. Only one thing left to do. Test it out and celebrate!!!

Whaddaya think doc?

I can't WAIT to see what else you got in store! Nice setup dude!

Bookie · Mar 2, 2015

Been in bed for two days playing sickie. Thought I smelled the aroma of Butterfingers and Guinness on the cold Southern airs we be getting at the moment. Figured I was hallucinatin' but then I open up the forum and what do I see? Man, you really know how to hurt a guy....'specially one who's been sick....The tongs look good. Now get the limbs round. The best way to do that is to cut the limbs off about 2-3 inches from the pivot and scarf weld round stock to the stubs. I prefer to throw a kink onto one limb so the tongs are more controllable and I just like the way it feels. Sometimes add a small steel ring to the tongs. This creates a "lock down" device when needed. Can send photos some time if you ever need to see details.

Bookie · Mar 2, 2015

P.S., Do you know how to make your tongs fit certain thickness of stock securely?

ndoghouse · Mar 3, 2015

Bookie said:
Been in bed for two days playing sickie. Thought I smelled the aroma of Butterfingers and Guinness on the cold Southern airs we be getting at the moment. Figured I was hallucinatin' but then I open up the forum and what do I see? Man, you really know how to hurt a guy....'specially one who's been sick....The tongs look good.

Sorry man! I havent heard from ya in a few days so I figured the best way to rouse you up to check on you is guinness and butterfinger. Worked didnt it. Now that your up ill destroy the evidence

Now get the limbs round. The best way to do that is to cut the limbs off about 2-3 inches from the pivot and scarf weld round stock to the stubs. I prefer to throw a kink onto one limb so the tongs are more controllable and I just like the way it feels. Sometimes add a small steel ring to the tongs. This creates a "lock down" device when needed. Can send photos some time if you ever need to see details.

I hear ya but no welder yet so might heat and pound them out or grind them round. The ring lock sounds cool. Id be interested. Welded ring to end then loop over other rein? When you get done with the shaping do you quench and spring temper them?

P.S., Do you know how to make your tongs fit certain thickness of stock securely?

I have ideas but yours are probably better. Im going to make a few more pairs of tongs when I get this figured out. The bar stock scrap I used was too narrow but I managed to get them bent and aligned anyway. They may be too thin where I fullered them and twisted but they seem to be pretty stron anyway so we will see. I heated them and normalized a few times once they were aligned for what thats worth?
Hope ya get to feeling better Doc! I think you need two butterfingers and a Guinness and call me in the morning!

Shavru · Mar 3, 2015

looks like you are setup for a LOT of fun Ndog. and yeah, You can seriously peen an edge sharp. I have a nice grass scythe that all I do is peen it for sharpening. You can actually feel the edge flex as you run your finger along it when you are done peening.

ndoghouse · Mar 3, 2015

Shavru said:
looks like you are setup for a LOT of fun Ndog. and yeah, You can seriously peen an edge sharp. I have a nice grass scythe that all I do is peen it for sharpening. You can actually feel the edge flex as you run your finger along it when you are done peening.

I do want a scythe badly. With spring coming ill probably get one. I saw a good video on someone peening one so I figured id try it. Ive done small sections on Khuks from hitting rocks but not a whole edge until last weekend. I had such good results I touched up my anvil so I cant wait to try it again on a good smooth edge. Im excited in general about getting started smithing. Theres so much you can do with bent metal:thumbup: The pizza cutter was fun but im working on my first real knife now. Its a Tako Hiki sashimi knife. Love Japanese cutlery. Ill post something soon. I aint ready to do a Khuk yet but i will!

ndoghouse · Mar 7, 2015

Hey Doc! What is the proper way to adjust tongs? Do you quench and temper them or anything? I Squeezed a piece of 1/4" sample with the jaws hot and squeezed it down in the vise and also adjusted the handle width while it was hot then let it cool that way. Dont know if that is correct way to do it but it seems to hold the sample pretty well. I still have to round off the handles.

Bookie · Mar 7, 2015

Kamidog,........well, we going to try this again. Keep getting blown out of the water by Blade Forums and wiping out my posts & pics. What you did was O.K., but remember those tongs are set up for 1/4 inch stock. That means you gotta pay attention to what you are doing when you up or down stock thicknesses. Get you a little pair of duck bills for small stock. They're awful handy. Enclosed are 4 pics. Some are pretty large. Three are of my tongs. Not great pics, but you'll get an idea of what 75% of my tongs look like. I have tongs that weigh 20 pound. Some are 4-5 foot long, too. The fourth pic is what is called a necker in non-blacksmithese. In reality, it is an adjustable, home-made upper and lower fuller. Goes in your hardy hole. Make you a monkey tool, too. First off, you need to look up just what a monkey tool is and what it does. This is no leg pulling. Black smithing is hard and dangerous work. You need all the help and labor savers you can get a hold of.

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Bookie · Mar 7, 2015

You notice that the handle limbs are different shapes? Lengths? Just like the jaws? Some are used a lot. Some rarely. Some are for the same purpose, look different in the limbs, but your wrist might be hurting someday, or you need a different grip for the particular stock you're working on. Gloves are O.K. for some work. Get two sizes of vise-grips. When ever any of your tools get hot, quench'em. If one of the jaws comes out of your vise-grips, make set of "box tongs" out of it to hold flat strips like 1/8" X 1" X ?? If your hammers have wooden handles, soak them in the slack tub before you start up. That will swell the wood and keep the handles tight in the heads. Dry the hammers off before you hit some hot metal with them, O.K.? Oh. And when you discover all about monkey tools, report back here.

ndoghouse · Mar 8, 2015

All right then. Im on it. Monkey tools 101. Test tomorrow

I did quench my tongs after the heating and adjusting. It just seemed right

Bookie · Mar 8, 2015

Kamidog, here come photos up your old wah-zoo in three sections. They are of my blacksmith set up taken today. I expect you to eye ball'em closely (I know you can do this because Hobbits are sneaky little shhss.) and ask questions if they arise.

Bookie · Mar 8, 2015

SECTION A

[/URL][/IMG] Little stuff for tending the fire and small tongs & pliers.

[/URL][/IMG] More tongs. Remember, these tongs have descriptive names & specific duties.

[/URL][/IMG] More tongs. Notice the box tongs made from a Vise-grip?

[/URL][/IMG] Tongs again. Bottom pair is really rusted bad. Found in Colorado prospecting for gold. They work!

[/URL][/IMG] Long honkers.

[/URL][/IMG] Picks up 6-8" round stock. 15 pounders.

[/URL][/IMG] Misc. & spares.

[/URL][/IMG] For scratchin' yer butt!

Bookie · Mar 8, 2015

SECTION B

[/URL][/IMG] 10 pound sledge. You'll need one.

[/URL][/IMG] Cut-off hardie.

[/URL][/IMG] Regular hardie. Store bought.

[/URL][/IMG] For bending bars.

[/URL][/IMG] Cone mandrel. When you need one, you need one.

[/URL][/IMG] Anvil dog made from jack handle.

Bawanna · Mar 8, 2015

Looks like the same tools my dentist use for extractions!

Bookie · Mar 8, 2015

SECTION C..the big one.

[/URL][/IMG] 4" post vise. Mounted on concrete filled steel farm wagon wheel.

[/URL][/IMG] Properly called a bick iron. Stump has been wrapped with steel strap.

[/URL][/IMG] The stump. Domed washers under 4" lag bolts from wooden cable spool. Adds "class".

[/URL][/IMG] The old Maytag Co. 285 pound anvil. Cost me $8 for all of the set up.

[/URL][/IMG] I cover my big stuff to keep it from rusting badly.

[/URL][/IMG] My slack tub. Galvanized farm bucket. Stand is for flowers to keep them from drooping.

[/URL][/IMG] Swedge or swage block. This is Centaur Forge's A block.

[/URL][/IMG] Coke a friendly semi-driver dropped off when he was making a cross country run. Lucky me!

[/URL][/IMG] One brand of pea coal. I use what ever I can get.

[/URL][/IMG] 30 gal. oak keg for coal. I added strap handles. Love this.

[/URL][/IMG] My Kamidog anvil. 85# on a home made "stump."

[/URL][/IMG] Hand blower by Champion.

[/URL][/IMG] Close up of the side.

[/URL][/IMG] T-shirt......