Sharp Soapstone

How many times have you heard, “Make a mark with a sharp soapstone”?  We all know what that means and how to do it.  But, try to find a reference to it on the web.  To me, this seems to be a typical example of simple techniques which seem too mundane to document.

In actual practice I usually don't bother to sharpen soapstone and just use it in approximate marking situations.  If I want a sharper, more accurate mark, I use a presto pen or a chisel mark line, a punch mark or a scribed line.  Sometimes a silver pencil or silver Sharpie works if I can lay a hand of one of them.

Soapstone is cheap, so there are lots of pieces here and there in the shop.  If I can’t find a piece in my pocket I probably can find a piece within 10 feet.  It isn’t messy.  It is heat resistant, and remarkably strong compared to silver and graphite pencils.

Some soapstone links:

http://forum.weldingtipsandtricks.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1223&start=10

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?44698-Soap-stone-sharpener

Long article - soapstone at the very end:

http://www.howtospotapsychopath.com/category/toys/page/3/

http://www.tipsbytom.com/index.php/marking-steel/

More on Angle of Repose

When I go to get a load of coal I’m assisted by a loader which looks a lot like this.

http://www.womp-int.com/story/2008vol7/story030.htm

It’s impressive to see how much coal it can handle and how quickly I get the truck bed filled.  The physics of how coal slides never really occurred to me until recently and I’ll pay more attention to it when I go back to the mine.  

This reminds me that I keep saying “the mine” even though I learned that where I pick up my coal is just a crushing, sorting, distribution facility and the strip mine is actually several miles away.  The coal it trucked to this site for processing.

I collect the coal I drag out of the coal bin chute into an antique coal bucket.also called a coal scuttle or hod.  Now I notice that the shape closely approximates the 35º angle of repose of the contents.  When the leading edge of the bucket is parallel to the floor the coal slides out.

Years before I ever heard the term, I observed the angle of repose in action as I watched antlions unwittingly exploit the tendency as they constructed and operated their conical ant traps.  In the summer, I would lay near the house foundation on the south side where the soil was barren and powder dry.  That was where the antlion eggs were laid and the larvae hatched and went to work catching ants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_repose

A Hopper Coal Bin

I don’t think I’ll ever get around to changing my coal bin but I have bee thinking about ways it could be improved.  When I built my bin I considered making the bottom like a hopper but I was in a hurry and didn’t want to make the job complicated.

Now, I have given it some thought and have some suggestions to consider.  The angle of repose of bituminous blacksmithing coal is approximately 35º.  Try making a conical pile steeper than that and it conflicts with Mother Nature.  So, in order to help the coal slide to the door where I would like to collect it in my coal bucket the slope of the bottom needs to be just a bit more steep that 35º.

When I slide up the door I can easily reach a couple of feet inside in all directions.  That’s where I’d like the coal to pile up.  I don’t want it to slide all the way to the door because it would tend to just keep coming out.

The hopper bottom would have a volume of about 22.6 cubic feet.  The original box capacity was about 64 cubic feet.  The height  of the box could be reduced about 8” and still preserve the 1+ ton capacity.

The leg height was determined to accommodate easy coal bucket filling.  I could come down a few inches.  If I kept the height of the legs the same and cut the box down 8” this hopper bottom would add 1’2” to the overall height.  That would be too high for me to easily open the top as I do now and a little harder to use the top like a shelf.  However the only reason I usually open the top is to rake coal closer to the chute opening which would no longer be needed.  I don’t think it would complicate the once a year loading process.

Touchmark Holders

When I was working on my first major client project, bifold fireplace glass doors, I designed and ordered my logo and initials touchmarks.  They were made from S4 steel and heat treated so the stamp end was about 60 Rockwell and the struck end about 50 Rockwell.  They seemed a bit pricey.  As I recall each was close to $100.  They have seen a lot of use and still seem to be as good as new after over 15 years.

At first I held them with tongs but soon made dedicated holders.  I made the fit really tight so the stamp has to be knocked out of the barrel if I need to have it free.  I place the barrel in a vise so the handle rod wrapping abound the barrel serves as a stop.  Then I use a simple handled driving tool and hammer to dislodge the stamp.  The starter end of the driver is a small punch drop with a concave face to seat over the convex head of the stamp.  When the stamp is driven below the opening of the barrel I flip the tool over and use the narrower flat end to drive it all the way out.

The 3/16" round rod twist handle of the tool looks a bit flimsy and that is intentional.  If the tool is mis struck the handle will flex and not transfer the full force to the hand.  I do still hold the alpha numeric stamps with tongs which I have modified to fit and hold them really securely.

Nice gallery of touchmarks:

http://www.incandescent-iron.com/toga.html

Concave starter face - a welded punch drop

Concave face fits convex stamp head

Pin drives stamp out of the barrel

Anti-seize was placed inside the barrel after this photo.

Holding Alpha Numeric stamp with tongs

Applying Touchmarks

I wrote a bit about using touchmarks in September 2010.  I'm going to expand on that as my setup has changed over the years.

The following is a guideline and isn’t written in stone but serves to help define what I consider three levels ironwork I create.  First there is rather generic ironwork, small items that sell for less than $40.00 and is not signed with one of my touchmarks unless specifically requested and possible.

Next are proprietary projects that go to the gallery and are produced in limited quantities and are priced from $40.00 to a few hundred dollars. These are usually signed with the persimmon logo touchmark.

High end ironwork commissioned by clients designed to be one of a kind typically sells for more than $200.00 and is signed with the persimmon logo touchmark, DJE initials and the month and year of completion.  02 . 14 would signify February 2014.  The marks are placed in an inconspicuous place unless the client requests otherwise.

Usually the touchmark tools are held by a dedicated handled holder or tongs and struck with a hand hammer or the treadle hammer.  I have also made holders so the marks can be applied using the hydraulic forging press or fly press.

In the design process I want to remember to place the touchmark before obstruction awkwardness becomes an issue.  Also a thick area world best for me  because the mark will show through on the opposite side of the metal if it is less than a 1/4” or so thick.

Torch heat works better for me in most cases but some marks are applied cold or with low coal fire heat.

Standard touchmarks.

Hand held TM tools.

Fly press TM holder on swivel tang.

Hydraulic forging press holder/stop.

Face penetration depth is limited to about 1/16".

Adjustable Ring Wrapper

I needed some small rings which I could weld onto various things I wanted to hang on pegboard hooks so I got out a vise tool  I had made for this purpose.  It was made to roll rings from 3/16” round rod with a inside diameter of 1/2” using torch heat.

I wanted the new rings to have a somewhat larger inside diameter. so I cut a short length of the right size pipe to use as the mandrel and just tacked it onto the shaft of the original tool.  I then tacked the end of a 3/16” rod to the added pipe section and did the wrapping.  After rolling several rings I cut the coil end-to-end releasing the individual rings and cut the tack to remove the last one.

This one tool can make rings of several diameters by changing the size of the pipe mandrels.

Windlass with three pipe mandrels.

Wrapped coil sliced (from a different jig).

Using a Vise Cam Clamp

I saw an image of an old farrier tool which locked a horseshoe in place.  It was made to be held by a post vise and a forged cam was the locking lever.

Basically there was a broad curved post the same radius as the inside of the shoe against which a cam could lock the shoe by pushing on the outside radius of the shoe at a tangent point.  This device allowed secure hold and quick release similar to a vise grip clamp.

I do a lot of small repetitive work on the vise usually with torch heat and this looked like a useful tool to make.  I wanted my tool to be adjustable and not be limited to one size stock so I attached the post to a slide bar of 1/4” x 1” flat bar which could move in a barrel made from 1/8” x  1/2” x 1.25” channel.  The working space gap would be locked with a hex bolt through a welded nut.

Just for the learning experience I forged the cam from a piece of 1/2” square bar by drawing a flat taper about 6” long and starting a scroll with a 1/2” circular open center to fit over a 1/2” round bar axel.  The remainder of the taper was tightly closed like a jelly roll until the diameter was about 2.5”.  I cut off the solid bar extending beyond the cam and welded a piece of 1/2” square tube in it’s place to make the tool lighter.

The device seems to work well and it could be adapted in any number of ways.  Time will tell how useful it is.

Open position

Closed position

Clamping position

Curved Chisels/Gouges

When preparing to make the stamping dies for the limb cross section with tree rings I sorted through the chisel collection.  I don’t have the occasion to use curved chisels often.  However, I have made a dozen over the years and they are collected in one box.  All are handled.

I realized that while I had quite a collection I did not have what I really needed.  That reminded me of a halftime talk by my high school football coach after our team had just retreated from a very poor first half performance.  Coach clenched his hat in his hand and paced the locker room with a look of exasperation and finally stopped and said, “God love you boys.  You’re a fine bunch of boys, but, there is not a football player among you.”  I’ll never forget that performance.

After a test run I could see that what I really needed for the project was about four chisels with radiuses of 1/4”, 1/2’, 3/4” and 1” without handles.   That would allow turning the chisel to create a 360º circle without awkward ergonomics.  I decided they needed to be made from H13 with a rather thick draft, if that is the right term. Since H13 is expensive I’d make them about 2” in length and hold them with tongs.

The 1.25” H13 round stock was forged down to the appropriate diameter for each and a porter bar was attached.  The curved blade was formed by laying the workpiece in a swage gutter and driving down a ball shaped top tool.  This illustration shows how it would be done in a traditional swage block but I actually used similar dies in the hydraulic forging press.  The finish work was done with an angle grinder and belt sander and polishing wheels on a bench grinder.

They fit the three pairs of holding tongs nicely and the chisels worked well when making the branch collar limb cut die.  One of the holding tongs in shown on the 2/18/14 post.   I’ll show the new die when it is completely finished and tested.

Previously made curved chisel/veining tools with handles.

This link shows some nice chisel, gouge and punch tools.

 http://www.kowalperun.pl/blacksmith/tongs_tools.html

A Favorite Video

I came across this link to one of my favorite blacksmithing videos.  Jim Poor explains and demonstrates how he makes his farrier tongs from 3/4" round.  He shows hammer and anvil technique and power hammer technique.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/336855247100544776/

I had the pleasure of seeing Jim and Kathleen demonstrate at the Saltfork Craftsmen Conference in Guthrie, Oklahoma in October 2001.  They are remarkably talented and great show persons.  They own and operate Flatland Forge in Midland, Texas.

http://www.flatlandforge.com

Tong Making Illustrations

I came across this site while looking for images of tong racks.  The mid portion of the post presents a nice series of images of the steps in making flat jaw tongs.

http://www.sustainlife.org/blogs/sustainlife/tag/blacksmithing-2/

This link gives details about their 1 day to 6 day blacksmithing courses.  The teaching site is a bit north of Waco, Texas.

http://www.sustainlife.org/catalog/classes/traditional-crafts/blacksmithing/

Tacking a Rivet

This is another little trick which is helpful when working alone.  It is a quick-and-dirty alternative to the rivet buck helper.

In the case shown in these images I made the rivet by upsetting the end of a 3/8” round rod with torch heat to form the rivet head.  I then placed the rod through the tong holes and tacked the head.  The tongs were then flipped over and the rod was trimmed to proper rivet length with a cutoff disc.  The end was then heated with the torch and peened.  Finally, the tack was removed with the cutoff disc to erase the evidence of the kludge. 

Rivet head upset on 3/8" rod and MIG weld tacked.

Tongs flipped over.  Rod cut to length and peened.

Tack weld removed and rivet head finished.

Another Rivet Buck Helper

Back on 12/14/13 I showed one type of rivet buck helper. http://persimmonforge.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-rivet-buck-helper.html  This is just another version with a cross bar for supporting the reins of tongs while the rivet is being peened.

I have a project coming up which will use some short curved chisels.  I had one holding tong for sizes up to about 5/8” but no larger.  I made this pair which holds up to about 1” and another for holding up to 1.5” shafts.  I’ll show how they worked out in the project which is making a die set for stamping tree ring lines on the face of a stump cut or branch collar cut.

I only use the helper until I get the rivet peened enough to not fall out.  From that point I take the tongs in my left hand and use the torch in my right hand alternating with a ball peen until the job is done.

It Only Fits One Way

I’ve made a lot of jigs to make projects go quicker and produce reliably similar items.  For items which sell well I usually make several of them at one time then store the tools, jigs, templates, blanks, whatever, away until needed again.  Sometimes it is quite a few months between these production runs and I tend to forget how all the parts worked.  Some jigs are a bit complicated.  With each use I try to improve the written and photo image instructions but it’s hard to record every little detail.

In designing jigs I try to design constraints which only let the workpiece fit one way. This seems the surest way to make tooling that can’t get messed up.

This is one example.  On my shop built version of a Hossfeld bender I use this adjustable top tool a lot for quick bending while working at the forge. Depending upon the thickness of the stock, the post may need a sleeve to make the working distance smaller.  I don’t want the sleeve to rotate on the post. There is a lug welded on he post to keep it at the proper height and a notch is cut out of the sleeve which fits over the lug and prevents rotation.

I cut an eccentric indexing line across the top of the post and sleeve so it is immediately apparent how to place the sleeve on the post so it seats properly.  I also marked some lines with a Presto pen to emphasize the alignment features.  It’s a minor thing but eventually it saves time.

Notch for the post lug

Index line cut and highlighted 

Sleeve in place on bender 

Sleeve won't seat with improper indexing

Anti-Seize

I use Anti-Seize on a regular basis.  Yesterday I assembled some pieces which will the the spacer in my bolted dies.  Each piece has two 7/16” hex bolts and nuts.  I lubricated each bolt tread section as I assembled them and put them away for storage.

It is a little messy for me to use even though it has a handy brush attached to the screw top.  The silver color gets on my fingers and is transferred to gloves and other things before I get the residue wiped off.  It especially annoying when I get on the lenses of my glasses.

I like the fact that I can see it and tell that the item has been lubricated.  In that respect it is like the lawn care services which put green coloring in their spray mixtures so they can show they got proper coverage.

The lubricating effect seems to be quite long lasting and it holds up well even when exposed to weathering.  It is compounded mostly from aluminum, copper, graphite, calcium oxide and mineral oil.  I’ve had a couple of jars so long they got a bit dried out so I restored them by adding either mineral oil or Naphtha.

http://www.permatex.com/products-2/product-categories/lubricants/specialty-lubricants-anti-seize/permatex-anti-seize-lubricant-detail

Pioneer Bluffs Entrance Sign

I was looking through some images of past work and found a roadside sign I had constructed for Pioneer Bluffs. http://pioneerbluffs.org

In the summer of 2009 I was contacted by Bill McBride about helping construct a sign which would be erected near the entry drive and visible from the highway.  It wasn’t to be anything fancy, just utilitarian and in keeping with the frontier ranch setting.  I was to do the iron hardware and woodworker, Wade Coester, would do the wood part with the lettering.

One special thing to consider was wind.  The wind blows a lot in the Flint Hills and often it’s pretty strong.  We devised a plan for lateral struts

with chains to help stabilize the sign on those occasions.  I think it worked out well.  It’s not a big job and not along the line of sculptural work which is what I rely like to do, but it fees good to try to help out people who are doing good work with preserving our historic past.

It’s an interesting site to visit and it has a nice gallery.  http://pioneerbluffs.org/gallery/  There is a regular series of education events which can be followed by periodically checking in with the website home page.

Smithing Magician in the Fly Press

When I bought my fly press I could only afford the smallest size.  It has been satisfactory for just about everything except but one.   The ram-to-base clearance was not quite enough to allow me to fit my Smithing Magician tool in the space.  I could have made a smaller version of the SM as one solution but I chose to cut about 3/4” off the upper end of the top dies.  I figured I could always weld back the length if I needed it.  This gives me just enough working distance to do the small jobs I’m planning, mostly some pipe fullering and some sheet veining.

I wanted to use the hex bolt which locks the top tool in the ram as the top die lifting hook so I had to make a top pusher (hammer) tool which extends forward enough to strike the die and still keep the link wire aligned.  I also welded a 3/8” lock washer onto the front face of the top die to attach the wire loop.

I don’t know how satisfactory this will be over time but the learning curve has to begin somewhere.  I may also try a rubber band in place of the wire.

Die hammered down

Die lifted to maximum opening

A careful observer may notice the little relief ground out of the bottom frame in the center.  I did that because occasionally the bottom die would get stuck.  The little slot allows me to slip in a chisel and lift the die free.  Normally the smithing magician is bolted to a base which fits in the treadle hammer and allows me to position both depth and height stops.  It is about 3/8” thick plate and I have to remove it to use the tool in the fly press.

Magnetic Rivet Holder

This little gadget may come in handy when there aren’t enough helping hands around.  It simply holds a rivet in place until it can be peened enough so that it can’t escape.  I have made a special clamp from vice grip pliers to do the same thing but this can be less awkward.

This magnetic holder was made from three short pieces of 1/8” x 1” flat bar to be used with 1/4” or 5/16” shank rivets which is the size I commonly use.  I keep a supply of 1/2” diameter rare earth magnets in stock so that is the size I chose.  They are a hair over an 1/8” in thickness.  These were gently tapped into drilled 1/2” holes and were secure.  Sometimes I have to use some adhesive to keep them in place in their socket.  I drilled 1/4” holes in the two pieces of flat bar backing up the magnet sockets so I could easily knock the magnets out if needed.

The rivet head socket is made by drilling a 5/8” hole in the center of the top bar and progressively smaller holes in the following two bars.  The last hole has to be small enough to prevent the rivet head from escaping.  I used a die grinder to bevel the drill hole edges to avoid galling the rivet head.  The bars are assembled with tacks on the ends.  They can be taken apart easily if something needs to be modified.

After all the bar assembly was completed the magnets were placed.  Gentle force is necessary to avoid fracturing the magnets.  Magnets can also be damaged by excessive heat.

These little magnetic wonders can be adapted to many uses but those who use them should be aware of their potential hazards.

http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/t-safetyinformation.aspx