TIPS (AUG 10)
First of all, tips can be mailed to me and if they good then will be used
I will check them for content.
All E-mail Tips should have name added if you wish credit for your tip!
Now on to the tip.......
A old tip I learned from my teacher was to put a old 1 gallon can over the
the hot pocket of my bottom draft forge when I started it up. This will
start your pocket fast and easy with very little coal. --TLR
When you are through for the night on your coal forge put a metal sheet over
the forge and choke the fire out with no air. This will give you a good set
of starting coke the next time you fire up the forge. --Ill
A nice way to keep all of those lose drill bits rounded up by your drill
bits rounded up by the press is a 2x4 with a lot of holes in it 3/4 of
the way through. --Ill
You can shine the heads of your rivits without burning your hands by
puting the heads down a piece of pipe smaller then the head of rivit
The same thing works if you tap out the pipe for screws. --Ill
Placeing a liner of 1/4 inch steel in the bottom of your propane forge
will keep your forge from slag forming on the bottom, it fills up just
a tap will remove the slag, this also keeps the forges with a liner from
getting ate up by flux from welding. --Jana Lee
When useing hard coal in your forge you will obtain a Cleaner burn for
the forgeing of damask and folded blades. --no name
For the correct metal usage every time instead of doing the math, try
useing simple clay to shape out your piece, flaten it back out then measure
it with a ruler. This will give you a pretty good idea of how much metal you
you will need to move and shape. With a little practice you can judge the
time it will take to forge up also. --Thanks Jim Galilf
To remove all of those unsightly marks put on by your post vice a simple
device of two pieces of rubber tread pad 1/4" thick and cut to fit over head
of your vice joined by two holes cut in top and two pieces of steel rod will
give you a good grab surface without all of the marks to go with it!
--Don Keasly
When doing a etch out on your blade if you have a bubble jet printer
you can use clear sheets to print your image out then tape to put it
on, cut through the sheet when doing the image and you can do some
nice etch work without worry of design being off center. --John Montgomery
Acid eching is not that hard for damascus and doesn't involve costly toners
or acid. Simple muratic acid can be bought at your local hardware store(also
known as pool cleaner) and it a 10% asid content that will etch damascus
nicely -Don
I found recently that I went through about 4 to 5 belts for my sander in
just one week!! I thought it was just my dealer with a bad run or two
until I noticed one day most of my belts were only worn on one edge or
in the middle (sheepish grin) Often the best way to prevent belt wear
is your own habits on the sander, I myself am down to 2 a month now!
Work on all surfaces of your belt evenly and you will double or triple
the life of the belt!-Mark C.
To most people rivit work is just more torture, and oftain as not we don't
payed near enough for the actual work we put out. So I made my own rivit
bar and now it takes less time then ever to rivit a piece. All you need is
a cold rolled bar (or spring) and a set of good hi-temp drill bits to make a
quick swag bar for rivits by drilling shallow pilot holes, and you will
thank yourself every time you use them! -John Dixon,CA
Think simple! I myself find this one hard to do! :-) often I find myself
at the end of a good SCA fair, knife show, or blackpowder fest with a lot
of product left unsold. Oh sure I made a lot of good money, but I couldn't
help to think of the blacksmith down the row who was packing away those
empty tables and cases. So for the last few I watched more carefuly just
what they had been selling to sell out so well. The answer was: Simple
stuff! Yes, my damascus dagger with gold insets was going to sell better
in the long run for more, but the man down the row sold 20 simple to make
firestarters and went home with the cash in hand, not tied up in stock!
No, I am not saying not to make the fancy pieces, but remember the smiths
bread and butter often comes from the John Q Public and John Q Public
usualy has the 20 bucks for a fire starter, before the 150 bucks for the
Damascus knife!
Of course I still put out the damacus, but I have many a Simple and Cheap
thing out for John Q Public to buy and better my sales! -Ill
Snap! Wiz! Clunk! There goes another drill bit, ate by my hi-temp steel!
Oil those bits with cutters oil from your local hardware store and you
will be bewilderd at how much longer it lasts! You would also be bewilderd
at the amount of blacksmiths who don't, and pay the price! -Mat H.
Never take a knife to a gun fight--Unless it is one of my knives!
(pay in advance of course! :-)-Ill
When acid blueing a piece, Never, NEVER smoke with the hand you are
useing! "Gee, I wonder why my mouth is burning... Ouch, Ouch, OUCH!"
i.e... This one was for KEN!
Safty glasses specialy made for ultra-violet AND infrared are best
when forging or forge welding for full protection, see your welding
store near you, at least you will see it that is...................
.......................IF you haven't waited to long...........-Ill
Toner in a ink jet printer will transfer onto a piece of bras with
the aplication of a iron set on cotton! Makes scribe work on brass
a lot easyer!- John Dixon,CA
If those of you who send in your tips wish to have a e-mail link just say
it is ok and I will place it up after your name!
REMEMBER! The only bad tip is the tip not shared! Don't deprive your fellow
Smiths of hard won ideas that is one thing we ALL like about the information
age!
-allman
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Email: allman@ckt.net
