01 May 2014
Throwback Thursday story of the shop
Throwback Thursday story for you.
I had done a bit of math wrong....
Sometime in the next 3 weeks it will be 32 years (not 30) since I have been a blacksmith. 30 years ago I found the place that would later become my home; the oldest continually operating blacksmith shop in the state of Michigan.
In my youth, I discovered, as many geekie kids of the early 80s/late 70s did, Dungeons and Dragons. My buddy Scott had one of the basic books in our science class room, and I was fascinated; it was lord of the rings that you could be part of. Hours were spent in the library at lunch, rolling dice with friends. If you ever get a chance to sit down with him, Jerry throws a mean D4 (which is also how we learned first hand about caltrops).
That lead to reading even more, only now it was no longer fiction. I poured into the Encyclopedia Britannica my mom got me as a present. Yes, I am that much of a geek I read the entire 30 volume set cover to cover (well, 29, one whole book was an index) to learn more. All to have better gaming sessions. I read roughly a quarter of the books in the school library; anything on the ancient world, armor, castles and the like.
We stood in line at Fort Daul Bookstore in Ludington waiting for them to open the box from their early shipments to get the DMG when it came out. Fiction damn near stopped existing for me, save that which we created around tables littered with book, soda and snacks.
We took concepts of the game outside with us, constantly in the woods, imagining being rangers watching over the quiet village, ever vigilant to hordes of goblins and orcs and had a few actual random encounters (protip; wild dogs and possums tend not to be friendly). This lead to wanting to build some kit; wooden swords and shields at first. Then eventually finding how to make maille armor; I rounded up every metal coat hanger in the house, baked them in the oven at the highest temperature it would go to for hours and cut and wound them around a section of broom stick to make links, then painstakingly, tediously joined them into a shirt of very loose, large open links. I had my first armor. Scott later upped the game by hammering cans flat and linking those, and an arms race of sorts was on (we eventually evolved the process so far we washed out the left over dog food from the cans before flattening them!).
Somewhere in that span, the Ludington Daily News ran an article on a blacksmith living in a town 40 miles south where I had lived as a child. In that article, there were photos of his armor. *REAL* armor... I saved that article, with the cleverly titled photo "medieval mists" showing the smoke in the air as light beamed through the south windows, and vowed to seek out that shop to see and touch that armor in person. That was about 1981 or 82, and I could not yet drive to go looking.
In may of 1982, having read about blacksmithing and having a few (bad) ideas, I set out to attempt to build a forge. Curt Stewart's dad had shown us you could get nails hot in a camp fire, and hammer them into crude daggers, and I had done the same in shop class, so it couldn't be all that hard, right? I had one key, critical component wrong. You see, a forge is really nothing more than a fireproof table or container, with air driven *under* the fire to make it hotter. I had a metal electric fan and our families webber charcoal grill. Good enough right?
Mom didn't notice I had burned the bottom out of it for a solid three days. Turns out you really need to line them with river clay. I learned by trial and error. A lot of error. Another interesting idea was to build a low scoop shape from cement blocks, facing into the prevailing winds and using sticks from the yard as fuel, which worked ... sort of. Until that stiff breeze brought rain and the blocks shattered later in the day.
My experiments continued haphazardly until 1984, in the spring. I had been asking after the blacksmith shop, and was driving around town trying to find it on several occasions, when one day I had thought I was being inconvenienced by the National Asparagus Festival (here after referred to as "ditchweed fest". If you are from here, you know the stuff grows everywhere). Streets were blocked for the parade, and in my efforts to get out of town around said parade, I drove past the shop, rolling to a stop out front. I had found my mecca, sometime in may of 1984. (Could be early June, I'd have to look and see when Ditchweed Fest 2014 happens).
I started pestering the owner, Harold. A bright, cantankerous fellow with a steady, deep voice, a strange sense of humor and failing eyesight. Little did I know I would one day become him, as each generation before had here. Finally, I got to work in a real forge, using coal instead of a pile of sticks as fuel...
There is more to this story, a lot more. But for now, I will leave it there. The morale, and TL;DR lesson here is sometimes those silly games your kid plays actually will drive them to teach themselves, even if they do obsess over them a bit too much. They might even go on to make cool stuff one day!
Also crossposted to facebook.
06 April 2013
For CRAP'S SAKE!
Has it really been over a year since I last posted? Oi.... Sorry about that. The adventures were many, and tales will indeed be told... just not tonight. More soon. Very soon. (Which here means less than a year, in theory.)
19 March 2012
Oddly warm
Mid March with late May temps... huh. While our region is warmer than normal, other spots on the globe are notably cooler, so stay warm if you are in one of those areas.
We have been getting some of our spring cleaning and maintenance done early, including repairs from storm damage. Shop time is not as extensive, and writing time right now is nearly non existent, but we have some new stuff in the works, and should have posts up in the next few weeks on building bellows with pictures. The backpacker's bellows are also nearing completion, and a full write up on those is in the works.
With the early warm weather, and shop cleaning well ahead of schedule, we should be able to start shooting DVDs and free lessons for youtube about a month sooner than previously thought.
Back to it here, keep the fires lit.
We have been getting some of our spring cleaning and maintenance done early, including repairs from storm damage. Shop time is not as extensive, and writing time right now is nearly non existent, but we have some new stuff in the works, and should have posts up in the next few weeks on building bellows with pictures. The backpacker's bellows are also nearing completion, and a full write up on those is in the works.
With the early warm weather, and shop cleaning well ahead of schedule, we should be able to start shooting DVDs and free lessons for youtube about a month sooner than previously thought.
Back to it here, keep the fires lit.
28 February 2012
Random tips, part 1
It's been a while since the last update, and times have been busy. So far the winter has been fairly mild here, so that has been enjoyable if odd.
In discussions via IRC chat, a number of things I should have covered but seemed to have missed came to the fore, so this post is a collection of little tidbits about those random topics.
Anvils; The usual rule of thumb is 50 pounds of anvil per pound of hammer weight. Any less than this, some of the power of a blow will be lost to the anvil bouncing. You can easily violate this rule without much major concern, it's mostly a guide for the most efficient work. A more solid mount can make up for a lack of anvil mass, espeicailly in a sand loaded base.
Anvils tend to ring, and this will quickly lead to hearing loss. There are several methods to help deaden this ring; Wrapping loose chain around the base of the anvil can help. The more mass the chain has, the better. By leaving the chain semi-loose, the vibration of the anvil will be somewhat deadened by the chain. Another solution is to mount the anvil firmly, add a raised base to the stand, and bed the anvil feet in sand. A few inches of sand around the feet of the anvil will help absorb a fair amount of ring.
A set of angled mounts that will be detailed in a later article also helps by adding the mass of the base to the mass of the anvil, and helps to deaden the ring at the same time.
Definitely, in addition to wearing some kind of eye protection like shooting glasses, hearing protection is a must. Either shooting muffs (aka “cans”) or ear plugs. We prefer cans, as they are easy to take off and put on if someone stops by.
Anvils are often hard to come by for the hobbyist smith, and several options will be covered here with more in a much longer future article. The anvil is a collection of specialized shapes and tools to aid in the work most smiths will be performing. The conical horn for making rings and scrolls, as well as drawing points. Rounded and square shoulders are used to neck down stock, such as the tang on a wood chisel or knife blade. The hardie hole on the face of the anvil holds tools, and so on. The full use of all the sections and the subtlety of each will be fully covered in a later post. But the main use for an anvil is something to strike heated metal on top of, and a number of substitutes can be found or made to fill in in this role.
A solid block or plate of steel, 1” thick or more will work decently, as will a section of rail track or an I beam. Even a large, solid rock can be use (and has). In a pinch, for a field repair I have had to use such things as trailer balls, large hammers and a massive slab of granite sticking out of the ground as improvised anvils.
For purchasing, a good deal on a used anvil is usually about a dollar a pound (or 2 quid a kilo for our UK readers... some translation will be required for other areas). Any higher a price, look it over well and strike it listening for any odd buzzing sounds that would indicate internal cracks. Any lower price is probably worth grabbing.
Used anvils are often seriously overpriced, so buyer beware.
New, good quality anvils are not cheap. 4 to 6 dollars a pound are not uncommon. Unless you get one of the cheap chinese imports... The less expensive anvil usually goes for about $50-60 US, and is cast iron. Many of these have been found to have serious casting flaws, and many have auto body filler to make them pretty hidden under their paint. The more expensive cast steel anvil typically runs under $100 US, and is a workable anvil, if a bit light. These 55lb anvils are easy to transport however, and make a great starter anvil for someone who has to move their gear in and out of storage to work.
Older anvils are marked in hundred weights (abbreviated Cwt). Usually, you will find 3 numbers on the waist of an anvil, something like 115. The first number is hundred weights, each of which is 112 lbs. The second number is quarters of hundredth weights, and the last number is the remainder in pounds. So in our example, the hypothetical anvil would weigh 112+28+5= 145lbs total.
Often you can not easily see the markings on an older anvil will be obscured with paint or dirt. Try spraying water on the side and let it dry. Often, the stamped numbers will dry last, so the weight and make can be made out for a few minutes.
That about covers the little bits on anvils covered in chat recently, a more complete article is in the works for a later post. Including how to make micro anvils... just cause they are fun.
Other topics included aprons; some kind of leather apron is a helpful safety item, and will help to keep pants and shits from becoming as soiled and ripped (plus possibly burned). Oil tanned leathers work best, and cost less than vegetable tanned “tooling” leathers. Chrome tanned styles also work, and a weight of 5oz per square foot or heavier are suggested. A farriers (horse shoer's) apron is readily available, but is not required. A simple carpenters style apron is more than adequata, and a simple loop or thong of leather to tie it closed is quite functional. Aprons will be another thing covered in a later article, so stay tuned for that.
For improvised tongs; large channel locks or vice grips can be used, along with a good sized set of pliers. These are not nearly as specialized or as useful as a few good sets of tongs, but may work in a pinch or as starting tools. Generally I suggest against wearing gloves because it deadens vibration coming from the tongs. While at first this seems like a good thing, it actually prevents a lot of feedback from your work. A piece of hot stock slipping slowly free of your “tongs” will feel quite different than a solidly held piece. This warning I missed some years back, which lead to some wonderful excitement and several weeks of healing. You can wear gloves, and many professional smiths do.. the choice is yours, but try both versions and see which works best for you. It is worth noting that the longer, springier reins of a pair of tongs will transfer much less shock to your hands and arms than something like vice-grips.
I know there were dozens of other topics... but those will have to wait for another post.
Stay warm!
In discussions via IRC chat, a number of things I should have covered but seemed to have missed came to the fore, so this post is a collection of little tidbits about those random topics.
Anvils; The usual rule of thumb is 50 pounds of anvil per pound of hammer weight. Any less than this, some of the power of a blow will be lost to the anvil bouncing. You can easily violate this rule without much major concern, it's mostly a guide for the most efficient work. A more solid mount can make up for a lack of anvil mass, espeicailly in a sand loaded base.
Anvils tend to ring, and this will quickly lead to hearing loss. There are several methods to help deaden this ring; Wrapping loose chain around the base of the anvil can help. The more mass the chain has, the better. By leaving the chain semi-loose, the vibration of the anvil will be somewhat deadened by the chain. Another solution is to mount the anvil firmly, add a raised base to the stand, and bed the anvil feet in sand. A few inches of sand around the feet of the anvil will help absorb a fair amount of ring.
A set of angled mounts that will be detailed in a later article also helps by adding the mass of the base to the mass of the anvil, and helps to deaden the ring at the same time.
Definitely, in addition to wearing some kind of eye protection like shooting glasses, hearing protection is a must. Either shooting muffs (aka “cans”) or ear plugs. We prefer cans, as they are easy to take off and put on if someone stops by.
Anvils are often hard to come by for the hobbyist smith, and several options will be covered here with more in a much longer future article. The anvil is a collection of specialized shapes and tools to aid in the work most smiths will be performing. The conical horn for making rings and scrolls, as well as drawing points. Rounded and square shoulders are used to neck down stock, such as the tang on a wood chisel or knife blade. The hardie hole on the face of the anvil holds tools, and so on. The full use of all the sections and the subtlety of each will be fully covered in a later post. But the main use for an anvil is something to strike heated metal on top of, and a number of substitutes can be found or made to fill in in this role.
A solid block or plate of steel, 1” thick or more will work decently, as will a section of rail track or an I beam. Even a large, solid rock can be use (and has). In a pinch, for a field repair I have had to use such things as trailer balls, large hammers and a massive slab of granite sticking out of the ground as improvised anvils.
For purchasing, a good deal on a used anvil is usually about a dollar a pound (or 2 quid a kilo for our UK readers... some translation will be required for other areas). Any higher a price, look it over well and strike it listening for any odd buzzing sounds that would indicate internal cracks. Any lower price is probably worth grabbing.
Used anvils are often seriously overpriced, so buyer beware.
New, good quality anvils are not cheap. 4 to 6 dollars a pound are not uncommon. Unless you get one of the cheap chinese imports... The less expensive anvil usually goes for about $50-60 US, and is cast iron. Many of these have been found to have serious casting flaws, and many have auto body filler to make them pretty hidden under their paint. The more expensive cast steel anvil typically runs under $100 US, and is a workable anvil, if a bit light. These 55lb anvils are easy to transport however, and make a great starter anvil for someone who has to move their gear in and out of storage to work.
Older anvils are marked in hundred weights (abbreviated Cwt). Usually, you will find 3 numbers on the waist of an anvil, something like 115. The first number is hundred weights, each of which is 112 lbs. The second number is quarters of hundredth weights, and the last number is the remainder in pounds. So in our example, the hypothetical anvil would weigh 112+28+5= 145lbs total.
Often you can not easily see the markings on an older anvil will be obscured with paint or dirt. Try spraying water on the side and let it dry. Often, the stamped numbers will dry last, so the weight and make can be made out for a few minutes.
That about covers the little bits on anvils covered in chat recently, a more complete article is in the works for a later post. Including how to make micro anvils... just cause they are fun.
Other topics included aprons; some kind of leather apron is a helpful safety item, and will help to keep pants and shits from becoming as soiled and ripped (plus possibly burned). Oil tanned leathers work best, and cost less than vegetable tanned “tooling” leathers. Chrome tanned styles also work, and a weight of 5oz per square foot or heavier are suggested. A farriers (horse shoer's) apron is readily available, but is not required. A simple carpenters style apron is more than adequata, and a simple loop or thong of leather to tie it closed is quite functional. Aprons will be another thing covered in a later article, so stay tuned for that.
For improvised tongs; large channel locks or vice grips can be used, along with a good sized set of pliers. These are not nearly as specialized or as useful as a few good sets of tongs, but may work in a pinch or as starting tools. Generally I suggest against wearing gloves because it deadens vibration coming from the tongs. While at first this seems like a good thing, it actually prevents a lot of feedback from your work. A piece of hot stock slipping slowly free of your “tongs” will feel quite different than a solidly held piece. This warning I missed some years back, which lead to some wonderful excitement and several weeks of healing. You can wear gloves, and many professional smiths do.. the choice is yours, but try both versions and see which works best for you. It is worth noting that the longer, springier reins of a pair of tongs will transfer much less shock to your hands and arms than something like vice-grips.
I know there were dozens of other topics... but those will have to wait for another post.
Stay warm!
12 January 2012
A novel?!?
After completing NaNoWriMo this past November, we will soon have our first fiction novel ready for purchase. The Nexus Codex is a story of a down on his luck detective trying to sort out what happened to his only paying client, and getting entangled in a web of strange circumstances.
While there is no blacksmith related material in this book, it is still a fun read. Perhaps we will post a few chapters here for you to get a preview down the road a bit.
Stay tuned... much is in the works and coming soon.
Stay warm, keep the forges lit.
While there is no blacksmith related material in this book, it is still a fun read. Perhaps we will post a few chapters here for you to get a preview down the road a bit.
Stay tuned... much is in the works and coming soon.
Stay warm, keep the forges lit.
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