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Lanolin sounds like a great solution. Don't they use hog fat in steel mills as a lubricant and rust inhibitor?
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Jun 5, 2013 18:23
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I use lanolin every day to lubricate the slides of brass instruments. It works great, but smells like a sheep's rear end. Here are some brass cufflinks I made for my brother.  I used my new Sherline Lathe to make them, and used my new Lapidary tools to do the gemstone inlay (sodalite)  This is before I cut the stone. You can see how I threaded the backing, because all the cufflinks backs I could find premade were made of gold/silver which I would have blown holes in if I tried to solder them to the brass. In fact, here are more pictures of the inlays/buttons I have been making for my trumpets.  Tiger's Eye Crocodile Jasper Sodalite again.I made the brass fittings on the lathe. The silver buttons were the originals from my instrument. I just removed the pearls and did inserts. Brekelefuw fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Jun 5, 2013 |
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Jun 5, 2013 22:51
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Ambrose Burnside fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Jun 6, 2013 |
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Jun 6, 2013 03:26
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Wanted an excuse to try something different.  (which is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Quality_Mark_of_the_USSR , 'cause it's visually-neat and met my "must have clear and clean raised/recessed portions/must force me to make at least two new repousse punches" criteria) 20 gauge copper repousse with liquid asphaltum painted into the recessed areas and then remelted with the heat gun to even everything out. It turned out decent, I think, but the asphalt's gotten cloudy and scratched stupid-fast, if I figure out a clear topcoat that'll play nice with asphalt I'll throw another coat over the discoloured smudged surface and seal it before it can get all dusty and grody.
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Jun 6, 2013 19:35
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Brekelefuw posted:In fact, here are more pictures of the inlays/buttons I have been making for my trumpets. Jesus this is awesome. GUYS! I am cutting handsaw blades out of spring steel with an angle grinder. It's not going well. It's hard to stay straight. I've gotten a guy at a sheet metal shop to shear them for me, but he always leaves score marks, and his shear blade has a nick in it that shows up on every blade. I would rather have control of this process. I bought a guide from Harbor Freight to go on my grinder with a cutting wheel, but it's flimsy and it walks. I'm on 21 gauge spring steel, cutting 36" straight lines. I can build a jig to hold the blanks and guide a blade, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what tool I need to be guiding. I have a 48"x6" belt sander that's helped smooth some of these out some, but it's still imperfect. I have a woodworking shop, so not many of my tools really translate here. I need to make about 25 of these cuts.
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Jun 7, 2013 02:19
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I would use a tool as show below with a guide that is tall enough off the work piece so you can rest the guard against it as you cut. It's even on sale at Harbor Freight! 
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Jun 7, 2013 03:32
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:I would use a tool as show below with a guide that is tall enough off the work piece so you can rest the guard against it as you cut. Is it ever not?
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Jun 7, 2013 03:40
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:I would use a tool as show below with a guide that is tall enough off the work piece so you can rest the guard against it as you cut. You're my hero. Air tools hadn't crossed my mind. Here I am looking at some dumbshit zipsaw for $100. We're OK with rotary tools from HF, just not the discs, right?
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Jun 7, 2013 04:29
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iwannabebobdylan posted:We're OK with rotary tools from HF, just not the discs, right? You sir, are a very smart man! The most dangerous thing I can think of in HF would be a grinding wheel for an angle grinder. Those things spin at 10,000 RPM and one imperfection will cause it to shatter and throw shrapnel all over the place. Edit: Speaking of air tools, Marvel's Mystery Oil makes a fantastic air tool oil. My professional auto mechanic buddy says since they started using it in his shop, they haven't had to send one tool off for service or to the scrap heap. AbsentMindedWelder fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Jun 7, 2013 |
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Jun 7, 2013 04:41
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Thanks again for the tips,  oil.
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Jun 7, 2013 04:52
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Huh. I figured everyone knew about lanolin. I use a lot of stuff by a company called lanotec, you can get a spray can just like wd40. I use it as lubricant and on my garden tools to stop them rusting. It can get a bit sticky after it has dried but a bit of buffing if needed stops that. A lot of guys who go beach fishing spray it underneath their utes to help prevent the salt rusting poo poo out in 0.0005 seconds. http://www.lanotec.com.au/ is the website anyways. Not sure if it or something similar is available in the states.
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Jun 7, 2013 12:45
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MrPete posted:Huh. I figured everyone knew about lanolin. It is clearly a cover-up orchestrated by the petrol-chemical industry! Wasn't aware there was a commercial lanolin spray out there. The lanolin solution I mixed up is not sticky at all, very pleasant to touch. Also, I've been trying to limit my use of aerosols lately for both expense and less propellants being released in the atmosphere. The test coupon has been outside for two days. It started raining last night. The untreated portion has clearly rusted up quickly. So far there are no signs of rust on the other three quadrants. What I find particularly interesting however is look at how the water has created a film over top the untreated area, oil film area, and WD-40. However on the lanolin treated area, the water has apparently beaded up and is largely "dry". (Still no rust on the lathe  )Going from left to right: untreated metal, lanolin, oil film, WD-40. 
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Jun 7, 2013 15:22
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Speaking as someone from a very sheep-heavy bit of scotland, often fences have an eerie rust-free part at the bottom, and heavily corroded tops. It's less odd when you notice that sheep rub on EVERYTHING. Seriously though, we have hundred year old fences that look brand new up to the knee.
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Jun 7, 2013 21:19
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So after reading this thread for a while, and seeing the things that Ambrose Burnside has been coming up with, I decided to try my hand at it. It's nothing special just beating on metal. Apologies for the lovely cell phone pic.
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Jun 7, 2013 21:57
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All of a sudden I got an urge to do a google image search for "really big metal lathe." My jaw dropped.  
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Jun 8, 2013 06:34
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AbsentMindedWelder posted:All of a sudden I got an urge to do a google image search for "really big metal lathe." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbvRPLHq2So Really big lathe in action
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Jun 8, 2013 13:48
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Holy crap. The chips coming off that would be like the machine was throwing cookie trays all over the shop. Who is the man strong enough to grind a 12 inch thick lathe bit? That thing doesn't even have a QCTP
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Jun 8, 2013 15:55
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Brekelefuw posted:Holy crap. The chips coming off that would be like the machine was throwing cookie trays all over the shop. I dont think any real shop grinds tool bits with the myriad of styles and relatively low cost of inserts. Also the chips are usually like 1"x1"x.007-.025" chips. Heres an example (pics video, not real video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rnug4r-uI4
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Jun 8, 2013 16:14
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I've been told by experts that even when you buy the inserts, they still need to be honed to achieve the smoothest cut and best surface finish. That being said, I'm sure that could be done in place with hand stones on those big machines, or on a big work bench. Any machine that big has to have an overhead crane above it for moving work pieces and lathe parts around.
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Jun 8, 2013 19:47
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Who are these experts? EDIT: (The only right answer is tooling application engineers or people working in engineering roles in mass production. The wrong answer is people who have been working in a machine shop for a long time as grumpy old machinists don't usually know or give a poo poo about modern machining technology.) Lord Gaga fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Jun 8, 2013 |
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Jun 8, 2013 21:23
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Top. Men.
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Jun 8, 2013 21:35
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Sagebrush posted:Top. Men. I want their credibility not their sexual preference!!!!!!!!!
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Jun 8, 2013 21:38
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My grinding post was a joke. So, I tried using my tube drawing bench today... The steel square tube that it is mounted to bent under the force. I am going to have to rethink this thing. Very frustrating. I have been waiting a year to try the bench out.
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Jun 8, 2013 23:45
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I also snapped a T-nut for my lathe today. This weekend has been a disappointment.
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Jun 9, 2013 19:16
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I love this thread. I have a quick question, does anyone pick up a skill like blacksmithing without any formal training/self taught with any success? Is that crazy? I just totally fell in love with blacksmiths as a kid. My parents brought me somewhere that had this old school blacksmith and I was just fixated for hours. Always been something I've wanted to try but things like classes scare the crap out of me for some reason.
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Jun 10, 2013 15:51
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party hat posted:I love this thread. I have a quick question, does anyone pick up a skill like blacksmithing without any formal training/self taught with any success? Is that crazy? I just totally fell in love with blacksmiths as a kid. My parents brought me somewhere that had this old school blacksmith and I was just fixated for hours. Always been something I've wanted to try but things like classes scare the crap out of me for some reason. You know, I just read around on anvilfire.com, this thread, then went out and bought an anvil, a forge, some fuel, some steel, and just started heating up metal and hitting it. I am planning on taking a class later this year, but I don't think just jumping in is all that hard. Just make the metal hot (make sure it isn't cast iron or galvanized), then hit it with a hammer till it's the shape you want.
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Jun 10, 2013 17:37
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party hat posted:I love this thread. I have a quick question, does anyone pick up a skill like blacksmithing without any formal training/self taught with any success? Is that crazy? I just totally fell in love with blacksmiths as a kid. My parents brought me somewhere that had this old school blacksmith and I was just fixated for hours. Always been something I've wanted to try but things like classes scare the crap out of me for some reason. There's a lot you can teach yourself, especially since these days you can watch videos on Youtube. But I am of the opinion that instruction is invaluable, and probably the best way to start for most people. Here's the main things; First, and probably most importantly, a good instructor will make sure a beginner is being safe. Safety is a serious concern for any kind of metalworking but especially hot metalworking. Even if you review videos and instructions and stuff, there's nothing quite like having an experienced supervisor who can immediately stop you if you're about to do something that could hurt yourself or someone else. Second, taking a class can help you figure out whether this hobby is actually for you, before you invest a lot more money. While classes can be expensive themselves, it's still probably cheaper to take an introductory class than it is to buy or build all the stuff you need to get started working metal. You'll also have access to good equipment up-front; instead of immediately having to wrestle with a super-budget/handmade forge, the backside of a vise for an anvil, and some improvised tongs, you'll have the opportunity to get to grips with the actual processes of blacksmithing. You might find out you love it, in which case you can move forward with putting together your own shop and you'll be able to make smarter decisions about what to buy, what to make yourself, and what you don't actually need yet (or ever). On the other hand, you might find out you actually don't like blacksmithing, in which case you'll save yourself a lot of time and money. Third, an experienced teacher can tell you what you're doing wrong. And you will do things wrong. Stuff will not work like you wanted it to. You'll hit issues almost immediately. Of course given time and lots of consultation with Youtube, blacksmithing websites, and us goons in this thread, you'll probably be able to resolve issues and figure things out; but it might be the case that ten seconds of observation by your teacher will identify exactly what you're doing wrong and correct it, vs. hours or days of time spent trying to figure it out on your own. Your teacher can keep you from developing bad habits due to repeating poor technique, doing something that you don't realize is hazardous, or spending too much money and time on equipment that isn't right for you. But all that said: if you really don't want to take a class, or if you can't find one in your area, I do think you can do a fair bit as self-taught, particularly if you already know you're good at self-teaching a crafty hobby. Just please be conscientious about safety. You could severely burn yourself or someone else, lose an eye, poison yourself, or burn down your home, if you gently caress up. Research and understand the proper safety procedure before doing anything with blacksmithing.
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Jun 10, 2013 18:42
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I'm pretty much self taught in everything I do, so I'm fairly confident I'd be able to learn a thing or two on my own but I can totally see how having a teacher would be a great idea, especially with what you, Leperfresh, said about poor technique. I'm not too worried about safety as I'm pretty conscientious and my boyfriend can easily and cheaply get me all sorts of protective gear from his work. And Uncle Enzo, thanks! I feel slightly less foolish for thinking about doing it on my own. Of course, living in Toronto's downtown core kind of limits where I could set this kind of thing up, but it's a goal of mine anyway!
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Jun 10, 2013 23:46
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party hat posted:I love this thread. I have a quick question, does anyone pick up a skill like blacksmithing without any formal training/self taught with any success? Is that crazy? I just totally fell in love with blacksmiths as a kid. My parents brought me somewhere that had this old school blacksmith and I was just fixated for hours. Always been something I've wanted to try but things like classes scare the crap out of me for some reason. I have no formal training myself, I just read a LOT about it, watched a LOT of videos, and practiced. There is a lot of trial and error involved. I seriously recommend getting this DVD made by Uri Hofi called "The Hofi Hammer and the Hofi Ergonomic Technique for Moving Metal. A friend lent it to me and it was excellent, which reminds me that I should pick up a copy for myself. It is based around the hammer that himself and another master blacksmith designed, but the technique applies equally to all hammers. "The Blacksmith's Craft" by Charles McRaven was the first book I bought when I started and reading his book really helped me get started. Edit: Didn't see your last post before I made mine. I don't know if we have anyone in Toronto here. Slung Blade is in Canada, but near Calgary. A Google search for "Toronto Blacksmithing" brought up several groups in your area, maybe you can find someone near you to watch or learn from. There is a fella on youtube that goes by the name of "The Modern Blacksmith" and he has a lot of instructional videos for beginners as well. iForge fucked around with this message at 00:34 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 00:21
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I'm all self-taught too- whoops, I'm fibbing, I took a 2-day blacksmithing course a coupla years back, but I think I hot-forge something about once every 4 months nowadays- and I've definitely picked up a lot of lovely habits and backasswards ways of doing things. I just accept that I'm going to be "bad" at something because I've never been able to do it with proper equipment and instructor guidance (like, I'm bad at silver soldering, but also I've worked up from "so this didn't fuse because I need to use flux, huh" and am still working with a $10 sputtery flare-prone propane hand torch because I prioritize equipment purchases poorly, so who knows how much is me 'just being bad at it' versus me kludging my way along feebly and poorly because I don't really know better)
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Jun 11, 2013 00:32
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party hat posted:I'm pretty much self taught in everything I do, so I'm fairly confident I'd be able to learn a thing or two on my own but I can totally see how having a teacher would be a great idea, especially with what you, Leperfresh, said about poor technique. I'm not too worried about safety as I'm pretty conscientious and my boyfriend can easily and cheaply get me all sorts of protective gear from his work. The place I took classes at, The Crucible in Oakland, CA, also offers a Women's Blacksmithing class. Not that it's any different than the regular course, and there were women in every regular course I took, but if you're concerned about the level of macho-ism in something like this, you might see if such a thing is available in your area.
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Jun 11, 2013 01:47
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Both Ambrose and I are in Toronto. I don't blacksmith, but I work with brass for a living, and do lots of lathe things in my free time.
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Jun 11, 2013 11:43
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party hat posted:I'm pretty much self taught in everything I do, so I'm fairly confident I'd be able to learn a thing or two on my own but I can totally see how having a teacher would be a great idea, especially with what you, Leperfresh, said about poor technique. I'm not too worried about safety as I'm pretty conscientious and my boyfriend can easily and cheaply get me all sorts of protective gear from his work. I live in Buffalo, south of you. PM me if you think you might like to come down for a day sometime and give it a whirl. I can't guarantee top-quality instruction, but I have the setup and materials so you could try it without a commitment. If you ever want to do classes, Thak Ironworks isn't too far from you. I'm planning on taking some classes from there myself later this year (unless I can find someplace closer or better).
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Jun 11, 2013 11:48
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Comfy sponk posted:So after reading this thread for a while, and seeing the things that Ambrose Burnside has been coming up with, I decided to try my hand at it. Not too shabby! On the assumption you don't mind advice- Round off the edges on the punch you're using for flattening around the raised obverse portion; it's leaving all those lil semicircle dents because the edges are too crisp. Planishing punches will almost always leave these to a greater or lesser degree because they -have- to be nearly flat to work properly and any flat tool-face without at least modest crowning is gonna leave toolmarks, but if it's a rounded-off edge it'll be more of a thinning dent than a hard-edged cut, which is a lot harder to get rid of at the end. Working on the obverse after the repousse is done is always a good idea, it makes everything look a lot more 'finished'. Repousse without the perfect tools for the job usually looks really gnarly, lots of weirdo bumps and lumps, and working on the front cleans that up- even if it's just making the weirdo bumps and lumps look more crisp and refined. Also, undercutting on the raised figure almost always looks ace, gives it a lot more volume and makes it look 'detached' from the rest of the sheet, but it doesn't really work for shallow repousse (like this is).
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Jun 11, 2013 17:35
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So I just started a project for work. A little assembly for trimming soil samples to a specific diameter, in this case 2" and 2.5". Sorry in advance for the quality of pictures, my phone is from Wal-Mart. So I grabbed some plates and cut them to size. The one already finished is steel. It's the bottom plate.  It's academic, Learnin' dirt stuff yo. Don't mind me, just powered tapping this #10-24  Chamfer them edges, gotta look professional. That's a countersink   After a coat of black Rust-O-Leum  And dried the next day  Those counterbored holes will eventually have case hardened 3/4" 410 stainless rods in them, and when you cut on one side of the triangle, you get a 2" sample diameter, and 2.5" on the other side.
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Jun 11, 2013 20:47
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Leperflesh posted:The place I took classes at, The Crucible in Oakland, CA, also offers a Women's Blacksmithing class. Not that it's any different than the regular course, and there were women in every regular course I took, but if you're concerned about the level of macho-ism in something like this, you might see if such a thing is available in your area. Brekelefuw posted:Both Ambrose and I are in Toronto. Uncle Enzo posted:I live in Buffalo, south of you. PM me if you think you might like to come down for a day sometime and give it a whirl. I can't guarantee top-quality instruction, but I have the setup and materials so you could try it without a commitment. If you ever want to do classes, Thak Ironworks isn't too far from you. I'm planning on taking some classes from there myself later this year (unless I can find someplace closer or better). Thanks for the info and the offers guys! You're all pretty awesome.
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Jun 11, 2013 22:46
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Not too shabby! On the assumption you don't mind advice- I do appreciate the advice. And here are some more that I did the other day. A knot and a animorphic cat head.  These I did work the obverse to attempt to smooth it out some. and the knot separated from the sheet.  I need to attach something to it to make it a pendant. I want to solder a copper loop to it, what are the suggestions for the type of solder to use to do so.
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Jun 11, 2013 23:01
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Regular plumbers solder (60/40 or 95/5) and flux (plumbers rosin based flux) should work fine for that application. You can get it at your local "home center". Here is a soldering tutorial I posted years ago. AbsentMindedWelder fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Jun 11, 2013 |
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Jun 11, 2013 23:44
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Noted lovely poster and all-around nice guy A Proper Uppercut made me maker's mark punches which I've been sitting on for a while. Scale's in inches, and I darkened em with acid/steel-wooled the high points for better contrast. I'm so happy with them. They're so tiny and detailed 
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Jun 12, 2013 00:10
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 17:38 |
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WOW! You should be happy with them, they are loving awesome. I'd love to know how that fine detail was achieved. Perhaps he might stop in and make a post
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Jun 12, 2013 01:25
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