Re: Stock Storage

On 6/10/2025 4:43 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

Then there's the matter of what besides art and fake antiques can be forged more easily than welded and machined, or bought used. After taking the smithing class I concluded not much.

You are right.  I originally bought a small 80lb Russian anvil off of eBay.  Was supposed ot be cast steel of a certain hardness, but it acts and sparks like cast iron.  It was mostly for cold work.  London pattern anvils are handy for shaping metal, but I have a presses, brakes, vises, and hammers.  If you are sure of yourself most mild steel can be done cold worked, as long as you don't work it to its fatigue point.
When my son took a blacksmithing class in college he developed a bit of an interest, and I picked up a slightly larger Chinese anvil that IS cast steel hardened into the high 30s low 40s RC.
Most of the time when I need to do any hot work its easiest to just clamp a rosebud in the vise for small parts.
My son and I have done some "art" pieces... more beating on metal for fun than real art.  More like craft pieces at best.  For me that was fun, and the hobby of blacksmithing allowed me to have a few easy birthday/Christmas present choices for him.
I have also used the forge furnace a few times for upsetting the ends on shop made vise handles instead of machining balls for the ends, heat shrinking parts, and other heat assisted operations.  I've alos used the propane BBQ grill for heat shrinking.
I'm more likely to do some foundry work for direct commercial purposes, and its the reason I went with a 12x20 instead for a 12x24 shade structure.  So the top blast of a foundry furnace doesn't burn a hole in it.
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Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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