The straight razor is nice.
I'm working on mounting my Post Vise.
I'll get some pics up if it goes well.

Started work on the mounting bracket for my post vise today.
After some Forging & welding I drilled the mounting holes.
I still have to get the spring forged.

Got the post for my post vise finished.
It's finally mounted.
While it's usable I still have to make the spring for it.
But here's where I'm at so far.

Steel you're going to use for vise spring?

Picked up the this 5" Iron City post vise. It's in great shape. Will give it a good wire brushing. Very cool to have my hands on these old tools, put them back into use! Not sure how I'm going to mount it yet. Like how you have access to yours.

https://s1.postimg.org/8j6hl0k30v/IMG_2404.jpg

Started working on the Hardie hole hot cutoff. Not sure what steel it is from that drive shaft, sure took a little longer to get up to temp, harder to hammer compared to the rebar/A36 I've been banging on. Starting to resemble a cut off. Fits perfectly in the hardie hole. Set it with a 5lb sledge. Finish it tomorrow.


https://s1.postimg.org/1juzhak0sf/IMG_2406.jpg
https://s1.postimg.org/7kfx06seyn/IMG_2407.jpg
https://s1.postimg.org/4iwsd4z31r/IMG_2408_-_Copy.jpg

Per DF (the YouTube guru linked below) I'm using spring steel.
An officer at work gave me two complete rear leaf spring sets off his old F250


Nice hardy tool - BTW



https://youtu.be/usFFhId3WnQ

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GrumpyBiker,

I was surprised how thick the spring is on my vise, 5/16. Those springs you have will work great. Look forward to your pictures!

Finished the cut off this morning. Fun taking that old shaft and turning into something useful. Happy with how it turned out, kept as symmetrical as I could, edge parallel. As I formed the edge, metal wanted to fan out/up, good exercise in getting the metal to move back toward the center. Next week going over to my buddies shop who forges straight razors, will heat treat the cut off there. Before started this AM I spent a few minutes with a angle grinder/flap disc and rounded the face of one of my hammers. I was leaving some good edge hit marks. Rounding the edge took care of that. I see a Rounding hammer in my future. I have three hammers I been messing with, 2,2.5 and 3lbs. So far like the 3lb weight.

https://s1.postimg.org/6muyjzkcgv/P1010570.jpg

I'm out in Amish Country hitting the county auctions this week.
Hoping for something interesting & blacksmith related.

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:
I'm out in Amish Country hitting the county auctions this week.
Hoping for something interesting & blacksmith related.

Camping? I'm headed to Northern Indiana Monday in my coach.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Yarchin:

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:
I'm out in Amish Country hitting the county auctions this week.
Hoping for something interesting & blacksmith related.

Camping? I'm headed to Northern Indiana Monday in my coach.

Yep!
I can haul a ton of stuff back home in the basement storage.

you got a new coach! nice!!

We swung by Lehmans today.
My wife needed a Butter churn if you can imagine.
So we went across the street to the Kidron Community Heritage Society museum & they had a blacksmith section.
I'd never seen a pair of cannonball tongs before !

Cannonball tongs? I'd read that in the past that cannonballs were heated in a furnace before loading/firing so that they would embed in wooden objects (forts, ships) and start fires. Would these tongs have been for carrying the heated balls from the furnace to the gun?

That's my understanding.
Someone suggested that they may have been used in the manufacturing process of cannonballs.

Finally got around to reshaping & refinishing my blacksmithing hammers.
I really like the shape of the ones with the older handles.

Thanks again HeavyAZ for the tongs.

Decided it was time to have a "Touchmark".
Blacksmith makers mark, I know you can buy them on Etsy but I have to at least try to make one myself.
Of course this is the second attempt.
The first one came out as close to perfect as I could ever hope....
Then I realized I'd not made it in reverse (aka mirror or backwards).
I'm gonna make a couple more and then decide.

spring steel is recommended so I cut s chunk out of the F250 leaf spring











HSF -HillSide Forge

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GrumpyBiker,

I want a ladle for pouring water on specific locations to cool areas of work I've completed & I don't want to mess up.

Also I've never made a bowl, spoon or ladle before so I wanted to try my hand at it.

Fitting for my screen name I used metal cut from my old Shovelhead FLH fender.

Now I have to practice my riveting.

suggestions....Copper or steel ?

wow!

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:
Now I have to practice my riveting.

suggestions....Copper or steel ?

For my limited riveting purposes, I use copper only. Since I like to hand peen them, steel is just too hard. With copper, you can achieve a very attractive hand peened job.
 

Attempted my first wooden handled opener.
Baby steps.
Gun blued, white oak & copper pins.
All just scrap laying around. Not the best combination so I have nothing but time into it .