Ron Hicks

I would like some info. about Cupola Furnace to melt iron. I know nothing about casting or smelting . This may be next to impossible but would like to cast Swage blocks Like maybe a 200 pounders if possible- also cast forge fire pots +a few other things. Would it be possible to make Wrought Iron? Thanks Ron

I finshed it up friday just before the ice storm hit- only built a small fire looks like it will work good no pre heat it was sucking all smoke, only 3 ft. above peak will add another 2 ft. - Thanks Ron

Good lookin blade tempting fate?water ?? why not oil??? blade looks thinner get the scratches runnin long ways Normalize it real good Have you used a muffel in your forge to do your HT. Makes HT a lot easier Good luck lets us know Ron

Hey John you beat me to the post You did it all right! Nice job I dought 5160 will show a quench. You could tell when you took it out of the quench. One time in heated oil works pretty good doesnt it Ron John you got me again They will be very happy - gona be hard to give it up I bet Ron

Keep at it dont give up Turkey Roaster is what I use for my Veg. oil warm it up - I go 150 deg. gettin the blade to hot is a bad thing also not just burnin carbon really puts stress on the balde in the quench. Watch those sand scratches This will help- read it read it read it Hope its OK Ron Normalizing___Hardening_Tai_Goo.txt

Archie I hadnt cleaned out from under the hood very well. I just stuck a chisel under it to plum it up to take a pic. I hope its working by the weekend Ron

Its going in my shed - Now wouldnt that be nice suckin the coal up the pipe Ha! Ill get some pics. when it suckin coal Thanks Ron

Greg Nice jod Do you ever forge weld the collar at the seam? I bet thats tough? What are you talking about a T bar riveted on ? Is it to keep the spear from going all the way through? Nice Ron

How about the guy that went to work out of high school - the guy that did not go to Votech. - the guy out there thats doin that job you laugh at - the guy that trains the collage boys -the guy out there thats just scrapin by- you know that guy , made a wrong choice or two early on in his life, the grease in the gears, hows a guy like that get in the ABS? Just kick him to the curb like the rest of the fine people does him out there? Ron

This is my first time welding it squared up pretty good I thought by angling it out over the fire would help the draft I was afraid I could not see the fire very well with a short one thats why I made it 48 in tall. I guess I could have angled it the the other way with a straight up front. I need to cut the hole in the top for 12 in. pipe and weld on a colar when I get aceytleen I may leave the Wickerbill off and try it first What do you think Hope it works Rob

Alan Do I need the little wickerbill do dad above the opening? If so how far should it stick out? Ive got it welded just need to cut hole and weld on a colar for the pipe- ran out of gas

I will know today hoping to put it together Heres the size I ended up with very bottom 7 X 23 1/4 The back is straight to top - 48 in. tall The front slopes outwards to 42 3/4 from bottom then straight The sides do the opposite straight up to 42 3/4 then slope inwards to make a 13in. square at top. Smoke hole is 12 X 12 with about a 5 in. radius in the upper corners. 12 in. pipe I plan to make some small screw on clips to attach it to the forge This thing will weight a ton not sure the gauge measures 3/32 in. I bought heads & tails . 25 cents a pound ~ new sheet was over $90.00 4 X 8 I know whos making all the money now . What little I have found about side drafts 2 sides ~ One pro smoke shelf and the other No smoke shelf the ones Ive seen with smoke shelf all were big over 4 ft. and like 15 in. deep the ones with out were way shorter like 15 + I think the smoke shelf is for stoping back drafts Ive seen all different sizes small, tall, skinny& fat. One book just showed only a big pipe with a hole in the side sittin way back from the fire like 8-10 in. I bet just a big pipe would work pretty good. I think with a box though it would improve with all that air space heating up. Ill let you know how much suction Ron

Bayran Are you in Cambodia and Laos? Do you live and work there? What do you do? Do any smithin there? Hope you dont mind me asking Just Interested seem U said something about being rasied in Arkansas in another post Ron

I thought about it myself I havent though - might like to take the classes but afraid I might not be happy laying out all that money to show me things I may know . Ive tested my knives on my own - I just work with spring steel they pass the bend test -cut test & look good to me dont really care what others think It matters what I think I know what my knives can do ,can see how the look and function I dont need to pay someone to tell me about my knives. Maybe havin that blue button approval helps sell knives? Being in the ABS make you a knife maker? No the more you make the better you get- ya got put in your licks Im still putin mine in and will till I die Do you need to be a member to take the classes?

Well I went at it have it all cut out need to do the welding to late now. Hope it works Thanks Ron

Alan The post "woeful draw" showing your side draft hood. I finally got some sheet iron to make one. I have a few ? You said- My setup is balanced to the size of the flue and the firepot. My pipe is 12 in. firepot 8 3/4 in. wide X 10 1/2 long -I would like to blance mine please. The forge the firepot sits in I have a 8in X 23 1/2in. long space to the right ( the left side is way smaller + my blower stands on the left side) I would like the hood to sit on the forge and angle out at the top maybe 13 in? I guess what I need to know is what kind of volume do I need in the chamber? How about my Opening at the firepot- should it be the same area as the 12in. pipe or smaller? I thought I would put a smoke shelf in it also - what little I could find about smoke shelf is the top of the smoke shelf needs to be no less than 8 in. from the top of the firepot opening.The top of the smoke shelf needs a concave curve bent into it also & the space between the top edge of the smoke shelf and the wall needs an aera like 3 times the aera of the pipe? Do I need a chamber above the fire shelf before it goes in the 12 in pipe - is there a rule of thumb to go by? I dont want to build somthing thats not going to work Tired of choking down Coal Smoke If any one can help I would be Thankful Thanks Ron

Could be I think the reason to heat the oil is to make it more wet and not having like a vapor around the blade. Like uneven cooling I know I have warped and cracked more in room temp oil than heated oil I wonder why? Maybe someone can clear this up for me? Ron

Is that U Snake? Looks like U got some more ice. We lucked out and had good weather Ron

Just hang in there and roll with the punches it will all work out Let us know Ron

John Did you have any luck with the new blade? Ron

Yea ! Thats what I like Ill say it for It ant nothin grindin a slick blade ya got to watch what yer doin to to forge like that. That ant rough thats Slick forgein I like to see a few more try it. Nice Job Ron

"Oh I did not have the grind marks were not parallel the were vertical and were around 60 grit." I re read I guess I missed it - the vertical 60grt. marks is a No No , to be safe 220 grt. running with the blade After 60 grt. take a good file and draw file with out gaulling get -everthing running with the blade. Then hand sand up to 220 . I havent used a grinder for about 2 years this is the last blade Ive hardened and tempered hand sand up to 220 grt.

This is my Treadle Hammer http://www.saber.net/~jere/tham.html I think its a 60 pound head & the 275 pound stompper is me The reason I wanted it was for damascus making any ideas? Ron

Hey just seen the gut hook - that looks GREAT you did a good job working it in. Hate to hear about the crack , Show Us The Blade That Cracked -we can help. Did you heat up the oil 150deg.????? I know some dont , but it will harden with less shock How wuch water U talkin in the oil , quart- teaspoon . I bet it wasnt that much and would have been spread out very thin on top the oil. U say heated to critical - maybe U went a little to hot? To hot at quench put loads of stress on a blade like pulling the edge down . How about forging at to low a temp.?? That will crack 5160 at quench Ive done it My bet is cold forging & cold quench oil Shows us the blade that cracked , how did the crack run? I feel for ya Ive done it myself As long as you learn its a good thing Ron