Alan Longmire

Nice!

I resent that accusation! I'll post some soon, catching up on the 50,000 emails that came in over the two days I took off. Bill said he'd send video highlights as well, but he's got over 400 hours (!) of video to edit.

It's over and we survived! Any attendee, feel free to start a photo thread.

Cutting competition is Sunday. The edge is important for sure, but skill is as well.

I'd shave with it, if I shaved!

Raffle is Saturday. Around 1 PM eastern. It's the usual semi-organized chaos. And unless we have a surprise volunteer, since the passing of Mike Crenshaw there will be no donuts. Mike would love that that's his legacy. Seriously. He will have other words for me when I join him, no doubt.

Porta-potties arrived at 10, the guild moved our equipment and did the setup between 11 and 3, KMG pulled in at 4:30, and Clark Iron is there unloading presses and forges right now. The forecast has improved, the grill is set up, and I am trying to get some rest before it finally starts!

The tent is up!

Friday will start around 10 AM. Saturday and Sunday around 9 AM. We have the big tent, but Iron in the Hat may be in the pavilion this year. We've been lucky so far, but it does look damp Saturday afternoon.

If the flames are blue, you are in reduction, meaning all the oxygen has been consumed and you're seeing the combustion of carbon monoxide. If the flames are yellow, you're oxidizing and getting scale. And I think you missed the bit about scale forming at all temperatures above 1400F. It forms faster the hotter you go. You'll see it falling off the steel as dust while forging, bigger flakes the colder it gets. Scale goes liquid just above welding heat, but that doesn't help since by then the steel itself is burning out the carbon. Flux liquifies the oxides at lower temperatures. Borax, anhydrous borax, and boric acid are the best known fluxes.

More like 1400 F, and it forms faster and thicker the hotter you get. I missed that part of your original question, sorry. As Brian said, the only way to keep scale from forming is to keep oxygen away from the steel. A reducing fire and flux both do that, and borax fluxes absorb some iron oxide. That's why it's black when it spatters off the steel during the weld and subsequent forging. It probably does, but you don't want corrosive here. You just want gentle oxide removal.

You can certainly try rewelding it. Vinegar alone should work, not sure why the salt? Clean the seams with a wire brush, flux, and try. As an absolute last resort, if the delams are open, pry them open further and pack with sugar mixed with cast iron filings. Do this hot. The sugar adds carbon and helps hold the iron filings in the crack, which also adds carbon. The higher the carbon content, the lower the welding temperature. Doesn't always work, but when it does it's a neat trick.

Thanks to various injuries and at least two types of arthritis I have no fine motor control in my right thumb, forefinger, and middle finger, which makes my handwriting completely illegible. But with a graver and both hands I can do okay! I'd love a ball vise, but I'm too cheap to buy one. Somewhere in the shop there's a bowling ball that is meant to be cut in half and fitted with a small machinists vise to serve the same purpose, but exactly where it is is currently unknown... If I ever retire it's on the list to make, anyway.

The hobby horse was pure genius!

Nice! You really don't see those being made these days.