Gary Mulkey Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I finally fired up the forge today despite the heat. I ran out of damascus billets a while back and have been needing to get some made but the temps here have been such that I have been putting it off until today. I finally got a billet of W's cut & flipped today before wearing out. I guess that says something about the mentality of someone who's vocation requires standing in front of a 2300 degree forge in this weather. I hope the rest of you have avoided the 100 degree weather that we've had here in the Ozarks. Gary Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Anderson Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 I finally fired up the forge today despite the heat. I ran out of damascus billets a while back and have been needing to get some made but the temps here have been such that I have been putting it off until today. I finally got a billet of W's cut & flipped today before wearing out. I guess that says something about the mentality of someone who's vocation requires standing in front of a 2300 degree forge in this weather. I hope the rest of you have avoided the 100 degree weather that we've had here in the Ozarks. Gary 110+ here lol. I've been sanding, normalizing...and will be heat treating tonight. Yay for vacations =D. Cris Slow is smooth, smooth is steady, steady is fast, fast is deadly... Erik R. http://www.facebook.com/scorpionforge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Shearer Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 (edited) Yeah, its pretty bad down here as well. I've been forging (and welding even(barefoot!))alot this summer,and, as if it wasn't already bad enough, we have, literally, 100% humidity in addition to the 90-100+ degree weather! I always come back into the house from my garage dripping with sweat, soaked as if I've been swimming. Its fun though Edited August 9, 2010 by Luke Shearer “Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted August 9, 2010 Author Share Posted August 9, 2010 I've been forging (and welding even(barefoot!) I've still got a nice scar on my ankle from the last time I forged in shorts and no socks. I can't imagine going bare foot. Gary Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Lester Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 It was rough here earlier last week. Over 100 degrees and if were any more humid I would have been treading water. Just did some light forging to finish up and straighten a blade and I was all in after about 45 minutes. If you're going to work in those conditions, drink plenty of water and know when to quit and go inside to the AC. It is supposed to get bad again this week so I pushed it a bit the weekend. Doug Lester HELP...I'm a twenty year old trapped in the body of an old man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Estes Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 We had a week of 90+ here last month, luckily I was still sick and that kept me out of the shop. It is 60 and breezy today.....So I have been rearranging things and trying to find a local electrician to get some wiring done. I've don welding with no socks on and with boots on and found I got burned less with no socks on for some reason. Quote just use common sense.......dude your boned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Shearer Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 We had a week of 90+ here last month, luckily I was still sick and that kept me out of the shop. It is 60 and breezy today.....So I have been rearranging things and trying to find a local electrician to get some wiring done. I've don welding with no socks on and with boots on and found I got burned less with no socks on for some reason. Its true, I barely ever get burned, and when I do, It's just a little scrap of flux or something. Just do a little dance wait for the pain to subside and keep forging. Maybe if its a bad one, you stick your foot in the slack tub. “Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Stephens Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 I'm in Florida on a business trip. I can't believe how hot it gets in the lower 48. Don't know how you guys stand it. Can't wait to get back to Alaska where a hot July day is in the low 70's. -----------------------------------------------"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly." -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Barton Posted August 10, 2010 Share Posted August 10, 2010 (edited) I'm in Florida on a business trip. I can't believe how hot it gets in the lower 48. Hey Dave welcome to my world; 80 degrees and 94% humidity when I left for work this morning. Where are you at in the Sunshine State? If you are going to be here for longer than just your business trip give me a shout. It is going to be a busy thunderstorm run this week so remember you don't need to hear thunder before you head inside. Edited August 10, 2010 by Mike Barton Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Mulkey Posted August 10, 2010 Author Share Posted August 10, 2010 I had hoped on blade smithing the billet that I made last weekend but the heat index is supposed to be 110 or better for a while so I may wait. When they are broadcasting a heat advisory on the radio, it may be too much for the forge to get fired up for a while. Gary Gary ABS,CKCA,ABKA,KGA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.Arthur Loose Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 I used to clock the studio at 120 F. on a warm day, and I was doing all my work by hammer or treadle. That Summer I ran circles for miles and miles around everyone in the woods at Pennsic. jloose.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Lester Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 That's ok, Dave. We down here don't know how you guys stand the long winter nights and temperature low enough to make a eunic out of a brass monkey. The long summer days seem like they might be rather cool though. By the way, is it true what they say about the mosquito being the state bird of Alaska? Doug Lester HELP...I'm a twenty year old trapped in the body of an old man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan O'Connor Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 (edited) Yea this 105 in Dallas ain't the greatest. But I can work in it if in the shade and it is true that I light a fire only early and late and take a break from outside work from about 2:00PM to 5:00PM However, I will take it way before the long cold, snowy winter you have Dave. Plus if I don't see the Sun for more than three days running I want to bite something. They would have probably locked me up long ago if I was in Alaska. Beginning in late September to maybe mid May forging is very pleasant. After that is not so pleasant but bearable. Luckily we do not have the brutal humidity of Florida or even Houston Rules for a Texas forge. Put the forge on the east side of the building. It almost pleasant in the evenings if it has not baked all afternoon and evening in the sun. Have shade trees, awnings or something to keep out the morning rising sun. It can be brutal if you have an open air forge. Also if you have an open air forge place the fire where you stand on the south side. The wind is predominantly from the south all summer. If you stand to the north it will blow the heat on you the whole time. Having a breeze, even a warm breeze, at your back in the evenings goes a long way. We are on the downhill side now only about a month to go-I hope. Edited August 11, 2010 by Danocon Dan O'Connor https://nuclayer.com https://www.facebook.com/NuClayerSystems/ https://www.instagram.com/daniel.oconnor.twinoaks/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james G. Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 I live near amarillo tx So the humidity not a big problem. I was forgeing a camp knife the first of August 100 degres with a high dew point .In the late summer I hammer from 7pm to 10pm. And i drink plenty of fluids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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