Kevin Colwell Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Hello Everyone, I am having a few folks over to my home in Connecticut. We are getting together on March 18th. It is a Saturday. I will smoke a brisket for us to eat on Friday. Emiliano is teaching me how to do heart melting. I am providing a big piece of cable and some charcoal. We are using my shop, which is not huge, to refine the blooms. There will be access to all of the shop equipment, including forge, press, and twist-o-matic. We will be making pattern welded stock in between and around refining whatever we creating with the melting hearth. You are welcome to come, and bring guests. You are on your own for beer, because I don't drink. Bring: 1. yourself and any guests. 2. Charcoal appropriate for melting/smelting 3. low allow steel (I suggest cable) or wrought iron that you want to melt. We want to combine steel and wrough mostly to incorporate the silicates so the steel we produce has character like traditional steel. Hopefully, everyone who contributes will get to leave wit puck of steel. Looking forward to seeing some of you! Kevin 1393 Diamond Hill Road, Cheshire CT please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Mercier Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 D'oh! I'd go for sure, but I'll be in Baltimore that weekend for the Baltimore Antique Arms show. At least I'll see Emiliano and the vista-cruiser gang the weekend after this =D Have an awesome time, and someone take pictures =) --- Justin "Tharkis" Mercier www.tharkis.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Detrick Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Man, all of you guys are on the East Coast “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." -Albert Camus http://www.krakenforge.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Kevin, I'll be there, do they still sell charcoal at the local hardware store? Wes, you might burn your beard off! lol!!!! if I decide to be productive and make a piece of steel, I'll send you some R "He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world was mad" Sabatini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Detrick Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 9 hours ago, Ricky said: Kevin, I'll be there, do they still sell charcoal at the local hardware store? Wes, you might burn your beard off! lol!!!! if I decide to be productive and make a piece of steel, I'll send you some R Ha! It gets tucked into the shirt when i am forging You are salt of the earth Ricky, I appreciate that my friend. I would go just for the company. “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." -Albert Camus http://www.krakenforge.net/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Waddell Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 You're only 2.5 hours from me, I'm hoping to make it. I have some 1001 sheet (about 1/8thick), 1018round (5/8"), and some charcoal. Count me in! I don't think I can pass up a chance to participate in a remelt so close to home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted February 25, 2017 Author Share Posted February 25, 2017 Dan, you are definitely welcomed to come up/down (not sure which it is for you). If you are able, bring a bag of hardwood charcoal. I will have several. Depending upon numbers, we may set up two hearths, or just one. I want everyone who contributes to be able to leave with some orishigane. I hope. I will smoke a brisket. Bring snacks. I will also probably have the twist-o-matic out. It is nothing but a mini forge on rails so you can fix a bar that you want to twist, and move the forge along it. The welds are ugly, it was the first thing I ever welded. But, you can heat a 1.5" section of bar to welding heat and twist it, and then move along another 1.5" and set up again. Way safer than the traditional twisting method. Slower than the hand crank things where you heat the whole bar and twist it all at once. But, the twist-o-matic lets you focus on a specific spot, and do alternating direction. Most importantly, there is no stress introduced into the steel as a result of twisting. It is constantly welding itself as you go, too. Everyone who is close and wants to come is welcome. We will have enough material to set up a second hearth, I believe. I have a blower and 2 shop vacs, and I am buying more firebricks for the occasion. We may have a little orishigane factory for a day. kc please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Waddell Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 Tomorrow I'll be chopping up some royal oak for my own use, and I'll prep extra to bring with me. This twist-o-matic you speak of sounds pretty cool I may just "borrow" your design.....then learn how to weld outside of a forge.>< I also have a blower that get stored in my car anyway so it'll be with me should we need it. I'm sure this will get a shame finger waved at me, but I don't think I've ever eaten brisket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted March 15, 2017 Author Share Posted March 15, 2017 Dan - sounds great. If the weather holds, I will set the twist-o-matic up outside. I have a crappy little post vise I clamp it into (I have a good post vise I recently bought that needs a stand). Everyone - We are on, rain or shine. Hopefully, shine. I need to get the plumbing to hook my T-rex up to my heat treatment barrel. I have a regulator and a ball valve, and the hose. But, the connector fittings I don't have. If you have any spare fittings, or want to trade, help me out! I have a disk grinder, scroll saw, cheap silver rolling mill, and a barrel for heat treatment kiln making all to be given away. kc please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatthewBerry Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Oooo! I'd love the rolling mill! www.hopkinsforge.com hopkinsforge.blogspot.com heisenblade.deviantart.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caleb Harris Posted March 16, 2017 Share Posted March 16, 2017 Does nothing happen on the west coast? Have fun guys! Trying to make each knife just a little better than the last Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Posted March 20, 2017 Share Posted March 20, 2017 What a great time I had! good people, good food and great homemade cookies and I even trying making some steel lol Thanks for doing this Kevin! 1 "He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world was mad" Sabatini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Betts Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 I finally managed to get the pictures from this event formatted in such a way that the forum didn't spit them back at me. Here they are! Some of them may be oriented wrong. Dammit Jim, I'm a bladesmith, not a photographer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Betts Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 This was the part where we couldn't find the bloom; turned out that it was fused to the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Betts Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Betts Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Betts Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 This was the final bloom of the day. This is what we produced over the course of the day. Not too shabby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Waddell Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Thanks for posting these pictures. It sure was a fun time, and we got quite a bit of high carbon steel made:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C-S Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Looks like a blast (pun intended). Were there any stats kept as to volumes and usages? Or was it all a matter of suck it and see? From my extremely poor knowledge of bloomery, this is an open hearth type smelter right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Waddell Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 (edited) I can't speak for anyone else, but I follow some guidelines with decisions made in the moment. No one run is exactly the same. We did not start with ore so it really isn't a bloomery/smelter. We just started with scrap steel/low carbon steel, and turned it into high carbon steel. To the best of my knowledge the end product is more or less the same as a bloom, but to start from ore is worlds more difficult. The implied starting material makes a big difference though, and what name to give what we made is up for debate. I call them pucks just because "puck" is a short word. Edited March 28, 2017 by Dan Waddell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricky Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I do love the picture of Kevin's sword sticking out of the fire, it seems nothing was safe that day from go in the hearth! lol "He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world was mad" Sabatini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C-S Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 43 minutes ago, Ricky said: I do love the picture of Kevin's sword sticking out of the fire, it seems nothing was safe that day from go in the hearth! lol I didn't notice that, LMAO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 That was a failed attempt at a naginata from a few years ago. I often have some pretty cool scrap stuff laying around that failed for some reason. Ricky has made some beautiful stuff by taking failed swords from me and reworking them into bowies and tantos. Adam, thanks a lot for taking and posting all of the pics. It was an HONOR and a PLEASURE to host this event. These guys are great. 1 please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C-S Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Maybe, once upon a future, i may have to use such an even as an excuse to get over the big blue and come visit the states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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