I finally got back to working on the mechanical power hammer again. I have the central I-beam that holds it together, now the only thing holding me back is my lack of spare time….
Archive Page 3
11
Apr
10
Power Hammer Update
08
Feb
10
Screen Prints
23
Jan
10
New carving project
I have not had the chance to carve wood for several years now, so my next sculpture should be refreshing. Once I get enough poplar stockpiled, the 5 foot tall tooth with ball-and-claw feet will come to life. At this point I plan on finishing it with white appliance paint.
23
Jan
10
Complicated Sand Mold
I purchased an old foundry pattern while living in Chicago and decided that I wanted to bring it back to life. The wooden gear pattern was originally designed for green sand molds, making it difficult to use the intended part lines with resin bonded sand. In the end, the 18 part mold yielded a perfect casting. At some point the iron casting will be integraded into one of my sculptures.
23
Jan
10
Propane Forge
This is the forced air propane forge I finished last year. I grew up using a coal forge, so I lack the patience required to use a venturi setup. Most gas forge designs have crippling limits for what can be heated. I wanted the ability to heat only the tip of a piece of metal or a two foot section of it. At the same time, I wanted the ability to fit large or awkwardly shaped pieces in the fire, so I developed the idea of customizable fire brick. With this design, the bricks are stacked according to the needs of the blacksmith in whatever shape or size is necessary.
These photos were from my first official test run (I had to slowly fire in the refractory base plate the first few times) during which the piece of 1.5 inch bar stock started to flux within 5 minutes.
23
Jan
10
Welding Tables
This is the set of welding tables I completed last year. They are small, but versatile for a small shop. The two can be rolled flat against a wall to conserve space and pulled together to become a large table.
23
Jan
10
Power Hammer Construction
I am in the middle of constructing a mechanical power hammer to make forging work more practical. The 100 pound ram striking 3-5 times per second is much more efficient than smithing by hand, which provides the opportunity to work with larger pieces of material.
