Thread: Old farriers rasp: any annealing tips most welcome :)

Originally Posted by shooter74743

I had a co-worker to give me 6 of them (he is a part time farrier) for a knife. I don't run a fireplace, so ash is out for me. My intent is to get a bag of vermiculite myself for stock removal...but if you are going to work the steel on the anvil just take it to non-magnetic and hammer away.

I haven't made it to the shop since I received the files unfortunately...

Been great weather for playing in the fire lately.

Git 'er done!

Originally Posted by Wullie

Been great weather for playing in the fire lately.

Git 'er done!

You are absolutely right, except I made a idiot mistake and am out of gas. Only about a third of a bottle in the grill, so no since stealing it. I did get some lights wired to the blacksmith area...just need to pick up some 100w bulbs.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/forge...ing-steel.html

Originally Posted by shooter74743

http://straightrazorpalace.com/forge...ing-steel.html

Forging Public Service Announcement.

I figure the old hands know this already, but thought I'd share it with those that may not be aware.

When checking a piece of metal for heat, as in IS IT TOO DAMN HOT TO HANDLE, use the back of your hand. The skin on the back of your hand is thinner and more sensitive to radiated heat. It's much quicker to tell if a piece of metal is hot/uncomfortably warm that way.

AND if you mess up and stick the back of your hand or fingers to a really hot one, a blister on the back of your hand or finger is easier to keep working with.

That way you won't have to do like the old cowboy that picked up a hot horse shoe and then tossed it down real fast. When he did that the smith asked him if it was hot.

He replied that it just didn't take him very long to look at a horse shoe.

Just to add to Wullie's PSA.
Get an instant read "laser" thermometer. They cost less than $50 (USD) which is cheaper than going to hospital. It's also useful for checking the temperature of drill bits, saw blades, and that small piece of slag that is too small to feel the heat from, but burns through your glove when you pick it up.

If the young smith held on to the hot piece too long, the tendons would contract and the grip will tighten. No letting go after that and it just keeps making things worsefrom there. Learn to use the back of your hand! Great advice.

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

If the young smith held on to the hot piece too long, the tendons would contract and the grip will tighten. No letting go after that and it just keeps making things worsefrom there. Learn to use the back of your hand! Great advice.

Reminds me of my classmate who had the brilliant idea of making an extra long power extension by putting 2 plugs on a very long cable, which he was then going to plug into a free socket on one of those power bricks with multiple outlets.

He plugged it in the wall socket first, and upon trying to put the other end in the brick, it slipped, and he caught the prongs between thumb and index finger. Couldn't let go after that. In the end he put his foot on the cable and yanked his hand loose. 3d degree burns to the bone. Good times... Good times...

Oh. He was majoring in power distribution at the time.

You mean to tell me that the hissing sound that doesn't hurt immediately isn't a good thing? Yep, good advice indeed...back of the hand.

Originally Posted by criswilson10

Just to add to Wullie's PSA.
Get an instant read "laser" thermometer. They cost less than $50 (USD) which is cheaper than going to hospital. It's also useful for checking the temperature of drill bits, saw blades, and that small piece of slag that is too small to feel the heat from, but burns through your glove when you pick it up.

+1 to the bit about drill bits. Was drilling a piece of Jarrah and went to change bits, instant blister :\

Originally Posted by criswilson10

Just to add to Wullie's PSA.
Get an instant read "laser" thermometer. They cost less than $50 (USD) which is cheaper than going to hospital. It's also useful for checking the temperature of drill bits, saw blades, and that small piece of slag that is too small to feel the heat from, but burns through your glove when you pick it up.

You wear gloves?


J/K.

I wore welder's gloves when I was hogging steel off a blank with a 60 grit belt and wasn't worried about the heat in the blank. Rest of the time, I was bare handed.

A 60 grit belt will go through a glove's finger faster than a cat can lick his butt too. Ground off a bit of a finger tip on more than one occasion by not watching what I was doing.

Always did my finish grinding bare handed so I could tell when things were warming up. Never messed up the temper on an edge that way.