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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Revesby - Sydney Australia
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,183

    Default Fake large nails

    Took some rusty old 1/8" plate steel and cut into squares:
    IMG_2089.jpg


    Machined a rough die in the Hercus:
    IMG_2090.jpg IMG_2099.jpg


    Got an assistant to stoke the coals:
    IMG_2091.jpg IMG_2092.jpg IMG_2093.jpg
    (actually BBQ heat beads, and he was just holding a hair dryer to push some air thru)



    and after some bashing, got some dome shaped steel cups:
    IMG_2098.jpg


    A little grinding to take the corners off:
    IMG_2100.jpg
    and throw them in a bucket to try and get some rust overnight.



    Day 2. Improve the forge a little:
    IMG_2109.jpg



    and create some extra patina, by re-heating, and bashing into concrete driveway with ball-pein:
    IMG_2103.jpg
    (original sample is on the left)




    I'm half way there for this part of the job. Still have to weld little nail shafts on the back of the cup.

    Still have to get my makeshift forge running hotter

    Still have to work out how to do the other shapes
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Revesby - Sydney Australia
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,183

    Default

    Got a MIG working, and welded some nails on the back:
    IMG_2128.jpg

    So that is the simplest 15 of the 200 total nails. This week I will try Propane-ing the forge, to get the steel beyond red.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Revesby - Sydney Australia
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,183

    Default Propane worked, but didn't help

    Grabbed an old expansion burner my Dad used 30 years ago,
    that I'm surprised they still seem to make/sell:
    expansion-burner-50mm-gas-equipment-465_583x583.jpg



    and put it in my little forge. It makes a hell of a noise - sounds like a small combat jet?

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/QBBKZtT6TBQFvQUEA




    This thing is quite long, so I had to extend the "fire box" up:
    IMG_2134.jpg


    Now, this gets the steel slugs orange hot, but with 400mm of blue flame shooting straight up, this is a bit of a challenge to get the slugs safely resting there. So I weld some slats in the top tube, and try some BBQ rocks:

    IMG_2135.jpg

    Big mistake.
    The packet the rocks came in said "Lava rock may contain gas and may explode when heated, ejecting particles for several meters." Yeah, right, I thought. Just needless safety B.S., I thought.
    Nope. Fired it up, and the rocks pop and spit and crack and chunks go flying off. Not good.


    Another trip to Bunnings, and buy some ceramic thingies. Factory neighbour convinces me to heat from the top (because all the heat is just going straight up in the air with my big burner), so we try his propane burner and a fire brick:
    IMG_2137.jpg


    I didn't like this setup. The flame bounces around in there and out in all directions. Including towards my face. Result is still only orange hot after a few minutes, and to get slugs out I have to put burner aside, then reach in there with pliers and fish around. Seems slower and loses a little bit of vital heat.

    After leaving that to cool down, I go back to my tall fire box idea (after fitting a mesh grill with larger holes):
    IMG_2138.jpg



    This seems easier to use, as I can more easily position slugs under the edges of the ceramics for more or less heat, but bashing slugs into the die is also not going as well as I would like.

    I get then out of the fire box and into the die, then pick up a hammer and bash away, but they are not getting the nice curve from the face of the die, or expanding out on the back. Even if I heat and bash a few times, and try a cold chisel (long centre punch) in the back:
    IMG_2140.jpg




    Get through a dozen or so, and then neighbour comes to assist. Proposes some casting. Throws a large ladle on the heat, and tried pouring a few cc of Aluminium in the die before I shove a nail in the molten metal. We try a few, but it is very hard to pour just a little metal from a large spoon/cup. Either a lot of metal pours over the side, or a lot stays on the top of the die.
    IMG_2139.jpg


    They are a good shape, but cleaning the waste off the back as well as then having to age them to look like rusty steel, will not be manageable. Another dead end.







    So, I'm giving up on blacksmithing for now.
    A better anvil might have helped, but bashing slugs into a little die is just losing too much heat.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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