Fall 2010 B - Northeast Blacksmiths Association

Members Demonstrate at the Dutchess
County Fairgrounds
Asa Beckwith with some of his
wares.
For the second year Asa Beckwith
invited blacksmiths to setup and
demonstrate blacksmithing at the
Dutchess County Fairgrounds
during the “Antique Motorcycle and
Farm Equipment Show”.
Participants needed to bring their
own working blacksmithing setup
and demonstrate some form of
blacksmithing. Tailgate sales of
blacksmithing related items or
products as well as networking to
provide your services for potential
customers was allowed. Lunch
was provided for all demonstrating
blacksmiths. Speak with Asa about
the possibility of participating in
next years event.
Mark Kellog brought his
mobile blacksmithing unit.
Lee Harvey holds court with Joe Magnarella and
Asa
Dale Martin
demonstrates punching.
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From: The Upsetter, Nov./Dec. 2009
Something simple, that could become an
interesting blacksmithing project.
By Carol Spoerre
Photos by Lindsey Spoerre
Dale Martin had this interesting leg
vise that allows long work to be held in
the center of the jaws.
Spring Forging Project
Picture frame
This vintage-patterned paper "clip" is a cast piece from the
turn of the century. It has two main parts, a little less than an
1/8" thick, that could be forged with some ingenuity. Plus a
rivet and a spring- and you have it.
This clip is 4-1/4" long and just 7/8" high. The pivot point is 21/2" from the business end of the clip. The spring is held in place
by 2 small round bosses. The spring holds items well and would
work on potato chip bags just fine.
The top clip-end is beveled where it contacts the flat base, and
this one opens to a full inch. It also has a hole in the base, so it can
be hung up. Perfect for organizing the office then and now.
These dimensions are for reference, if you want to try it, let your
material set your size!
Winning Frame by
Ralph Lapidus and Alan Horowitz
Northeast Blacksmiths Association
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How to Re-thread a Leg Vise Box
By Craig Scott
Contributions by Dick Sargent
It was just too good to pass up and the price was right so you brought it home only to find that
the threads in the vise box were so worn-out that you were afraid they would strip out if you
tightened the vise too much. That is what happened to me recently. And since I didn’t need
another heavy paperweight, I decided it had to be repaired.
I’m no authority on the history of leg vises, like who manufactured what and when but I did
learn some in the process. The threads, both male and female, on the early vises were made by
wrapping two coils of iron wire around a rod. The coils were then separated and one was brazed
to the rod and the other brazed inside a forged vise box. Later on, male threads were filed into
the rod or cut with screw cutting machinery but the female threads were still brazed into the
box. Some manufactures then began casting the vise box and brazing, casting, or cutting the
threads in.
Now the repair process may seem a bit intimidating at first and you may think it is beyond your
ability but I’ll bet the steps, taken individually, are all jobs you have already done. So were do
we begin?
If the threads were brazed in, you should see
some brazing metal between the threads and
the inside of the box. Heat the box in a
forge or use a torch and then chisel and pull
the threads out.
Next, make new threads by wrapping stock
(say 1/8 X1/8) around a good part of your
screw. If you used a lathe to cut the old
threads out, you will be able to size the ID of
First, you need to get the old threads out of
the box. The easiest and fastest way to do
this is with a lathe if you have one. If the
threads were cast or cut, a lathe is the only
way to go. The box I re-threaded was cast
so I had to cut the old threads out on a
lathe. You need to use a steady-rest when
you cut the threads out. Chuck the box in
the lathe as true as you can and put the
stead-rest about an inch back from the end.
It will be a bumpy ride at this point. Then
cut the first ¼ inch of the box on the OD to
true up the end. Then reposition the steadyrest and cut out the threads. Leave the
box in the lathe for the next step
Northeast Blacksmiths Association
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the box to fit your new
threads. You only need
about 2 inches of thread to
insert into the front of the
box. Tack weld or clamp
the stock to the screw and
begin wrapping. A torch
works well for this.
If you removed the old threads by
heat, then you need to size (by
grinding) the OD of the new
threads to fit the ID of the tube.
The new threads, still on the
screw, should slide into the box
with a few thousands clearance.
Now remove the new threads
from the screw being careful not
to distort them. Make sure they
are clean on the OD.
This is the most important step to
success. Before you insert the
threads for brazing, put the empty
box in the forge and burn out any
old grease and scale from the
back. Grease vapor will contaminate
your weld.
Then clean the inside of the box until you see bare metal.
** Use Solvents with Caution
You can clean the inside of the box using a brake cylinder
Follow all manufacturers safety
precautions for vapors and
hone which works very well. Or you can make a flap stick
flammability
of any solvent you use.
using a dowel and some sand papers with a drill, just get it
Be sure solvent has dried before brazing.
clean. Use solvent cleaner for a final cleaning.**
Do not use Brake cleaner.
To make the brazing powder, put a sheet of paper under
a belt grinder and collect the dust from grinding up brazing
rods. Add borax for flux.
So now we are at the point that keeps you up at night,
will it weld? If everything is clean, given enough heat,
it will weld.
Northeast Blacksmiths Association
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Now take the new threads and put them into the box.
Add the brazing power cold and make sure it is distributed
along the entire thread. It will settle by gravity but
just make sure you have enough in each thread space to
spread around later.
Okay, into the forge, gas or coal. Bring it up to temperature
(until the brass is liquid) and then rotate the
box and let gravity and capillary action do its thing.
You can add more brass as short lengths of rod once
the box is up to heat by laying them across the threads.
But if you try to add flux, you will most likely end up
with brass on the threads.
When the brazing is finished
let the box cool completely
before you attempt threading
the screw into the box
(the metal contracts when it
cools you know). You don’t
want the box contracting
around the screw.
The first time you try to thread the screw into the box it will
seem like it just won’t go but it will. A neat trick is to
sharpen the end of the thread on the screw to a chisel point
with a cutoff wheel and it will cut the flux and excess brass
as it is threaded in. In a little then out (you know the drill)
and use some muscle.
The last step is to use some valve grinding compound on the screw to cut a few thousands clearance
once you have the flux and brass cleaned out . Work the screw in and out a few times and
it will work like a new vise. Don’t forget to wash the grinding compound out of the box or you
will be re-threading again in short order.
A special thanks to Dick Sargent whose
IForgeIron blueprint and advice made this
article and vice repair possible.
Northeast Blacksmiths Association
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From: BAM , July-August, 2010
NBA Member Library
If you didn’t already know, Fred Morse is our librarian. We currently have the Blacksmiths
Journal, a variety of Blacksmithing DVD’s from UMBA, some tapes and assorted other blacksmithing publications for loan to members. For complete information on what is available and
how to access this treasure trove of information contact Fred by E-Mail
<[email protected]>
Northeast Blacksmiths Association
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