Morgan Jade Ironworks

erfgerywer

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0700

werwer

44 Ft of Branch Railing.........Done Done Done!!!

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0800

This project was several months in the making, sadly 16 ft into the project and 80% of the prep and texturing completed.........Someone decided they needed my cargo trailer.......which had several locking anti theft devices......and sadly it had all my spec work pieces, 3 completed projects, and..... the railing and all the iron..... So we had to start all over again.

There is over 800 ft of solid 1" round bar, 260 ft of 1/2" round bar, and 54 ft of 3/4" bar that was cut into 3/4"-2" pieces to make the "noblets"

It takes 6-8 hours a foot to produce a finished railing.

The sections had to fit into an existing railing the post and top wood hand grab stayed.

Here are some before shots

Here is the railing installed, also some detail pics of the textures, nobs, and bugs.

The other highlight of this job was that my daughter Madelynn worked this summer in the smithy....... for 13 years old she is able to run the powerhammer, grinders, so so on the mig and tig welder, and pretty much all the other equipment in the shop. She decided to reinvest her money in a "girly" welding helmet, and some other tools..... proud moment for a father.

MJI Demonstrating at Art on the Green at North Idaho College

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0700

Morgan Jade Ironworks will be demonstrating at Art on the Green at North Idaho College this Friday thru Sunday Aug 5,6 and 7. Come and check us out.

I will also be at the Bonners county fair in Sandpoint, Id Aug 9 thru the 13.

Will be demonstrating several projects hand forged using traditional forging and joinery.

Come and check us out.

Finished the welcome sign

Tue, 10 May 2016 00:00:00 -0700

Well the welcom sign is all done for all the news about the build check it out here.

http://www.morganjadeironworks.com/project/54/copper-and-hammered-iron-welcome-sign

Started a little welcome sign

Fri, 06 May 2016 00:00:00 -0700

So this project is for my father-inlaw Silver. He has always been a typical Italian....... in that he has always been the most hospitable man I know. Just like his father, all are welcome to sit and visit around a table covered in food and drink. So he wants a big "welcome sign" so that way everyone else will know also.

Here is how the project is coming along

Still need to copper plate the base, fit and weld her up.

DIY Blacksmith Shop Tricks

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0700

So I have a gas saver for my cutting torch, and I use it often. I don't like having a cart with my tanks on them so I have enough hose to reach anywhere in the shop. I did not want to have a cart ot stand for the gas saver either. So I needed a solution to allow me to used that tool were I need to. So here is my solution.

I built a pad with a stinger welded to it just like one you would slide into your pick up to tow a trailer.

Then I made several receivers.

I welded them on both ends of my welding table as well as my vises.

So here is the gas save in the receiver on one end of my welding table.

DIY Forging Tooling to make mortise and tendon joints

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0700

I start out forging 2" truck axle to a square and let air cool.

I cut 1 chunck at 2.5" then I cut that chunck diagonally giving me 2 triangle pieces, and 2 more chuncks at 1.25". I weld the "triangles" to a 2.25" piece of 1" square bar. This gives me a shoulder swedge to start the tendon on a piece of desired bar stock.

I clamp the 2- 1.25 pieces 2 ways and drill the size hole I want my tendon to be. These are 3/8"

I then make my "spring handle" from 3/8" round rod. Cut a 30" piece then draw out 2" in the middle flat untill the total length is now 31"...... This will give you a 3" flat area in the middle of the rod. I bend that over a 1.5" piece of pipe thus folding the 31" rod in half. I drill a 1" x 3/8" hole in each of the 2- 1.25 pieces to insert the spring handle ends in to them.

I vise up the 2 pieces with a piece of the 3/8" in between the 2 pieces this make sure they are prpoerly aligned to each other before I weld the spring handle in place.

I heat treat the spring tool ends and the actual spring end as well as the hardy shoulder swedge. You need to take a 3" piece of heavy square or round stock and drill a 2.5" hole in the center of it to make a monkey tool. this is used to set a crisp shoulder at the start of your tendon so the joint will be tight.

Tools from left to right

Hammer, monkey tool, shoulder swedge hardy, tendon I just made, 3/8" spring swedge, tongs.

Blacksmith Trick #1

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0700

I dont have a vertical band saw, nor do I have an attachment plate to convert my horizontal band saw. So I used some scrap pieces of Iron to "extend" the jaws and hols a small piece of truck axle. this allowed me to cut it vertically. These 2 pieces will be used as hardy tools for making tendons. Making due with what you have is what blacksmith have done for thousands of years, you just have to think outside the box.

Post vise/leg vise/box vise stand and upgrades

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0700

So as a blacksmith post vise are a treasured piece of equipment in the smithy. I am fortunate enought to have a 5" and 6". I do a lot of demos at events all over the northwest so my vises are on stands I can move around. I finally got some time to make some changes to my stands. I am always moving them so having a table nearby was not always possible. Any blacksmith will tell you that you are always in need of a spot to set tools or materials on while working at the vise and there are tools you pretty much only use at the vise. So having them stored there is best. One issue to a nice flat spot is the mounting plate because they stick up and leave you with out a flat area so I took some 1/4" plate and counter sunk fasteners thru it and the vise mounting plate into the stand, then I added a rack under that to hang tongs, turning wrench, grinder, bending forks......... anyway just some diffrent ideas of how to make your smithy more efficient.

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0800

And Turner finally "nails it" on his 4th?????????? attempt