Enders military stove "fettle"...

I'm not sure if this even qualifies as Fettling but here goes;
Got a nice Enders stove today off of Ebay. One corner had a pretty nasty dent in it. As my online name is NOT just a nickname (I really am a Blacksmith, and make copies of Medieval armour as well) I though "hey, I can fix this little dent".
And so it was with two tools and about 15 mins, she's back in shape!
The first two photos are of the dent itself from inside and outside. Third photo is of the hammer and the stake tool I used to fix it. And the last two are of the repaired area. I just need to sand it down and repaint.

 

That looks really good. It'll look really nice with paint. Pictures of the finished case when you are done?

Does the stake tool have a shaft that you are beating on? Just wondering what the whole thing looks like.

sam

 

Well, since you asked, here is a photo of three of my shorter stakes.
The center one is what I used to repair this box.

 

Oh, cool! Did you make those tools? Pretty neat. They definitely look like they could do the job.

Thanks for showing a picture.

okay, so my next question is: Did you put the case on a soft surface or a hard surface to work it? I've not done any metal work to speak of so I would like to learn. I've done some cutting, brazing and welding but not much of working the metal with hand tools and shaping or removing dents. I've tried but the work never comes out looking too good.

sam

 

Sam, the middle tool "called a mushroom stake" is put inside the dent. Then I hammer on the outside to bring the damaged metal back to it's original form. It's known as 'raising'. If I were to put the piece on a slightly concave surface and use a small ball-pein hammer to change the shape, it would be known as 'sinking'.
They both have their uses but I find raising the piece gives me far more control.
And no, I didn't make the tools. I bought them years ago at an auction. I've accumulated a lot more since then.

 

Looks great! Really nice job! I like the idea of using a tool like this, I have been using delrin paintless dent removal tools, but it is alot harder I think than using the tools that you have! Those fit into the holes in your anvil right Blacksmith?

 

Great job on the dent indeed Now I think we have two blacksmith members. Look forward to the finished case. You plan on stripping and repainting it or just a paint over?

Ron

 

BTU, the fit in a "stake plate" which I don't have. However, they fit nicely in my leg vise.

 

Ron, yes I want to chemically strip the box (it looks like the last two layers of paint were done by brush) anthen re-paint. I just hope i can find a close enough green to paint it.

 

Just bring it to the hardware so they can mix it up before you strip it. Then start removing the paint. My Enders was not that bad so a bit of sanding over the rusted areas and painted it close to the original.

It worked for me

Good luck.

Ron

 

Hey Blacksmith,

Thanks for the short tutorial on 'raising' and 'sinking'. Now I will be on the lookout for stuff like that at local yard sales, junk stores, hardware shops, etc. I have several cases with similar issues that I've just left alone but now I've got something to hunt for and have some fun with. It's all fun, right?

Thanks again,
sam

 

Why sand or use nasty chemicals when electrolysis is dead easy and and does a solid job? A bucket, a steel plate to fit in the bottom, a car battery charger and a box of washing soda is all you need. Rust and paint are history. If I didn't know how it worked, I'd call it voodoo 8) Sweet job on the case!

 

If you want to have the correct color, have a closer look to:

RAL 6014 Gelboliv

that's the color, the Bundeswehr used until 1984 for all her cars and technical equipment.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAL-Farbe

or multilingual:

http://www.ral-digital.de/english/ralclassic_namen.htm?content2.shtml

and a download:

www.farbkarten-shop.de/download/download.php4?datei=RALF9Bundeswehrfarben

 

Well, I might qualify as the third blacksmith here. I completed a basic blacksmith class at Uri Hofi's school a few years back, and occasionally do small blacksmithing jobs. So far I made a hunting knife, a chisel, blacksmith tongs, and a few odd things. I used this skill to make pot supports for a couple of stoves.

As for paint removal, on non-rusted items I find the chemical stripping faster than electrolysis.

Yonadav

 

Ah well, let's make it 4 then, shall we? It's over 20years ago now, but I went to school in the weekends to learn restoration techniques. Never done it professionally, but it was very handy in my job as a mechanic at times.

Regards,

Wim

 

Nice to see so many Iron-Bashers here!
We may have to have a forum of our own!

 

My neighbor, until a back injury caused him to get Workmens Comp, painted cars in body shops and his brother still does body work/repair. That's as close as I'll come to having metal working skills.

Duane

 

I have successfully used this doming block and punch set from Harbor Freight. Got it at 1/2 off so it was worth it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/punches/25-piece-doming-block-and-punch-set-93539.html

Dave

 

Lets call it CBS! (Classic BlackSmiths)

All the best,

Wim

 

Hi

Nice work on the stove repair cant beat getting the steel up to the greasy stage for a bit of fire welding ,not for the faint hearted though

Keep up the good work

Best regards Stu .