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I Forge Iron

BLACKDRAGON

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  • Location
    Mountain City Tn 37683
  • Interests
    Damascus Blade Smithing,Black Smithing,Mokume-Gane,FFL Dealer,

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  1. TRUE_GRIT is a great place to buy from..when i lived in san diego i bought way over $10,000.- over time and even now that im in tn i ordered from them this week even with shipping across country ill buy from them as they know knives also .
  2. fyi: here is a chart that my help out many as good for your use or not.i found it looking for the best wood for a bo for karate and kama handles.
  3. Not to be a NAG ..here is also somthing few know. using a propane forge one needs to wear "Didymium" glasses . it the glasses it has a filter that blocks out the sodium flair/yellowish light "AT 589 NM " =IR+UV .glass blowers also need to use them . it will save your eyes as even a welders mask does not work like these. Didymium is about 15 years outdated, see pinned post
  4. I know most think safety but i find most just overlook it alot till it to late.I am a huge fan of north safety masks.i forge with mine and almost anything i do i have one on that has hepi filters.i use a half mask ,a full face and one that has the filters over my back further away from contaminants. i have no trouble getting the air i need nor is it uncomfortable to wear .Back at the ABS school in ark i was the only one to wear atleast a common cloth face mask while i was forging using coal.I was the only one not pulling out coal boogers or hacking up coal dust. 99.9% of the items we use in our shop are bad for us.i am going on 71 soon and my lungs are great.there are many brands out there but imh i find "north" the best.
  5. hello wayne..long time no see.i see that you do not remember me.i was a member of bristol forge and the appalachian chapter where i have seen your great work. thank you and frosty for the warm welcome.here is a picture of someone i know you know as many others do also..lol..i am on the left
  6. As a long time business owner. i see so many have great ideas but few realize it takes a lot of sales just to pay over head before you put a penny profit in your wallet.I am not saying do not start but do it part time first till it gets to a point your not making what you can but rememer about eating and overhead.i did what ive said above and it took me 3 years before it started paying me.and as we all know times are hard and my get harder plus art and crafts are the first thing people stop buying when times are hard..just ask any artist about that. what you charge for your work/skill is anther issue. something i find very few smiths or others do is set aside some of there knives for the day that they retire or get to old to work or injury for those days will come.it cost $ to live no matter what age you are.so set some items aside for a rainy day. when i started back in the 80's there was so few of us ,now there is mega hundreds or thousands. think twice before you give up a weekly income with ins .
  7. For me a steel arch building was a must..not cheap but mine is 35W x 60L x 18 T= 2100 sqft. i have seen way to many wood shops burn down. mine can handle high winds,snow and as i am way out in the forrest far less likely to go up in a forrest fire. I find it muffle noise to the point if your 12 feet away i have a hard time hearing you.being so big all i except in winter is my wood stove to take the nip out of the air and a forge helps out also. in summer i use big fans and that helps.i do not like to mix mediums (arts+crafts/contaminate )=mix wood with grinding and other mediums.( do blade+blacksmithing,damascus,pottery,leather,stain glass,mokume-gane and jewelry plus other things), so on on side i built three 10'x10' rooms with 2" x 6" so i can insulate.and the 300 sqft above i use for storage a big plus. i am in the process of building two 14' x 14' rooms these will add 392 sqft also for either more rooms or storage ,one for a office and the other as a fine finishing rooms. i will use window ac units where needed. my floor is 4" concrete with rebar., I took a great idea from a local friend doug merkel of suger grove nc a master blacksmith. I had like he did a 15' x 20' no concrete forging pit and for the floor vs dirt i use crushed tn blue stone for if i forge and drop anything it will not shatter on the crushed stone and it is great standing on vs back killing concrete. i have only a small back door and a big aircraft sliding door in front so for the most part is very secure.i left enough space between rooms on both sides so i can get later heavy machinery in as i find more $. this was not done over night but as i get $$ .Alot of thought has gone into this and it paid off.
  8. not a quote but a bow to you. your views on secrets 29 years ago got me hooked on bladesmithing vs the very view who spout "state secrets" i have always said that no matter how crowded a field is there is always room for one more good one.
  9. FYI: there is different types of metals..which there are three different ways to heat treat.. some metals are air Harding or water or oil. who sells you your metal will tell you that info. on knives you want to quench straight in .not side to side or you can warp the blade.. up+down is the way. metal is hard or hardenable .to hold a edge you need 45 points of carbon anything less is mild iron and will not hold a edge no matter what you do.
  10. Hello I am new to this web site ,but not new to Black Smithing or Blade Smithing. I hope to learn more from Y'all and my be help others as i have been at this almost 30 years.
  11. QUAD STATE is a must do if you want bladesmithing+blacksmithing items and ideas. it is 2nd to none imh.
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