Ben Hartley

Hey Brad, can you post a render from another angle that shows the spring mechanism a little better? Does each tumbler have its own spring? Is the bolt sprung too? Can you show how the key engages the bolt? I wouldn't mind a set of those drawings if you have them lying around.

I've often wished I could heat small rivets in-place, they just lose so much heat while I'm setting them and then split because I work them too cold. Resistance or induction heating would work pretty nicely I think. Seems like a bit of a waste to use such a machine to heat up rivets and then walk them over to the guy who sets them.

One thing I've always wondered about box joints is how the hinge works. Is there a pin hidden in there somewhere? It's kind of hard to make out in the video, but there doesn't seem to be any kind of pin or hole in either of the parts.

I can't help but think "why are all the photos of that amazing coffee table upside down?"

That's why they started archiving the internet: http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.livelyknives.com/ The latest archive of his site seems pretty complete.

It's not what it does to you stomach you should worry about. Think about what it does to your teeth. Every time you sip some cola it removes some of the calcium from your teeth. There is also some evidence that it may leech calcium from your bones and/or bind with dietary calcium, promoting osteoporosis.

Electrolytic rust removal is great because it removes all the rust without damaging any of the underlying iron, even if you leave it in for weeks. It can use quite a bit of electricity if you let the amperage get too high or leave it on for weeks at a time.

It sounds like your steel was a gauge block used to check the accuracy of 18" calipers. Gauge blocks are often used in the manufacture of measuring instruments to make sure they measure accurately. The name on the steel wasn't Mitutoyo by any chance was it?

Ok, the forum messenger says I'm banned from that conversation and it's gone from my list of conversations. Not sure what that's all about. Anyway, do you think the meeting on the 15th will be at the Indiantown Boyscout Camp like it says in the schedule, or is that just the default because Ralph lives near there?

Thanks for the offer Francis, I'll be in touch through PM. I'll definitely check out Bok Tower Gardens.

Hi all, I’m going to be in Orlando until May 17th and would really like to visit some smiths in the area. I looked on the FABA website, but the events are all pretty far from Orlando. I might be able to make it to The SE event on the 15th but if anyone closer to Orlando is open to visits that would be fun too. I’ve been smithing for several years in my spare time and I especially like making tools. I’ve never had the chance to work with coal or charcoal as both are far too expensive to get in Bermuda. I started on propane and then moved to waste vegetable oil which is working extremely well (and it’s free!). I’d be happy to meet people of any experience level, either just to watch or maybe we could make something that takes two people or a power hammer. Ben

I want to know too after seeing that video where they welded a face onto a hammer. Maybe it has clay in it? I'm not sure if the clay would help or hinder the flux though.

The trouble with using the step on the anvil is that it will eventually get chisel marks on it which will mar the underside of the work. The advantage of a plate is that it can easily be replaced.

I know this thread is pretty old, but I just wanted to clear up the description of FCC iron. The FCC and BCC diagrams show only atoms of one type, the atoms on the faces and the atom in the middle are still iron atoms. The FCC structure has more room between iron atoms, allowing the carbon to diffuse into the spaces between iron atoms. John D. Verhoeven's "Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others who Heat Treat and Forge Steel" explains it very well with nice diagrams, it may even be available online somewhere for free.

Check out Don Fogg’s bladesmith forum I found a thread on there discussing when you should put the bend into the kukri. Kukri - Bladesmith's Forum Board I haven’t made many blades, but I find that the forging is the easiest part, it’s the grinding and polishing that tests my patience. Of course, the better you are at forging the less grinding you have to do. A word of warning though: don’t thin the edge too much before you harden the blade or else it will warp and/or crack when you quench it.