Cold Worked Iron and Steel

I'm in the planning stages of my next gas forge and have decided to go with the doghouse style because I have the material on hand. I found a design that i like, but there seems to be a disconnect in my brain and the arithmetic isn't working. Seems like there's some fancy trigonometry or such going on, or maybe I'm just not seeing what I should be seeing. I really like the ridge lines on the shell and would like to duplicate that look, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to lay it out. Assume that the inside chamber measures 9x11. You then have what appears to be 2" of insulation. That puts the outside walls at 13" apart at the base and 15" tall. But, how…

I am trying to figure out a way to do a concave parabolic grind. Note that I am not trying to do a hollow grind. I want to grind shallow hemispherical (bowl-shaped) depressions with radii ranging from golf ball to cantaloupe sized. So far, I haven't seen any grinding products that would work. I see there are concave cutting wheels for cutting sink holes out of marble and granite, and I saw a mushroom-shaped grinding wheel for snag removal, but it was too small. The closest thing I found were diamond grinding wheels with a slight radius, that cost about $100 for a 6" wheel, but they won't really work for me because the radius of the wheel face doesn't match the wheel diame…

Hello all! I´m new to this forum, made my account some time ago but this will be my first question to you. First, as an introduction: I´m currently doing my studies in germany, and since my greatest interest is, from childhood on, the armour making, i use it as a counterbalance to the dry theory of my studies I want to learn it all, but for now i am working on a hauberg since this does not require anything i haven´t got in my appartment. My question is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgzQiO9liNw In the middle of this video the guy forges an elbow protection, he dishes it. My question is, if he would relinquish the use of heat, would this ca…

looking for "How To" information. specifically, how to roll the bead on the edges of this dog collar. I have a chance to bid on making 50 of these of stainless steel. 2" wide x 18" circumference. any information at all will be greatly appreciated... dave m It won't let me "choose files" but you can see a picture of the dog collar here: http://tinyurl.com/mmpa3sw

Made a dog gate for my wife since she kept tripping over the babay gate she had had there for years. Hope this is the right sub forum for this. Used a ring roller for the circles.

Im using steel wire 16 guage fencing. But, it has black oil in order to keep it from rusting, while i understand the reason for it, I find it a bit off if i put it on top of clothing (or skin) it leaves a black smudge, So how would I get rid of this? Should I scrub it off the wire before I use it on my mandrel? Or should I make the rings, then normalize them? Im not intending to get into Riveting just yet, while it is cool I have to gather a few more tools for that and am getting into a project for a shirt to start off, will eventually want ot rivet my rings . any help welcome :)

Hey everyone, got a question. I really like this style of breastplate and I am wondering how the lower sections of the torso would be put together to give the ability to bend. I've tried looking for more pics but they're all either from the front or back, not really of the sides and none from the inside. Any thoughts? Its armour for Emperor Ferdinand i.

Yep, I've started another bowl thread! *collective groan echoes* Seeing as I've asked for so much advice regarding bowl making tools and such I thought I should finally upload some pics of bowls I've made. I forged these 2 bowls in the last few days, one was for a mate, the other was for fun. They're made from 3mm mild steel, I sunk them cold into a variety of oxygen cylinder bottoms using my 6lbs raising hammer + a couple different size ball pein hammers. As you can tell I'm not a fan of planishing.

I don't know if this is the right place, if it isn't then, mods, please move it. Anyway, I'm working on a project for school and I'm making a few shields. I need to make bosses for this, which are the metal circles in the middle which protect the hand. I started to make one and it was beginning to form into a dish, but it wasn't going very quickly. I was wondering if anyone on here has experience making a boss? Or perhaps a quicker method, as I have to make five of these. I would love any sort of advice on this. Thanks in advance

What do you guys think? The spike aspect is something I made up myself, I haven't seen it around elsewhere. If any of you have please post some examples?

Here it is, I'll keep adding to the post as I work on this. Comments and suggestions more than welcome! Sam Material: Car Bonnet Quick drawing Thought I best be safe and put this on cardboard first.........

I got invited to a Nanowrimo kick-off party this Thursday. And we were invited to come in costume. One of the symbols of Nano is a viking helmet, so this is my version of a historically incorrect one. Frame from 3 x 25mm flat bar, welded together. Paint tin lids bashed into the approximate shape and spotwelded to the frame. Rivets are upholstery nails that were epoxied into small holes in the frame and clinched over on the inside. Horns were cut on the bandsaw and sanded to shape on the belt sander, no idea what sort of wood it is. Axe, 16 mm rebar and an old saw blade, all edges and corners carefully rounded. Total time: 8 hours for the helmet ( most of …

Hi I was thinking about making some decorative Roman armor from bronze cut out by a CNC machine. I am trying to re create something I saw on HBO. Making the armor is simple making each scale look good with detail is the challenge. Link to photo - click here The challenge I have is to make the scales not flat but to give them some definition. Since back in the age of antiquity they used a forge. Would a simple bent metal rod over a forge work. Sorry to display my post as being from a novice. Would I need a forge that can get up to 800* or could I use a simple torch with map gas. Thanks The posted photo seems to be copyrighted by HBO. It has been removed and a…

I bent some hooks 1/8" x 1/2" flat at 90 degrees, cold. In use, some of them broke, just snapped. Does it make sense to heat after bending cold to "normalize", relieve the stresses cold bending produces? Can this unhealthy cold bent steel be heated to health? Thanks

I think this is the right spot for this Anywho, I've been working on creating the Hylian shield from Legend of Zelda The main plate and outer crest is 16 gauge, plasma cut and cold formed to the curve the wood is 1x8 red oak, which i used a spoke shave on to help make them fit Cresting on the front is brass, copper, and repoussed steel, brazed on through holes drilled in the back. all taped off and painted, working on the sides now Thought, tips or advice?

Well I have been making some mail for a while now, but tonight I just coiled ~950 rings just have to cut them! '> and here is what I already have started '> the first bit is made from aluminium 16 gauge, the second bit is made from steel 14 gauge, third bit from copper 14g, and the last is a small section my friend started making (I was teaching him). I have a lot of steel wire available to me so I am going to continue to make either a skirt or vest, out of it. Down the line I plan to make a full set of armor and would rather not have to make another sectioned vest unless I have to! any ways leave a comment tell me what you guys think so …

Does hammering on cold steel of any alloy weaken the metal? like hammering out a steel rim back into shape?

Hi everyone i've been wanting for the last few years to start a little furniture making project, and at long last i've got all the materials and most of the tools and knowhow needed for it. Unfortunately however, i'm having a little trouble with one detail in particular since i've got almost no experience in cold chiselling thick iron or steel, and the chest i'd like to make would probably feature a lot of it. I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any hand tools aside from cold chisels that could allow me to produce this kind of pierced work with roughly 1.5-2mm thick corten/weathering steel? '> http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~s-mingei/cyoubako2.html Or, alternatively, if…

The car build I have posted about over the last two years is nearing completion, it has been on a test drive, and has been sent out for paint and chrome, the car was built from scratch, the body being beaten by hand in our shop, including forming the grille shell, we also fabricated the doors, and hatches, windshield frame and mounted all latches and mechanisms. Thanks to all who have taken interest in this. delehay shop photo.rtf

So, about two weekends ago, I got stuck at home with a bunch of sick kids. So, no going outside to play with fire and iron. Picture sad emoticon here. Having that limitation decided to try my hand at making chainmail. The process seemed simple enough, once I found a couple of youtube flicks and an Instructables. Take wire, wrap it on a mandrel, cut, anneal, punch little tiny holes.....without losing your temper, and rivet. But aha!!! Contraversy between diehard recreationist fanatics, and semi-lazy fantasy builders (I mean, you really, really can't call someone who puts together 15,000 rings completely lazy, even if they're butted, pre-made, or plastic). Also, I…

My son needs to stamp out some dog tags. He has got the letter and number stamps but has not, yet, got the tags. He asked me for advice but I really don't know. Anything like that I have ever done has been done hot on an anvil. Should he have a hard surface on which to work so as to cut the stamps into the metal? Or should he be working on end grain timber so the metal has somewhere to go- i.e. sort of bending the impression in? Any help would be appreciated.

Hi people Have any of you got a plan for a multiple ring opening jig? This is the only thing slowing down my work at present and I wanted to find out if any of you had a solution?

I got lucky today! I've been going to my favorite junkyard (don't ask) for decades an about one trip in 20 or so turns up something good (I once got a #2 diacro bender for $35 for instance). I'm usually on the hunt for something big but today this little jem caught my eye. It was in a space set aside for ''sellable'' brass and copper stuff fished out of the tons of scrap non ferrous they bring in....... It's REAL. A miniture repousse on a 22ga piece of copper x7 3/4'' x 10''. It looks to be a Chinese calander motif with all sorts of things,animals, and people in the mix. The detail is so tiny it must have taken someone months to do...I'll post close ups when I get home.

Well hello to all those out there interested in maile work. I have been doing maile work for over three years now and am far from being a master. But as far as many people are concerned my work is very high quality. Through these past three years I have learnt almost every trick possible to make life faster and easier to manufacture rings as well as mastering many patterns of mail. If there is anyone who would like assistance or a little guidance with this beautiful subject feel free to ask me anytime.

The other day, someone messaged me about how to make chainmail. So I created a tutorial and sent it to him. this is that tutorial. I hope that my diminutive knowledge of the maille making craft can at least help some of you who aspire to make some. I found out how to make maille by youtube, and www.mailleartisans.org. I in no way pretend to know a lot about Chainmaille, I just feel that knowledge is best used if it's spread. so here is how to make European 4 in 1 chainmaille, enjoy :) materials: steel wire (anything 12 gauge and below is too big to work with, and 18 and above is too small.) two pliers (I find that needle nose work best) cutting device (ther…