southernforge

Well, If I was selling packaging I would use new boxes. Sense I'm not, I recycle shipping boxes I get from orders or get used ones from the local supply houses. I also re-use the stuffing. My customers are buy my products, the packaging is extra...

Unfortunately your answer does not answer my question. I would greatly appreciate being educated on the subject and an answer to my question, not how you package iron for sale, but fulfill the needs and concerns of people as I asked.

.....The re-packaging thing is just lazy. Putting a shipment into another box is faster than re-labeling the original box. GRRRRR!!!!!!.....

Excellent! I agree that it is really terrible that we are creating so much trash and polluting the planet. I really really do!

So tell us. Purchasers tend to be very concerned about their purchases being in their *pristine* original boxes to prove that the item is *brand new*, not a used item that is new looking, and in perfect condition, and the pristine box also as *evidence that the item was not damaged* during shipment. Based upon *your real life* experience, what tried and true methods of shipping have *you* used to satisfy buyers that their delicate non-iron item is brand new and in perfect pristine condition?

......Anyone out there ever put a groove in the middle of a collar? I can do grooved collar stock in 4' pieces in 3-4 min.........

Hugh McDonald roller mill feed rate is 10 to 17 feet per minute, with grooved dies. ;-)

It looks great, but what would we use it for?

"Is that a real fire, or just colored lights?" ;-)

Found some on EBay for about $11 and up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Butcher-Block-Brush-Bristles-May-Have-Some-Rust-/330337145313?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ce9a0d1e1

This is the sort of image that comes to mind when a young person says he wants to make swords:

My Note: I removed the url to the humorous but somewhat scary YouTube "big-boned" teenager playing Ninja from here due to embarrassment of not noticing bad language by a teenager. But if you really want to see it, it is one of the related videos shown under the above YouTube video if you click through to YouTube.

Sorry, I didn't notice the bad words. I was not paying attention. My error. Sorry.

Vise grips work fine. Yes you can also make your own tongs.

...Would this last long? and does clinker stick to steel as bad? thanks again
chris.

Several people already tried to answer this.... A deeper firepot and fire will likely decrease or stop the sticking, *and* perlong the life of your firepot.

A deeper firepot and fire will likely decrease or stop the sticking, *and* perlong the life of your firepot.

A deeper firepot and fire will likely decrease or stop the sticking, *and* perlong the life of your firepot.

A deeper firepot and fire will likely decrease or stop the sticking, *and* perlong the life of your firepot.

Depends on what weave pattern you used and how heavy the result is. Pictures and an estimate of weight when finished would help.

A maille shirt would have came in handy when I worked in the city, as I was attacked or threatened with attack by the locals on the average of twice a year.

Damascus bladed swords should sell well. :D

For fun you could try starting with a four foot length of A2
http://www.diehlsteel.com/a2.aspx

Don't forget to post pictures.

Mod note: This is humor, A2 is not recommended for large blades

As an art piece the chair is ok but:
- you might wish to consider function a little more, the arms have pinch points in the back, the arms are narrow, and the seat looks like once side is significantly higher than the other. Sitting in it might require visits to a chiropractor. :-)
- you might wish to consider appearance, take the extra couple of minutes and straighten out bends and curves so that each part looks deliberate rather than odd bends and bumps that don't look like they were intended. Try drawing the parts full size and match the pieces to the drawing.
- you also might wish to consider liability, it is highly unlikely that you have an insurance policy that would cover a customer's injuries that might come from using your chair, especially since that type of thing is not included in your "expenses". ;-) Here is another formula for you: (Price-of-chair) plus (injury) plus (lawsuit) equals (new-owner-of-your-home).

Too much heat (plus) no insulation (equals) burned out bottom.
Try a layer of concrete.

this tends to explode when used in forge setting, use a refractory like Fire clay instead.

.......Pardon the seeming abruptness,no offence meant,but i am greatly puzzled as far as the great,predominating VACUOUSNESS of postings. Respect,Jake

There were internationally known master smiths posting to this forum, examples are Hofi and JPH. If you check the reactions and less than pleasant comments directed towards them, you will likely see why they stopped or decreased their postings.

Unfortunately, the smiths whose skill level merits your spending time with them, are likely too busy to have you visit.

. ......Complete strangers or once -twice a year acquaintances that want me to show them specifically how I forge a hawk may stand waiting. ....... To say some smiths are stingy is perhaps short sided.

You cover a lot of ground with your comments. Certainly if a person has developed a product I feel they have the right to the fruit of their labors in making and selling that product. I would also agree that you are under no obligation to give away processes and product information that you have spent time developing, after all an invention is yours to keep. I would also agree that your time is money and that you are under no obligation to spend your valuable time helping strangers that offer nothing in return, especially if you feel their goal is to use your information to your detriment by going into competition with you. Yes I can see your point.

I guess my main question is illustrated by the following example. Years back I spent two whole days at an "Early Wrought Iron" conference in a neighboring state watching a *paid* demonstrator make an adjustable candle holder with four forged-square corners. I had previously heard that forging sharp square corners especially using the method the demonstrator was doing was not done because of a tendency to form inclusions that result in cracks. The demonstrator mentioned that he was demonstrating making corners using a process that he does not himself use for his products, and the candle-holder is not a product that he produces. After two days of watching him, he passes around the finished candle-holder and indeed two of the four corners had severely deep inclusions on the inside. I kept quiet so as not to negatively effect the weekends of the other paid participants. I have watched at least one other *paid* demonstrator who admitted only sharing techniques that he would not use himself. So I have to wonder what folks think about paid demonstrators that do that.

Great book. It has a lot of tables,charts and other information that make it a good reference book to repeatedly refer back to for anyone doing blacksmithing. A good step by step section on knifemaking, making damascus, and useful tips and techniques for anyone doing blacksmithing.

Definitely a stake plate.

I picked up a course grinding wheel last fall at the local big box store and it works fine.

Or drop it on the roadrunner. ;-)

UTube has a bunch of videos that you might wish to look at before choosing a forge. It is a matter of finding the type of forge that fits your need:

I have had the blocks for over 19 years and use them regularly with no problem.

I have a Kohlswa that I bought in the 80s. Its face is super soft. I would never purchase another one from them again.