LDW

We had a good get together on Valentines day. The reproduction of the 18th century German Stag wall hanging was completed. The following link has the pics. Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - February Meet...

Thanks fellows,Thomas your roses look great, thanks for the info. I have not gotten the coloring down yet. I have experimented a lot of ways, but have not accomplished what you have with that coloring but you have given me some encouragment.

My son wanted me to help him make a rose to give to his best buddies grandmother. He did the cutting, texturing, and coloring. We heated the copper just before it melted then shoved it in the water to get the bright reds. Here is a link to the pics, maybe Glenn will post a pic to the thread, I got kicked out when I tried. Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Valentine rose

Welcome aboard, I am from Mississippi as well. There is a thread for the MS Forge Council in the forums.

Thanks for showing that, I have been trying to come up with something. I will make one today. That would have made a great blueprint. I guess it still could.

Phillip there are two posts that begin with anvil ID this is the one AMAN was talking about http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/anvil-id-9658/ Anthony the LMF stands for Laurel Machine & Foundry, I will introduce you to the man that made your anvil at the conference. That anvil looks good, it looks like its in better shape than mine.

The tools look like a curved teardrop on the end, a left and a right, then a rounded chisel for the edge cuts.

One of our members of the MS Forge Council, did a demo on forging leaves back in July. After six months and I have probably made 150 leaves since then, as well as three or four different sets of tools, I am finally starting to like them. I loaded a picture on to a Picasa web album. After forging and they cooled I sprayed some clear lacquer on them. Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Little Leaves

That makes me want to try one like that, good job.

I don't know what they are made of, but when I was at Batsons 20th Blade Symposium last year there was a fellow that had won the cutting contest a couple years earlier using a knife he had made from a torsion bar off of an old Astro van.

This is all it says on their website. I went last year and enjoyed. Looking forward to going back this year. Batson Blade Symposium: 3-5 April 09 Tannehill State Park, McCalla, AL. Largest Bladesmithing Hammer-In in the South East. Alabama Forge Council : Artist Blacksmith Organization

We had a great turnout and everyone jumped right in. We are well on our way to completing this group project on schedule. We had 8 forges going and usually more than one iron in the fire at a time. People making scrolls, details on the deer, acorns being made, leaves being forged. Thanks to the new hoods smoke was never a problem. Great day at the meeting. Here is a link to the pics. Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - January MFC P...

I think this is what nett is referring to. Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices He beat me to it.

If you have a favored forging hammer, I will have my tools and mostly, everyone will bring theirs, so only if you want to use yours.

I use 2 to 3 full sheets of newspaper. Lay them on top of each other put a hand on top and bottom in the center then start gathering it together with the top hand until you get a ball that looks similar to a mushroom. It will be balled up tightly on top with enough hanging down to start burning good. Get it burning and set it over your air inlet, hold it down and put coal all the way around it but leave the center and a little slot in the front open. once the paper burns away use your poker and knock the coal into the void that was left. This works everytime for me even if the coal is wet.

The meetings are held at the MS Agriculture & Forestry Museum MDAC - Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum/ National Agricultural Aviation Museum The website for the MFC is www.msforgecouncil.com There are a few things on the website, but it is currently being swapped to a new format. We meet the second Saturday of each month at the Museum unless otherwise specified, if it is changed it will be posted on the website.

This is the project we will start on at the January 10th, meeting. Once it is finished it will either be auctioned at our conference or raffle tickets will be sold and the winner will be announced at the conference. This will be a group project and each of the pieces will be made and assembled by everyone during the next two meetings. The height will be about 36 inches, and the material will mainly be 3/8 inch. Everyone will be encouraged to participate in this group project.

Beautiful knife Rich.

See if this helps any. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/using-magnet-heat-treat-6497/

It was heated to about 1550 degrees F then edge quenched in oil. I used an infra red heat gun to tell when it was up to temperature. As soon as I can get to a hardness tester I will let you know what it checked out at.

MetalMuncher, here is how it was made. Picasa Web Albums - Lyle - Birth of a ca...

This pic of the blade may be a little better. I dyed the sheath, then after it dried suberged it in parafin and mink oil paste that was heated to 180 degrees. Thanks fellows, for the kind words.