Maillemaker

Beautiful. Was the eye wrapped and welded, or slitted and drifted?

Such as?

Then how does he become imprisoned?

Well, yeah, that's how pinning works. If I were in your shoes, that sword would hang over the mantle or on my wall. If the blade self-destructs without use, I would most definitely not go swinging at trees or anything similar. If you don't want to change the surface appearance, rough up the tang with some sandpaper, and glue it back in with a two-part epoxy like JB-weld.

Sorry to tell you this, but that sword is most definitely a wallhanger. In this community, we call these things SLO's or SSO's (sword-like or sword-shaped objects). 99% of the swords commercially available are made of cheap stainless steel, don't have the proper geometry or weight, and are almost never heat treated. Pinning is a process where you drill a hole through the handle and the tang, and then epoxy a metal rod through the hole. This is pretty much a "if you have to ask..." question. What were you using it for that it broke?

it's possible, but risky. Fully hardened steel can crack because of internal stress. More than one smith as come back to the forge/workshop to find brand new broken blades.

I agree with Bob. Channel locks are mediocre at best for holding hot stock. The teeth mar your work and don't hold the stock as securely as an appropriate pair of tongs. Even if you have an oddly shaped piece of stock, you can make tongs that are specifically designed to hold well. Well-fitted tongs hold more securely, keep your hands further away from hot metal, and won't leave marks in your stock. You'll spend less time fiddling around trying to get a grip on your steel, and more time hammering.

According to Peter Ross, wood floors were quite common in colonial smithies. His floor is made of cubes of yellow pine. He talks about it in an episode of The Woodwright's Shop. I don't remember which one, though.

What are you using it for that the blade and hilt become separated? Have you tried an epoxy of some kind? Those usually pack more of a punch than regular glue.

Some terms are used interchangeably in common language that cannot be in metallurgy. Hard: a material's resistance to wear and deformation. Files are hard: the teeth have to bite through other steels without dulling (being deformed) quickly. Brittle: a material's inability to flex and absorb shock. You can't bend a file cold, it will snap. It's too hard, too brittle. Tough: a material's ability to absorb shock and impact. Axles are tough: they have to take lots of force without breaking. However, a tough material will deform/bend more quickly than a harder one.

Would this process work for removing scale, considering that it's just black rust?

More tongs, chisels, punches and drifts, holdfasts, spring fullers, flint strikers, tomahawks, chain links. While I realize that these aren't "artsy" things, they are valuable tools.

Swordsmithing is a touchy subject here. There are many experienced smiths who produce beautiful blades, and most will caution "young" smiths to learn the basics first, then graduate to knives, and only afterwards start swords. For the record, I have never made a sword, but there are some considerations that I can give. Is your sword going to be a wallhanger, or are you going to attempt to produce a working item? The amount of understanding of blade mechanics and properties is much more demanding for a functional piece. Are you attempting to make an accurate reproduction, or a fantasy blade? Again, enormous differences. From what you've posted, you have at least a little experience pounding iron, and at the end of the day, you are the master of your actions. Think things through, and don't do anything heroically stupid.

Welcome aboard, from one Wisconsinite to another!

Through trial and test we are made greater, like brass refined in a furnace. Just think about how much you'll enjoy forging once your luck turns.

Wonderful job. Your explanations are clear and concise, and the entire process methodical and easy to follow. Very well done.

It's a beautiful knife, and you've obviously worked hard, but I can see what you mean about the flow. It just looks like the blade is at an odd angle to the hilt. I would say to leave the handle the way you have it, though. Unless it is for personal use, or you dislike it enough to not sell it, I'm sure someone will be very pleased with it.

I'm not claiming to have an inordinate amount of blacksmithing experience, and I will gladly take advice from more experienced members. I was reminded of a section of Charles McRaven's The Blacksmith's Craft where an apprentice was holding a hammer about half way up the handle. The older smith got angry that the younger "wasn't hammering right" and proceeded to cut off the part of the handle that wasn't being used. If you have a copy, it's on page 60. He said his issue was his deathgrip on the handle. He said nothing about where he gripped the hammer, or what weight his hammer was. Larry H, you are most definitely right about different hammer weights being used for different purposes. I don't use my 8# sledge the same way I use my 24 oz ball peen, and hand placement makes a huge difference with the strength and accuracy of strokes. We have all of the handle available to us, why should we not use it all, so long as we can do it safely?

Throw some cement mix or refractory clay in the bottom of the mower deck, and you've got a dandy forge set up.

I would say that it's his hammer, and that he can hold it wherever he pleases. I mainly use a three pound cross pein, and depending on what I'm doing, my hand could be two inches from the head, or a hair's breadth from the end. Whatever he's comfortable with.

My dad bought me a little more than half a ton from a coal yard in Green Bay. I don't have the receipt with me, so I can't tell you the name specifically. Been working for me just fine. Edit: It was Upper Lakes Coal.

Another revelation about welding cable: if your anvil has a step or shoulder, put your cable in the corner to weld it up. This way with one hammer blow you hit the steel in three directions, instead of just two on the flat face.

Its good to know you gave that old girl a happy home.

No, that's electric welding. The arc produces ultraviolet radiation, the same stuff that can cause melanoma cancer in large enough doses.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/4388-what-is-grade-8-bolts-metal/