whitebear

cheers everyone, is it possible to start a thread having to do wit the work of a farrier. such as...techniques, skills, how to build a client base...etc. Son

Rainsfire, this has opened a can of worms that could easaly turn into dispute. (it could get really fun in here!!) i'll give you my opinion and my experience of swords... for a cutting sword...like a cutlass or falcata or "machete" the balencing point should be around one third from the butt. if you want it light it can't be much more than maybe 27" which is a standard length for a cutlass. using the 5160 would be ok. personally i would go with 1087 but thats jsut me. wit the 5160 for a single edged cutting sword i would do a full quench. then selective temer the spine back to...greyish. leaving the cutting edge straw. drawing the full handle to a blue. also i would stick with a flat grind but making sure not to get the cutting edge TO thin or it will roll. for a double edged sword. you get into not only lateral geometry but also logitudinal geometry. (keeping everything straight) with a single edge sword it's ok actualy recomended to have a curv in it to help with the cutting motion. (thats why a machete blade has a gigantic curve in the tip of the blade) but with a double edged blade it's more of a sword than a slicing or cutting sword. again stick with the flat grind. the balenceing point should be right at the blade/riccaso line. the riccaso should be about twice the thickness of the handle. for a true sword i would again not go any longre than 27" alot like a gladius hispaniensis. Again i would go for the full quench and the selective temper to selectively temer a double endge sword you need to harded the whole thing then polish it some so you can see the colors run. lay the piece down on a steel table and heat up a VERY large piece of plain old steel to red hot. lay that hot iron over the ridge in the sword and eventually when enough heat has travled fro mthe hot piece to the sword you will start to see colors running from the center out to the edges. you need to do this so the the cutting edges are still straw hard. but the center of the blade is as soft as possible while still mantaining strenth. i hope this helped this is jsut my knowledge take it for what it is. i'm am by no definition of the word a master. there are cirtainly othres here who much better than myself. Son Daughtry

i have a hofi hammer. i was really jsut wondering the differnce in action and forgeing quality between the rather expensive hofi and the relativly cheap BD czech. Thank you all very much for the inputs!! Son

well czech is jsut the style of head. it had more of a hofi style to it becasue of the short rectangular handle. but the head is czech. where as i belive the hofi hammer is a spesialized head designed by hofi himself. Son

does anyone have any experience with the new Czech hammer from blacksmith depot? i just bought one i thought heck it was $15 why not. Son

the half link chains are weaker. because there are two welds you have more of a chance of a weld breaking. rather than just one to worry about. it also takes less material to make. and is a commercial chain factory the half links are easier to make than a wrapped link. for a blacksmith i would say for any load bearing chain stick with the one weld wrapped chain link. Son Daughtry

my gradson was trying was being nice...we saved up his money and got me a set of 3 monkey tools. and a new slitting chisel!! got a new book of equine anatomy!!! Son

thomas, thank you very much for the reply. i was thinknig about work hardenning the edges. at one time ithought of jsut getting a flat bar of bronze and jsut forging it to shape. but i thought casting may be mroe acurate. thanks again Son

i'm trying to cast a bronze sword. can anyone give me some tips. about casting bronze alloys and ways to maek the molds. i'm thinking about a short leaf blade maybe....20" long. thanks son

i have a small shed maybe 9' by 9' with a roof which acts like a coal silo. i buy it by the ton normally 10 tons at a time which fills the silo pretty well. it has a little sliding door on the side i have jsut open that and coalpours out into a bucket or scuttle .. Son Daughtry

one of my worst burns was when i was about 25 years old. many years ago. i thought i was going to be "cool" and just go out and make a few gifts for family members at about 11:30 at night...in shorts, a tee shirt...and BAREFOOT!!! about 20 minutes into the night. i was bending a piece of hot iron when a piece of scale fell off right on to toes. burned though so quick i couldn't even move my foot in time. to this day i have so much scar tissue built up on the tops on my toes i can't curl them all the way.. i learned not to make that stupid mistake and i learned it the hard way. i almost lost my little right toe. BECAUSE OF A PIECE OF SCALE!! Son Daughtry

that's about 2.5" dang nice work on that! i hope you used a power hammer of some kind. drawing that out by hand would be nigh impossible Son

may i ask how long the piece was. 190mm diameter bu the length. i'm guessing somewhere along the lines of 3" maybe 3.5" son

mine is a mason forge about ...6' by 3' with a ducks nest right in hte middle and masonry on both sides Son

i knew an old boy once who had an oxy/gas outfit and he used old (uncoated) coat hangers as a filler rod. it gave some pretty strong welds and they looked nice too Son

aaron, the physics behind it is simple. It is two basic levers. if you think about it in it most simple form, it's like the pivot being the fulcrum and legs being the lever itself and your hand being the force. it's more efficient to the nut BEHIND the fulcrum instead of in front of it becasue...the pivot acts as a stop so your not actualy using the pivot as a pivot...your using it as a place where the two legs are connected and won't come un-connected. if you think about it in terms of pieces...why use three pieces meaning the legs the fulcrum and the force...in stead of just two the fulcrum and the force. it's more efficiant and takes less materials to make. and when you think about it simply it makes sence. Son

Dan, these common ers were actually vrey common in the early 19th century and mid to late 18th century. peopel are very ingenious when it comes to means of getting to things to eat. Son

the reason the working is done behind the pivot is becasue there is more force there. so you don't have to squeeze as hard to make them work more efficiently. but i have used "tong" type as well and they work fine. Son Daughtry

ornaments by way i mean...little curly cues, ummm stars, maybe a cross or 2, iceciles, small christmas tree outlines from 1/16" stock Son

i'm maknig some courting candles. maybe some fobs. ornaments... random things. Son

christmas gifts!!?? HAHA i don't have that kind of money to throwaway!! seriously though i'll probably hjsut make real small things that i can easaly make in...10-20 minutes. nothing real fancy... Son daughtry

be a blacksmith...make it!! Son Daughtry

looks good brother. i'm with everyone saying light directly on the anvil may make you frustrated becasue you can't see the color of the iron. Son Daughtry

Stiks, MY name is Son Daughtry. I am a full time blacksmith. (i live presently) i have a wife i have 3 children (no longer at home) i own my house. i own 2 horses. and we eat 3 square meals a day. i also have an apprentice named Jonah who lives with me, and he eats 3 meals a day. so yes you can. Granted it's hard work. but anythnig in like worth having requires alittle bit of work. i love my trade and would not do anything else. Son Daughtry

where are you lookngi to get a 70# anvil?...if you looking at someplace liek the hardware store like harbor freight or northern tools. and it's a powder grey color that look anvil shaped. STAY AWAY FROM IT!!! it's 100% cast iron. and the first time you hit the horn or the heel to hard it will break right off. if your looknig for a beginner anvil and you have a harbor frieght around you somewhere ask for there 110# anvil. i got mine for less than $1 a pound. the look god awful ugly but they have quite a bit of mass under the hammer and that are really good beginner anvils. they have a relatively soft face. so it can teach you propar hammer control....don't waste your money or a cheap anvil like the other ones. my $.02. but if you have a source for a good quality 70#er let me know becasue i'll get one. i would say anything up to like 3/8" no more probably Son Daughtry