GobblerForge

Ralph makes a good suggestion on putting the softer of the two metals on the outside of the stack. Good tip anytime. You don't state how many layers you are going to start with or if you plan to do folds and reweld for damascus. I would suggest that you brush alot and when you weld, heat from the end grain. This helps get the heat between the layers and not from the side As you heat, slowly and roll back and forth to heat one edge then the other. Always apply your welding hammer blows in the middle and work twards the edge to drive out flux and debri. Why are you welding two soft metals? We love new ideas. Doing this is alot of fun. Remember alot of welds don't take because of scale and such so brush, brush, brush. Brad

Ed. Thanks for the advice. My post was pointed at no one person or statement. I have a tendency to wax poetic. I deaply love the art for what it is. I have always felt that the old ones, working as hard as the did, must have appeared as a child on Christmas morning the first time they saw a power hammer work. As for the cost, I just haven't spent the money. Forget as we may that most people will not spend for work but will for play. I know for I'm no different. Hesitate to buy the better wood chisles but think not twice at spending 2000 for some time with the familly on vacation. Fair trade. As the hobbiest it's just a matter of when that time presents itself. How many of us have spent thousands for an ATV or bass boat or golf clubs. If pounding iron is your idea of fun then the toy just has to be. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe next year.... :wink: Happy Hollidays Everyone Stay warm, Brad

I have been quietly watching this post and been wondering with some amusement. Am I alone in the universe? Let me gently ask. Do only I want the 25# little Giant? I, as of yet, do not own a power hammer. I, Sir, am the hobbiest. I represent those that do this thing we do for the simple joy of doing it. We see something that others have made that we can make for ourselves and prefer to have something homemade. We enjoy the history of the craft and art. We enjoy learning about the ancient ones who the stories turn into gods. We work to make gifts and toys and tools and on the rare occasion we see a dollar come into the hobby shop, we think to ourselves, I am akin to the ancient ones. But as we work alone with our hammer and tongs, and sore shoulders and hands and feet and whatever else the real world has dealt us, we think If only I had the romantic and beutifull Little Giant to do some of this work for me. As I said, I have not owned one. But I have worked many a hammer in friends shops. And I have to say the 25# Little Giant is an art piece to me. I don't work big stuff or hammer for a living. I just want save some hammer strokes. So as you move on to bigger meaner, car crushing, fire breathing, 10,000 lb. impliments of distruction, can I have your 25#er that you don't seem to want to get rid of?. Just wanted to share some thoughts. :wink: Brad

Ralph. Some of what you heard about is called clincker coating. As the fire gets hot enough the clincker is emitting a colorless gas that coats the steel and prevents welds from sticking, much like scale. I have had success welding with a dirty fire but it does help to clean out the trash first. Remember that clinckers are the remnants of the rock that forms with the coal when it was formed. When the fuel of the coal is burnt off, only the nonflamable rock is left. This is why blacksmithing coal is best when rated as Low Ash. I recently bought some coal that. when done burning, leaves me with about 40% ash by volume. Horrable stuff. And they said it was blackmith coal. Not worthy of a coal furnace to me. Keep the forges burning. Brad

Thanks to all for their replies. Brad

I would say no. I see no reason to have to aneal the blade. Have at it. Brad

Some people don't have vision. That doesn't make you bad, just human. I've been a hobbiest smith going on 15 years and I still draw a blank when looking for projects. So I have lots of picture books. If I see it, I can usually make it or figure out how. If a need arises, I have no problem finding the answer. I don't start the forge without a project in mind. I equate it to going to the wood shop without a project in mind and just "cutting up a bunch of boards". It wouldn't happen. As far as the vision goes, you probably accel in other areas. Most builders work from a print drawn by someone else who couldn't build. Very few people have all the tools. Enjoy and keep looking at pictures. Brad

That,s the great thing about wrought. The heavy corosion can be brushed and smacked away. When clean it looks all decayed and rotted but work at weld heat and put it back together to a usable billet. Remember wrought works realy well with the grain. If you try to do a lot of sideways spreading you may encounter splitting Have fun. Brad

Half and half ferric and what? I've always used it strait. Seamed very effective. Have I been doing something wrong? Is there something I should know? How long is longer with vinegar or citric acid? Hours? Days? Does it surface etch or does it penitrate? Vinegar is easy to come up with. Honey? Can I use............? Thanks. Brad

Welcome to the dark side. So now your ready to play with wrought. Make sure the horse shoe above the door tilts a little. It' good to have a little luck run into the shop. There is a little magic in this stuff so be carefull. I don't know what you are doing with the bar or how old it is, but I've had great success working with OLD wrought and it's fun to work with. If it does split as Mr.Wooldrige? said it is easy to weld back together. I have taken very decayed wrought back to usable in a short time. First heat to bright yellow and brush, brush, brush. This may take several heats. Thats OK. The scaly stuff like to come off hot. Then hammer at weld heat and draw out half it's length. Then fold back in half, flux again, and weld again. With a little practice you can be two heats in, in the perfect world, and your bar is the same size as before, but now nice and fresh for the task. You should know in a few heats if your iron is going to be a problem. If your iron appears to be sound to start then take right to forging. You'll do fine. It's fun. Well, off to the shop with ye. Don't forget about that horse shoe. Brad :wink:

The nitric sounds very caustic. What other etch acids do folks use? I'm no chemist. Thats for sure. Brad

Nice. Interesting idea. This could be made further into dovetail saws or pull saws or shop knife or........ Brad

Thanks for the tips. Neutralized with what?Keep them coming. I'll try to post some pics if I can. Brad

I've never used nitric acid before. Where do I find it? How does it come? How much do I dilute it and why? Any other tips on its use? This is interesting. Thanks. Brad

Hi folks. I'm in the middle of a knife and need some help. I am not able to find rub on letters for a raised letter etch. I'm looking for a script about 1/4 in to 3/8 in. high in some nice old English or something. And I can't find any ferric-cloride to etch with. I like this for it realy attacks the high carbon well. Radio shack used to sell it for etching circut boards but no longer. Any suggestions? Thanks. Brad

I think the idea is a good one. Makes for a nice mental picture. Something some may want to consider is that not every knife has to be a scalple. You can take any steel and sharpen it. The higher the carbon is just helps keep it sharper longer. If this reenactor was only using the knife for cutting cloth patches an such it would work fine. I can, and have on a bet, sharpened a tea spoon sharp enough to shave with. For years I had around the shop a bench knife that got used for any abusive cutting. Made of soft metal and sharpened with a grinder. Worked fine. On a previous post I stated I used old horseshoe wrought for the low carbon portion of my demascus and it was pointed out that this lowered my total carbon content. True enough. My point here is that as it is, I have never broken a knife and every knife I make for skinning will do the job on one sharpenning. When I'm done with a deer, it gets resharpened and is ready for the next one. This is my experience and opinion only. Thanks. Brad

I thought it was foniks. :roll:

I would love to see a picture of this when your done. Spring steel that small might be found at a local garage door co. Some of thiers are small but very long. It can be heated and straitened but the heat treating will have to be done when finished. Consider bending the 5/16 into a U shape as close and as long as you want and not splitting it. Spring steel is hard to split, and small round, harder. The U can be welded to the crank. If I'm visioning this right, the legs of the U would only be 1 1/2 to 2 inches long? If this is so I would think working the steel when hot, letting cool naturaly,welding the U to the crank and letting cool naturaly should be plenty strong without any further hardening. This type of spring steel is realy hard without hardening. Probably the weld will be the weak point and thats pretty hard. I've used this system and it works. Tilt the side plate on the roler twards the crank and the hose will lay there till removed. Try it. Its cool. Brad

Brian. Why do I get the fealing old Honest Bob would find a way to slip in some aerospace grade 10 micky for me? :wink:

By gum, I think we have an idea for a fun test at a hammer-in or at Quad State or something. If we can work out the details. Hmmmmm, I have to dwell on this a little. By the way, one of the sayings I've used for years is, "I don't have to worry weather or not the next guy is an idiot. He'll let me know soon enough." Brad

Hot setting your hardies is actualy an exilant way to fit your hardies or any bottom tool. For a tip, consid making your hardies out of jack hammer points. They are S-5 tool steel. Make your square shank below the ring. When you have the shank almost right thenheat to orange and firmly hammer it to the ring then droft it back out promtly. Then turn 90 deg. and repeat all for ways. Most hardie holes are less than square or strait. This will help you create a hardie that will fit as snug all four ways hopefully. Some holes are so far off that the shank has to be shortened some. This is allright. If your collar is well seated on the face of the anvil and rocks very little the shank can be 1 inch long and be fine. Now hols by the shank and forge the top end to what ever tool you desire. Only harden the part that needs to be. All of this is my opinion of course and I have one more. If you ever sell your anvil, sell it with the hardies. A well made set will ad to value and be a selling feature. When you get your new anvil, make a new set. You and the buyer will both be happier for it.

Did the old farmer wear his hat sort of a little sideways and back just a tad? I have found this to be the secret badge of honor to the master level of know-it-alls. I love these guys for their ability to have an answer to anything.We should embrace them. Oh by the way. Being that I am an idiot myself, I resent this clown being called one. Enjoy.

Sound like you got a "Neardone Forge" :idea:

Are you making it out of metal or stone. When I made my first stone forge, I used a basketball for a form. I placed it on the inlet pipe and poured the cement up to about one third the hight of the ball. Worked realy well. Just a thought for approximate size. Brad

When I learned to smith, I did it in the traditional as much as I could. I also felt that I should bring the past WITH the future. The smith I learned from had "Hilltop Forge". The time period I enjoy is the mid 1800's and the city I lived in at that time was a village, so Village Forge seemed right. My thought was that it would be cool to someday live where I could be out in the shop in the spring with the doors open and hear the spring wild turkeys gobbling in the morning. I love to hear them. Mission accomplished. I own Gobbler Forge for that reason. If your concern is that the name of a shop is not right, it can be changed. And consider registering the name with the state, even if you are a hobbiest. You don't want to step on someone elses toes who might own the name you are wanting to use. The cost is not much and you can be sure it's yours and no one else can use it. Just an idea to consider. Brad