John Martin

I like that idea of if you wait for a month, you get a rr anvil, hammer, tongs, and forge. Good thing my instructor isn't ready to teach me till April.

I am having the worst luck ever, none of the digital cameras are working. Will get picks as soon as possible.

Okay, will watch the air, charcoal and metal. How fast should 15 pounds or 20 pounds of charcoal burn at in a furnace. But, do I need clay in it?

I hope he gets better and has a quick recovery. All the Best Wishes, The elder m brother

I just finished building the furnace and air inlets tonight. Will post pictures tomorrow. I am wondering I should use clay to coat it or not. And I didn't think that there was much of a difference, so next time, i will post the correct term. So, once it gets going, i just put the metal on the top of it, and it should melt a little bit and make it's way to the bottom correct? Or did I spend five hours reading the wrong thing? mcraigl, i want to get some experience under my belt before i go on and make iron or steel from scratch, i dont want to get the materials needed and then mess up big time. i want to know what to expect, so this is like a preliminary.

Okay, I didn't know if there was a brand not to get or whatever.

Well, since I was little, my dad always told me stories about swords and medieval stuff and so on. I've read and watched all kinds of movies/books about blacksmithing, swords, dragons, so on. I started about a month ago when i went down a railroad and brought back like 20 spikes, and two plates, i use the plates for my anvil and i've bought three hammers to use and a pair of tongs that i made and a hand held vice-grip to use. I started about a month ago and have had many failed projects, but finished two knives (rr spike knives) and a pair of tongs that i proceeded to break when i drop a 30lb piece of steel on them on the concrete. So that's my story.

I am going to be doing my first smelt ever this weekend, five days from now. I will be using my bricks that I use for forging for the furnace. It will be about 8-13in wide (square) and about two-three feet high. I will be using small pieces of iron and mild steel that has either been ground or cut up to about grape to pea size. I am going to be using two blow driers for maximum results. I am wondering if a hardwood, not briquettes, charcoal from piggly wiggly or wal-mart will work for me. If not, please tell me of a different hardwood charcoal to use. My ratio of 7:1 charcoal:iron/steel Most likely 80-140 lbs of charcoal and about 10-35 pounds of iron/steel pieces. This is a first for me, so please help me correct my mistakes before i fire it up in a few days. I have gotten permission from my parents, a day set aside for it, and funding for the material(charcoal and possibly clay). I'm going to start at about 6 or 7 in the morning and plan to be finished by noon. Which we will then grill off of the still hot/cooling down furnace. Diagram of furnace: I will be posting pictures of the smelt as i got permission to use the camera i mentioned in another post. ("Curious Question") Please comment and correct. The Elder M Brother

What do you use for a grate that wont melt or heat up under hot heat?

Your right, I a confused, what does that mean? Welcome to you, kevan.

I have a digital camera, but I can't find the cable to upload my iamges. Bummed out.

I like it, maybe add some bricks on top. Creative for what you have.

I'm just using the brick that i use for everything else, it could withsatnd about 2800F without anything going wrong, so ill take some iron and break it up and make it small and start this weekend, fun....just kidding....it takes like 3-4 hours from what ive learned.

Okay, I'm going to try my first this weekend, i hope if i can get out to get the charcoal

I already have read that thread, i know how to make wrought iron. I'm wondering the about the process for steel.

i know how you make wrought iron, and i watched this video on you tube of them making a samauri sword, and they make steel in a furnace, is there anyone who could tell me or point in the the right direction to make steel, like wrought iron, do you just use iron ore, and then add carbon to it?

Nice, I can't forge right now, cuz i grabbed a brick by accident that was uber hot and not my fingertips are red muscle with no skin left. ouchers. i like the chain one a lot.

Okay,i will try the indirect method, don't have any pictures, because i burned it all today, burned really good.

It took e about 1 hour. I took a old metal chimney tube, cut it down to abut 6ft, put a blow drier on each end, then put tons of logs of wood in it, then tons of sticks, then tons of paper, and then i threw gas in it, then ignited, and turn driers on, then i occasionally added paper and sticks to keep charing the wood, not the best, but the charcoal will burn good enough, nned to get better at it.

Today i made my first batch of charcoal, i will post pictures as soon as my camera is fixed. So hopwfully this week, otherwise it will be as soon as possible.

Yeah, and thn you can put in in like a glass display case or something unique.

Yeah, good combination.

I'd make a spike knife or just forge like your first initial and hist and then make like a necklace you hang up on wall or something with your first initials. then weld together or something and hang it up.

Like a speical thing that you can remember him for when he's gone and when he's alive?

I don't know, just seems that way. You just talk like your older. Do you have older siblings?