John Martin

How do you apply the coating? brush it on and then heat it up or what??

Sorry to bring up and old topic, but i have a giant collection of iron from the tracks I live by. Only once have I ever been seen and that was the by the train, got out of the way as soon as I saw it coming, but I watched it nevertheless. Ml, I'm gonna call into a local railroad myself.

I've head of beeswax and olive oil together 1:1, but is there anything else that I could use that gives it a nice finish??? I haven't tried that yet, because I still have to get some beeswax. But, any thoughts?

I made a bunch of nails from a 3/16" bar 3 feet long. Will post pictures after school if i can find the cable for my digital camera.

What's the point of swages? They have tons of indents in them, and I don't see what I would use them for.

Anvils that you buy are cast in a mold right???

It doesn't spark. So, after i hammer it, brush it and put it back in the fire, and repeat until done???

Okay, I'm gonna make a nail header from a flat bar 1/4" thick and about 6in long so that i take the handle part and draw it out.

I'm using a charcoal forge that i ahven't cleand out in a while, and i think it's that. There is a lot of stuff at the bottom, but it's cleaned now.

Will check and try. But I watched a video on youtube, "making a nail" and he has a nice tool with a circle in it and i dont know if opens closes like a tongs, but i'd like to know more about that.

Well, I've made up some different designs, for when my parents move, we are moving to 13 acres of land, and they said that they would build a shop with me, my dad and i. I'm to have a central forge in the middle...forget this, i'll post the blueprints later tonight.

I'll get a picture tomorrow, dad left camera at his office. I'll take pics of everything so that it will be easy to figure out.

i can make the nail, really easy, but what kind of a tool would i use to make the head, i need something with a hole in it, so that i can make a head.

any thoughts???


The Elder M Brother

skunkriv, it'll be nice to meet you at the meeting, please post the set date and time, once it is finalized, or PM me about it. Thanks.

p.s.

you're coming up from iowa???

hey everybody, by the time i am done with my piece, there is like all kinds of junk like welded onto the piece and i can't get it off, only once did my piece not have all of this stuff on it, how do i prevent this or clean it up once it is down?????/

The Elder M Brother

I am going to make three rings, put them on a post, and add some other stuff to them, and then add my tools to it as i get them.

i have a digital camera. i like the idea of setting up a date with one of them, and in return, doing them some cleaning up. Does anyone on here live in Wisconsin??? also, i can go to the meeting in Burlington, my dad said that he'd take me. Thank-you so very much for all of your help.

Wisconsin. There are about three big blacksmith shops around my area, in Wisconsin.

I have looked up videos and what not for tongs, and I've read all of your artciles believe it or not. I have a hard time with the tongs, because I do not have a decent or real anvil to bend it on, im using a C-peice of metal that bolted onto the log that i'm using as an anvil stand. I'll try the screw driver tomorrow or this weekend. One more question, do any of you have the problem of the metal folding in on itself while smithing. And how do you fix that??? I had to throw our a knife that i made from a giant railroad spike, and made a new one. The second one was really good, and my younger brother uses it.

I don't know how to make a gripper very well, like on the end of the tongs. Also, what should I start making for a beginner??? Other than what I'm doing. I do want to own many tools, until I have a use for them, or until I can build them my self.

by the way, my first name is john to. lol.

What do you all use to keep your hammer and tongs organzied. Do you use long shelves that you can hook them onto, or do you make a standup post with rings for them, or something else????

Okay, so I'm a kid, and i've made a fire poker, two hand-held punches, and pair of tongs that don't hold onto anything very well. I'm using a brick forge that I setup in my back yard. A 4lb hammer, a 1.5 pound round pein hammer, with a flat face on the other end, multiple tongs/pliers. And for an anvil, i've used a railroad piece, the part that the tie itself lays on and is nailed to, not the wood, obviously. I'm using charcoal and a high powered blow drier. I can get it all hot enough, but I just can't get the hang of it. Is it just practice or am I doing stuff wrong. Like I have a hard time making tongs. I've gotten the fire so hot that the steel melts and i wreck my piece. Any sites to learn other than this one? I've been reading a lot on here.

Would appreciate any help.

The Elder M_Brother