Steve Sells

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f11/double-not-great-bellows-3473/ check out this thread...

in case you forgot your HS science Muratic sold in pool shops is normaly 30% strength Hydrochloric, read the label:)

I love the detail in the birds wings, that what separates the average from the masters, those exquisite details !

IFI is not the only group adding leaves to this tree, as the Yahoo groups Blacksmith list is now on board as well. Small forest (that will not burn) may be in the making here.

Don is a nice guy, But where the writers got the idea to define damascus as high and low carbon is just more myth from people that do not know any better. AS anyone that ever really studied it knows the carbon migration evens this hi/lo thing to homogenize the steels carbon content.

you used the words, but did not explain what scarf or clinker meant, nor why to use flux. except to state is allows wider temp of welding ? Most everything was covered for a smithing primer.

I got mine from these guys CER Metal Marking

Word of caution about the tang, do NOT leave a 90 degree cut at the end of the blade/ start of the tang a small rounding at that junction will dissipate the stress riser that would be there is you have a sharp corner.

I agree that Wayne has written a wonderful book, that I tell amm my apprentices they need to own, and for only $10 you cant go wrong. Also Tim Lively is a good man, and good maker of fine blades. He is not afraid to push the envelope. ALSO Friday Night at 10 PM EST we host a live knife chat in our chat room. good place to learn a little about blades. IF you cant make it thats ok, we compile the conversion for reposing here in the the forums, thee are tagged with a "topic " in the heading

You should score mucho points with the Wife for this one. :D

ITC -100 is not for sealing the fibers, it is a heat reflective top coat, and should be applied over an under coating sealant, as you have found available in your area. Welcome to I Forge Iron.

Thank you for posting that, This does seem to be the best place to post that, but No we do not load videos at IFI, only links to them, as you have done. Thanks again for posting I enjoyed watching it.

Have you tried the sticky's here in this knife section? If I was not clear how to temper, let me know and I will correct it ASAP.

I have had many a smith at my shop, but I won't bother getting a person's hopes up when they are 100's of miles away, nor do I wish to house them for a weekend most the time. So If I don't at least know what state they are in, I pass on the offering. Some things can't be taught in only a letter. Its surprising to many after fighting a problem for a while, how fast they can learn do a thing when they have hands on training.

The briquettes we are talking about is not lump charcoal. but who knows maybe the UK has strange trees.

My dads defib/pace maker combination unit gives him about 780volts, but I must add it has saved his life a few times. No magnetic fields are allowed around it, with one exception. FYI as an EMT in the ER we use a magnet (these are NOT carried in an ambulance, only the heart Doc's apply them NOT us) to disable the unit. As the on/off switch is activated that way so they don't have to cut them open to stop it from misfiring during a test, or replacement. So those warnings are not only to prevent an accidental shock, they could mess up the unit as well. It would be a real shame to have it stop working, and not know until you found out the hard way sign me, the Man with too many side jobs

304 is whats in a lot of the places I worked on in Ft Wayne, bars & restaurants like hooters... because I put it there.

tonight the History channel coverd Kingsford charcoal. Burnt crushed wood scraps, powered Anthracite, corn starch,and clay.

very nice, good balance now too.

they both work, what kind of knives are you planning on making?

I don't think that technically is micarta, but a nice composite nonetheless

many vises will not hold up to real smithing, short term is one thing, heavy hammering will sooner or later kill it. Welcome to I Forge Iron

NO clue where you got borax lowering the melt temp of iron. Boric acid is added to the plain borax to make the flux more aggressive, I use it for higher alloys. I know many that prefer to use Sand, as using clean silica sand is common in many places. I don't know of any real proven reason to mix them.

Count me and my apprentices in. I will get them started on it at this weeks Wednesday meeting.