jeremy k

Your right - What was I thinking?

I would think you would have forged a ladder pattern jelly roll blank to make another one from.

Are you assuming its a 622lb anvil? or is that a serial number on it (I'm not familiar with the hay budden serial numbers)

I get that, but why not add some high carbon and make it a pretty.

72 layers of 1084/15N20 Made in 2008

Depends on were you are in Minnesota - there are 3 active blacksmithing groups possibly 4 if the Duluth group is still active.

Why not contact the maker? - as the listing says 100% customer support - just call.

Rafael Griaudo from Argentina made a similar opener that I had seen before I made the one I made for a sample piece. Here are the tools (nothing fancy) I used for the Owl bottle opener, L to R : Chisel Flat round punch Flat slot punch Large curved chisel Eye punch Small curved chisel Piece of 1/2" x 1/2" square stock

I recently was surfing the net and Rafael Griaudo from Argentina made a similar opener, but I have a client that loves owls so I made this one as a test piece. I started with 1/2" square stock. Half round chisel is shown in pic below for trimming after hot punching, then shaped over the horn of the anvil. 2/20/10 JFK

Steve - he answered your question of were he is after you asked.

Index your punch 180° every 2-3 hits during punching.

Here's a picture of the rose as I unfold the pedals and shape them. I use a very small cross pein to texture the pedals before assembly. Pedals are shaped with small scrolling tongs.

Try putting a little crinkle into the pedals and then adding come heat coloring - I use copper flashing.

Please take pictures of the process when you do this and let us all see your progress.

You realize this thread is from 2014 and the original poster has not been on the site since then. Always good to check the last first and last posts dates.

If you wire a billet correctly, no wire will be introduced into the billet during the forge weld, as there is never any welding done where the wire is. The wire is trimmed back as you proceed with the welding. It's not rocket science.

You should ask the client what its use is for, if its a bottom tool to be struck you may need to change your heat treatment.

I saw a forge welding demo where an onlooker threw a penny in the forge to mess with the demonstrator, the demonstrator was peaved but continued his demo and on first try successfully forge welded a bunch of electrician's pliers, wire strippers together to make a knife for a retired electrician. I know this because the demo was in my brick forge at a hammer-in I hosted. The demonstrator who did the forge welding said it's not the penny that causes problems, it's the fire management for forge welding that counts for a successful weld. I saw, so therefore I believe.

Can you show use a few pics of some other blades you've made to work up to this sword?

Are you sending between etchings to keep the high spots polished?

I just don't understand why they would not have posted pics of the machine that they were actually selling, even if somewhat incomplete, the old sales ads are easily found to show what they are. I did contact them and asked politely to remove my pictures from his add and he refused - and said why should I take pics when its exactly like your pic before restoration. ??? I asked again politely to remove my pics from his add and he said No I'm not going to.

Kinda funny cause it's still on my property and I wouldn't sell it for 3X that much.

What would you do, if you happened upon a Craigslist add selling a blacksmithing hammer that has your before and after restoration photos and none of the sellers photos of said machine? Should I be flattered? And just let it be or what. I tried calling but no answer.

I believe the rods I used were - MG 740 rods when resurfacing the edges of my PW, very happy with it for the last 10 years.

You answered yourself in your last sentence.