Spots

This is how I do it.

http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=18259&st=0&p=170258&fromsearch=1&#entry170258

I've done it a few other ways. My other ways are drilling a pilot hole, then burning the tang in by heating it cherry and pushing it through, and I've also drilled a pilot hole and used a round iwasaki wood rasp to slot the tang.

It seems almost incredible that someone can use a 4-5lb hammer for extended periods, i tend to use a 2lb ball pein mostly.

I wonder if i'm missing out?

Good score! I get a rasp or two for free from my farrier buddies but that's a gold mine

A machinist friend mentioned he had some old files at the shop that were wore out. He said he'd bring me what he could find. I was expecting 3 - 4 files. And he shows up with a box chocked full. I weighed the box, its 36 lbs, with all different sizes and shapes. I love free metal.

We make 95% of our tools. My dad used to make $5 a bit, sharping jack hammer bits for the utility board back in the late 70's. HE did it until it went from 5 or 6 bits a week to 25-30 bits a week, and he was building his house, raising my oldest sister, and working full time in the mines. Just didn't have the time anymore. And he said holding 1"-2" bits, up to 8 or 9 ft long, or more, got real old without a helper lol. As others have said, a blacksmith will make any tool he needs.

I have free website built myself, along with paying to be a vendor/dealer on a few knife and gun websites. Flea markets are not good venues for custom goods as mentioned. And taking custom orders will make you about 2-3 times more on a project than building stock and selling it. I stress unique custom orders. Also I do sell a few stock knives at a local sharpening place. A lot of people there already have an interests in knives and are willing to pay for quality customs.

Your link is a mobile link, and doesn't work. I think this one should though

Very.nice knives, I'm a big fan of blades that look forged if you know what I mean.

Lucky you. There are surprisingly few anvils to be had down south. At least from what I've found. I wish I had the luck that some people had to just find one lying around somewhere. Haha

Ooh rah Devil dog!!!

Remember brother....



Always a Marine, and ALWAYS faithful

We get our coal from a local supplier. I use about a 2- 5 gallon bucket fulls a day on a good long day forging. But I'm in the coal country of East TN. There are websites online to order from, but after shipping I think its a dollar a pound. SO that would be super prohbitive since for us its $160 a ton. I would suggest a gas forge if you can't find a local, reasonably priced source.

I recently started sifting out the fines and using them to build ovens for welding and detail work. I learned about here, and while its not everyones method by any means, and I just started it recently, it doesn work well.

To make a closed fire, start out the same as you would with an open fire, but sift the fines (fine bits of coal and coal dust) from your coal before you start. I use a screen made from quarter-inch hardware cloth (screen), as any larger pieces of coal will hinder the fire building. After you have the fines separated, mix them with enough water to make a paste with the consistency of cake frosting. This slurry will harden and form the “igloo” of the closed fire. When the bed of coal is going well, but not yet to the clean fire stages, place a piece or two of two-by-four lumber on top of the coal bed, in the center of the fire. Then start to heap the slurry over the two-by-four until it is completely covered with a coating about one-and-one-half inch thick, and turn up the blast. The slurry will steam, release impurities (including a lot of sulphur) and harden. And as the wood burns away, it will leave a cavity within which you will be able to forge without difficulty. I have had good results with using two-by-four pieces six to eight inches long. Do not try to stack any more than two pieces, as an igloo cavity any larger will collapse.

Hrisoulas, Jim (2010-04-09). Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way To Perfection (Kindle Locations 746-754). Paladin Press. Kindle Edition.

You can tell pretty good in this video that the hammer arm is relaxed. My dad is doing it when he turns the steel, and he is more or less dropping the hammer on the anvil and letting it rebound to him to rest his arm as he turns. From what I've noticied doing it keeps the rythm, gives your arm a small break, and is easier than holding the hammer in mid air while you turn.

http://s535.photobuc...8-37-18_614.mp4

My dad always did it and I picked it up. To me it does two things. Gives your arm a rest and keeps the rhythm as you turn the steel.

Mapquest says 3 hours from Andrews.

If you were just a little closer :(

Well I have some friends who were intrested in learning some blacksmith work, and decided they wanted to come out Nov. 17th and 18th. So then I invited a fellow memeber from here who lives close by, and decided we would open it up into a Hammer In. I understand this is very fast notice, and that a lot of people won't be able to make it. Also, we have a small shop, but a big area with about 40 acres. So if you have a portable setup, please bring it with you as we currently only have one forge and one anvil. We do have plenty of coal, and there is electricty on site. Please vote in the poll here and let me know if your coming, and if your bringing another setup with you. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come. The only lodging on site will be camping, or you can stay in a hotel in Oak Ridge, TN about 30 min away. Here are the details

When: Nov. 17th and 18th, 2012
Where: We will meet at the Hardees at 528 East Tri County Boulevard Oliver Springs, TN 37840 at 8:30 am eastern time. We will leave there between 900 and 930 to go the shop which is about 20 min. The shop address is 386 Duncan FLats Ln Briceville, TN 37710.
What: Hammer In and Blacksmithing get together

If you have any questions please post here. Also please bring lunch and dinner, as none will be provided, and its a long drive to town.

Also if you want to drive out for both days, and dont wanna camp outside, or rent a hotel, I can open the garage at my place about 20 min away and your more than welcome to sleep there. It is equipped with a full bath including a shower, and can sleep 10-15 people on air matresses

A farrier friend of mine I saw today gave me one of the best presents I could have gotten. He gave me 20+ old hoof rasp. He said he goes through them every 2-3 weeks and hes gonna bring me a load about this size every 6 months or so. You gotta love free high quality scrap.

Ok so one side of making knives is obviously being able to make a quality product. But the other side is showing them off. This is a set I'm thinking about using to show at to people, but I need to know if the pictures are decent, and how to tweak my techniques and backgrounds for better ones. Thanks guys

This is a set I'm calling "The Johnny Reb" collection

This is one I built last weekend and hated. So I decided to drag it out of the scrap heap, throw away half the design and do something different. This is my favorite one so far. Its incredibly quick in the hand and as built as a combat quality bowie. The blade is hand forged 1084 steel, with a hidden tang design, a mild steel guard, and a seasoned oak handle. I plan to tong oil the handle this week. Im gonna spend the money to have an everyday carry style sheath built for it. Let me know what you think.
Before the redesign




Finished knife

Hot cut offs are where you cut a piece of steel with a hardy or chiesel and the cut off piece goes flying and sets something on fire. Or thats my understanding of what he typed

I know this an older topic, but thought I'd throw in my two cents. For big stuff with a helper I use a 24 lb long handled cross pein, or a 12 lb long handled sledge. Big work by myself, I use an 8 lb or 6 lb hand hammer. The 6 lb is one of my most used hammers on bigger projects, then I step down to a 4 lb or 2.5 lb cross pein. Of course, with about 100 different hammers to choose from, there is always one for every job, but those are my most used.

This is a small coffee cup stand that my wife wanted. Round bar rolled into a hoop, horseshoe press fit then the end of the stock was peened for a tight fit. Round hooks rolled, with a locking curl to keep them from disappearing.

I don't know as far as alloy goes, simply because it was a free gift from a friend. And I'm making more decroative knives with it, something for a few friends to sit up on the matel. I don't know what else I'll make, as there are 10 more pieces of the exact same stuff int he same size that I can use. So we shall see

I'm gonna try forging titanium for the first time this weekend. I've emailed randy and hes told me what to expect. I'll report back and let everyone know how it goes. Thanks for all the advice in these threads guys.

1/2" x 7" x 16" pieces of titanium alloy. Hopefully soon to be a knife or ten.

200 lb Kholswa anvil, on a large seasoned oak stump, 3 ft deep in the ground. Having it that deep, on a stump that large and heavy definetly helps when it comes to moving big steel. Straps around the stump for the most often used hammers and hardy tools