Buzzkill

Eddie b, welcome aboard. It would be better if you would read up on some topics where these things have already been discussed in detail rather than have us repeat them all again. Here's a couple I highly recommend you read through to get a handle on things: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/30887-forges-and-fires/ http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/44842-just-a-box-of-dirt-or-a-simple-side-blast-forge/

Good stuff RogueGeek. Thanks for posting that link.

Crème brûlée?

You didn't give us enough information to answer the first question in a meaningful way. If you'll take the time to read through some of the knife making sections of the forum you'll have a much better handle on things. At the very least read through the first pinned topic at the link below and if you don't understand it all the first time read it again and then ask some questions. We'll be glad to help you, but your questions are a lot like "What's the best car?" It depends on the use and what's important to you (or the customer) in a lot of cases. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/69-heat-treating-knives-blades-etc/

I really like the idea. Forging through heat treat is much more fun for me than fit and finish on the handles, and this looks like it could save a fair amount of time. I'd like to try some darker colors with some copper or brass swarf in the mix.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't mind paying a little bit more for quality. It's usually cheaper in the long run. I'll order a few finer grits and give them a shot.

I like a bump and grind as much as the next guy, just not so much when I'm finishing up a blade. Has anyone found seamless belts for 2x72 grinder - especially for the finer grits (300+)? So far my Google-fu is weak or it just doesn't look like anyone produces such an item. If no such creature exists I'm looking for recommendations for 2x72 belts that don't have much bump at the seam in the finer grits. It's not enough of a problem at the low end to worry about, but it surely can be annoying on the others.

Very cool! Did you guys have analysis done on your resulting steel? I'm curious about the carbon content you got with that method.

I agree that he needs to do a bit more research, but the forced air kits are below what they call venturi burners. Ethan, it looks like you've done at least a little bit of reading, but the questions you asked have been answered numerous times in various ways in several threads on here. Burner placement and orientation are discussed frequently in the gas forge section, as is the number and size of burners needed for specific volumes of forge chambers. Calculating forge volume is also covered frequently. However, you didn't even give us enough information to do that for you if we were so inclined. Do a bit more reading and get back to us. The guys here will help troubleshoot your system and get your forge where you want it to be as long as you've put in the time to read through the basics.

Sorry I missed that question. I was successful to some extent. It was the first forge I built. I was able to heat and beat out a few things, but it felt like I had to tinker with the air and fuel settings a lot. Ambient temperature affects the viscosity of the oil. Unless you compensate for it, even the level of the oil in the fuel supply container will affect the fuel to air ratio as the level drops. Oil should be filtered before use to keep it from plugging up the atomizing system, it can be a bit messy, and the hot face material needs to be able to withstand significant direct flame impingement. I don't think there's any good way to run one naturally aspirated, so a separate blower is required. In the end for me propane is a better option even though I have access to a fair amount of free used motor oil. Having said all that, it is possible to attain very high heat, and I think with the right equipment they could work well. I built everything from what I had on hand and a few parts from a local big box store. Repurposing the burner assembly from a commercial waste oil furnace or boiler is probably a much better way to go if someone is serious about forging with used oil. At this point I only have the slightest tinge of regret when I go to buy more propane. Other than that I feel that propane is hands down the better option.

Good luck! We have at least one member who creates magnificent straight razors. They are certainly not what most of us would consider beginner forging projects, but if that's your goal and you put in the time to reach it I for one will be looking forward to your creations. There are several threads on here regarding straight razors. Unfortunately a lot of pictures were lost in a software "upgrade," and to make matters more challenging the search function on this site isn't the best. You're usually better off doing a web search and including "iforgeiron" as part of your key phrase. Just a word of caution though. Hammering on hot steel can be quite addictive and you may find it consuming most of your spare time. Don't forget to post pictures of your work.

IMHO you're building an unnecessary box to try to think out of. If you want your vice to be "original" then I can understand, but if you want functional it's a different story. All the spring has to do is provide enough force to separate the jaws when you loosen the screw. There's nothing that says the spring has to be held in place by the mounting bracket. The spring can fastened to the other leg with it's own bracket and even be "upside down" compared to what you are used to seeing. As long as it's not in your way and opens the jaws it's fine. I think you may find the coil spring more trouble than finding another way to mount a leaf type spring, but I've been wrong before.

Scroll down. It's there.

Could you elaborate a little, Frosty? I agree that the preferred or "right" method is to introduce a flame to the forge interior, but I'm wondering what the drawback is to lighting the burner that way. Is this a safety concern or do you see it as a practice that will somehow damage the burner? As long as the flame doesn't continue to burn in the tube after ignition I'm just not sure I understand the problem.

He shows the process in his WIP videos in another thread. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/Dc2kVOejXes

Suggested reading: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/44420-propane-vs-natural-gas-forges/

Welcome aboard Torchy. If you've already got an anvil and a hammer all you need is a hot fire and some steel to beat on. If being portable is you highest priority then propane is probably going to beat out coal, but that depends on a few factors. When you say portable do you mean rolling it in and out of a building or do you mean packing it up in a vehicle and taking it somewhere else? For solid fuel I recommend reading through this thread: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/44842-just-a-box-of-dirt-or-a-simple-side-blast-forge/ That will give you an idea of the basics and show how simple and inexpensive it can be to get started. If propane seems like it might be better then head here and spend some time reading through several of the topics and you'll be able to get an idea of what makes a good gas forge. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/65-gas-forges/ As Thomas pointed out you will learn a lot more faster by having someone show you in person, but getting a grasp on the concepts and terminology used before that is also a very good idea. The search function on this forum is less than ideal, so if you have something you want to search for on the site you are better off doing a web search and adding "iforgeiron" as part of your key phrase. Just about any question you can think of has most likely already been asked and answered in detail in the forum, so we always recommend some snacks or a lunch, a cold beverage, and a comfy chair and then a few hours reading up on the topics that interest you the most.

This is technically not true. Oxygen exists in diatomic state in the atmosphere. It has an atomic weight of 16 per atom, for a molecular weight of 32. Carbon monoxide has a molecular weight of 28, the same as diatomic nitrogen which makes up most of the air we breathe. On the other hand carbon dioxide has a molecular weight of 44, so it is heavier than the 2 main components of the air we breathe and will definitely collect in low areas. There's more to it than simple molecular weight, and by no means am I discounting the danger of CO or suggesting detectors are unimportant.

Excellent and easy to understand instructions. Thanks for sharing!

First off, welcome to the forum. A couple things up front. You should probably put your location in your profile since this is a world-wide forum and some answers vary depending on the location. Next, it's a great idea to grab some snacks, a cold drink, and a comfy chair then spend a few hours reading through the topics that interest you the most. Unfortunately your question is very vague to us. We don't know what interests you the most, so our answers cannot be tailored to you. The short answer is you should make the tools you need to do what you want to do. Ornamental work and blade smithing share some common tools for instance, but there are some that have little use in the other category. Do a little homework on here, figure out what you want to accomplish, and chances are you'll have an idea of what tools you need. If you still don't know at that point we should be able to offer better suggestions then.

Depending on the starting material you may be able to quench between 2 plates of aluminum using some clamps. As thin as the material is that method may harden some steels where you would normally need oil. If you happen to have a couple flat aluminum plates it would be pretty easy to give it a shot.

You may want to read through this thread: http://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/19977-finished-fork-lift-tine-anvil-mostly/ The discussion regarding stacking horizontally or vertically may be of interest to you.

I have a similar hammer that either through use or design has rounded striking faces. I've done a little grind work on it and it's now a combination straight pein and cross pein hammer.

I assume you already know this, but 7018 is supposed to be kept from moisture before use (i.e. rod oven) to avoid hydrogen embrittlement in the welds.

I have a welder, but am not a weldor but any stretch of the imagination. Several regulars on here have extensive welding expertise though. Since the 2 electrodes I have for the stick welder are exactly the ones you mentioned, I would use one of them, but that doesn't make it the right or best choice.