LarryHouse

I live on the edge of a swamp, but have never found any bog iron. Am I not looking under the right rock, no wait, we don't have any rocks here either. Just muck.

I work for a screw-machine shop where one of our byproducts are bar ends. These are the part of the 12' bars that cannot be fed through the machine, and are normally sold as scrap. They run around 7" long, but can be longer at times. We occasionally also have full 12' bars that we cannot use due to being bent, or other problems.

The materials we use are C97, and other copper alloys, 360 brass for the most part, various stainless steels mostly 303/304, occasionally some aluminum, and lots of M25/M65 copper beryllium (2% max Be).

Sizes will run from .0625" up to 1.00". We mostly work with .500 and under, and a lot of odd sizes 32's,64's, and MM's. With the price of copper over $10 a # now we try to get as close to finished size as possible.

I have purchased scrap in the past for projects, and as long as the owner gets current scrap price he doesn't care how much I buy. We literally generate tons of scrap a month including the chips. Unless I can get the ends right off the machine, I can't sort for a specific alloy IE;303/304.

I am thinking that these could be used for knife pins, jewelery, small parts, lathe stock, punches, forge stock, and whatever else you can think of. I can include some safety info with the copper beryllium stock. CuBe alloys are heat treatable,and are very strong-knife pins,punches,small hammer heads,etc. It will also be way less than the $23 a # we pay for new.

Not sure how to break it up for size due to so many sizes, or I could just do a mix for x$ a pound per type. If there is a specific size/type that you are looking for I can watch the machines to see what is running, and let the operators know to save them for me. They are doing that for the bigger sizes already.

USPS flat rate boxes work good for these.

Some time ago I found a web site that had a detailed set of instructions on forging a very detailed dragon head. It was a abana chapter site I think and the artist styled the dragon with long lips and horns. Very nice. If anyone can direct me to the site I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,

Larry

Thanks for the invite. Next time I'm near you I'll stop by. I'll check with CBA and see who's around here.

Larry

I am visiting Santa Barbra and would like to visit a smithy while here. Any takers?

Larry House
210-885-9932

When I was starting up my little operation in central Texas, we lived on a high hill over looking Canyon Lake. As I would sit on my back deck I could see most of the lake and many miles of shore line. My wife and I collected Dragon figures and we felt as if a watch dragon would pick our home as a perch. So Dragons Watch it was. We have since moved to flat land on the Pearl River delta, but we still like the name.

Larry

Good looking sword. How thick is the blade and did you say it is a t back? I have a falchion that I am working on that is simular, not as long of a clip point. Can't decide how to handle it as of yet.

Larry