Doug C

Bill, Looking at the pictures it seems like the coal might need to be broken up a bit. You want small pieces of coal, no bigger than a quarter. Gives you more surface area to burn which means more heat. Nice lookin forge and tools. Welcome aboard.

I would call ahead and ask if they have what you want. For instance they do not carry 3/8's square.

Of all the books I have on smithing this is my favorite. What is good about it?
- Clear step by step intructions
- Discussion of the 'why' not just the 'how to'
- Discussion of pitfalls and how to correct some mistakes
- An easy to read style of writing
- Photos, photos, photos
- Did I mention Photos? They are clear with good contrast and relevant
- Material lists for each project
- I good set of tools when I am done with the book
- A sense of excitement waiting for the next book

Archie, Try Central Steel in Somerville. Nice place, huge selection of mild steel. Also Haverhill is Haverhill Steel and Salvage. The Haverhill steel yard is smaller and does not have the same selection of steels but is a bit cheaper.

Also you might check with local road construction companies and find where they buy their plate.. They use steel plate to cover large holes in the road. I gave seen some really big stuff being used here.

Here is a thread from November that covers what you are looking for. Hardening Mild Steel

Nice work Neal. Is it bolted to the counter top?

Without a governing body to confer the oh so grand title of 'Master' and ensure the abilities of said smith does it really matter?

In one sense, yes, because a rookie like me claiming to be a master can make many other smiths lives and livelyhoods more difficult by giving smiths in general a bad name. Just as an incompetent doctor, lawyer, mechanic gives all of his trade a black eye. Guilt by association. So in the commercial realm having a ranking system that would guarantee a certain level of ability that people could use as a criteria in selecting a smith might be useful.

In hiring coop programmers (3-6 month gig while going to school) for my company the level of degree and the GPA, when coming from a single institution, are helpful in narrowing the field and making sure that I weed out guys who might not motivated or have not mastered the set of skills I know they are being taught.

On the other hand , no, I have no degree and was hired solely based on my drive and later, my accumulated knowledge. My work, once I had the experience and happy employers, spoke for itself. I think it is the same in the smithing world. Once you have a baseline experience, whether through formal training or not, the ensuing experience and how you apply the craft are what truly matter. In the end the degree or title only matters at the start of their careers.

For me personally a master is anyone who's work and technique I admire and would like to learn more from and if I am lucky would like to teach me.

I know of one lucky kid and one great father. Nicest gifts are those from the heart & hearth.

Amazing work Valentin...shows me how much I've yet to learn.

I'll add to the chorus "Peace on earth and good will to all men". What ever your faith or beliefs remember this and hold it close all the year. To all of you who have shared so much and taught even more, Thanks for making the past year so amazing.

-Doug

I can only tell you about the Hofi. Great hammer, amazing balance. Well worth the money.

A day with the family. Nothing else. Nothing better.

As a newby I do not have much to add but you asked. In the photo's much of the stock looks like it was milled ( look at the last of the pictures you posted where the arch is attached you can see the milling marks). If this was being built for me I would like to see more texture on the steel. This is an amazing piece of work.

What would you have done differnetly if you had an extra month to work on it.

This explains a lot about a bucket of tools I bought this summer. All the top tools had loose handles and I thought the farrier I bought them from must have been too busy or cheap to get 'proper' handles. Silly me. I am glad I read this before I re-handled them.

Great news. Expect to see you posting on the Blacksmiths Anonymous thread soon.

An S-Hook. It is holding an antique lantern in my den.

Hey Matt,I am fairly new to all this as well but I would not put metal into the fire if you do not know what is is. Could be toxic or just plain hard to work. Others here can help you figure out how to tell what you have got.

I have made so many drive hooks and s-hooks and fire pokers that I have run out of people to give them to. But all that repetition helps. I am more confident each time I forge. I would recommend finding a local smithing group and spend time with experienced smiths. Watch what they do. Try it out see if it works for you. 'Right' is a relative term.

Also plan out your work. Think about the order you are going to do things. Try to visualize if the next thing you do will make it hard to do the step that follows. If it does re-arrange the order. Imagine trying to taper the ends of an S-Hook after you made the bends!!!

Good feeling isn't it. Congrats.

here is some info from the University of Vermont Nails: Clues to a Building's History, hereandthere.org; Historic Nails and Appalachian Blacksmith Assoc; Square Nails. None seem to mention when the move from wrought iron to steel happened.

Pretty interesting. Do you have pictures from other angles?

The sign brace speaks volumes about the quality of your work. I can think of no better advertising than that. Nice sign too. My son's school just bought a plasma cutter. I think I might be having him make a sign.

Well done. Three gifts done, how many to go?

Hammerkid,
I bought Mark's book and it is well written with lots of pictures that really clarify what he writes. It was worth every penny.

Plant hangers, Candle stick and snuffer, business card holder