Dan C

Happy Birthday Frosty! Celebrate by lighting the forge & hitting some iron!!!

The knife making classes are a fantastic resource, http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/148-knife-making-class-101/ For me I have to go thru them slowly, trying out what's being done for myself before things begin to make sense. All of the knives I've made to this point are full tang knives so yesterday I was reading & rereading the threads on handles until I could start to understand what I'll need to do for a stub tang. Even then I'll likely have questions which no one here is going to mind if at least they can see that I've read what's posted and tried to apply it, and then need help. What type of steel are you using at this point? I copy profiles of knives that I like, including ones that others post here. My first knives were paring knives from my kitchen that I cloned, using old files which can be 1095 steel.

Have you had a chance to read this thread? If not it would be good to do so, at least you can see where people are coming from when they respond to you. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> Interesting question and I don't know the answer. I'm still busy making various types of knives, working on my first stub tang, practicing forge welding and anything else I can smith that I think will sell. Bottle openers are quite popular. I have made an 11" spear point and found that challenging enough. One thing that keeps me from attempting a sword is after having worked larger knives and the spear, the amount of time and skill it would take and wanting to be compensated for my time and efforts. Then as the above thread clearly states there are safety concerns as well. Good luck and let us know what you find!

That's a fantastic video DSW and not only for the part about making the threads and nuts. As I don't have a matching tap, I'm assuming one could be made by tapering and annealing a suitable piece of 1095 and then using the tool to slowly swedge the threads, changing the diameter gradually and then heat treating the tap once completed?

Anvils are hard to find in this area, but keep an eye on craigslist for Austin, Dallas & Houston and put the word out to friends and people you meet. Search the IFI forum for alternate ideas, you don't have to have a standard London pattern or drop on a roadrunner type anvil. Many, including myself started on a large, heavy piece of steel and I still use it as it has sharp edges and different dies.

Stephen's got it right with suggesting ABANA. In Central Texas that would be the Balcones Forge Association, a wonderful group of people which you'll feel right at home with. I just joined in November. They have some fantastic workshops coming up that neither of you are going to want to miss!

Sweet, that's looking good! That's something I've wanted to do but haven't gotten around to it. For now I've just been putting a lid and covering the bottom holes off my burn barrel. What type of welder did you use on the inner barrel? I know it's a bit thin for my arc welder.

For a 2" tuyere in an 11" brake drum forge what size holes and how many do you want in the grate? I've successfully forged welded w/ coal, coke and a mixture of coke & charcoal, but haven't been successful FW'ing on charcoal alone. I've deepened my firepit by using firebrick, also tried with and without a piece of charred wood ontop to create a cave of sorts. The charcoal I'm using is homemade from dead oak trees behind my house. The flux I'm using is straight borax. Seems like it's getting hot enough as I've burned up steel with the setup, thinking that maybe some of the charcoal pieces are too find and end up dirtying the weld? My thinking for this is because when welding with coke I was only successful with a new fire, after having cleaned out the pot of all ash & clinkers.

Thank you for sharing Frank, I enjoyed the pictures and the read.

That's a great link. I like the suggestion on making replica dies so you don't screw up the originals. Yes, pun intended.

Thanks, at least now I know how it was used and won't mess it up. It's a nice wall hanger and conversation piece.

I do move the blade back'n forth btw, guess I need more practice keeping the blade heated evenly and building the fire so it's even vs. having hot spots, or doing the tuyere/grate different from the current design.

I use an 11" brake drum forge with homemade charcoal. When I've heat treated larger knives I'm moving the blade as suggested, starting at the base and moving towards the point, testing that the entire cutting edge is demagnetized before quenching. I did do a spear point that the blade was 7" and it was difficult to keep the whole blade at critical temp. It took a couple of tries before I was able to consistently skate a file the entire length of the cutting edge. I have firebricks on both sides to minimize fuel and to try to concentrate the heat.

I picked this up at an estate sale over a year ago. Everything they had for sale that they could identify as blacksmithing related was way overpriced, but I found this outside on a table covered with rust and dirt. It was difficult to tell what it was, but based on the weight I thought it could be useful for something and offered them $5, they took $10. Someone told me that you used it to cut threads in wrought iron, but using it on steel would damage the dies. I'd be interested to know how it was used and if it could still be useful today other than something I hang on the wall and show to visitors. It's 3' in length, though the picture w/ the yardstick doesn't show the measurements well. Guessing it's wrought iron as the dirt and rust I cleaned off didn't damage the tool in anyway.

Maybe you could get a 16-55 gallon steel drum for free or cheap from an oil change place. Cut it half lengthwise, fill partially w/ sand or firebrick and run the pipe above that. I was thinking about doing something similar for larger knives as I'm currently limited to a 5" blade. Check out this link, http://www.stormthecastle.com/blacksmithing/how-to-make-a-sword-forge.htm

I looked up Abilene on CL and saw the one macbruce referred to. Based on the side photo it should weigh 107lbs. Painted and chipped I think I'd pass on that one unless I was real desperate. Have any friends that travel often to anvil rich areas or taking a trip yourself? I scored my 200lb PW for $300 when a friend offered to pick one up listed in Pittsburgh and was driving down. The advice of letting everyone you know, know that you're looking for one works. Also joining your local abana group would be good.

Try rubbing sidewalk chalk on the area before you drill it. That and slowing down the drill has worked for me.

Not as many hammers, but I did take a project I was working, some scrap for anything impromptu and a hot cut

Thank you! She's a Chevy '55 early 1/2 ton running a stock 350 with a 400 hydramatic tranny, stock rearend for the truck which was the first open drive shaft, 3.90 gear ratio. I've had her 20+ years and drove her during college, then when I got married and had kids I had these grand ideas to do a frame off restoration. She didn't come back together until my oldest was 15 and we started discussing a car for her to drive. My wife jokingly said there's a truck in the garage, why don't you fix that up and give Caroline your Honda. I liked that idea and went to work. Somewhere along the way, during the front disc brake and Saginaw powersteering conversion I found that I could make a brake drum forge, acquired a piece of RR track to use as an anvil and got into blacksmithing. Proceeds from that work paid for the 200 lb PW I have now and other proceeds helped the truck get back on the road. I've also welded/smithed multiple parts for the old girl. Eventually I'll get around to painting her, but for now she's my daily driver and gets often gets compliments and buy offers. My goal has been to keep her looking stock on the outside and when you're sitting in the cab, only when you pop the hood or start her up do you realize she's not stock.

I scored 10 of these 55 gallon drums with lids and snap rings the other day when dropping off donations at the local humane society. All were food grade and previously being used by them to hold dog food & such. When I saw them I asked what they were used for now, the response was they were just trying to just get rid of them. Enough said and the price was right! Now my scrap metal piles are organized and stored outside, as well as any flammables that before were being stored outside in metal garbage cans which leaked. I'll probably try to sell some of the extra ones here locally.

Wouldn't just putting it to use get rid of the paint and clean the face? I draw knife profiles on mine frequently in permanent marker when forging knives and rarely does the outline survive 3 heats.

Put together a lego kit with my youngest, then made a batch of charcoal, and ground a few knives. Then later my daughter & I fired the forge and made a few things, a garden hose hanger, a few spike crosses and a horseshoe heart. I'd call it a very good start to the new year.

Always good for simple sculptures.

Here's a cross made from a rr spike I gave to my mom. Then my brother I made this cowboy. Not sure why when you send from a phone it changes the pictures orientation.

If you search the forum for 'Christmas ornaments' you'll get lots of hits, but here are some that I've made. The last one also works as a bottle opener.