Francis Trez Cole

what is in your area.

King architectural metal has lots of pattrens but that is what most architecs use they sit with the book while designing.

When I started I had to setup and brakedown and put a way everytime. you can pick up a carport at harbor freight for $199.00 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92942 they do have a cheeper one but its a good way to start. protecting your investment in equipment is important. Here I built a pole shead. the only thing I bought was wood and nails the rest was stuff friends were getting rid of. check out the video on my web sight Welcome to nokomis Forge - Hand-Crafted Custom Ironwrok even the floor they were removing pavers up at a coumminity the road and the workers dumped 2 dump truck loads at my house $0.00 and they loaded the dumptrucks. you have to go out there and make it happen you would not belive what people through away.

I would like to see the pictures. I think I have a feel for what you are trying to accomplish are you trying to put a spade shape at the end of your stock. 1/8" stock would have to be compressed. which is kind of thin to do you have to have the right heat to hot it will just roll over. the other option would be to cut away to get the shape. Hammer control is very important.

wow a stone building how cool.

when I first started I shaped a piece of rebar to make a harder still use it works real well others who used my set up are shocked how well it works. This year I got a piece of wood chipper blade welded a piece of square stock to it works real well. the height should not be critical when you use a harder you do not want to cut all the way through. You should be worried about hitting the hammer face and once the cut is deep enough ringing off the metal. the height of mine is 2-3".

give it a try the worst thing is you have to reweld it. I would fill the tube if it was up to me more mass. I have seen people use 6x6 solid stock cemented in a 5 gallon bucket. I started out with the back side of a vice.

marc a good way to figure out what it is going to take. what I do is figure out the metal have the client buy it produce a 1' section and record the hours (we all work at different speeds) then multiply it by $100.00 an hour then X running feet. that is there cost. they dont want to do it give them back the metal they purchased. "do not forget the insurance" join abana they have it though a broker.

I am in Sarasota there is a great faba chapter here in town there is a video posted on my web sight for blacksmithing 101 nokomisforge.com feel free to contact me directly 650-1068

an other way is do your design put it in a envelope and mail it to yourself put the letter away in a safe place (do not open it) ever any question and need to present it in court it can be opended then. Post mark will stand up in court. I do this with all my designes will protect them. I use the origional drawings.

I invited the neighbors over for a demo and they were very intrested in what I was doing so every time I light the forge friends come to see what I working on. They understand and look forward to see what I am working on next

I am a FABA member it is a very good group. the south west chapter we are very open any one can come to our meetings. We meet once a month but if you have time you can go to 4 meetings a month. NE,NW,SE,and SW meet on diffrent weekends. there is a lot of info at each meeting and everyone I have meet is very willing to share there knowledge. dues are $25.00 a year. go to the Faba sight this month we are having a demo on armour making. a few months ago we did a trip to Bock tower to see Samual Yellen's work from 1920. great day and good demos on sight. We also do a lot with the Boy scouts and there merit badge program. the first demo I attended was making copper diving helmets talk about diversity. if I can be any help let me know

nice job and you can forge re-bar.

down here mostly get pine not the best bugs love it. Keeping my eye out for a piece of cypress. I spray the underside of mine with auto body undercoating works well.

there are at least 10 different ways to get to the same goal. What I learnd in cooking school it all comes down to putting money in the bank, Mcdonalds,wendy's and burger king Who makes a burger the right way not to mention all the other resturants who serve burgers. You can't teach style, just form. Each person will develop there own style and it is finding people to support and buy it. or you just make lots of stuff for yourself its putting your self out there. I myself am always learning thats why I like this forum get a chance to see how others do the same task. Then trying it out for my self or combining idears to fit my needs. In my area a hundred mile range there are only a few who blacksmith so it is tough to get together with them to exchange idears except once a month. Elite no just a bunch of people standing over a fire sweeting and beating metal sometimes solitary. This is a great sorce of info.

K brain M check out FABA Florida Artist Blacksmithing Assoc. We meet all over the state and a good source of contact and learning.

divermike great responce about grand pa tools, the other one I get all the time is do you shoe horses? no i like to pet them. in my demo I set up 3 or 4 items and make them in order those that are intrested will stick around for a couple of demos. If you have a helper to keep your fire right it is a big help. then all you have to do is hammering anf talking. and if your ambisious chew gum.

Rusty check out FABA Florida Artist Blacksmithing Assoc. good group of people who are interested in all types of metal work good source of local contacts. They meet once a month.

You can fill the tube with dry sand and weld a cap on reach end. This works well. There is some distirtion but only a little. you would be better off with a forge to heat the metal evenly.

there is a great knife maker Jims web sight is salamander armoury. Cable is fun to work with your temp for welding is brite orange not yellow. and the slower you go the better light hits compacting it until it ia a solid then you can turn up the force of forging have to get all the air spaces out of the billett first. It will pop on you like a balloon.

when I set up my torch mark I had started out with an email account which coralated to the area I was in. Then did a drawing I wanted to use. Then went into a web sight nokomisforge.com. I would secure the web sight first and work the promotion meterial around that.

realy enjoyed the class nice work. I have to get more patent to do real small items this will be a good way to accomplish that.

after getting steam burns form wet shirt hot steel on my stomac. bib apron is a must.

Here is an example of a simple forge that works well

Arrowhead Tutorial

mcnichols.com is the company I have used in the past.