Francis Trez Cole

Only after all the forging is done dose he pick up a brush www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NIG7k50OW0

SJS I have come to understand over the years that the filing and polishing of old iron work (bright work)was done to help prevent rust from forming and that the iron was not steel but wrought iron to this day those items still maintain a smooth surface.

Joe nice video as always fluxing is a aid to the cleaning of the weld surface. I have done welds with and with out. then there are the many different types of flux from sand to borax and iron powder. The key to a good weld is a saturating heat. Heat fuse with one hit, Heat fuse with one hit, heat fuse with one hit three times to ensure it is a deep weld.

the University of Georgia in conjunction with PBS did one it ran on RFD TV a few years ago http://www.anvilfire.com/bookrev/index.php?bodyName=forge_anvil/book_review.htm&titleName=Forge%20and%20Anvil%20by%20Alan%20Rogers

Joe I use both brushes they sit on a hook in the shop. I use them to brush the scale off my anvil. I have taken a class with Peter Ross he rarely ever uses a wire brush. I have also worked with smiths who brush 5-6 times every time they take metal out of the fire. the effort and results becomes obvious when you see the work being preformed. Jeremy So true Keeping you metal in the proper place in the fire to reducing oxidizing in the first place. Frank thank your for you insite.

Bigfootnampa if you have coal sticking to you metal it is in the conversion stage from green coal to coke. and the tars and impurities are what are causing the coal to stick to your metal. Rockstar I have seen that my self Japanese sword makes use that method to refine there blades 5 minutes in the forge can save you a half hour with the file

trying to forge 3" stock with out a striker of power hammer is a lot of work. Use you old anvil for the tooling you have no reason to reinvent the wheel. I use 2 anvils in my shop daily. or you could make up a plate with a 3/4" hole in it and weld to the under side tube of angle iron to hold it square in the new hardie hole.

I have seen a few smiths never pick up a brush. First is waste time and heat. As soon as you hit a piece of metal from the fire the scale flies off. Second any scale on the bottom side of the work will just pulverize and become a dust. Third Looking back at old blacksmithing books never mention using a wire brush in the forging process to remove scale.

I pose the question Why do you use a wire brush in the forging process?

first I would have put it to the outside for better access to the tool. An other option is to get a block of steel and drill a hole in it file square and add legs

food for real thought Peter never picks up a wire brush.

there is this episode on moxen and hing making http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/watch-on-line/2007-2008-episodes/

I have the stumpforge book it gives you some good examples also the book Professional smithing by Donald streeter has some examples as well. There is a man named detwiler who has a book on wood locks and you can find some pattern out of that on line. The modern master's of locks is Tom Latanee and Peter Ross.

As far as metal the will forge out fine. If you want to make it into a good knife I saw where some one forge welded a piece of Damascus into the middle of the spike so you got the handle with a twist but a good blade. It is a good place to start to learn how to control the movement of steel and start establishing your style in knife making. Then when you have confidence use better material and make a good knife.

there is a blacksmith named Gordon Williams his work if forming grape leaves for the King one is life like

I really like you tool to fit in the swedge block. Gives the edge of the flatter a great finish

that is a very nice video I did notice that a few times you were trying to punch and drift and the metal was not hot enough. I found in making one that it was easier to slit the eye hole first then shape the head and go back and drift the eye.

1114 steel is also called A311 I have had very good results with making tongs from it. It is a good medium carbon steel. I have not tryed making hammers out of it yet.

I like to use s-7 and H13 for the punch but the torsion bar would make a great drift.

it was sitting in on Rick and Steve knife making class that helped me get started

I have been forge welding for years. Just never had much inters in making knives. I just keep getting sucked in to it. I found out that my Family were knife makers at imperial Knifes for years and then schrade.

thanks for the feed back. I took a class with Peter Ross and then saw one that Tom Latane made. I have never been one to do to fine detail. So this year I decided to spend more time on hand finishing my work.

yes drilled and then a lot of filing.

ran across this a while ago this is a great idea for a shop http://homestead-and-survival.com/how-to-make-a-barn-out-of-a-carport/

here is a picture of a filet knife I made for my brother. He is a Chef. The knife is 13" long with a mahogany handle brass pins and a tong oil finish the blade is made from L-6 and 1095. it was tough to forge out then twisted and hammer flat I have enough for 2 more knives out of the billet. It was a fun project. this is only my 4th knife. time to set up a grinding area