BackyardBlacksmithin

I just had the same issue with coke popping at me this week as well... My first time using purchased coke, I normally use just coal. Had a few pieces pop real good and actually bounced off my safety glasses. I will have to do like the other guys mentioned and just slowly introduce the coke from the side of the fire. And I noticed as well that it took quite a bit more air to get it to the same temp. I think I might just save the coke for when I'm doing forge welding, much easier to maintain a very clean fire with coke.

I just started moving into a bigger house and shop so no I will have a proper setup for my smithy. Now I gotta start working on a hood for inside the shop. I'm just going to save this one for outdoor demo's. Not to figure out how to make a 10-12 inch chimney that goes out through the wall of the shop.....

Now that's the answer I was looking for, thank you notownkid. So scrap the chimney idea.... Now to figure how to run stovepipe through the wall and up above the peak without spending a ton.

I will be using the forge probably 2 days a week. I have a centaur forge firepot and a champion 400 blower on it. I have a super sucker side draft now build for using outdoors that's about 4 ft tall. I want to build a better one that will pipe into this chimney since I wont have to be moving it around all the time now.

Hello, so I'm moving to a new place with a proper shop finally and the shop has an old unlined chimney in it. I would like to use it for my coal forge but I don't know much about chimney safety issues. I know wood in a unlined chimney is a no no, but I don't know if burning coal in it would be safe. I've spent about an hour looking through this forum but no luck so far.... Thanks in advance.

Like I said, not done yet lol. I did that bar that wraps around all the other ones as one piece so I had to take a guess on the length lol. And yes a bit short...

Just started making a few of these for a customer who wanted a back rest for a widow frame that has a bench seat in front of it. There just tacked in place right now but you can get the idea, I love how there turning out. And that's only two pieces of 3/8 round bar, not a bunch of short sections welded together.

So what do you charge for one of those rounding hammers? Say 3.5 or 4 pounds....

I'm another one for the oval style handle with flatish sides. I get mine so my middle finger is almost touching my palm. And another trick backwoodsblacksmith taught me was to wrap the handles in the electrical friction tape. gives just the right amount of grip so you can relax your hand more and not have to keep a death grip the whole time. At very least take some light sandpaper and get rid of that slick varnish clear coat junk that comes on most handles...

Oh ya I have done that before on small crosses and things like that but I guess I never thought to do it so it makes it look like a solid color on the pedals, might have to try that next time.... Thank you

Ausfire: how do you get that brass finish on them? So those are steel with a brass finish?

great guys thanks for showing all of your work. I sell a lot of the single roses that are typically at a lower price point and I have a lot of requests to make a holder for them that will not cost an arm and a leg... I have made a few simple ones out of a horseshoe and mounted on a nice wood backer but am always looking for more ideas. I've been trying to make something simple out of a piece of pipe or something but have not made anything I'm very happy with yet..

"this is not an original idea" Told to me by Backwoods Blacksmithing when he was teaching me how to forge weld. Referring to how there are few original tricks and ideas that most of us have not learned from smiths before us, or that other smiths have already thought of as well.

Geoff: I love it, I had that happen to me last time as well, my full time normal job is a Deputy Sheriff. I had a bunch of young kids that were very obviously into some lets say... recreational substances, watching me forge and another fella that was I was having a conversation asked what I did for a living, as soon as the words "Deputy Sheriff" came out I looked and those kids were flat GONE, like I didn't even see where they went. I look at my girlfriend who heard and saw the whole thing and she is just laughing her backside off...

I was thinking of making some chain to use as a barrier and some poles. That way I could use the barrier as a kind of conversation piece as well. Just do it with hand forged and welded links. Keep them at a distance and give them something to look at and examine as well.