FieryFurnace

I saw a guy forge a leaf at Stone Mountain Park in Ga. Heat steel and beat the devil out of it. What could be better than that? Also, I like swords, daggers, knives, shields, and armour. How do you make those? LEARN! I also like the satisfaction of working till I'm blue in the face, and when I am done, I can say, "I made this with these two hands. Now let's make something better!" And you start all over again. As a side effect you get a wonderfull night's sleep.
I'll go with "Tald the Dead's" last sentence. This is what I am.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

The stamps I mentioned are small enough for 1/4 inch steel.
Hey, did somebody get rid of that repeat post of mine. Thanks! It made me look stupid! I didn't want y'all to know I was dumb, that's for close family.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Northern Tool company has a set of A-Z stamps for about $20.00. I have one that a guy gave me. It works great and you can punch the steel cold.
I am a reenactor in the Tennessee Valley Battalion, Col. Robert Ward, commanding. Maryland being more of a split state, I was wondering if you play blue or grey. Or, do you galvanize. I galvanize to blue when I am going to die. Makes me feel better! Are you going to Gettysburg? I wish I was, but I am unable to camp, being only 15!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Hey, you a reenactor? I'm in the Tenneessee Valley Battalion. Are you blue or grey or do you galvanize? I galvanize when needed. Makes me feel better if I die in blue.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Do you mix the beeswax and oil? If so, how? The other problem with paint is it masks the elegent sheen of a properly finished piece. I like to see the color of the steel. It's lke a sword or bayonet. They look much better if they are well tarnished instead of bright steel. (especialy a bayonet, as with a shiny one you make a good target for on coming yankees)(I'm a Civil War reenactor) Anyway, keep posting.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

What do you use to coat your steel? How do you apply it? Where do you get it? How long does it last?
I use WD-40 for inside stuff and paint for outside stuff. I apply WD-40 at about 100 degrees. Paint goes on cold. WD-40 doesn't last in rain, but paint scratches off too easy. WD-40 lets you see the texture of the steel but paint lasts longer outdoors. :confused:
What do y'all do?

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I haven't ever tried that, and I don't know if it would be a good idea. I would think that the air is to concentrated. I use a Champion blower, and it will shoot little pieces of red hot coal out of the fire and onto my hand, at a high rate of speed. A compressor would be even worse, I think. You could try it but I would suggest turning it on from a safe distance so if it turns into a volcano you want be what the lava lands on! :mad: That's my thoughts on the matter!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I wouldn't give more than $35.00 for it. Working on stuff like that can get frustrating, although it is fun too. I got a blower/forge set, for $150.00. The blower worked great, but the forge was all buggered up. I had to cut 1/2 to 3/4 inches of steel out of the bottom to weld a firepot on. I took a lot of work, and probably wasn't worth $50.00 to start with. It took 6 months to get it working, with $50.00 of materials.
It all depends on how much time you have to work with stuff like that.
Your call! Good luck!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

What number is that blower? One of mine is a # 40, and it loooks like that one. The only difference is the stand; mine has a solid stand. Looks good!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Since your just starting out I would say wait on the candle holder and vine. I have been forging for a year, and I am just getting were I can venture out on stuff like that and feel confident.
Figure the leaf out first!
This is how I do it: 3/8 inch round or square, (I prefere round) neck it down about 1 inch from the end, (Necking is thining the steel down in the middle of a rod. Look in a mirror, and make the piece of steel look like your neck!) take the 1 inch you have on the end and do a steep taper, flatten the 1 inch of steel on the end, (keeping a good point on the end: You can use the chisel side of the cros peen hammer to pull extra steel out to the edges.) smooth the marks of the cross peen out. At this point you want a small spear head looking thing on the end. Take your cross peen and make marks in it, making it look like a cedar tree with the branches turned up toward the top. Turn the leaf upside down, and hammer it with the ball peen on a stump. As you hammer the hot steel will burn a whole in the stump, this makes it have a 3D look. In the above video where the guy is thining the leaf out; that is when you use the peen to pull it out farther. Makes a fatter leaf! Sounds complicated, but play around with it. Except for a few tips I taught myself how to make leaves. Now I make leaf neclaces and leaf hooks. I do fire pokers with the twisted vine look. Remember, practice makes perfect!
Good luck!
I'll try to post a picture of my leaves in a day or two.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I bought a good cross peen from Lowes or Home Depo. It is 2 and 1/2 lbs.

What the heck are electric tape and plastic posts with solar powered chargers used for? Kidsmith, I may still be interested in your blower if you can let me know when you'll be in GA.

RBrown, let me know what engines you have that meet the criteria I listed at the beginning. An hour or two north of Atlanta is no problem for me if the price is right.

Hey! I answered you the "cp." Let me know if you got it. I did not know if it sent.

Since you got another mower does that mean you can spend the money on the forge? Do you have a pair of clippers? Those work well as long as they are sharp! Check into what "Philip in China" said. We do animals on a rotational grazing. That keeps the yard clean and stink free! (Our pigs don't even stink!) Lowes sells electric tape and plastic posts with solar powered chargers. They work great! If you have any questions about how to do it, you can mail me on the "user cp."

The Kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Shoot, I get excited when I locate my rag or chisel. What I wouldn't give to find my hardy. I think you are just trying to make us jealous. Just so you know, it worked!

The envious kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Hey, that blower on the right in the first picture is exactly identical to my first blower. I had to fix mine up some, but it works great. I would try to buy one blower and the anvil, but if you can only get one, go with the anvil. Also, if you plan on doing any demonstrations, get a smaller blower. That blower weighs about 80 lbs. and is a pain to carry around.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer
CHECK YOUR USER CP!

Get in touch with Steveh. He may have a handle on some anvils. I know he has a couple of hammers (big hammers) looking for a good home.

Sounds expensive to me. How much do they weigh? I gave a little under $2.00 a pound for mine. (Mines an 85 lb.) It would probably be cheaper to get it shipped than to drive. (If you do get the one in Tennessee you could come see me!) They both look good to me though! I wouldn't give anything over $2.00 a lb., so you might need to weight around for while. Just keep a sharp eye out, and you will find the one that has your name on it.

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

The only thing I can think of is Ebay. If you take your time you might be able to get one for a good price.
Good luck!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I agree with "nett!" Also, any fire pot you get, whether a $5.00 brake drum or a $120.00 real deal, is going to basically be a "heavy chunk of steel".
I have sold about $300.00 worth of products made in my brake drum forge. In addition, my "real deal" forge weighs more than my brake drum rig. Don't shun the brake drum, like "nett" said, it will fit in your sheet without welding. Sometimes you have to just get by until you can save enough money (or in my case, get a really good price on a forge) to buy or build your own "real deal" "big time" forge. Good luck and stick with it!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I am fifteen and I have been smithing for about a year and a half. I suggest a book called "The Blacksmith Primer." It's the only book I have read on smithing. It takes you from A-Z, and it is very amusing. I recommend a brake drum forge as well. I used mine for a little over a year, and it is still serviceable. The book I mentioned shows you how to build one. As far as anvils go, I agree with "tetnum." I used railroad track for a while. You can also try a junkyard and see if they have a rather large hunk of steel laying around somewhere. Tongs, well, I went for about a year and a couple of months before I got my first pair of tongs. (not to discourage you, I was just too stupid to try to build my own) I suggest you get some vicegrips and weld some angle iron on the mouth. Even if you have to pay to get it welded, it WILL be worth it. It might seem like a lot of equipment at first (believe me, sometimes I would want to quit because I thought I would never get the stuff I needed,) but stick with it, be patient, and you will succeed!!!
Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, and one more!
Oh! You're not the only one on the forum that can't spell very good. That is my weakest subject, and my Mom proof reads my posts before they go up.
Take no offense from "frosty;" ALL true gentlemen should be able to laugh at themselves sometimes! His time will come, just watch for your opportunity!
The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I don't think I am going to do the fair. #1 I don't have $200 to gamble with.#2 there are other events in the area. I called about one and it is only $35 for a10x15 space. (three days, Plus I get to watch the Jessie James gang rob the bank of Columbia:)) Also, I have a couple of Civil War reenactments that I am going to do and they are real cheap. (I do Civil War reenacting as a hobbie, and so I do blacksmithing at them as well.) I guess I am just to much of a coward!
Thanks for the input though!
The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Alright, I am thinking about going to our local fair and setting up my forge. The county we live in has about 17,500 people in it. The booth space is $200 (for six 6-hour days.) Can anybody tell me if I am likely to come out? I have done demos before where I made $120 in about 3 hours. Then again I have been to demos where I made $25 all day. (That might have been because my stuff was displayed next to a professional's $75 letter opener:(.) Let me know! Thanks!

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

I'd go with anvil number two. Mine has that weld line and a quiet ring to it. I like a post vice. It gives me more room to move around and twist long pieces if steel.
Word of advice! Don't paint your anvil or vice. I tried to do that with heat resistant paint, but, of course, it burned it off admediately. That made the anvil service slippery and smokey.
Good luck!
The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

What is the difference between green coal and just plain coal?

I have some big chunk coal right now. It burns great and clean. I have some coke too, but I don't ever worry about using one or the other. Sometimes I start with coal, and sometimes I start with coke, and sometimes I start with both. Does that mean I don't know what I am doing?
The kidsmith,
Dave Custer

Mine sill lacks the upright post, the beams, and the roof. Other than that it is plenty big enough!
I have 60 acres of shop space. (Some of it is steep bluffs so I actualy have a little less than 60 acres.)

The kidsmith,
Dave Custer