Jan

Hi, my basic method of finding out is that I would drop(or throw) any bar to concrete floor(even repeatedly)-it rings.Basically,higher sound means higher content of additives.Next step is spark test.Out there are many books on this subject,as you know it needs bit of practice,but don't worry it takes not sooooo long time to learn it.:)

I was very satisfied with one particular brand,but I'm not sure,if it is available in your area.It's called Sif-flux and contains bronze or copper particles.The color of this powder is pinky. If you'll happy with shaping copper bits and pieces,move on next level and try mokume-gane.Good luck

I just hope you rounded shoulders well,otherwise its big stress point,not to mention proper annealing before heat treating.Anyway,good luck!

I'm Jan,thats 3 and Vana,thats 4 together it is 7,lucky number.But I'm always not so lucky,and hiding behind funny numbers and silly names is not much of my style-I mean truth is truth and no one can change it.

My nomen is not so important,but I think that this sorta ,,addiction'' is linked more to who we are,not to mention our thumbs.Being upright walking humans with long history of creating things through millennia is definitively engaging.Let's keep fire burning,my friends.:cool:

Hello junior, go to the right top of the page ,click on User CP and fill in your coordinates(location). You never know,which smith lives in your area and gonna help you with your quest. Cheers Jan

Hefaiston is international blacksmith meeting in Czech Republic,EU. Is one of the oldest and biggest in the world,annually visited by some 600 smiths and around 10 000 visitors of general public.Always happens last week in August. raj?e.net | m

Thomas put it straight,and I have to agree with him.Check on African smiths on You Tube;anything can be used for anvil,if you REALY want to forge.

If is it really small,it can be geologist's hammer.Check in ,,Shawshank Redemption''.

A few years back,I have met Bill Epps who told me about certain alternative of this=>propane x compressor burner set.Does know anyone of you gentlemen something about this set up?

As for MIG, my best experience was heavy Tweco gun on at least 200 amp machine.

Author:Jakob Heinrich von Hefner-Alteneck Seller:amazon.com Price:$11.21 +shipping fees First in print:1903 Ever wondered what medieval knight wore for battlegear? Then perhaps this is book for you,definitely for me. This study is full of precise drawings of nightly tombstones,cos them knights were portrayed in full bodyarmor when buried,some with quite meticulous detail.Other aspect is that this work was completed over 100years ago and many of these tombs were situated in the churches and some just didn't survive rampages of two Big Wars.Although not every info in this book is up to date,a few things completely wrong,this print is must for medieval nut. PS-Amazon sells also his other book Decorative Ironwork of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance-but I don't have this one in my library=no review.

To me it looks like some sort of rash or maybe microscopic chip of material. I have had quite a few in my hands over them years,some dissolved,some not. When inserted in skin some hurt like hell for some time and others weirdly enough no. Some acupuncturic crossings?Dunno...did anyone suggest aloe vera?

If I can recall what is piece of my childhood memory...I had cross of flat(cca 50x6x500mm) with pigtail hook in middle(8mm round) bolted in 8 points all way through ceiling.Rest was chains.

Next thing for filler:if you gonna stuck wooden beam into box section,you will need less shot(s).And noise goes down.

Haha!Mr.Hofi knows what he is talking about=>so called Czech hammer doesn't exist and I know that 'cos I'm Czech Or...any hammer in this country should be called CZ hammer,no?

Well...you did ask for it... Tool,Hard Response,anything from Mike Patton,Apartment 26,Assassins of God(hehe),Brujeria,Ephel Duath,Helmet,Kyuss,Machine Head,!Ministry!,Nailbomb,Opeth,Pitchshifter,NoMeansNo,Richard Cheese,Sick Of It All,Slipknot,Mars Volta,Unsane,Victim's Family,Voivod,Zeni Geva and that's tip of my scary iceberg,there is much more on my N95 and around house. It has to be fast,slow music makes me sleepy.

Author:Georgius Agricola First published:1557 Pages:673;289 woodcuts Freely available at:De Re Metallica by Georg Agricola -- Mining in Renaissance mining Page 1 No,this is definitely NOT about that band...but it's heavy stuff. This piece is for hardened bookworms only,not just because of its size,also language can prove difficult for modern reader.However,it was first translated to English by former US president Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou,around 1912. Book itself lists mining,refining and smelting,how it was done some 500 years ago. De Re Metallica since then,for next 200 years proved to be main source of info for these industries.

Author:Ewart Oakeshott ISBN:0-85115-566-9 Published by:The Boydel Press,PO Box 41026,Rochester NY 14604-4126 This one is MUST for anyone interested in European swords-I mean in originals,types of them and their families.There was lot of nonsense writen in last cca 150years on that subject and this author is trying to put some of that bulsh straight. He used to be a collector,not smith which is maybe even more interesting. There are more books by him,mostly about this knightly subject and mediaeval times.

Hi,do you have any pics of that instrument?Or even pdf file?Sounds interesting enough...I would try porcelain chips for that forge,to keep heat in similar setting as coal forge,it heats up quite fast,especially when burner is on bottom.I was using them yokes a lot even with my propane powered forges,where burners are blasting from the top and it seved lot of gas.

Interestin' vid,but....to me it seems there isn't much power in it. But I am bit spoiled by real stuff,which can destroy your piece in nanoseconds;MA,AJAX,Massey,Kuhn,etc. To be honest,I have never seen compressor powered hammer fast enough and strong enough-there must be at least 225hits per min of considerable power,so staff can finish their piece in one heat. And technique is must,during that speed fella must be able to turn material between hits to save time and cash.

Hahahaha man! You remind me myself a few years ago,i wanted to cast some aluminum swage... So i broke up some old gearbox to chips with my crushing hammer and filled up my biggest casting spoon,it was about 8 pounds of raw material. Point is,it WASN'T aluminum at all but magnesium.It took me about 2 hours and pile of sand to persuade it to stop burning.And IT burned like living xxxx, man.So don't do it or you gonna pay for red truck... PS,i didn't neighbor wasn't keen to call them.

Hi Vic, there is another material,which came from French spaceprogam(i think) and is called Sibral-my gas forges are full of it,it`s perfect insulation,lightweight and they are selling it in sheets,it looks kinda like cotton.