coltpax

I like to try something new, or spend about an hour just messing around with hot metal instead of trying to make something specific. I know that I got burned out about a year and a half ago, then I met a fellow smith near me that helped me get started up again,and then I also got my gasser, so now its alot easier than coal. Thats one thing that burned me out was waiting an hour to get a coal fire going, then waiting another hour afterwards for it to go out. But I have a tendency to stop smithing for a week or so because I get a little angry at some of my improvised equipment (handheld belt sander stuck in a vice), but i'll eventually have to start something and I'll get out to the forge.

I might see about ordering ne from kayne & son. It says its cast ductile iron like the ones off of ebay. I reckon when I get it, I'll post back here saying how it does.

Anyone know a place that sells a decent tomahawk drift? Looked on ebay and they had cast drifts, but not sure the quality of those tools. Thanks for any help, Coltpax

I was thinking about pieces of rubber from a horse stall mat to use on a skinner so it will be non slip and easy to get a grip on when wet. I have looked through those books that come out every year with pictures and descriptions of knives. I have also been to a gun and knife show, but they only sold cheap pakistani knives. The fanciest material I have ever used is supelia, which is an african mahogany with a thick, rich blood red color. Looks a bit like blood wood.

As with what ramsberg said, I was told in my psychology class that sound is the sense that brings back the most memories or something like that.

Yea, I've been forging knives for quite a while, and I havent done much in the handle department. I've used oak, supelia, mahogany, and antler, and I was wondering what you other guys like to use for handles on your bladed utensils.

I kind of wish I could have got my funny dance on video. Dropped a piece of red hot 3/16 by 2 in. metal in my shoe. Of course, I was being lazy that day and decided sneakers and shorts would be fine. Got a real nice, pretty scar on my left foot now. Its a nice shade of pink. But yea, you sort of grow immune to scale burns. I wonder if you could do a scale "vaccination" or something by getting alot of scale burns on your first or second day blacksmithing? I think they should start a new section in the photo gallery called "Blacksmithing Scars".

Very nice. every time i have tried a file knife, i dont get the pattern in the knife, or atleast a pattern that pretty.

I also have a diamond back, and i consider it a good deal for what i payed. Good for the long stuff, and it can forge weld. The opening is also good for bladesmithing once you have to do larger blades.

My parents check on me if they dont hear any loud noises (hammering, grinding). Other then that, all i have is a triangle I made (better then nothing), an air horn off an old freightliner, and a cell phone. But my neighbors wont come check on me, their used to me being noisy.

my dad works at freightliner, and i got an old pair of his SS framed glasses. those things are nice.

try anvilfire.com's glossary. couldnt get the link for some odd reason, but it would be good if you need to look up specific words.

i think there was a thread or something on this site that was kind of like a blacksmith dictionary. Or i might have read it somewhere else. if i find it, i'll post a link.

i built a wooden stand for mine (I need to post some pics on here) and my little HF ASO dont ring as bad as it did before. I dont know why, but it rang more than my other one.

i use Metal glo (i think thats what it is) on my knives. Cleans them up nice, and helps against rust, but its a pain when you clean off the extra paste off the knife. It feels as if you mix toothpaste with sand.

Never had anything big fly away without me getting mad and throwing it. But i have beed using one of them cheap HF hammers, and when i accidentaly hit the edge of the hammer against the channel locks i was using for tongs, the chip hit my arm and cut it. wasnt nothing bad though.

nice. those bear paws are awesome.

The only coating i put on my knives is remoil. I polish them with the buffer, then spray them with remoil. when you go to use it as a eating utensil, clean it up and you'll be fine.

have two on one post, one on top of the other. Fill the top one with concrete. It would seem to be harder to hit the bottom one, and the top one should give them a nice surprise. Or you could weld one out of quarter inch plate and mount it one a 1 in. steel pipe in a foot of concrete. That would probably work too. Or you could make one that looks like a rose (which would look kind of cool) and have the thorns on it incase it gets ran over, it rips up the car.

looks good for a first knife. If you use a normal file instead of the triangle ones, it will be much easier i think.

I/ve had a couple burns, but never been to the hospital/doctor for them. I have two tied for my worst though. Recently, i was working on a piece of .5 in. bar stock, and dropped it into my shoe after pulling it out of the forge. Big burn on my left foot, left a nice scar though. My other was just when i started blacksmithing, pulled away a piece of metal, and had red coal fall out of the tongs. Stupid me, not thinking, went to catch it between the anvil stand with my leg. About 5mm deep and 3 in. square.

Two part, five minute epoxy at walmarts for $2 will work. Heat it up a little with a hair dryer b4 u use it tho.

cool. Ill try the wooden rod method. Thx

thats it exactly. how do you do that? Or is it an ancient chinese secret and if you told me you would have to kill me?

I saw a knife at a recent campout that had swirls in the blades finish. You could feel no difference in the texture though. They looked about 1/2 in diameter. Any1 know what these are called and how to make them?