Mr Smith

I reckon a fruit bowl made with rings and copper wire would be awesomeness personified! Consider that idea well and truly stolen! :)

Okay... this is getting kinda technical, perhaps more technical than it needs to be, but how about a circular form that can be expanded or contracted somehow? Or, how about a "vase" shaped form that can be broken down within the vase and pulled out bit by bit? Perhaps a good idea for a blueprint...

The wash basin would be easy enough, and the teapot may need several parts but I would suggest you braze the gaps shut, for obvious reasons. For vases, etc, or any other container where there is only a single vessel, it's all the same, except that you may need a form to work around. The original bowl works, because the coil you laid down on the previous turn gives you something to bend the free end against. Bear in mind, though, that that double bowl took up three metres (10ft to you guys) of rod. Any more and someone's gonna lose an eye! :)

I bought ten of them six months ago, and I can recommend them wholeheartedly. The quality is not professional, but the ones I bought ran at six hours apiece, so I'm not complaining.

Nice idea, Frank! Here's some photos I was looking for when I posted the original... this will give you an idea of what else can be done. I think the first group were made from 8mm and 6mm rod. The second were made from thin rebar, approx 5mm. Anyway, enjoy, and thanks for the interest!

G'day all! Here's two options... Firstly, if you know someone with a lathe, you can knock out a small mandrel from a piece of axle. I have one in the pipeline made from truck axle, cut to about 350mm long and 40mm wide. Weld a shank on, an you're good to go. There's another way of doing it, which is better for the larger rings, where you weld a mandrel up out of heavy plate and spare 10mm rod. We have one down the workshop, and I can take a couple photos next time I'm in. Anyway, hope this helps! Good luck!

Thanks for the info and comments, guys. I have a couple smaller drawknives that I'll be finishing in the new year. I'll post photos then!

Guys, seriously, did you think for a minute that we'd lose?? :)

Yeah... 1/8th... wind down the amperage a bit. Either that. or switch to MIG. Argon is a noble, or unreactive gas. That is the reason why it is used as a shielding gas. It displaces oxygen. As for moongone gas, I have no idea. Can any moon men help us out? :)

Nice to see you back, Cap'n.

Man, I am so totally biting my tongue over the phrase "family snake". You guys owe me one. :)

I've heard it is good for making damascus, when combined with bandsaw blades. If you think, it is supposed to hold a pallet of bricks together, so it's gotta be fairly high carbon...

What dimensions?? Flat bar - make a knife Octagonal / round - make a chisel Let us know!!

A friend of mine came from Sweden. He said all cars there have to pass a "Moose test". As someone who has hit a kangaroo, I can't say I envy them :)

Rich, It is a thing of beauty. Please keep the knives and associated photos coming. Btw, I hear that the white-tail deer is the second most dangerous animal, after man - due to the automobile accidents. Any comments?

Paulo! That is awesome. Please keep the pictures coming!!

Man, I almost swore out loud when I read he'd been using them as hammers!!! Apparently, if your local harware store does not carry something, that makes it rare and vintage. Judging by his prices, I reckon he's a government contractor! I think this item says it all.... from the same seller, naturally ;-) eBay: STRANGE ROCK W/ EMBEDDED APPARENT ELECTRONIC PART (item 200050237954 end time Nov-28-06 09:47:29 PST)

Will do, Canman. I figure, if anything happens where he is, we'll all need some prayers :-)

Olive oil. I clean the utensil in vinegar, to remove scale. Then I chuck on a coat of oil, put it in the oven, and let it heat until the oil burns off. Three coats oughtta do it. Apply it sparingly, and it goes a nice nut-brown colour.

G'day Drogo! Welcome aboard! Looking forward to seeing some pictures of your work!

Sam - It won't necessarily *cause* cracking by itself, but it'll give it somewhere to crack along. Sorta like the perforations in a cracker-type biscuit.

G'day! IIRC, there's a blacksmithing group in the States makes these. I've seen 'em in the back of one of the smithing newsletters. Nice find!

IForgeIron Blueprints Copyright 2002 - 2011 IFORGEIRON, All rights reserved BP0378 Horse Shoe Nail - Spoon Making Jig by Mr Smith of Oz Start by making the tool to do the work. The whole thing is or can be made from one piece of flat bar, except for the hinge, bearing and hardy shank. (Ours is roughly 20mm x 6mm). Weld (as indicated by red) carefully so as not to have the weld damage the edges of the hardy hole. Weld (as indicated by red) The "business end" is where you'll have the most trouble. You weld in a ball bearing, or substitute a nut and bolt, then round off the bolt head." Once you have the upper part taken care of, heat the bottom part and hammer the top part down creating a DIMPLE or impression. TA DA...you have just created a miniature top and bottom swage tool!! The whole upper should be balanced, so that when it is lifted up it will stay up. Take a #7 horse shoe nail and flatten the head as shown. Pop it into the horse shoe nail - spoon making jig and give it a couple of whacks. Heat the handle end, twist it and form a hook or scroll, or whatever. Sell them off for $1-$2 apiece (gold coin donation). With enough demand, two smiths working together can make good scratch (money) with one of these. Add a business card sized blurb about how lucky these are, and how they are medieval-authentic they could be. View full article

G'day! Let us know which part of the country you hail from, and we'll get you in touch with your local smithing group. As for welding, TAFE runs (or used to run) a part-time welding class, aimed at the handyman or hobbyist. They run through all the various welding methods and techniques. It's not a bad start, and hey - it worked for me! What ever you decide to do, this is a pretty friendly site, full of useful info. Enjoy!

It might be the quench, but it might also be the temperature you worked it at. High carbon steels generally can only be worked between an orange and yellow heat. Too hot or not hot enough, and it's gonna break. Secondly, recycled springs can also have tiny cracks in them. This is a long shot, but that might also be a reason. Without having been there, I can't say for sure!