Rob Browne

Welcome to IFI Evil One from Down Under :)

Welcome to the site Jeff. Look forward to your input and a look at some of your work. Cheers

Don't get it over orange/red and it will work. Its going to be LOTS of work but a great learning experience.

Make sure its first heat is in the open without you around!! Even if its "only" paint the fumes form that stuff are not nice that is one of the reasons why firemen wear CABA.

G'day Derek, Looks like you are on the slippery downhill slope, but take heart, its fun. A couple of answers, the anvil can be anything heavy with a relatively flat top eg. a bit of railroad track or scrap iron. The tools to start with a basic hammer from the hardware, a pair of large pliers for tongs and a basic forge with a hairdryer. With that little lot you can make your tools and get lots of practice on the way. Read the Getting Started/Lessons in Metalworking articles then the Blueprints and practice, practice, practice. Remember to enjoy it though :)

Welcome to IFI Peter Start with the Getting Started articles then the Blueprints alongside trawling through the different forums and practice, practice, practice. Welcome aboard

Welcome to IFI Lots of info here to help you on your way to your goals. I envy you your blacksmith shop. Fancy having one to start with!!

Welcome to the site from Down Under Plenty to help you here...... just ask.

Welcome to the site. Lots of ideas here and look forward to your input with your experience.

Welcome to IFI Pat. Maintaining old farm equipment is a great project and you will get lots of help from the members if you need it. How about some photos??

Shorts - sometimes but sandals - never!!

I can remember the blacksmith shop as we called it on the family farm still in use when I was MUCH younger. I used to hang around because I could get real dirty and not get in trouble and it kind of rubbed off. We did basic farm maintenance then the arc welder kind of killed it off so I used it to shoe horses and bit n pieces. In the past few years my boys have become more interested so its back up there again. Besides you can play with fire and hit things and get away with it......perfect :)

Nice one Rob - looks like you've got everything set up nicely. I can see now why you need a steady supply of coal !!! Cya soon Steve

Suppose you could temper the whole blank in an oven but then you would have to be MIGHTY careful to grind slowly with water cooling to keep the temper. then you would have the problem of a hard tang that often needs to be drilled......... Interesting question though.

Welcome to IFI Greaser, plenty of info here to keep you busy :)

How would the person who is tempering the blank know where the final edge is going to be so the tempered section is along the final blade and not ground away?

For their size they move a surprising amount of air BUT they are volume fans not pressure fans so they will not push through a constricted area.

Dangerous territory there son!!

Lot to be said for hand crankers :)

Great site for getting your skills up and keeping enthused. Welcome to IFI from Down Under.

Welcome to the site. People from all over the world communicate via this forum on smithing, that is its power, you are never really isolated in your hobby.

Welcome to IFI Ken, lots of ideas on this site to keep you busy for quite a while.

Welcome to the site youngster :)

The canvas is a great idea and, yes, plywood would work very well for the timber bits. Sounds like a great project.

Today we had another go at knife making. My youngest son ((yrs) was my offsider and we worked on another primitive knife. This one with a smaller blade and a double twist in the handle. He is very proud of himself and is going to give it to his mother. He was my number one "helper" and got in a few "well" placed hits that changed things a bit but overall its a great effort and he learned lots. :D