NateDJ

The hatchet pictured is a roofing hatchet used for nailing shingles to a roof. The v-notch is for pulling bent nails. It may also have other purposes but I think you can even still buy them form the builders supply stores here in the US.

Try a wire supplier, they usually carry wire in these sizes and it would be much cheaper than special ordering I would think.

Thanks for the comments! I do hunt, but the knife will be a Christmas present for my lil brother should make a good hunting knife though. I was going for a ''barbaric'' / old Indian knife look and those who have seen it suggest that it looks like one of those two so I guess I have gotten my 'point' across ;)

LOL no but that should defiantly turn some heads! Very nice work! You have the rest of the costume to go with it?

I am using an old hot water heater that I cut the top and bottom off of. Cut a hole in the side and welded it to the forge table and it does the job.

According to the guy in the video it was brass, I have no idea how well it works but it seemed to do ok in the video.

LOL I would lay awake trying to envision exactly what the smith was making just by the sounds... Now that sounds like he is drawing it out... now maybe bending it over?... that sounds kinda like he is hitting it from the end!!!`~!!@~111 HE is making a hook! ... no wait a sec what is he doing now? ... etc all night! Sounds like a great exercise though!

No way I'm going to use the hat, I am looking for some leather like it though.

Well everyone else is doing it so here goes... The boys were wanting to make a knife for my brother for Christmas so this is what we came up with. ~8'' long 5160 and roughed up a bit for that forged / old iron / antique look. Handel made from nylon wrapped 2x and then polished using a buffing wheel and julers rouge until the nylon started to harden real well, kinda has a plastic handle feel but the rope doesn't move any. Anyone have any idea what you would call this type of knife, except homemade, I have that part already? The pictures are with my hat because the colors came out the same and I thought it fit the style. :rolleyes:

the 2.5 in flare is WAY too big! The one I use is a 1'' pipe hammered over the 3/4'' pipe and then drifted out flare shape on the horn of my anvil. It is about 2-3'' long from the tip of the 3/4'' burner pipe.

Cube twist: Take a square bar, for this example we will use a 1/2'' X 4'' square A36 steel bar. Place it is a vice so that it is laying flat and the top edge is about flat with the jaws of the vice. Take a die grinder ($9.00 at harbor freight this weak only ) and a cutoff wheel and cut a 3 1/2'' groove centered in the bar face. This should be centered both directions and about 1/16'' deep. Rotate the bar 1/4 turn and repeat the cut on all 4 sides. This cut can obviously be made with any device (chisel if you want) your imagination can conjure however this is what I use Once all 4 sides are cut make sure the cut is in as close to the same start and end point on all 4 sides use a hacksaw / band saw / very thin bladed cutting device and pick a side corner of the bar. Make some cuts perpendicular to the bar so that the first one is starting at the beginning of the groove and is cut on the edge so that it will end by the blade resting in the groove on 2 sides of the corner. Space the cuts so that the length of steel between the cuts is about = to the sides between the groove and the corner of the bar and continue cutting until you reach the opposite end of the groove. Now rotate the bar until the same cuts can be made in the corner exactly opposite the first one, leaving an untouched edge between the 2 cut edges. Once your cuts are made on heat the piece and twist it till you are happy with the looks of the bar. As you twist the bar, the squares will seem to pop out a bit and different twist will create different results.

Yep welcome to IFI. What is this about reading the instructions BEFORE you start? Hmmm.... What an interesting concept! I'll have to give it a try next time (if I remember) ;)

Ah, I see, and I agree. I would love to be able to travel to other sates for the meetings but being centrally located makes that a 2 day trip to anywhere.

A galvanized shed should be just fine, as long as you are not heating the walls up enough to get them smoking. You also do not want to be grinding / sanding on the walls as that will cause the metals to become airborne as well.

JAFO does the side of the ammo can say ICE on it? or anything about breaking the glass? ... I think I should put together an emergency forging kit! could even carry a gal of coal in the quench bucket!

I find it helps to just have your hammer with you... usually has to be in close proximity but even if you can't hit anything with it at the time you all ways know you could if the need arose. ;)

Saltfork Craftsmen is the Oklahoma guild and is an excellent group of smiths. check out the newsletter and it will list all the meeting dates with the next one being on the 8th of November and in your area of the state.

Thanks for the comments, the kids are great fun! Thomas, I do have some on order, the older ones already wear them (most of the time) and the younger ones will be soon. Good note on the hammer to the forehead though! I will be watching out!

I believe you will find that militaries had them traveling with them. I have no documentation on that but I have heard it was so, perhaps the lil bird was misinformed but it may be a good place to start researching.