Gergely

Hey, That knife looks pretty much like a Marttiini filleting knife from Finland. - I may be wrong though...

Hehe! It's the era "right now" around here! The farrier in the next village still makes all horseshoes from scratch (or 25x8mm mild stock). Anyways your swageblock looks pretty awesome and unique! Congratulations! Bests: Gergely

Moi Jackhammer, on aina mukava tavata suomalaisia tällä kansainvälisellä forumilla! Hyvä kun käyt täällä! Well as far as making big choices let me put it this way: If I were 26 again and I'd know for sure what would make me happy for an occupation AND I'd have an accessible learning opportunity AND I'd have no special responsibilties in my way to do what I want AND I'd have good backup job skills - I'd wait not a second. BUT: I have no clear picture about your actual situation so it's all you who has to make the choice. Although blacksmithing and dreaming about doing blacksmithing can be pretty different. (Been there done that: 8 hours per day in the chair while my workshop waited for me.) You told us you were about 10 times in a smithy - how did it go? Did you get to do some actual work there? Have you work a dayshift in the shop? Or two days in a row? - I'm asking this only to have you understand: while having a dream is one of the best things, you must focus on staying on the earth, too. At the end of my rant I must say, my experience has shown that Finnish people are the kind that makes their choices after thinking it through well. It's a streotype of course but it might be true. So I'm sure that either way you choose you'll do the good choice. Tsemppiä! Bests: Gergely PS: You can write me PM in finnish anytime. I'd be very happy to use that language here "behind the bear's back" (I meant where I live not this forum ).

I just noticed this thread! Ian so glad to hear you are better now! I wish you all the strength while recovering, be well soon! Gergely

Awesome work, guys and gals! Some of mines are here

"I time almost everything I do and I work in lots, 5 of this, 20 of that. Before I started keeping track, I under priced a lot of stuff. It's appears to be a universal trait of craftsmen, we think we're pricing well, but we consistently under estimate how long something takes to make." - Gerald Boggs A very wise advice for every blacksmith new on the pro line. Bests to all: Gergely

Cool work Paul! and as an African ironwork enthusiast I'm very glad to see a tanged axe here. Without trying to hijack your topic I'd share my interpretation of the same object. I aimed for a prestige weapon which has no actual military or utilitarian function, but is still sturdy enough to take some abuse. These kind of artifacts were not uncommon in the Central-African area, the ironwork of which I like the best. Although my work is totally my own design and no replica of any existing one. (At least I think so.) I can't remember the actual measurements. It's about 1,5' long and the length of the head is around 8". The blade is car leaf spring forge welded to WI. The haft is mulberry root, extremly lightweight and surprisingly sturdy. The wiring is copper and did not went as well as I hoped. It has no stabilizing role, the burnt in tang holds quite well. (Done some testing ) Bests to all of you: Gergely

Thanks Uncle Frost. And as for learning: I'm marshing right away to the shop before it gets above 100 degrees temp. Bests: Gergely

Oops! I didn't know these. Looks like I'm the one who needs to read about the basics. Shutting up now and trying to learn...

Hello Cevat and welcome to IFI! I think you need to read a bit about the basics. There are some problematic issues in your post: - what do you want to achieve by heat treating? - 1018 won't benefit from any heat treatment process, as it has too low carbon content (except the final normalizing after all the hammering is done on it) - why would be manganese sulfide in your steel as inclusion? - what would cold rolling do as an alternative method to heat treatment? May I suggest that you just tell us what do you want to do, as simply as you can describe it. And also try the search function on this site, there are many answers around here. Bests to you: Gergely

Hi Anthony, You had real good luck with missing the other and buying this one. JEB is the second most common anvil around here, so I have seen a few. They all look like the one you haven't got. But the other with those wide church windows.... It's surely a rarity and as far as I know way more older design. (I have no proof on this argument but some tendencies show in that way.) If I may suggest don't "repair" her, just some oiling and use will do her fine, and that way you can conserve its original state. Congratulations and happy hammering! Gergely

Hi Dave! If you still have the pictures of your bench would you please post them again. I'm in the planning of my own and really would like to see yours. Thank you for your efforts! Bests: Gergely

Hi, I wanted to open a thread for these but these pict fit here pretty good. I am a total dummy in welding. I've been begging people to teach me the very basics of SMAW welding but everyone answered: It's so simple just practice it. I got really frustrated and last Thursday I took my father-in-laws welder machine and a box of rods and got to it. I needed some dishing tools to use and very quickly so I tried to do it. For sure's sake first I tried to weld a 6mm rod to flat piece and after I couldn't break it off from the flat piece I moved to "real" projects. Made these: Big dishing tool from 160 mm pipe. Used it next day so succesful welding here Small dishing tool, still in one piece Bender anvil tool, failed on this one: broke on the first bend And this "corner shaper" anvil tool, I've no faith in this one, but it's still intact: The last two has a 1" chanel shank welded to a piece of sheet metal and the business parts onto that. No welding here, but this is just so pretty and useful. found in the scrapyard and grinded out the shank - I do have big faith in this one Bests: Gergely

Real nice anvil. Take your time, don't hurry - the family is more important and you will get the time polish this babe shiny with only hammering glowing steel on it. Don't mind the rust - I read it somewhere here: it's only for conservation. Happy hammering: Gergely

Hi GMU, My personal favorite is Harries - Heer: Basic Blacksmithing, An introduction to toolmaking with locally available materials. You can find it as pdf and as real book, too. Best of luck with your mission! Gergely

Yepp, it was jammed again. Last post was on page 169 but somehow it looked like it would be on p. 170. And that page didn't exist. Anyways, todays score was a couple big leaf springs, nothing special... Bests Gergely

Just trying to do what Iron Dwarf did last time.

Thank you, guys! Now I know Bests: Gergely

Hi, Cool little skink you got there, Arkie. Could someone just tell me what does stringers mean - I googled it and looked in dictionary but still don't get it. Though I see the second picture and I have some ideas but still... So thank you, guys, if you can tell. Bests Gergely

​ I totally understand the story. Guess how I know that big stock is not for begginners. I knew zilch about blacksmithing, I haven't even got usable coal in my forge, because I haven't found its source yet, no experience on metalworking at all whatsoever. Yet I wanted to shape 80 x 14 mm leafspring stock into a certain African axe. It was educational, I can tell. But you know what, two years later I'm going to shape 34 mm thick truck spring stock and an other ~25 mm thick truck spring stock, and it may be succesful. I have a striker coming to hit with the 5 and 8 kg sledges, I have done my prework in the last 5-6 days and still doing it. I made tools for this project, and my fire is going to bite (I hope so). So nevermind, mistakes are to learn from them. And you really never know what you're gonna use that big bar. But sometimes it just gonna be needed. So happy hammering! Gergely

Hi Stephen, I really don't mean to teach or preach but if you are a beginner at blacksmithing it could be enough to pound on 6-25 mm dia stocks. That 45 mm square bright stuff you mention there can be a real joy killer if you don't have the basic skills (and environment) required to heat stock that large. Even if it's mild steel. You can do so much from 10x10 or 12x12 mm stock and while you do it you will learn the how-to-s for bigger stuff. And if you need something like a cut-off hardy you can always find out something. I really liked and marvelled Th. Powers' idea about welding a piece of angle iron on a shank (ie. piece of chanel) and grinding it sharp - It's totally usable and simple. I myself use a hardy made from a pick axe head - it's not a beauty but works like a charm. Just my 2 pennies here. Bests Gergely

Maybe someone a little closer can help you more but have you checked this: http://www.ibiblio.org/nc-abana/ For starting info check the stickies here in IFI in the Blacksmithing section Hey and welcome, glad to have you here! Happy hammering! Gergely

I'm glad the 'repfile' has found its way to spread . And guess what I found yesterday at the scrapyard? I didn't test it yet but if it's not usable anymore it will be on the to do list shortly! Thanks Aus - again - for inspiration. Gergely

Hi Aus, I really like the texture and the idea using old file or rasp (is it a rasp?) for imitating reptile skin. Or could you call it repfile skin? As you mentioned the legs are a bit iffy proportion-wise. Well, and I'm glad we can see your works again. Be well Gergely

You fixed it! It's a relief... So... Have I already bragged about that they threw an almost complete set of old wagon iron parts at me. For free ! With some extra parts: ie. 8 wheels, but only the flat steel tyres no wooden elements. I have to go through the whole lot and select pieces that can be used for revitalization. I took a small sample piece and it forged so smoothly. It's not WI but a very soft, old MS. It's a shame that people let these old wagons and buggies rot for decades. They are pretty common find around here in the scrap yards. Oopsie no pics, sorry. But still in enthusiastic mood from being able to see this topic right! Gergely