Gergely

Hi Redbeard, I'm a beginner myself so no wisdom here. But you never know, maybe it's worth something hearing about fresh experience. I first read some books about blacksmithing. My favorite is Basic Blacksmithing by David Harries and Bernhard Heer. Got some project ideas from it. http://www.bushcraftuk.com/downloads/pdf/blacksmithing.pdf Books can give some silver lining how to avoid bigger failures. Also safety readings are good too at first, ie. here in IFI. I don't know anything about propane forges - I saw you building one - but with a coal forge it was a first challenge to light up and maintain fire. And how to put the material in it, how does it get hot and when, what colors are there and how can I see them in my workshop. Then, as much as I am the same page with Mr. Powers about the useful projects I did some practicing with no results. Ie. I took a 10" rebar and hit it to square then tapered it. Took a 3/8" thick 2 by 4 leaf spring piece and tried to shape it one way and an other. It ended like a bow tie, but it was worth a shot. What I'm trying to say, it is necessary to gain experience and also enhance physical strength. - So no such thing as ineffective hammer blow in the beginning. Experiment with the materials you got. (Junkyard is a cheap option.) And all those projects mentioned before are certainly very good - only keep in mind that it's no harm if you can't somehow finish the job or it cracks or it takes so much time that it annoys your guts out. But dealing with hot iron is fun (oops, as Windancer said it :)) Best of luck, let the iron glow bright! Gergely

Happy Birthday! I wish you a good year with good health. And please keep sharing your 62 years of wisdom! Greetings: Gergely

Wow, I envy you so much... :) Those are beautiful pieces. G

Dogsoldat: Those look very interesting. Is it possible to hammer with something like those? Does your foot suppose to give the hitting force? I don't understand it. My projects in the notebook are these: 1. Tools to make: spring double-fuller (hardy hole tool); mild steel anvil-plate (hardy hole tool); couple of drifts and chisels; poor copy of Brian Brazeal's ultimate tongs. 2. Tools to repair, modify: cold cut hardie restauration, sledge hammer head repair and modification, 4# hammer head modification 3. Nice things to make: coat rack from scrap flat stock, I'm no artist in drawing, so I only hope you can see what I think: Bests Gergely

Don Shears, Sorry to hear about the waste. It's good you could save some good stuff though. If you could have some pictures I'd like it very much. Happy digging to everybody! Gergely

I hope this isn't considered off-topic: Hm, but it's kinda small. I think it weights about 700-800 g. And that 3/8" diameter round eye... Since last time I've found an ethnographic text about old hungarian cattlebell makers' work . There is this picture from the hammers were used to make metal sheets concave for smaller bells: I also found this, upper row, 3rd from the right: http://www.ebay.de/itm/KONVOLUT-ALTE-SCHMIEDEGESENKE-SETZSTOCKL-UND-HAMMER-FUR-AMBOSS-SCHMIED-GESENK-/301065415084?pt=Alte_Berufe&hash=item4618e5a9ac No conclusions, but the face of this hammer is very much rounded, so the "concave-maker" function sounds probable.

Thank you, Biggundoctor for the hint. Square punch has got a handle since last time, Tongs are tested and seemed nicely useful. I've just made a hot-cut hardie, so the pictured is going to be a cold-cut one. That hammerhead in the second picture from the right is still a mystery. And I've got this itchy feeling to visit the junkyard again... :huh:

Thank you Mr. Smoothbore for the info. I don't have any muzzel loading guns, so I have to wait until find out what can I do with these punches. But it's better to have a tool than to be without one. Nice buckets CLfarms! I still try to convince my friends that iron has nicer place with me as anywhere else :). Good digging day to all! Gergely

Thank you all for the kind words! Well actually I've been working on some other stuff where frustration arised bigtime ;) . Those are all half-done projects, nothing to show yet. Even with these was a difficult-to-handle part: after one heat when I was drawing the 0 stock, all the blows left hammermarks. All the same right-edge mark. I stopped, readjusted my grip on the handle, concentrated more, but the same kept happening. After the next heat everything went well again. I couldn't erase those marks and they happen to be on the visible side of the number. Maybe need some better planning next time. Bests: Gergely

Hi Folks, After months of reading, practicing and workshop building, I've got my first real project done. I know it's nothing special and not a high level quality work, but I did it myself. Those are now on the front wall of my house. Starting material was a 50 cm long 10mm round stock. Glad to hear any comments! Greetings Gergely

Thank you, Andrew for the quick answer. I sensed somehow that those hole punches are not for metal, but wasn't sure. The square punch and the tongs go right away to work. I has been working on a cut off hardie, now I have two! Yippi... And just today I found an old sledgehammer head. It needs some shaping work but no cracks or so. Lucky new year this far :D Greetings Gergely

Hi, I live in a small town in Hungary and there is a junkyard right next to the "center". I usually get my steel stuff from there and sometimes I've run into some very nice items. Just like yesterday, when I found these. The price was about 2$ for the whole lot. Does anybody know what those tools can be on 2nd and 3rd picture? Big hole cutters :)? Nice digging to all! Gergely

Thank you all for the conversation! Sorry to be "lumping". You're right: when I say African blades, I usually mean Central-African or the Congo-region blades. (Which itself is a very nice and big territory.) Hey, I'm glad to help you trough a hard workday :). I have had some first aid from this site on some very long and boring days, too.: - It's lunchtime already? But this was only item 316... That first one is one of the famous so called bird's head knives usually used and produced by the tribes Kota and their neighbors the Fang. These knives are pretty rare nowadays. They are prestige knives and symbolize the power and wealth of the owner. They may originate from some throwing knife design, but are way too unbalanced to throw. The different styles are what got me in those, too. And the whole: is this a knife, a sword, an ax or what? Amazing how many different designs can develop from a couple of basic ideas. Thank you Neil! I chekced out and saved it. Useful comments besides the pictures. Be well: Gergely

Hi, I was wondering anyone else is interested in old African blade styles. I like to browse this site: http://anthro.amnh.org/africa It's the website of the African Ethnographic Collection of the American Museum of Natural History and there is some very nice and wide material on it. If you type "knife" in the search field you get 1320 results with pictures and some details. "Axe" delivers about 300 results. It can be very useful when trying to identify african blades. I thought maybe someone could use this or look at it just for fun. Also if you know some other good source on the subject please share it. Bests to all of you! Gergely

Hi, nice find! My guess would be either a candle or lamp holder beam spike which goes into the wall or some sort of hanger. And for some fun check this out: http://www.ebay.com/itm/WROUGHT-IRON-SPIKE-/181141329589?pt=Folk_Art&hash=item2a2cdd56b5 Bests G

Best wishes to everybody in IFI! Be safe and let the iron glow bright! Gergely

Thank you Ivan for starting this thread. I've had the same frustration and often. Without the hammer-throwing, but even so it is not a good thing. I usually do two things when it happens: I start to do some woodwork with the two hands of mine. Wood is easier to work with but still phisically challenging (for me) if you use only a drawknife. The same time I get calm(er) and try to figure out what went wrong and why. The other way is to talk it out. When I'm lucky enough to have a chance to tell my wife what happened in the shop and why I'm so nervous I somehow always realise that there was a lot of pleasure and I succeded in the most parts, only a couple things went offroad. But I need to get perspective... On the other hand I want to thank you Jim Coke. Your picture frame metaphore describes one of the origin of the beginner's problems. When I'm not able to separate every different phase from eachother and work on them one at a time, that project is doomed. And for a beginner it can be difficult to see what will be a phase and what will be the next. I think if you are strict and use the "frame-method" you can be succesful even at the bigger and more difficult projects. So thank you for showing the way. Bests to everyone: Gergely

Hey, this works, Santa heared me, and now I have a real 110# anvil!

Kinda brutal. I like it. Handle looks very ergonomic.

Congrats, I think it's a very nice piece. Minor flaws don't take the plusses away. If I could make an axe like that for the first try, I'd be very-very satisfied. Go on! Bests Gergely

Hi, here is my little hellgate. Details can't be seen very much. Duck's nest is about 8" by 6" or so... Fire bricks around it to enable to rake coal high. Blower motorized with an old washing machine motor. Blower's axle needs some readjustment and lubrication. "Chimney" is home made, as you can see... I need to change it to something more effective. Luckily enough there is good natural ventilation in the shop and ceilings are c. 13 feet high. Yet sometimes need to take a pause because of the fog.

Hi Folks! My no1 was to find some place where I can share my thoughts, joys and problems about forging and stuff. Now I've found IFI, so I don't feel so lonely anymore being the only glowing-iron-maniac around. Although a real anvil would be nice, too...