pjh66

I totaly agree with all of the above
Another book I like is The general blacksmith by Malcolm Paine
Dont know if you can get it where you are though.
It goes through from forge design, how to light your forge, tapers, making your on tools ect.
I would (& have & still do ) try to find some weekend coursesfor basic blacksmith work.
A mentor is great if you can get 1 remember them helping you goes both ways. Help out by offering to clean there workshop & off side for them when you can you can learn a lot by watching them.
Have fun with the insanity of blacksmithing

Thanks for the coments Guys
It worked a treat over last weekend
Cutting hardwood stakes for garden & pruning some old dead native bushes to get to the roots to dig out.

Handle is about 3" too short so will have to change it (only about 13" at the moment)

Looking good Tim. I find it fun making items that are to be usful tools
Nothing wrong with makeing mistakes if you learn by them.
You just learn what not to do. As they say practise makes perfect (I know I need heaps of it )

This is my first attempt at forgeing a hand camp axe.
I wanted a small axe to be able to cut wood, & to be able to hammer in pegs.
It had to be light for hike camping but strong & be able to take a good impact blow.
It is forged from a piece of S7 tool steel 1 1/4" Dia x 4" Long.
Finished size is Hammer face 1 1/8" sq x 1 1/4" from edge of handle.
Bit of axe is 3/4" thick near handle x 1" wide Length is 3 1/2" x 2 5/8" wide at edge.
A file will just work the edge of the blade.
Tried it aganist some 1/4" mild steel (mild steel lost) with no sign of chiping or edge roll.
So I guess I will see how it goes.
Here are a few pics. Let me know what you all think.

Thanks for showing your axe ptree.
I love the look of it nice lines & finish.
How is the balance for useing it to hammer or cut?
This is along the line of style I have been thinking of as a camp axe for hiking.
Be able to hammer in pegs & cutting wood & light enough for hike camping.

Looks great

Pro High Temperature Non-Contact Thermometer - Jaycar Electronics This is the 1 that I bought for myself was cheaper then but everything keeps going up. I am sure you can find simular close to you.

A good tip to get the angle of the drill bit pretty close is weld two hex bolt heads together, that will give you 120 degrees, the proper angle is 121, doesn't help with the flute leg lengths or clearance angle tho' you have to practise that;)

This angle depends on what material you are drilling.
Personaly I think a good bench / pedastal grinder & a good eye with a steel rule & a couple of made up gages.
I can hand sharpen on a grinder consistently from 5mm to 50mm drill bits & drill at 0.1mm of drill diameter. I can also make them drill over size if I need to.

A band saw is more eficent in cutting as it is continuos & dosnt pull the swarf back into the cut it also uses "all of the blade".
Power hacksaw cut less then 50% of the running time & usaly only uses half of the blade.
But like most things it comes down to what you can afford. And if either 1 is set up with the right blade for the work can run well.
IMHO

I think one of the best way to keep a head on a handle is to fit it right to start with.
I have had 1 of my hammers stay to gether for quite a while with out any wedges in it (hadnt got round to it got interupted when fitting it & forgot about it) I see people trying to drive the handle into the head aganist somthing. The best way I have found is tap it lightly in like that then hold the end of the handle with head hanging down in the air hammer the end of the handle which will pull the head up thight on the handle.

try a lanolin base lub like Inox puts a light coat that dosnt gum up like grease can protects the steel easy to reapliy when needed. I use it for hyd parts that are being stored which have to stay rust free. here in sth east Queensland Aust steel in a shed will rustwith out getting it wet (high humidity high heat) The trouble I have found with greased threads is that bits for steel & grim stick to it easily & gums up the workings. Warning for you watch out for zinc base paints as zinc is a heavy metal & heat can cause it to burn.(you wouldnt burn gal would you but zinc is as bad)

You might check that it is not a decanter tank that is when you turn the valve on liquid comes out & not just gas. If you are getting liquid through the line it will not burn properly.

This is my first attempt at making a knife.
Forged from a piece of 440c S/S. After hardening & tempering the blade I was able to cut through a paint tin & still shave the hair from my arm.Handle is hardwod dont know what type. Blade finished at 5" long 1" wide & about 1/8" thick. I made it as a basic camping knife. It does still have some fine grinding marks in it but not as bad as the pic makes out.( got to get some fine belts before I try any more)

How old is your boy?
Good to see the youg giving it a go

Hi to all you aussies out there & adopted aussies
Jump on & say Hi to us all

Hi squarenail DONT get rid of anything yet (wait until you know for sure what you want or you may regret getting rid of it)
Start looking for other people around your area who do blacksmithing
check out the blueprints here & the gallerys for ideas.
youtubes has some videos of blacksmithing might help you also
but just enjoy the pleasure of heating steel till it glows & shape it how you want it

This handy little book I have found to be very useful.
It may not be a blacksmith book but I think it is a lot of help to anyone working with steel.
In its is imformation for threads, hole fits, harderning & tempering steel, properties for different types of steel.
EMI Supply : Engineers Black Book - USA Edition - The engineers quick reference manual [EBB-USA] - $29.99
This is a link for some more imformation. Imformation in it is easy to find.

Hi handy little book that you can get from bolt shops called
"Engineers Black Book 2nd edition"
It show different angles, lip clearance, for different types of material the 2nd edition comes with a drill point sharpening gauge.
book has heaps of handy imformation. There is a trouble shooting section also. See how you go

Hi Carl welcome.
There are some interesting things here ( & people )
I am just up the road from you at Minden so will have to stay in touch.
I might get to catch up with you in the chat room some night.

very nice! gives me some ideas for somthing I am planing to do thanks

hobby only not interested in going full time I want to keep it fun & not become a job.
I'm from Minden Queensland.
I did a beginers course at Toowoomba Cob & co Loved it going back for more

Hi double edge head out past Ipswich in summer then you will warm up

Sorry people. I'm about 1 hr west of Brisbane in Australia. Start of the Lockyer Valley at a place called Minden

Just found this site so I wanted to say hi to everyone here.
I am new to blacksmithing & hope to learn a heap here.
Did a beginners course a couple of weekends ago.
I have now built a coke forge & made an anvil. So I am ready to get going.