double_edge2

Very nice work

All good fun,,,,,

That and a couple of other reasons is why I like the medium carbons like 1045 for forging hammers and some tools.

**If the gas bottle is empty, and the valve works, Eg; will let air in and out, open the valve and remove it. **Flush out with air or water. If cutting with gas flame, face the opening away from you for your first cut. If the valve does not open, or you can not safely check if empty and flush.... Do not do anything with it bar get rid of it. DO NOT TRY TO CUT IT. If you do not understand any part of this, get a friend to help you. If you both don't understand, DO NOT CUT IT. If in doubt, Don't cut it. Some gas in the bottle can make for a big bang, I've had the odd metho drum go pop, but gas cylinders are a welded, hard steel.

What is your location? ...for resource advice As said. H13. Or w304. Or k110 if nothing else... Or any hot working tool steel, then down the list next best's....

Just have a go, .....do you have some car spring or tool steel? And look here and further ... http://assets.calsmith.org/cba-cdn/406/baileycrosspein_original.pdf YouTube will have some vids as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt23ZlEn2wU&feature=plcp And one other thing.......give it a go!

Better than my first attempt.....well done!

I started with a small 130 mig. It died so I bought the sip 250amp mig. good for tube and ally and light solid, now I use mostly ac stick up the shed, and dc stick as it is the option with the dc tig, and can do the stick ally. Light tig dc is very handy for light tack ons, and repairs and is the electric oxy with gas The reason I like stick is its the best to forge if you need to. And tig if you can't. It's a cheap Chinese inverter welder tig stig to 200 amps, and has served me well for about 9 years. Get the best welder you can afford. I find diversity is the key for work, if your welder can do it, you will learn it, and it can make you money, or serve you. Any of the big name welders like a power source, that can do the ac dc and hf start, and you can buy the attatchments like mig feeder, or tig gun, and stick cables, .....will give you all the welding capability possible. I also have oxy/LPG and acetilyne, another very powerfully tool for cutting and welding. With the addition of the henrob thingy, an all round welder and cutting platform, that may serve you quite well. Best way to decide is to go to a workshop and see what processes are needed and how they fulfill it. Hope this hasn't added confusion

Nice work. You didn't want to taper the tail?

Dunno, I'd like to try a few different ones before I could begin to comment on how their style fit to me or versa visa etc....I do favor Brian's work, and mark aspery, a proven, titled master blacksmith, ....I'd take a heap of USB sticks, and be looking for the plug in the back of the head...lol. To be honest, if I won lotto, I'd be flittering all over the joint getting some tuition or tips from almost anyone that would tolerate it. I think it would be best to consider (if your budget and lifestyle allowed it,) to get a bit from as many different teachers as possible,,

Venus passing the sun.... Should have all your jars of fairy dust ready, the planets pass like this make for unbelievable and easy huge forge welds.......

I was informed by Mike, (the other one)......the other day of the passing of Alan ball. have a rest Allan, ...then get into it. Best wishes to his family and friends. I wonder what he'll do next time around? Mike and Olly.

Dunno if this helps you much, http://www.thefabricator.com/article/metalsmaterials/carbon-content-steel-classifications-and-alloy-steels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_steel_grades Major classifications of steel[1] SAE designation Type 1xxx Carbon steels 2xxx Nickel steels 3xxx Nickel-chromium steels 4xxx Molybdenum steels 5xxx Chromium steels 6xxx Chromium-vanadium steels 7xxx Tungsten steels 8xxx Nickel-chromium-vanadium steels 9xxx Silicon-manganese steels Maybe with a press could could save some work.

Nice job on the forge....welcome to the beginning. Car leaf springs are good knife practice, and very usable tools, and often found for free in scrap bins. I prefer to use coke or hardwood charcoal. Though Both are easily available to me. Safety: be very aware of coatings on metals, and the alloys you heat, for fumes seen and not. Ventilation and/or a descent hood.

Bit of a break down when people ask me, and that I am a small business. About $1000 to $2000, will easy fund a hobby, or hobby business set up for good second hand gear. then the time chased for the skill to use the gear. that as stated, is the real cost to be measured. A fair skill, a few tools, can equal money. (in a hobby or spare time scenario, flea markets, family Xmas gifts alone can save a measure) But who wants to hand hammer, always, the amount required to run a successfull business?.......(depending on what you make?) In today's market, the faster and cheaper you can turn it out, the more you can be available for. Ergo, process. Hammers, mechanical, or presses, tooling, work space, in hand with the right marketing,....business. If you don't own land or a place to forge, So a shed is about $2000 a month maybe, plus power and insurance...$500 a year?., So that's $13 an hour you have to make, for the shed, and say .25 cents an hour for your insurance...non stop...... ...........plus..... all your normal living expenses....Rent, car, food, kids, bills,.....you will need a wage, per hour? An employee, to hopefully increase output, and reduce your labour...will cost per hour,, plus workers comp insurance...per hour? Etc.... Stopping to make, or buying tools. How much an hour are you required to make to live......how much is a set of tongs, or how long did it take you to make them?...so how much did they cost if you made them?, hobby....40mins to an hour....business, the same time frame is worth how much for your time? .add some machinery... It does cost to blacksmith

Hi Dates are From the 11th to the 19th August, including the both weekends.

Thieving grubs

I think that would be box hinge you refer to, if the sides of the bottom jaw wing up to box in lateraly, the material held, it's a box jaw in my view. Nice job on the tongs and punch. You could try pre marking with a center punch for consistency. Or make a simple spring fuller or edge of the anvil to isolate the parts of the tong, then draw out and shape, might give you neater transitions.

If you are in these neck of the woods by all means drop in. Brisbane Queensland....ozzstrayliya.

Good onya...and welcome to the forum family..

Nice effect

Nice little basket from scratch there too, they really do dress it up.

Nice piece, Is the stem copper wiped or solid copper?

Yep ....Well done.

Lol. Not to my face.....