Leland

After building my son a gouge for Christmas, I had some stock left over and forged a new parting tool for my lathe. Yes, it's oversized for a pen lathe but I'll buy a real lathe someday. Handle's of cocobolo, finished with beeswax and set with a copper plumbing cap ferrule. http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/rr98/ghostlyshows/Blacksmithing%20Projects/ All the best for the New Year, Leland

I kinda wonder if the flexing will be a problem for bladesmithing. Dunno. I built my first xxxx little shoeing anvil out of rail and found it serviceable until I'd saved enough for a second-hand Multi-Products, and I still have a dinky rail anvil I use for jewelery. Both were cut with a torch and ground, neither of them had holes nor were used for heavy forging of any kind. A railroad anvil is not the best (the best haven't been made since Trenton ceased production, IMO), but the cost to benefit ratio is quite attractive. And they STILL beat any of the ASO's from Harbor Freight. Hm. Then again, that's not a tough standard to beat...you could say the same about any large, flattish rock.

All right, let's see if this will work: http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/rr98/ghostlyshows/Blacksmithing%20Projects/ I don't know why, but the "upload" button to the Gallery isn't working, and this is the best I could do. Eh, what are ya gonna do -- that bolster didn't turn out right, either!!!!

Determined to make my kid a new tool for Christmas, I diligently forged a bolster into some spring steel, drawing out either end to make a tang and gouge blade, respectively. It was going swimmingly, until the very last possible moment when the tang broke. Or crumbled, or burnt off. Twice. Too hot? Too cold? Just not paying attention? I dunno. Anyway, I blew off the idea of making a bolstered tool and forged a tapered tang instead, with a bent, 5/8" gouge on the opposite end. I turned a simple handle out of lignum vitae [my first experience with this stuff - what a blast!], and used a 3/4" copper pipe cap for a ferrule. Polished all the metal parts (leaving a few dimples in the gouge to indicate forging, rather than machining) and waxed the handle. Boxed it up and gave it to my son on Christmas Day, as a gift to inspire his continuing efforts in woodcarving and blacksmithing. The way his eyes lit up you'd have thought I'd just handed him Isildur's newly-remade sword. I looked around the living room Christmas night, and the gouge was missing. It was upstairs; he'd put it on his nightstand before going to sleep. All the best for the New Year, Leland

I'm not sure I understand the rationale of the menacing face chased onto the device; was the smith concerned that the tongs weren't quite intimidating enough as-is (what with the sharp points and edges 'n all), and those mean, beady eyes just pushed it right over the top?

FWIW, I grind the mill scale off before heating and applying Boraxo (common brand of borax laundry additive in the US) and bring the piece(s) to a welding heat in a low, slow draft. Still perhaps a crap shoot due to the dodgy quality control at the steel mill, but it helps me more successfully stick stock together.

Okay, guys, here's a rejoinder to the comment, "My _______________ was a REAL blacksmith!" Lean in close to the speaker, look left and right as though conspiring with him/her, and then (in a LOUD stage whisper), say "Yeah, ya gotta look out for those COUNTERFEIT blacksmiths...they're a bunch of FORGERS!" The English majors in the crow will enjoy the joke :0) Leland

Hiya! Wow, what a site! Glad to have this resource available, and I hope to offer something of use in return. I'm a former farrier and still engage in part-time professional smithing, either through my day job as a contractor or my next career as a Magician. Yeah, yeah, go ahead, make with the "smithin' Magician" jokes I currently forge with the friendly crew over at the Orange County Blacksmith Guild -- see ya there someday! Leland