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I Forge Iron

Clayton M.

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Everything posted by Clayton M.

  1. That is very true and I have looked into it, and I may still do it that way instead of melting mild steel to make better high carbon steel. The result is close to the same but the processes are different.
  2. You're right, Steve about the school systems changing and the no losers. I live in a small rural town just outside of Idaho Falls. No more than 600 people call Ririe home, and most of those that do are farmers and no nonsense people. When the “no loser policy” came a lot of people liked it. Now no one would feel bad about losing a game. There was no distinction between the winners and the losers, and when this occurs winning becomes a mediocrity. I’m a senior in high school and though I’m not that old I remember when the trophies and medals were only handed out to the winners, and the losers had nothing to show except for a loss. I played football and basketball on those losing teams for many years and even though those days are gone I still remember the lessons that losing taught me. If you want to be the best at something you have to put in the time to get there. If you let someone hold your hand and teach you what you want to know it doesn’t mean anything. Knowledge comes with a price, and if it’s free it isn't worth much if anything. I don’t believe that in a classroom setting there is such a thing as a dumb question. If you are the only one who doesn't understand a concept even though you've tried hard to get it and you ask the “dumb” question, you are doing the right thing for yourself, trying to learn at your pace. However, with that being said in the real world there are such things as dumb questions and stupid things that people do. The classroom is where we learn and the world is where we apply what we learn. My grandfather is a self taught gunsmith and metalsmith. He builds large model trains and makes all the parts himself, whether he has to weld them or cast them. He has always told me for as long as I can remember, learn everything you can about everything. My generation has been branded with what many of us truly deserve. The generation that gets everything handed to them on silver platter. I resent that brand. I take learning very seriously, and I push myself to do better than I’ve done before. I’m not one who shoots for the moon and is fine when I don’t make it off the earth. If I wanted that, I wouldn't be going to college to be an astrophysicist. I come from a family where you shoot for the moon and hope you soar far beyond it. My generation has only a few that push themselves like I do while our peers stand still watching us soar on by. I understand danger of liquid metal, especially at 3000F, but I still want to learn how to make my own steel. There are dangers in life and they’re not equally distributed or proportioned. It is always a necessity to be prepared for the worst and not the best. We hope for the best but prepare and expect the worst. I don’t disagree with anything that has been said before about the danger of molten metal, and the lack of knowledge and experience going into something like this. Some things are exponentially more dangerous than others and molten metal is one of those things that reaches to top of the list of dangerous things to try. All I want to know is how to make steel to be a specific carbon content give or take a few percent. If I decide the theoretical is all I need, then I won’t try to actually make steel. I’m a leatherworker by trade and a writer by design. I always ask those questions that others give caution to, and there is always reason for it. You guys are the reason I first came to this site because of all the things you know. this place is an archive of knowledge for people like me, and I just want to say thank you for all the advice I've been given.
  3. Ric Furrer, I understand the need to know who you are dealing with. That is understandable. My name is Clayton Mabey.The request I sent was asking for suggestions and help, in effect it was asking for a "brain dump" as you accurately called it. I am new to blacksmithing, I started in June this year, and it sounds stupid to attempt making steel when at such a beginner level, and for most people they would wait, I don't rush things. I took several months to finally settle on a forge design and then build it. I'm not looking to run head first and blind into this matter, I'm a careful and precise individual who will do the same thing over and over until it is done right. I'm systematic in everything I do, making sure I've done all the prep work before I attempt to do something. Making steel is inherently dangerous and I'm only interested in gearing up to do so and waiting to make any until I feel that I'm ready and able to handle any situation. If that means to start at aluminum then by all means I will do it. Being experienced in something reduces the chances of an accident occurring. I have found several books on crucible making and have bought them, I'm just waiting to receive them. As far as research goes, that is something that I excel at. One thing I try to avoid is the same pitfalls that someone else fell into, that was why I contacted you. You have been making you own steel for a while now and no doubt you have discovered things that work and don't work. Learning of those things helps me progress faster. I don't like to rely on other people for anything, I want to as independent as I can. I know it doesn't seem to be the case, but I don't know you and you don't know me. You have the right to be harsh because you know of the dangers and would rather that I don't embark in this course until I am absolutely ready.
  4. I sent a message to Ric Furrer two weeks ago and I haven't received an answer back yet. He's looked at it but hasn't said anything. I'm will be patient but in the meantime what would be the best thing to do?
  5. I've read that the molten steel eats through the graphite crucible. I don't know if this is a real thing or just something that someone just said to say it. I'll have to look into that closer. The other reason I want to shy away from the graphite crucibles is that they do add a small amount of carbon to the steel. That may mess me at the beginning as I start out making my own steel. I'd prefer some sort of fire clay crucible or a fire clay graphite mix. I have only done a little homework into this (30 minutes at most) so more is required before I choose a crucible type to use.
  6. I've been doing a little digging trying to find ferrous rated crucibles, and I haven't had much luck. I've found a company by the name of Morgan Advanced Materials that make crucibles and some ferrous rated ones. Most of the ones I've found on other sites are rated for 3000 F, and I don't know how well the ones that are will stand up to a solid fuel fire and not a gas furnace. What do you guys use to melt steel? The reason I'm asking is I'm one of those people who wants to try doing just about everything so I know how it is done. That's the bottom line. I was planning on experimenting with making crucible steel just to understand the processes and chemistry that goes into making steel. I understand and acknowledge the inherent dangers of molten metal, especially that of molten steel, but all the same I wish to continue on in my quest to make crucible steel. Yes, I will take all the precautions necessary to avoid harming myself or putting myself or others in a dangerous situation.
  7. Sorry about the sideways picture on the end. Use your imagination and turn it to the left. It was upright before I uploaded it and so I don't' know what went wrong.
  8. I remember my dad doing that when we put tile down on our main floor. He used some special kind of caulking for the grout where three big sections came together. I just looked it up and there are several kinds of caulking that withstands temps well over 2000 degrees F, but not for very long. I will see if I can get a hold of some to try it out. Anyways, here are the pictures of my forge. I do have more if these pictures don't help enough. I did notice that the cracks occurred along the center joint (image 3372), and in image 3382 the crack splits off from the center joint and up the joint. Hope this helps.
  9. I'm sorry about that, the terminology is quite all there yet in my head. I mis-spoke, I meant melting but wrote smelting. I will get pictures up today after school and I will explain how i put it together so everyone has a better understanding. Sorry about the confusion. I'm not sure if it is understood that it isn't just the interior of the forge that has cracked. The exterior wall has cracked in four places, if I remember correctly. The pictures will explain better than I can.
  10. The bricks that make up the outer wall as well as the ceiling are regular paver bricks that you can get at Home Depot for $0.50. The large fire bricks I have I doubt you can buy them. Their dimensions are 4" thick by 9" inches tall by 8.5" wide. I've six "little" bricks that are good for 2200 degrees F. The pavers in the ceiling didn't have a problem with the heat it was the mortar, which is rated for well above 2000 degrees F. That were I'm lost. I did several preheating fires in the forge, five in a weeks time and then I let it sit for a week before using to melt the brass.
  11. I built a forge that I had intended to do some brass smelting with. I finished it two weeks ago and last night I smelted my first chunk of brass. After I was done I noticed four cracks on the outside of the forge (this a brick forge with 4 inch thick fire bricks as the walls and floor of the forge) and the center seam line of the ceiling bricks is cracked. Is this because of the heat of the fire needed to melt brass, or is it something else? The bricks that formed the ceiling suffered no damage other than the cracked mortar it was the exterior walls that cracked. Those wall are about 8 inches thick, before I made this forge I could put my bare hand on the firebricks and it would only be warm to the touch. I did use portland cement to mortar the exterior wall together but I used Heat Stop to mortar the bricks exposed the forge fire. Have I caused enough damage to my forge to consider it a problem. If it will help I'll upload pictures detailing the extent of the damage.
  12. Okay, now I know a little more than I did before. This was just a curious post because I wanted to know more so when I attempted to weld I would have a better understanding about how to do it. I'm new to this so you guys are always a great help to me. You always seem to know exactly where to look and what to read. Thanks.
  13. I haven't been able to pin down a real definite answer as to the proper temperature of forge welding. I am assuming that the temperature range is slightly below the melting point by a few hundred degrees, but other than semi molten I don't know anything else. What is the general rule of thumb on temperature for forge welding; mild steel and high carbon, respectively? I don't want semi molten as an answer, because that doesn't tell me anything more than I already know.
  14. I've got a bladesmithing book," The Complete Bladesmith: Forging your way to Perfection", and in this book it says that I can use borax as a flux material. I know that it can be used but the book said I have to melt it down, then once it hardens into a dark glassy material just grind it down it into a powder and then I can use it. Is that really necessary? I looked around a little on the Alchemy, Formulas, Fluxes, etc but have only read that I can just use the borax out of the box.
  15. That's fine Jeremy K. I know that it happens and we don't know each so it's hard to judge the nature of my post as you stated earlier. There's no hard feelings.
  16. I wasn't asking anyone to do the "leg work" for me. Was I asking for you to write my paper for me? All I wanted was a few stories about how you got into blacksmithing. I wanted your opinion on blacksmithing and not a paper to use. I don't cheat; every paper I have produced for school, whether an English paper or a lab report, they are all original. All I needed was a professional source and this was the place, iforgeiron. I don't mean to come across as rude in any way, I just wanted to set a few things straight. No hard feelings here. Thanks for the information and the suggestions. I really appreciate it!
  17. I'm gearing up to write my senior research paper. I love this site and the people that frequent it, everyone here is always willing to share the knowledge that they have. My paper is on the lost art of blacksmithing, and honestly the things that I could and have found online aren't what I'm looking for. I don't care to read articles written by people who say the art has died out when there are still thousands of hobbyist that practice blacksmithing. I'm looking for stories on how you became a blacksmith and how you got hooked on it. If you know where I could go to find some great articles about the revival of blacksmithing as a hobby, please pass them on to me. Your contributions will make my paper stronger and will show that blacksmithing still lives on today. When I'm done with my paper I"ll post it here for those who contributed to see and others to see as well.
  18. I've got two elements one at the top and one on the bottom. I put the rack in the middle of the oven. I'm going to get a thermometer for it because I don't thinks it's accurate within 50 degrees. On bake the bottom element is and the top off and on broil it's the other way around. The problem with that is that I don't know at what temp bake is or broil is.
  19. I went to temper another knife last night, and i was looking for a straw color on the blade and just twenty minutes in i pulled the blade out and the entire blade was purple. To protect the blade from the full power of the heating elements would two firebricks suffice?
  20. I've got another question for you guys. It's recommended to temper in three cycles of two hours each. If I temper a knife to light straw and then tempered it again would the oxidation colors change and spread across the blade? I am assuming that the color would not change so long as you protect the knife from the full power of the heating elements. I assume that because it's also recommended to do at least two tempers before finishing off the knife. Another thing to ask that's been bothering me. Can I "retemper" my blade after it's all finished to get back the oxidation colors of the blade?
  21. I am not using it as a foundry it's just a blacksmith forge and not a foundry. I've used it plenty of times as a forge to make tools and knives i know it works for bladesmithing and blacksmithing. I will not be smelting metals or casting i don't care to try that right now.
  22. Alright next time I'm in town I'll go to the library and ask.
  23. I'm using a trench style forge right now. It gets up to about 1500 degrees, and that's as hot as i want to get it. I've already got a thread going about my forge so here's the link. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>
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