ross_lad

canola oil = cooking oil, right?

Sounds great! Looking forward to seeing it finished.

drink a cask and you end up in a body CAST

looks great!

because you overdosed on MEDS and now you're laying in the lawn

and you didn't spend your time with filthy, petty CADS who really don't even matter

Like a pirate climbing up a MAST with a hook?

Is this really going this far? why don't we abide by those rules and cease now?

sorry to ressurect the thread.....but how great God is!

bagpipes, andy mckee, Christian, anything chill

Ross is who I am, a lad is what I am!

or perhaps "The Complete Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Weygler?

thanks for the warm welcome! As for where I am, Mr. Dean, i live on the exact opposite shore of Lake Ponchartrain to New Orleans in a wonderful old town called Covington. I will however be playing lacrosse teams from shreveport this season.

rainsfire, our projects would probably look and sound incredibly similar, haha. Did you use Alex Bealer's "The Art of Blacksmithing" as a source?

well, i do have a bunch of old leaf springs in the carport...i know many leaf springs are made of 5160...but i have no way of telling...came off an old toyota pickup

thank you, i will keep what all of you have said in mind. i'll let you know what i'm up to.

Hello all,
I joined about a month or 2 ago but i never formally introduced myself. I'm 17 and I started smithing in August 2007. I hope to be a lifelong smith even if just for a hobby. This year I actually did my Senior Project on the history of blacksmithing. I hope to learn all i can from all of you, and I welcome any criticism and advice. thanks and God bless.
-Ross

Thank you your advice. I'll try another mild steel one.

thanks very much. i'll keep all you have said in mind. i did intend, however, only for it to be a "test" to see if i could make something that remotely looked like a sword. Thanks for the insight, and i'll keep working

k, weight is about 2.75 lb, full length = 3'1". blade length = 27 an 1/2 inches. blade width = approximately 1 and 1/2 inches. blade thickness at center is 1/4 inch. balance is not very good, about 5 and 1/2 inches forward of the guard. and if i knew what a distal taper was i'd certainly tell you, haha

here are some pictures of the blade and hilt

this is my first try at a full length sword. It is just made of mild steel with no edge. Will be used for practice. All feedback is greatly appreciated!!!

lots of great info. i'll be saving it for later use. i have made a few decent knives, and i'm definitely still learning every day. i'll probably try short daggers before taking on a project like a sword. the information that you have given will definitely make sure i know at least one part of what i'm doing when i do attempt it . thanks much. peace bro.

oh, and for quenching the blades, i've scrounged up about a 3 inched wide fencepost, but im worried about the oil boiling before the blade is fully cooled. Do you know a good container for such purposes?

bro, isnt it then supposed to be about the people, and not the machete...SOME ONE MAKE HIM SOMETHING FOR FREE

wow man, thanks. ok, i'll be using toyota truck leaf springs, not sure if 5160 or 1080, but that cleared up my confusion. thanks again. so basically, swords - in their proper use - need more of a stress relieving heat treatment than a simple tool because of the possible abuse in battle (or maybe just cutting stuff today)?