The Armourer

Thanks, I will be more careful with galvanized material. Would a cheap dust mask do the job?

Up until now I have been giving a sheet of galvanized steel a brushing with steel wool and have not noticed any adverse health effects. From now on I will use a mask to keep out the dust. I barely scrape any off, do you think that it is still dangerous? i have learned to love using the galvanzed steel sheeting for making armour wihtout heat, in my damp climate the best stainless steel rusts quickly. The galvanized steel looks good if you just give it a light steel wool brushing. As I said before, I have not felt any of the common effects of Metal Fume Fever, are there other effects that I should be worried about? Thanks!

I was just wondering if it was dangerous to breath in Zinc dust. I was wondering about this because i often use galvanized sheet steel, and when I polish it I want to be safe. Thanks.

I have found that gorilla glue works for wood to copper appications if not too much stress is placed on the bond, it worked for me.

I have found that steel wool buts a nice finish on aluminum, steel and copper in a relatively short amount of time. It is easier to work with than sandpaper and creates a very uniform look. To remove a coating it would be easies to wire brush first, then use the steel wool. The wire brush is more abrasive and can clean rust good, the wool is better for polishing, but I have gotten some pretty decent results from the wool in seconds. It is good for removing the patina of copper. Sorry if this is already mentioned somewhere here.

I read a book called Roots which tells the true story of an african man who is kidnapped in the early 1700's and his struggle to live as a slave in America. It follows his family down to today, and along the way one of his descendants is a blacksmith who makes his fiance an iron rose. This took place right around the american civil war. I am not sure if this helps or if that was what you meant.

To be honest, i am not really sure. I am not sure what tools i have that would work, so i will ask my teacher what he thinks. I hope to learn a lot in my course. Thank you for the book recommendation, i have been wanting to read up on some books about blacksmithing. Thanks for the advice, i think that i will check out some thrift shops and flea markets to find a few tools, but right now i am in no position to purchase anything, my funds are going to pay off my debt from buying materials for my shop. Thank you for the advice everybody, i will take it all under comsideration!

Thank you for the advice everybody. I will have to check out that book. I will also have to check out some flea markets. I would like to make all kinds of tools, years down the road when i move out i would like to make my own tools for yard work and in the house, etc

I also got a rivet gun, before then i had to tie everything together with wire. Ha ha.

Yes, last year my grandpa gave me a small anvil and earlier i got a 200 pound anvil, several hammers, files, a drill press, bench grinder, angle grinder, orbit sander, tin snips, rubber mallet, vise, lots of gloves, masks, earplugs, sets of tools , clamps, etc and i am really liking using my new tools. I have found that some to the most useful tools i got are the anvils and hammers and mallet. I can now make the metal much smoother. When i had to use concrete for a an anvil by the end of my first project one block was crumbling and broke into several pieces. I dont think I will have that problem with my new anvil. Thanks for the advice. Would you reccomed building my own tools in a forge once i take my class or should i buy them?

Ah technology! I am stumped, sorry guys. I can describe a few of my projects if you like. As I said I build Jango Fett armour, I built a shield in shops class, I build a helmet, a breastplate, and arm armour. I am currently working on a thin copper sword based on an Egyptian sword that I saw, a small cutlass mad from thin layers of steel folded on top of each other, although with no welding so it looks a bit weird depending on your view and it is very thin. I have started a back plate and leg armour and I will put shoulder armour on it once I have finished.

Ah technology! I am stumped, sorry guys. I can describe a few of my projects if you like. As I said I build Jango Fett armour, I built a shield in shops class, I build a helmet, a breastplate, and arm armour. I am currently working on a thin copper sword based on an Egyptian sword that I saw, a small cutlass mad from thin layers of steel folded on top of each other, although with no welding so it looks a bit weird depending on your view and it is very thin. I have started a back plate and leg armour and I will put shoulder armour on it once I have finished.

Ah technology! I am stumped, sorry guys. I can describe a few of my projects if you like. As I said I build Jango Fett armour, I built a shield in shops class, I build a helmet, a breastplate, and arm armour. I am currently working on a thin copper sword based on an Egyptian sword that I saw, a small cutlass mad from thin layers of steel folded on top of each other, although with no welding so it looks a bit weird depending on your view and it is very thin. I have started a back plate and leg armour and I will put shoulder armour on it once I have finished.

Ok, I took the picture on my device and I emailed it to my computer and then downloaded it to desktop, when I want to post a picture from there I go to More Reply Options, find my file, click attach and post, correct?

Thank you! I will be sure to do that!

Is this it? Sorry, I am a bit technologically impaired

Did the picture post?

This was my first armour project, Jango Fett's chest armour from Star Wars with modified shoulder plates. It looks very dented because I cot this metal by flattening out some folded cookie pans that some of my friends made in school but threw away, so I got my metal from a garbage. I had to pry the hems open with a screwdriver and knife, and then attempt to flatten them on concrete blocks as I said before. I then spray painted them silver because I did not know that I had a wire brush to polish it.

I will try to upload some tonight, but be warned, I am 15 and the metal that i got was hemmed several times and my anvil was concrete blocks

Hi everybody, my name is Graeson and for the past two years I have been interested in metalworking. I just do sheet metal working and i like doing armour. I inherited a lot of my tools from my Grandpa and do a lot of improvising with tools. When i started my anvil was two concrete blocks, and my tools were an old carpentry hammer, old tin snips, a screwdriver, some spraypaint and a chair. Now I have a few more tools so my projects are turnimpng out better, but I am still young and only have enough patience to work on one project for a couple hours before I work on another. I will be taking a blacksmithing course sometime and hopefully start forging.

Thanks for the advice everybody. I will do a lot more learning before i try anything. I am in Winnipeg Canada, right in thte middle of Canada. I really appreciate the wisdom and concern, thanks guys.

Thanks guys. I had been planning for a while but I would rather wait for a few years and take classes and use professional equipment than get killed. Sorry if i seem like a know it all newbie, or rather know nothing newbie. I came for advice and learning. In a few years with a lot more experience i will possibly try it. Until then i will continue to work with sheet metal. Thanks guys.

Hello, my name is Graeson and for the past year or so i have been interested in the idea of Bronze Casting. I have done a lot of research and i have a few questions. 1, i have a ceramic mug that has been modified, but i was not sure about making a lid. Do i need to for bronze? If so, how airtight should it be? 2, I carved my mould out of two blocks of concrete that were used for a fire pit. If I heat it up enough will all of the moisture evaporate for casting into it? 3, My tongs are made of thin aluminum strengthened by a thick bar of steel. Will the tongs survive the 10 second pour? Thanks!