MAD MAX

I guess I am not traditional at all. I have mostly hand tools but do have a drill press and a 4 inch hand held grinder so I do LOTS of filing. I have no power hammer or press. I am 100% self taught because there is no one to learn from so no "tradition" has been passed down. I just use what I can make use of to the best of my skill. most of what I make never gets seen by anybody, But I do have fun!

I am just guessing just like everyone else. It could be just like everyone says or it could be a little more modern and made of JUNK steel. I have run across a very similar thing trying to re-forge modern splitting mauls and cheaper type axes. I have been told that these are often made of whatever steel can be had and cast into tools for a cheap price.

Ya Ball peen are tough steel, I made a couple Hawks from them and they gotta be pretty darn hot to move well. But good steel an that looks pretty good to me!

I was pondering the question of," Just how good a blacksmith am I"? So I thought about for quite a while and I decided that on a scale of 1-10  10 being the highest I consider myself no higher than a 3. Some may think that to be a low rank and maybe it is But what I base it on is the work ive seen and what I myself have done. I would consider someone who is a 10 to be a complete master being able to do nearly anything with little trouble. Plus Ive been at this about 6 years with that little time in such a vast skill, 3 is actually pretty high. I like to challenge myself. I would say some of you guys are in the 7-8 range maybe higher. Always learning 

Making mistakes is how we learn most of the time. Last year I made a tomahawk from an old Ballpeen hammer. It was the first time I had ever used a Ballpeen for this. It turned out looking Super good. I did not however listen to someone who told me NOT to quench it in water, He said Oil is the only thing to use on an old hammer. WELLLLLL I quenched this exquisite piece in water and it shattered, It broke into no less than 11 pieces. The thing is I actually NEVER quench in water What possessed me to that time is beyond me.

2 hours ago, MarcyOHH said:

After visiting a friend's forge in January he has been "cursed" and unable to forge weld. This got me thinking, are blacksmiths like pirates and highly superstitious? If so, what are some of your superstitions when it comes to the art?

I have never been able to forge weld either but superstitious I am not. I don't have any superstitions, I have just never been able to do it. I actually gave up trying about a year ago. But then again maybe its the elf that lives in the shop???????????

I was showing a Tomahawk I had made to a couple of young men the other day. One of them seemed pretty intrigued, The other one stood by silent for quite a while. Finally the quiet one asked me "Why would someone Blacksmith at all"?. He said you could buy anything you want at most hardware stores or some specialty place. I said that he was indeed correct. Then I told him this: First of all I need something to do and not just anybody can make something out of steel or iron. Also why do woodworking, Leather craft, Pottery, Or a host of other things where we make things at home that could be easily purchased at some store some place. A hand made item has "personality" where as a mass produced item is just another one of its type.

I also like the small amount of independence Blacksmithing gives me. I mean if I need something I can usually find something to make it out of freeing me from having to buy it. The last thing is that Blacksmithing has become my drug of choice, I just cant quit because I have withdrawls.

You do good work. It is mind boggling how primitive my shop is to yours.

On ‎1‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 1:44 PM, Michael Cochran said:

I must be doin somethin wrong because I can't find anythin on the web about hs411. I was curious about it so I tried a few different searches and I get results like steel conduit clamps and other electrical stuff.

I did find reference to a8 as chipper blades.

I doubt you are doing anything wrong. I actually talked to the guy who we get them from and he said that hs411 is made strictly for the manufacture of Chipper and planer blades and is not sold to anyone who does not make them. So I guess you cant buy it in a raw form. I messed with a piece of one and I want nothing to do with it. I had to get it to near white heat and it still hardly moves under the hammer. I tried an arc weld on it and our shop foreman was right, its near impossible to get a weld to stick to it. So I don't really care what it is now as its not Blacksmith friendly at all.

It looks decent, But I can tell by looking at it you can do some real good work. I have never worked with wrought iron either and I don't forge weld so its better than I could do! I like the overall design.

Acually I just found out that they are not 1095. They are a special alloy called HS411. It is only made specifically for chipper knives and similar things. Our shop foreman says it is nearly impossible to weld it. It is so hard that it chips like glass when its broken. I think ill pass on it for now.

Very well done, I too am slow so I fully understand about trying to get it done in one day, I doubt I could do it in a single day.

Try as I might I cant seem to get a RR spike Hawk to turn out! I have made them out of other things but the small amount of steel in a RR spike is hard for me to work with. You did well for your first one for sure!

So as to size they are 5in wide and 12 in long with 4 holes in the middle that are 3/4 in. Most are 1/2 in thick but the new ones coming are 5/8 thick. As near as any one can tell me they are 1095.

I am a little different than most people of all types. I have lived off the grid for 30 years, I do have a generator and I do use a few modern tools and I don't feel bad about it. I do most things by hand because its just the only way I have to do it. I do ALOT of hand filing and as a result I can file things REAL flat and even most of the time. In the spirit of smithing I just do things the best I can with what I have, as a result I am pretty good at some things and not so at others. As an example I am a good filer but I gave up trying to learn to forge weld. In the end making things by hand weather made with modern tools or not is more than most people today will ever even attempt. either way I think this hobby is not for the lazy.

My regular seasonal job is working at a tree service as a faller. As you can imagine we go through a lot of chipper knives. Now once they are worn past a certain point they cannot be put back on the chipper. The boss will give me all of the old ones I want, But what would I do with them? I have a few ideas but mostly I a kinda at a loss for ideas for some reason. They seem to be EXTREMLY high carbon steel and are tempered REALLY hard.

22 hours ago, Frosty said:

If I want to sell things I make things that sell. It's a matter of knowing your market and charging what the market will bear. charge too little and folk will go to a big box store and buy mig welded bent rod. You have to charge enough to make folk think it's worth buying.

So what are you making and where are you "selling" or showing it?

Frosty The Lucky.

I mostly make Tomahawks, Knives, and such. I make spatulas and spoons witch I have sold a very few of. A sample of my tomahawks are pictured in the tomahawk and ax section. Actually I dont  try to sell very hard, Never have, I was just curious about other smiths. I don't really know any others near me so I put it on here.

I bought a spoon swage from a place called Iron mountain forge. Clamps in a vise less than 30$

I was just curious about what everyone does with what they make? I keep a few things but I mostly give it away, Don't seem to be able to sell anything.

I think you did an excellent job. No you didn't cheat, you just used what you had to work with. I have never been able to forge weld, so I admire anyone who does work this good with a forge weld. I have actually given up on trying to learn it, But I do have special respect for those who do. Exellent work!

Looks pretty heavy duty for sure.

You did a very good job!

I give it a big thumbs up! which I do to anyone that forge welds anything, Because as much as I have forged I cannot forge weld at all. I am decent at most other things but it eludes me. Good job!

I haven't read the forum in a while cause of being at work so much, but I saw this and thought I would throw my two cents in for good or bad. I haven't actually made a full sized ax as yet, my focus has been split and drift tomahawks. I use a rather wide and thin chisel to start with, then I go to a  little larger chisel that is a kind of a "junk" chisel. Meaning I don't much care if it loses its temper. I then use the drift that is made for Tomahawks to finnish. I think an ax could be done in a similar way.

Very good work, I am envious! I have no artistry in me. I can make hawks but the duck part is beyond my abilities. Very nice finish on the blade. What did you start with?