medieval

I have some pure nickel that I was wanting to melt and cast into an ingot. They are the size and shape of a charcoal briquette. It looks like they are pressed (sintered) together and just crumble when I tried to forge them. What, if any, do I use for a flux?

Spray on cold galv....available at Home Depot. 96% as effective as hot dip galvanizing 

I am having trouble finding an electric forge blower for a ribbon forge. Grant Sarver (RIP) was selling them (I believe that there were two sizes) but he's not around to help. I have Googled, and gone to the blacksmith supply websites (Blacksmith Depot, Peih tools, Centaur forge, etc). I don't want to buy blowers to experiment with. My forge dims are: 10" high x 12" wide x 18" long. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

• I have been temper-coloring for years.....but, I have not been able to coat it without wrecking the color :( The colors darken and turn blah brown :angry: I have tried spray can gloss clear enamel and lacquer. What is the secret/product/technique??? Thank you.....
  

Thanks for the idea. My students need projects like this. I have them make leaves, but they cut them off and draw out the stems. This approach will allow them to learn to make a socket. :rolleyes:

I recently obtained some blanks of steel of various sizes. Etched on the surface is: The Ohio Knife Company. Portland, Oregon. 83-2454-03. #4 H. S. S. knives. I don't usually use the stock removal method for making my knives. I am wondering how well this steel forges, and what heat treatment would be best. Any info would be appreciated. I have attached a picture of my latest knife made from 5160 alloy steel.

Hello , I am in the process of building a gas forge , have only used a coal forge for the last 7 years. Before cutting into my 10"x10"x14" box, I would like some wisdom on the best placement and type of burner is the best. And what type is also the most efficient.

For the best And most information go to the ABANA website. Scroll down to the link for Ron Reil. Go there and study all the info. He covers burner design, different styles of burners, sizes, computing burner size vs forge volume, etc.
Read as much as you need to, in order to make your decision. Placement of burner in forge is much discussed on this forum. Do some searching.

It means more to me now (40+ years later) than it did then (when I got called a baby killer upon returning from VN).
It has been a relief to find that the public realizes that we didn't make the policy, just answered the call.I sometime wonder how many would have answered the call in 1776?

If you want to see an entertaining movie, with plenty of blacksmithing in it, see the movie "Kindom of Heaven". The hero is a blacksmith who travels to the middle east during the crusades, it is quite an interesting story. Best blacksmithihg movie I ever saw.

Sounds interesting, on a few levels. Can you tell me where I can get a copy? Thanks.

Stumbled onto some YouTubes on sinking and raising copper cups and bowls and would really like to assemble a half-dozen basic tools. But in poking around, I see pretty high prices on hammers and stakes, etc. Anyone have a favorite source for these basic tools? Favorite book on copper or silver work?

As far as books are concerned you HAVE TO GET " Silversmithing" by R Finegold & W Seitz. I found my copy at Powell's in Portland. It covers tools, metal as well as wood, hammers, stakes, etc. as well as techniques, design, layout, math (so you don't end up with wasted material), terminology, etc. Agreat book for anyone who wants to know how to shape sheet metal.

Have you looked at pureiron.com ? it is not wrought iron but it is lovely stuff to use, they are producing it commercially and can ship abroad.

I got a piece gratis from pureiron when I attended the ABANA conference in Seattle. What is the difference in it and wrought? Also look in back issues of Anvil's ring (in the classifieds). Someone had come across tons of wrought iron fence posts. I believe they were 1 1/4" x 5 or 6 foot long.

Someone suggested I tig weld them together. So yesterday I started to do this. Its my eyes I new I needed readers (+1.50 magnification) to read... But to weld too

So now I will resume with the readers..... If it looks good when I'm done, I'll show it, if not I'll never tell

I have done some tig welding on copper. It works great. Holds together better than aluminum, but at 'some' temperature it slumps. Also the filler rod gets hot. I also use 1.5 magnification inserts in my helmet. I need to use an 'old time' helmet on small stuff, as the coating on the electronic helmet lens distorts the image. After welding (or soldering ) the ball will be dead soft.

Godd work on the knife and the photography. Reflections in the blade make it look exotic. Can you tell me more about the wood. I have never heard of it.

Thanks for the plug fellas
I PMed the original poster suggesting he supply the material and I would "air spin" it, meaning no mandrel. The shape would be "close" No reply as of yet.....Checking the water perhaps

Yes , I am testing the waters.....I don't know where I can get this done, so I am asking if someone knows. Jusat like anyone would do when they want to have something done (welding, machining, cabinetry, plumbing). If I missed my 'guess' on the cost, well, I didn't realize what a 2ft piece of copper sheet would cost. Seems to me that an hour would make the get the job done. As far as the form........I can adjust the dimensions to a form that is already made. If the cost is too high....I'll do it myself.


As far as the other comments on this matter......
I do metal work for a living (weld, fab, forge, sheet metal, machining, knives, jewelry, etc), so I know what it takes to make something. Sometimes I go 'outside' to someone with the expertise, or special equiptment. An example of this would be buying a hinge, rather than making one. HHHMMMM make a hinge, or buy a hinge.....HHHHMMMMMM?????
I started this post to find someone to spin a bowl. It gets really annoying, to have inquiries turned into a chat room for know-it-all's, who have no idea of my situation, abilities or talents.

I live near Portland, Oregon. I need a dish/bowl spun in copper. Size: about 9" deep and 16" in diameter with a 4" flat on the bottom. Thickness about .080" to .120". I would raise it myself except for the size. Cost should be less than $100. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

My math figures that the angle is 72 degrees. 360/5=72. When I saw the title of the thread I thought that you were making a 5 sided bar. At on of our NWBA conferences there was a workshop before the conference that a group made a sculpture that cosisted of 4 or 5, 5-sided, TAPERED bars. Bend your brain around that.I didn't go to the worksop so I never saw the tooling. Needless to say, I was intrigued. Anyone got the answer?

For $140 delivered.....I'd go for it. I doubt that you will break it before it pays for itself. Email them and ask how long the warrenty is good for, and if someone in your area has one that you can check out.

ty for your comments and goodluck with your signpost

Good looking piece! I have resisted building a custom box because of theft, or vandalising. Good luck.

I need to find a source for motorcycle gas tank bung/caps in order to build a custom tank. They should be available for aluminum as well as steel. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Wow! Just been reading this whole thread, really awesome! I'm from Phoenix AZ, an RN by trade, and got interested in metalworking/blacksmithing out of an interest in creating heavier sledgehammers, for several demolition side-projects. I appreciate what everyone is saying, because I know absolutely know nothing about metal work. If there's anything else any of you can suggest, it would be awesome, but if not then I will use this thread as a beginning point (and buy all these good books!). I've looked for groups in Phoenix and so far no luck! Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

Go to the ABANA website and click on associates. You will find a contact for the Arizona Baacksmiths Asssociation. There are blacksmiths everywhere.

I used autocad and cadkey for about 15 years. They are fine tools, but you will find yourself putting in a lot of time to learn how to use them. Would you rather forge, or draw? Another thing is having a powerful enough computer ($$) to run the program. After you buy the software, in a year, or two, you will need to update ($$) to the newer version. There is also the question of technical assistance ($$) when you run into a problem. If you don't think that you are good enough to draw with a pencil......take a drawing class at the nearest CC. You may be surprised at the results.

I would say that the 'I' beam could be turned into a stake, if you have enough metal in the flange and web. If the web is not sturdy enough, you could weld a stiffner to it. Looks like lots of grinding.

Here in Oregon we have been experiencing a cold wet spring with more than twice the normal rainfall in May. I doubt that anyone local would bitch about dry weather. Forge in the morning and go riding the motorcycle in the afternoon.

After all the heckeling go to www.calsmith.org the Califonia Blacksmith Association is large and well organized.

I talked to a tech at Birchwood Casey several years ago and he admitted they made Brownell's bluing solutions to sell under private label. He told me the Oxpho was the most aggressive and was expressly formulated for gun steels, which are often harder to blue than mild steel. I cut Oxpho with distilled water 50/50 and it works just as well on sandblasted mild steel as the straight stuff. The full strength solution also leaves more phosphate smut that must be removed or it will leave an olive brown coating - especially in trapped areas that dry slowly.

BTW, to answer your question, I have never used 44/40 or Dicropan - the Oxpho works for me and I haven't tried anything else.

Do you use the cream or the liquid? Thanks, I'll give it a try.