Ron Hicks

Where are the 400+ blueprints - I would like to see them ?

"It sounds like yours will coke properly so that's a good start" Im going to get some good coal but what I using isnt good coal. Its some stuff I bought years ago - its chunks that looks like layers kind of like shale, has yellow gunk on it , some turns a funky birck red when it turns to coke, I clean out big clinkers about every 30 min. or cant get any heat, hard and heavy. I think I have the cleaning part down mainly wanting to know about making the coke and keeping a big fire mound going. Really want to see a good rake and shovel also. When I do get some Good coal "hopefully a good amount" keep it in a pile outdoors OK? or maybe like a bin of some sort? Ron

Hate to ask , I know this is a beginer ? but just started working with coal. I have read about building the first fire & about making a cave. I guess the kind of fire I want is a lose mound where I can silde the bar through the mound. I build the fire ,the coal cokes and sticks in a big mass. I bust it up with a poker and mound it up. I pile wet coal on each side of the coke. As the new coal cokes I bust it up and pull it in the middle and repalce with new coal. Should I let the new coal flame up and burn or keep water put to it and no flame? How should my poker/rake be made ? I made one its good for clinkers but not much for a rake. Also made a crude shovel If you wouldnt mind I would like to see some fire tools Thanks Ron

Thomas I havent gotten with any local Blacksmiths I guess I thought I did know enough to be buggin them.Ive just been on my own & reading books. Tell me about the ABANA chapter meetings. Ron

Do you go to the local ABANA chapter meetings? No I havent- but I guess I should I have emailed Tom Upton he is near to me. Ive went here but did not look like anyone used it BOA Home Page Can you tell about the ABANA chapter meetings? I really want to learn Ron

THanks Ed & Mike Ill check it out ED Archie burnin corn? I like charcoal but goes to fast, think I want good coal. Have you ever tried good coal? Its hard to beat If you ask me Thanks Ron

Hi my name is Ron been hangin around and readin some good stuff here. Ive been beatin out knife blades for a few years but want to get in to Blacksmithing. When I started I did not know anything and bought a pickup load of coal in Kansas. Thats stuff was junk, it made loads of clinkers. I ordered a 50 lb. bag of coal from Centaur Forge to see what good coal was like. I started messin with a gas forge and used it for a few years switched to charcoal ( which I like but $)and never tried the coal till the other day. Hey thats good stuff I forged for 5 days with that 50 pounds & I havent any experence with anything other than knives - not even real sure Im tending the fire right yet. I think I may order more from them a 50 pound bag is $22.00 and my shipping be another $ 20.00 guessin aroud $42.00 for 50 pounds. Thats not to bad is it ? Im sure If I could find some good coal with in driving distance it would be less, at least I know what good coal looks like now. Anyone have a clue where I might find good coal I live in NW Arkansas Thanks Ron

habu Thanks for the fine Christmas Gift just found it Christmas day Im still reading but I think everyone should read #1 Forge-practice (elementary) #2 Hand-forging and Wrought-iron Ornamental Work #3 Practical Blacksmithing Good Stuff Manard Thanks Ron

Man that thing is a bigun I wonder If maybe it was used like as a "back up " you know like when you hold a hammer behind one end and some one hits the other. The size of the hole just doesnt look big enough to be used to strike with unless it was iron- I sure wouldnt want to mess with the ol boy that could swing it

Ive been forging knives and this was the first stuff I have made other than a few things for to help with knives. I like making knives but I really liked making the Candle Sticks & Cross. I think Im really hooked and hope I can learn more Smithing Have a look , the first Candlestick I burnt into it was my first time to use some really good coal. I like good coal You will see me hangin around Ron Ron

FredlyFX I started this monster back in the spring this is after HT & Temper It was so big had trouble getting an even heat for HT but finally got it. This is after cutting some mild steel with it I drove it through with a hammer. This is the guard I was working on I said was working on I got tired of working on it and laid it up. It made from a BIG truck spring really tough stuff it was a real bear to work very tough it killed 3 files. Oh yea I did it forging files & blisters. I dont like much I need to file the false edges ,guard & handle. Heres another pic. of the knife That looks like it might be like a spring tooth thingey - I bet it will harden just fine- get her red stick it in warm oil Good luck lets us know how it turns out Ron

You did say Bowie Knives? How about some of the knives from the guy that invented Bowie Knives James Blacks

Tyler I might be worng I think its for knife fighting, to catch the edge of the blade ? Some swear thats one of Bowies knives- I think they did some testing on it . Cant remember for sure- its old but likes a few years being old enough made after Bowies death. Rich yea I would like to see him touch that thing off myself.

Sorry worng picture Ok check out this knife I allways thought it was a good looker It might be a tiny bit large but why couldnt you scale it down?

Nice ax Ron

I could use a knife to spread cream cheese with a big gut hook on it :)

Good lookin knives are they all RR Spikes? I have never use a Spike seems like the only ones I find a LC You know way back when I dought knives had much carbon I think Im will try one I have and just see what I get Did you harden in water?did you heat the water? Whats the hilt thing???cant see from the pic.

Not sure how you do it but when Im finished forging I Normalize & sometimes I let it slow cool beside the fire in ash but not very often most of the time its soft enough to work. Talkin grinding belts/discs I dont usem- I use a sen ,file, sandstone all hand work . You can aneal its OK - This is a blade I made from a file I tempered it the old way (my first time tempering this way) . did not get a very even color Ron

I pounded out a few knives from files. I have only used the new Nicholson files - they get hard and with tempering will make a good knife . The files are thin to begin with , its easy to get carried away with forging and getting to thin. I havent ever ground or anealed the file before forging but thats me. If you watch what you are doin you can remove the file teeth after forging when you clean it up.

Do U really need a grinder to make a knife ?

How about a big pile of green coal in the forge get it burnnin good and close up the shop - Smokem out I hate poison - most the time u cant find them but sure can smell em + Im afraid my pets might eat a poisoned mouse and poison them or get in the poison. I would stick to traps or a good BB gun Ron

I made a big blade a while back 20 in. long forged from a big truck leaf spring- I use charcoal in my forge , its a Champion Whirlwind pot for coal or coke with a big hand crank Royal blower . On the pipe from the crank blower to the fire pot I have a small elc. blower attached . Any way back to the big blade , I rigged up a air pipe that sat down in the fire pot looked like a (T) with holes along the top the air came in from the bottom in the center. The way I rigged up my air pipe I had a slightly cool spot in the center I think it would have been better If the air would have entered at the end instead of the center. I used a heavy 3 in. pipe with a cap welded on one end to place my blade in to help even out the heat and help stop scale.You heat the pipe and the pipe heats the blade , you want the blade sitting on its spine so the heat travels from the spine to the edge. You want to get 2 or 3 in. of fule under the pipe , fule at bothe sides a good amount on top. You want the charcol to burn and drop away from the bottom of the 3 in. heat treat pipe ( charcoal touching the bottom will make uneven heat ) used something to prop up the pipe so as the charcoal burns down the pipe stays in place. Using a 3 in heavy pipe to heat treat in will work and gets a good even heat helps with scaling if you will put small slivers of wood in to burn the air up in the pipe . makes final clean up lots easier . It takes a bunch of charcoal and lots of air I think I burnt up 20 lbs of charcoal to make 1 fire . What have you got for a quench ? Is your tank long enough? dont forget to pre heat. one other thing normalize make sure its not going to warp - I heated mine 3 times before hardening Like I say it takes lots of charcoal Ron