Smoggy

I'd also suggest reshaping one (a gas torch would suffice one tine at a time) and fit with a temp shaft to try it out. You should know then if they require any heat treatment or not and can set up as needed to work the rest. Keep us upgraded on your progress and a few pictures never goes amiss here.....best of luck.

Why level the face? If it has a depression like an old nags back, that is an area that has been worn away, leveling the face off is simply wearing away the better sections. Use the sections that are good. A depression is a bonus when straightening a piece of metal.

Welcome JK.

I can't view it on you tube due to it not accepting my email acount, well I could but I refuse to fill in a form everytime I visit, Fortunately you provided an exact title so firefox delivered anyway. I have to say straight up I found it a very enoyable and informative video, The last piece I forged was a toasting fork from square stock, nice to see other sections used and the processes required. Most noticable was the lack of any music that so many seem to find indespensible, I prefer not to listen to other peoples choice of music and much enjoyed hearing the hammer blows, there is a lot of information to be had from the "original sound track". Critisism: You're too finicky for your own good! Mostly efficient hammerwork as far as I could see but you seemed to follow it up with lots of adjustment, only to re-adust it back to more or less where you started, I don't see it as a skill defecit, probably more a habit??? It was most evident in your return to the forks, finish that end and be done with it before starting the other end, returning later is a waste of heat, time and effort. I suspect you could make the same item to the same standard in almost half the tme, and their lies your profit. On the whole, in my opinion, a very good video of the forging of a very nice fork. My thanks.

I have now.......

First pair of tongs, maybe not the prettiest I've ever seen, but hey if they do the job they're good and you'll have learned making them, the next pair will be better looking I'm sure. As for the blades, they look well to me and same applies as regards function. The handle on the first knife I think could have benefited from a little more shaping but that's probably more a matter of taste/preference, I mentioned on a previous post how I much liked that blade and it's not too late to tidy that fuller up. All in all, you've plenty to be proud of there.

Strikes me that if you are intending forging blades with such features, then you will need to be able to clean them up and polish them.....so you may as well make the appropriate tools for this project and be done. A single point cutting tool suitable for chasing a fuller is not that difficult to make, you're a bladesmith yes? Oh, and nice looking blade, I particularly like the proportions.

I have vices that do not unscrew, they are pulled open while depressing a lever, They are faster in use. I think swedefiddle may be infering that your vice may be operating correctly.

Welcome to IFI VB. Please put your location in your profile as some questions require specific answers and I'm sure you'll have many questions to ask. As for the steel, it's impossible to know but an educated guess from other members may be forth coming. I would suggest it is likely a mild steel but such items could be made from whatever was at hand. You would do well to do a search for 'spark testing', there will be threads here on the forum covering it and other areas of the internet will also have the information. It's a way of helping to identify the carbon content of steel using a bench grinder or belt sander. I see from the photo evidence of at least an angle grinder so it is a method you may fnd useful if learned. Hope that's helpfull.

How coincidental! Only this morning I was pondering the option of installing my japanese box bellows vertically instead of in the horizontally as it was made to be used. It will certainly work up ended if the flap valves are rehung and would save me some space in my little 6x8 foot forge.....except.....it's a low roof only six foot at the eve so I'll not be able to achieve a decent stroke. Had I thought about it prior to building I could have easily altered the diemsions to suit and retained the capacity! On the other hand,,,,,it does provide me with a useful storage area on it's top!

Despite our local whaling heritage, (Whitby), I had no idea what a temple iron was till I read this thread, Very nice execution Jonathan, thanks for posting.

I've never fancied the plants and fungi and lots of other things that are edible more than once.....civet coffee for example....!

For small project use you mentioned, I would not spend time and effort fiddling with it, at least not yet, maybe later if something better doesn't happen along. Just get it securely stood in a stand, decent tree stump or make a wooden or steel stand, all depends on what you can find and what tools you have a vaiable, there are plenty of good examples to be found on these pages if you do a bit of searching.

The Ever popular Myford, some work been turned on those over the years. My lathes a distant relative being virtually identical to the earlier Myfords, but then again most were back in the 30's, it's a little 3.5" x 20" Ross and Alexander (Randa). Nice cabinet you got that sat on

Welcome to the forum Northumbrian, I take it you originally from up here in the North East.

Very nicely turned out pieces for any Smith, most impressed to learn theyare the work of sudents. They reflect well on the tutor. ....especially that last piece, takes some work forging those barrels...!

I agree Marc1, most knife crime is executed with knives intended for the kitchen or or the workshop, if the maker was responsible there would be a lot of cutlers and companies like Stanley almost perminently in court being sued! However supplying a weapon to someone if you had reason to suspect they may use it to harm someone or supplying to a minor could well see you in court, but not making the knife. If you really want advice on this subject then people need to see at least some pictures of your knives, preferably a small portfolio. Do you make sheaths for your knives?

You stated that your town is just under 5000 populus, and I take it surrounded by farmland or similar homesteads, The chances that you are the only person in your immediate area within 30 mins drive that has an interest in blacksmithing or bladesmithing are pretty slim.....how far away does the local farrier live? No reason why you can't do it on your own, but......who were you expecting to sell the spring to?

Let's see, you have access to free materials, ie springs (which have only ferrous scrap monetary value). You do not have your forge up and running yet. Solution: Find a local smith, baldesmith, hoby smith, that would like to trade you some scrap springs for forge time, lessons to get you up and started. They would likely be able to help you get sorted with a forge and tooling, you'd learn and no matter how much fun forging is, it's nearly always more fun with someone else! Is there an assocciation or group local to you?

Reminds me of my brothers boots.......I'll elaborate, As a hard up apprentice plumber, when he lost the buttons off his Donkey Jacket ( if you are not familiar with that term, it's a heavy rough cloth coat, think coarse felt, that workmen were issued with) he would scrounge a few four inch nails from one of the Joiners and use them, similar to original teepee closures. When his boot laces snapped he went to see the Electrician.....the picture above describes the rest...!

Hand cut threads are made to fit each other, ie bolt and nut, and fit no other. This is why Whitworth attempted to standardise everything which was such a good idea everyone else jumped on the band wagon and unstandardised it all....!!!!!

Welcome to the forum and please put a location in your profile, (nearest main city and country). It's important when recieving replies to quiestions. Red Brass, (C230 ?, Gunmetal? ) for bushings......which will need machining. My advice bases on the information given is to buy or otherwise source a suitable bronze for bushings and machine to size. Easier, cheaper, and safer.

I'll just mention carbide tipped masonary bits..............

Yep, they do look homemade as they usually have one straight flute and it is only a quarter (90 deg) of the drill not half as in the first pic. the end geometry is also normally offset for barrel drilling. There is one more possibility, still gunsmithing.....the picture in our original post could be,a rifling reamer with the end broken off, the cutter would sit in the flat area and cut a single groove.

Could you not provide a picture of the whole item? It looks like it may have a coolant channel running through it, difficult to tell from the pic. if it does, given the other dimentions, I'd suggest its a deep hole drill such as is used for boring gun barrels and the tip has been broekn off. Alternately it may not be a drill bit at all, it could well be hand made, we engineering types make all sorts of wierd gizmos at times and if so....there's no telling what the makers intentions were!