Mark Ling

This link ain't the best, but was what I came up with in the time I had. Hope it helps a little.

                                                                                          Littleblacksmith 

Wait, in Tennessee what's the blade law?

                                                                                Littleblacksmith 

Now may we all carry our 8" Bowies!

                                                                                     Littleblacksmith 

If y'all make it around here I will be sure to show y'all the scrap yard here if you'd like, it also sells new steel. I also like 3/8" square for leaves, I recommend starting out with that over 1/2", it is a little less suborn but you still get the steps down and it still looks about the same, just smaller. For most stuff, I recommend using square stock when you can use it. Of course some projects you have to use round, but when you can use square. for most stuff it looks better (in my opinion), and also it is easier to keep things "square" and all on the same plain. like for S hooks, square is easier to keep all in line. I hope I'm making sense, I'm not a very good person with words, I'm sure though if it doesn't you can probably get Frosty to explain it to you. he could explain rocket science and make it sound like 2nd grade math.

                                                                                                                       Littleblacksmith 

1 hour ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

Most of us laugh at the Mexican waiters warning about hot plates...

Yes thats for sure! I also have to remind my self when people are in my shop who dont forge that there meaning of hot and mine arent the same.

                                                                                       Littleblacksmith 

56 minutes ago, CrazyGoatLady said:

 You can never have enough WD40...

Dont forgett the duct tape!

                                                                                         Littleblacksmith 

Yes modeling clay is a wonderfully thing. I just found some I had forgotten about in my room, and because during the storm I couldn't really do much outside, I have been messing around with the model ling clay figuring out some new ideas. I now have an idea on how to forge a fish from 1/2" square, we will see. But yes, modeling clay I do recomend. I've used clay from a nearby river, it's just messier. 

                                                                                                   Littleblacksmith 

Naw, it was JHCC who made me think of it when he mentioned pallets.

                                                                          Littleblacksmith

Yes Ryan, pick up a pallet or two. You can use scraps of it to light the forge, and you can use other boards from the pallet for your forge. 

                                                                          Littleblacksmith 

2 hours ago, Daninghram said:

That is a very nice knife, I would have been proud to make that! I think you did a great job, everything I see you post on here looks great.

Thank you very much!

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

Yeah, no accounting for taste is there Mark. We like it just fine and we know something about the craft, well done. What'll you think next time he should get a gift?

 Im glad you like it, I do too. Thing is, is he is a "blacksmith", ( I personally think I have more skill, he only forges like 1 time a month, me this summer its been almost everyday all day, and during school forging in the evenings and weekends). Now he has never made a knife.....I guess thats part of the contributing factor, everybody seems to think a knife is the easiest thing to do. Al, it is is a sharp pointy thing? Right? Yeah sure. Im not making him another gift. I tried my best with that knife and my best wasnt good enough. He said other things to me that would get me baned from here. I also gave him a gift card with a substancial amount to a leather store he goes to. He wants to return that and he knife to me. I think he is just trying to be rude. I could MAYBE  understand returning the knife, but I dont see a reason to return the gift card that he would use. Now he said he would like to return them, but part of me doubts he will.

                                                                               Littlebacksmith

On August 26, 2017 at 2:18 PM, Frosty said:

Good Golly Mark you're going to put us curmudgeons to shame with that kind of help.

I'm more articulate because I have about 4 decades of practice you don't, you do very well for your age. You're clear and concise where I'm long winded. Please feel free to PM me if you can't think of a word or term. 

Thank you for the offer, I may have to take you up on it some time.

                                                                                Littleblacksmith 

You beat me to it Mrs. Hockett!

We are fine, got buckets around the house for our leaky roof, pond is overflowing. So far we have gotten 20-3/4" of rain. We live on a hill so flooding ain't much of a worry for us thankfully. 

Praying for others not as fortunate.

                                                                                             Littleblacksmith 

Ok, not sure when I'll get it shipped. We are currently in a storm, and I still got to get the anvil made. 

Or if you want to make one that requires no screws or nails, 

                                                                                           Littleblacksmith 

On 8/27/2017 at 7:48 PM, Scrambler82 said:

Little Blacksmith,

Was just rereading some of the posts, I saw this knife photo, 

The mosaic insert, nice !

Thank you very much sir. The guy I gave it to said it was basic at best, that it would be lucky to fetch $50, and that there was no craftsmen ship involved.

                                                                              Littleblacksmith 

Thank you very much ma'm.  If you and/or your husband are near here, let me know, y'all are always welcome to stop by, y'all can show me some stuff, I'll show y'all some stuff, and depending on yalls time maybe fire up the forge.

                                                                            Littleblacksmith 

Good to hear, thank you Frosty you are so much better at explaining things and wording things than I am. Ryan, I have a drop of mild steel that I can weld a spike to and you can use it as a stump anvil. I will also ship you some new steel that will be easier to work. Maybe I'll throw in a chisel and punch, I'll see what will fit in the box. You don't have to pay anything, just PM me your address. The stump anvil will have a 5/8" spike, you will, probably want to drill a pilot hole so you do t split the log. Only thing I ask, is USE IT! I am giving you this stuff because I want to help, I could give this to many other people, but if you use it I think then I made the right decision, don't make me regret this.

                                                                                          Littleblacksmith 

Nice to have you join Mrs. Hockett! I am really glad o hav you here, we have enjoyed havin your husband, and I am sure we will enjoy your company too. Like Frosty said, there are not enough lady smiths, but the smiths who are lady's, most are really good. 

Pleasure meeting you, I'm sure your not THAT crazy compared to some of us.

                                                                              Littleblacksmith 

4 hours ago, Matthew D said:

 

1. When holding flat stock on edge position the tongs over the top of the metal so it does not rebound up and escape the grip you have on it or come flying at you.

Yes, I at least am one who has learned that. The hard way.

                                                                       Littleblacksmith 

7 hours ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

By definition you have to be old to be a Curmudgian Littleblacksmith, lol

thank you.....I think...

6 hours ago, Frosty said:

Littlecurmudgeonsmith

Talk about a mouth full!

                                                                                          Littleblacksmith 

What Dave said..... And this is only the first hour.

                                                                                     Littleblacksmith 

Thank you for using a few periods in your last post. It makes it much easier to read, thank you.

Would you really like to continue blacksmithing, like is it something you would really like to peruse, or is it just a time killer? I ask this question for a reason, I will maybe say why after you answer, depending on your answer.

                                                                                     Littleblacksmith 

2 hours ago, Melw45 said:

Lbs

I like your hammer. I showed it to my wife she said it was pretty.

Good job!

Mel

Thank you very much, glad to hear the wife likes it too!

1 hour ago, BubbaNash said:

That claw hammer is fantastic! i would use that any day.

been looking through here, you are quite impressive!

Thank you very very much sir. I really needed to hear something like this right now.

                                                                                  Littleblacksmith 

3 hours ago, Dylan Sawicki said:

That's a nice hammer LB, how long did it take? it looks like it would be pretty simple to make.

Thank you. Well, it took longer than it should have, about three hours. It wasn't the one striking who made it take long, he was doing excellent with a 12lb. It was that thinks we're a little wonky and not right. So we had to go back and forth from trying to get things in line and straight. I think if we didn't have to deal with the wonkyness than it would have taken about 1-1/2 -2 hours, that includes grinding (though all that was ground was the face) and handling.

it was pretty simple. Started with some 1 1/4" axle, flattened to half round (like you would a hammer eye punch), then punch on the high side. Drift it open, and using a top fuller take down the swell created from punching and drifting, then using the top fuller, fuller fro. O e side on either side of the eye, creating a set down. Then using the too fuller draw out the claw, and cut off the excess. Take a set hammer or flatter, and move to the face and forge it down square (it had been oval from the original flattening of two sides). Then drift the eye open again because from fuller I get the set downs it will have crushed the eye, and now spread the cheeks some. Now fuller all the way around next to the face as if you were making a rounding hammer. Split the claw and bend it, that's about it. If you type in to YouTube "forging a claw hammer" there are a couple of videos of Alec making one the same way, and one of him and his Freind, who I know, is making one, that one I found the best.

2 hours ago, Tubalcain2 said:

SWEET hammer Mark. Now you just need figure out how to do a waffle face. I like my framing hammers to have hachet style handles, but that is just me.

Thank you Elijah. Waffle face I think wouldn't be too difficult. Just an angle grinder with a cut off wheel, or maybe even a chisel. Interesting, like with a curve in them? I prefer hammer handles like this, but, that's just me.

                                                                                           Littleblacksmith 

Thank you very much Mr. Coke! Nice cone top. Some one tried to give me a cone mandrel that had the first four inches cut off....only problem was the van already had an anvil and swags block, 5 people, and luggage. Maybe next time we're there I'll get it.

I like that flower Gergely, especially the base.

neat hoe. For the handle, what about a wheelbarrow handle? That's what came to my mind first.

Forged a claw hammer out of some axle.

                                                                      Littleblacksmith 

Well not only that, but it makes your hand not so close to the hot steel.

                                                                                 Littleblacksmith