nashdude

Kinda where I got the idea hehe Why steer clear of the edges? Is granite more prone to chipping at the edges? May sound like a newb question... but I guess that's because it is :p

I asked this question on another thread, but I figured I'd get a wider range of answers if I made it its own thread. Back in the day, before there were horned anvils and the like, blacksmiths used whatever flat surface they could find as anvils. Japanese swordsmiths used cubes of steel, or even stone, to hammer out their work. I believe that the best stone anvil to use was granite, but I could be mistaken. As the local king of scrounge, I called around and found that some of our funeral homes and monument dealers give local folks free pickins at their cast off granite---headstones and monuments that are broken or otherwise unfit for their commission. My question is, has anyone here actually USED a granite anvil? If so, how did it serve compared to your steel anvil of choice?

Another option would be to use a one-brick forge. It's a simple little deal made of a single soft firebrick and a bernzomatic torch. Nothing fancy---just enough to wet your whistle, give you an idea of whether or not you really want to put the time, effort, and resources into blacksmithing. Here's a write-up on the one-brick and similar micro-forges... anvilfire.com Blacksmithing FAQs Welcome aboard :)

Of course it would. Thing is, for tribal stuff---or those of us who just love the notion of not being dependent on electricity---you need something that's operated manually. And I don't care how many gears and pulleys you put on it, there's no way to hand-crank a hairdryer up to speed :p

Not hardly. In fact, it's VERY easy to come by so long as you have an auto parts dealer in town, like Autozone or O'Reilly. You can probably even pick it up at the local hardware store, like Ace or Home Depot or Lowe's. You just need to remember one word... Bondo Bondo Fiberglass Resin Repair Kits

I don't suppose you'd be willing to scan the relevant pages and upload them into the blueprints section...? :cool:

Yeah, I didn't look at it real good before I posted. I just saw "plans" and saw the diagram and assumed that there was something included that obviously was not. Good comments, bro. Thanks!

I actually WAS considering calling the local mortuary and see if they have any cast-off granite...:rolleyes:

First, I am the google master. In researching the various aspects of bladesmithing, I've come across a HUGE number of tutorials ranging from making wire damascus to mokume. But one of the most interesting things I've found is how to make micarta (click here). I've got friends that have made micarta from linen, denim, flannel, even old army camo. So I was wondering if anyone out there has used materials OTHER than fabric? Granted it wouldn't be "micarta", but it would be interesting nonetheless. What about leaves? Pine straw? Spanish moss? Thoughts?

Thanks yall! I'm rather proud of it (to the point of being obnoxious, I'm sure...). This is actually the only knife I've ever made---first, last, and the totality of my bladesmithing hobby thus far. The guy that got me into it (whose workshop you see me using) was pretty impressed with it, and convinced me to look at the hobby a little more seriously. I was just after a hobby that I can share with my son as he gets older, but now I can see something a bit more... ...lucrative Anyway, this is what spawned my interest in blacksmithing. Nash 101 :D

WOOOHOOOO!!! Jackpot! http://www.vintageprojects.com/home-garden/LeafBlower.pdf

I'm still researching the whole centrifugal bellows idea, and I ran across this little gem. It needs tweaking for max performance, but it gives the same general idea of what I was talking about in my "busted leaf blower bellows" discertation Blower Plans

Love the link, BDF... thanks!

And the finished product, complete with sheath... Note that practically EVERYTHING about this knife is recycled junk---blade steel, wooden handles slabs, even the sheath material (suede with wax melted into it). The only "new" items were the brass pinning and tubing, the wax for the sheath, and the artificial sinew for the stitching. Make no mistake---I'm NOT "green" by any means, but the notion of making something beautiful and/or useful out of something that has been "cast off" does have a certain appeal. Not to mention, the "free" aspect of junk appeals to my cheapskate nature... ;)

Shaped...

On the knife board for draw filing and sanding... Buffing... Buffed... Wood hand slabs epoxied on, and holes drilled for pinning and lanyard hole...

Yeah, this is primarily a blacksmithing forum, but I wanted to post what got me interested in blacksmithing in the first place---bladesmithing. I know there's a gallery page here, but it's easier for me to copy+paste the urls than to try and figure out the why's and wherefore's of profile management hehe So, without further ado, my knife---from start to finish... Heat treated... Tempered...

Got a hit on Craigslist concerning my "Wanted: Busted Leaf Blower" ad. Seems someone nearby has a leaf blower that has a blown up motor, but the impeller and housing are intact. I love free stuff... :D

Thanks. I popped into chat and IMMEDIATELY got accosted by Glenn. He since explained quite a few things about RR anvils, so I think I got a clear picture of what I need to do with mine. I think...

ROFLOL I can already see I'm going to like this place...:D

I'm actually going to be making mine out of an old leaf blower. I wanted one of these... ...but I ain't go the $400 that these things usually go for. A busted leaf blower, on the other hand, already has everything necessary for a bellows, self contained... link Once you get the housing and the fan isolated, all you have to do is lengthen the axis and attach a handle for the crank. Apparently a guy named Dave Gingery did something along these lines (How to Design and Build Centrifugal Fans), but I haven't been able to find a picture. The only problem with this plan is that the fan will only turn as fast as you can crank. However, if you fashion a gear box on the side (small gear to large, small gear to large) and THEN attach the crank---or even a foot pedal---you should get enough air moving for it to be a viable option. Thoughts from a newb... Copyrighted photos removed and links put in their place

Thanks for the posts, all! Giving me a lot to consider. Good thought, but the track has little surface area as it is---about 2 3/4" by however long I leave it. Standing on it's end, I drasticly reduce even that. I'm sure I could use it for knifing, but I'd never be able to blacksmith---even newb stuff---with such little area to strike upon. Bear in mind that the railroad iron is just a get-me-by until I can purchase a "real" anvil. Can I not bolt it down, say to a 5-gal bucket of concrete, to take some of the give out of it? Me and a buddy at work were just talking about that So where can I get some 1" square tubing? Material for the hardy tools is not much of a problem (I'm resourceful hehe) but I'd like to keep the hole around the 1" standard in case I wanted to actually buy a hardy. I "think" I understand what you're saying, pointing to "my" north---with its end closest to me, pointing outward. That it? Versatility, I can do Please clarify on the points I made, and thanks for the advice, bro :)

I'm sure this subject has been beat to death, but I'm gonna play the Newb card and give you some fodder I'm just starting my knife shop---got some soft firebricks on order, scrounging around for scrap steel, designing my coal forge, etc. While visiting my wife's family in Tulsa this week, I ran across an old anvil in her grandfather's yard amongst some railroad track. Well, he wouldn't come off the anvil, but he did give me a long chunk of track---about two feet at least. Here are the questions... What would be the best way to outfit this as an anvil? Should I get someone to cut it with an OA torch, or can I use a cut-off? What's the best way to add a hardy hole to it? Is the horn or pritchel hole necessary? Thanks in advance for being gentle :D

Hey yall, stumbled upon this website once or twice while researching blacksmithing---a natural extension of my interest in bladesmithing, I guess---and it seemed a wonderful resource. Didn't know until tonight that it had a forum. How observant of me... :rolleyes: