Forgingforfun

My 8 x 8 outdoor shop evolving , post vice ,anvil and forge, will put hand tools and hardy's In 5 gallon pails , this "roof "will allow me to forge more soon 

Have used them for crabbing frontlines here in Maryland and yes they were cast iron

Thanks Neil how do I prevent twisting as I hammer? Seems when I go to octagon stock wants to rotate am I hitting it to hard?

Dont know how to link to utube but is on there lookup k3xtx

Dont know how to do that resize....

Thanks for the tips, I'm just a hobbyist with many years of attending meets and 2 abanas. Made my first chisel when I was 13 and then a knife, made some knifes over last 20 years, only now trying to blacksmith vs forge knifes. So much easier to play with mild steel vs high carbon  have a homemade charcoal forge but gonna change from furnace blower to hand crank and to coal finding time is my biggest problem 

Awesome thanks my burner was acting funny a little wonder bottle low and icing up best  I could get was orange heat, plus thin stock losing heat was about 60 degrees out also

Just commenting was using 1/8 inch thick mild steel was punching tab at black heat and then got split, have a good drift and pritchel plate on order, and gonna use some thicker stock next time around

Working between rain storms I need a roof.lol

Fired up forge Saturday was running a little funny but got a little done.tried a bottle opener but when i went to punch tab for cap ,it was too cold and split 

Fired up forge Saturday was running a little funny but got a little done.tried a bottle opener but when i went to punch tab for cap ,it was too cold and split 

Rubber tap thats the kind of stuff im looking for nothing that was made for use here in USA, thanks

To clarify,  i mean any item, any time period not of USA no knife or sword, looking for any lighting, farming, household etc.

Thanks

Interested in forging a regional type item like a rush light from what I understand. Another example scythe anvil from Europe. Any other ideas? No knives or swords see plenty of that on forged in fire.

I posted last July (first San mail knife), took me number of billets to succeed, didn't have enough heat/heat soak, and you must not waste anytime getting to the anvil plus don't allow anvil to act like a sponge drawing out the heat before you hit it, but more of a strong set of taps, later heats still use flux ,but you hit harder. Billet will sound like thud if not welded, and ring like when bonded, hard for me to describe hope I helped now I still have to find time to finish those billets

Great job!!!

picked up this anvil in va ,from a seller named cb about 15 plus yrs ago, he said it came from a farm in pa , marked 0-3-18( 102 lbs), has a 100 percent rebound, its all i need, has england stamp which im told puts it at 1910 or later, required by england for taxes i think

I paid 250 for it then, (about 2.45 a pound) the hardy hole is 7/8 inch

Beautiful work!

heat treated three knives , two are san mai, forge welded a fork nice weather here in southern maryland today i can only forge outside on the ground

hardened and tempered three knives two are san mai

Yes civil not ugly not trying to say stock removal vs forging, draw filing vs belt grinder etc.. is better, just asking what others do and use.... yes hardcore is taking ore ..smelting etc to be a purist is extreme... yes ive traveled through lowa twice to sturgis but it was not in a yugo and yes theres plenty of corn out there. Remember not a argument of whats better . but i will say power makes the boring stuff faster, forging and heat treating is the fun stuff for me

Just prefer the basics forge, anvil, hammer, tongs,hardy tools etc.. Just a hobby , strong passion.. I could see time is money in business , not any means knocking that at all, just curious what others use and prefer' just making 100 percent by hand .I know it takes much longer. I don't care to have super fine finishes, mirror buffs...factory looking . I do believe in using good steel ,edge geometry, and  proper heat treating...and testing knife.. But the finish is secondary to a good knife.

Just curious how many smiths use power tools or electric fans on blower? I personally use a 4.5 inch grinder', belt grinder sometimes a band saw and a drill press. My goal sometimes is to use no power tools what so ever. I have done a few stock removal knives, but mostly forged. Of both methods I've done with and without power tools. So let's hear what you use power tool wise( or refrain from there use at all ),thanks!

The 1 o 24 markings is 112 pounds for the 1 plus 0 plus 24 for 136 pounds English weight markings