High Plains Forge

I use stove polish, but now I'm going to have to try the toilet wax seal recipe. That's just great!

Hey thanks for the bell information guys, I would have never thought of that. I'm going to have to try one.

Just follow the online tutorials and it will teach you most everything you need to know, that's how I learned how to use it.

Hey that is great, I just noticed this post. I was going to say, drawing tapers/scroll ends was one of the big problems I ran into, and it's great to see that someone smarter than me already figured it out. I don't do too much custom work anymore, so I probably won't be doing too much Sketchup, but that taper feature will be great if I need it in the future. I still think nothing beats a nice hand drawing, and you can lose a lot of time fooling around with Sketchup. If you are really just "sketching" I would recommend doing it by hand. If you are presenting something to a customer or really need to see what a design will look like in 3D, then Sketchup would be worth the effort.

Sketchup is pretty powerful and easy to learn. I used to use it a lot for design until I realized I was spending too much time doing Sketchup and not enough time working. It can get pretty addictive. But, it is great if you want to get something professional looking drawn up quickly.

I use this book more than any other in my library. It's the best basic blacksmithing book out there in my opinion. I can't wait for Vol. II.

I saw a show on PBS recently, a NOVA episode about making samurai swords. Most of the sword makers get their stock from traditional forges that make the damascus specifically for samurai swords. The place I saw on NOVA was huge, and they bury the steel underground, more like a giant kiln. There were a bunch of employees and the area was huge. So, not to take the wind out of your sails, but I don't think you can recreate that in a small area. The sword maker's shop that they featured was a lot smaller. Click on the "launch interactive" link on this page: NOVA | Secrets of the Samurai Sword | Making a Masterpiece | PBS

When you immediately recognize the smell of burning human skin ... and maybe think it doesn't smell all that bad. When your aloe plant has had more surgery than Michael Jackson.

Haha, I like your craigslist ad: Forged in the HELLFIRE of a quiet MEXICAN NEIGHBORHOOD IN NORTH LAS VEGAS. Funny! Good luck with your first sale. A word of advice - once you start making more stuff, I have found craigslist to be the worst place to find customers for nice ironwork. Unless you are selling it for dirt cheap. Everyone is looking for a bargain, and if you try to trade ironwork for something worth a bit of money, everyone wants 30 feet of really detailed railing installed.

I was really floating through life without too much direction before I discovered blacksmithing. I remember staring at my computer screen at work wondering if this was really all life was about. Sitting in front of a computer 5 days a week, getting a few good years of retirement, and then you croak. Blacksmithing really turned my perspective on life around 180 degrees. As soon as I picked up a hammer for the first time, I knew right away that I had found my calling. Financially it's been difficult getting started, but doors are starting to open for me, and to tell you the truth, I don't really care about the money that much any more. I'll be happy just getting by for the rest of my life if that what it takes. My main goal is to have a hammer in my hand when I kick the bucket, and hopefully make some cool stuff between then and now! :D

I have one and use it all the time. One thing I use it for all the time that doesn't get mentioned too often is exact circle bending. I can bend an exact circle and have it welded up in a matter of minutes. Just don't get your finger caught between the handle and the circle if you are bending a big one! I found this out the hard way of course. Fingernails take a long time to regrow. They are a really safe tool overall, though. Oh yeah, I have a Karachi #5 and it's the perfect size for me. I have heard a #6 will wear you out a lot faster. There is great info on this forum: Metal Artist Forum - Fly Presses and Tooling

I have done some cast iron welding for a customer. The only time it hasn't worked was when I tried to repair the leg of an andiron that had been exposed to a lot of fire over its life. Anyway, I just dress up the weld area, preheat it with a torch, then weld it with cast iron rod. Works most of the time.

I used to try to be really traditional when I got hired to make something. Then I quickly realized that no one outside of the blacksmithing world cares and you will be losing money big time if you are trying to do drop the tongs forge welds all day long (at least I would, someone like Whitaker might not have). I still try to use as little electric welding as possible, but when I do weld and blend it in, I usually grind the weld down, then go over it with a flap disc, and forge it lightly to match the rest of the piece.

Awesome incense holder Ralphy. You should take a few down to the local head shop to make some cash! Here's one I did a while back, nothing too special, but it works:

Looks good, man. Just depends if you are happy with it or not. I went through the same thing as you a couple of months ago when I was doing some shelf brackets. I now have about 10 screwed up halfpenny scroll ends in my scrap pile. I finally decided that I like a shorter taper when I do a halfpenny scroll, but that's just my preference. If you go too thin it's really easy to mangle the end. So, I was using 1/2" square on these and I shoulder it down to about 1/4". I attached a couple pictures of my scroll starter tool. I get it started in there and then quench the end before it put it in the scroll jig to keep from damaging it. Hope that helps!

Last winter, I was using a wire cup brush on a small angle grinder to clean the scale off a candleholder. I was going too fast and wasn't paying attention. The brush grabbed the piece, then fired off straight in my direction. It hit me right in the nipple. I was only wearing a T-shirt, and let me tell you, my nipple wasn't happy. Luckily it recovered and I still have both. Needless to say, I do a lot less wire brushing, and am much more careful when I do.

Hi, my first post here. Anyhow, I'd just take the edges off cold. The layout and assembly will be so much more straightforward. If you do it hot, just texture it lightly or the metal might get more distorted than you planned on, and it might be harder to get everything level and square. Flattening out 1/2" round would look cool, but that is like 4 times the amount of work/fuel/time. Just my 2 cents. You also might consider using some copper or brass rivets, but I don't know if that would qualify as medieval.