nc_cooter

I sort of eased into blacksmithing through my knife making. I started grinding knives about 16 years ago. Built a propane forge for heat treating. It didn't take long to begin looking into forging knives. My first anvil was a piece of RR rail. Lots of trials and many errors. Sometimes self teaching sucks. Finally scored a couple of anvils and moved up on the learning curve. It didn't take long to discover that 5 min. on the anvil saved 20 min. on the grinder. I also reduced the number of sizes of stock I had to buy. As word got out in my area that I had a forge, people would ask about about things other than knives. Cooking iron sets, fireplace sets, farm equipment repairs/parts, repointing jack hammer bits, etc. During that time, it was small money and barter, just to cover supply coats. It payed for my learning. Today, I am still learning, but the money is better and the barter is much better. It is still my hobby and always will be. Been retired for 6 years and go to the forge almost every day. It's the only hobby I have had that pays for itself. About 3 years ago, I started teaching my meager skills to anyone who wants to learn. I don't charge for my time, only for supplies. I am now teaching student #6. The other 5 now have their on shops and a couple have out done the teacher. Mike

AAA rating for ALDO.

red, at least we have sun over here and not a dim glow a few days a year.

red, I hope you get all the regulations that you want and maybe a few extra for good measure. Even controlling the type of paper you wipe with. In the future, as that island sinks under the weight of those regulations, maybe you will remember the good old days. PS: I didn't know you had nads over there. Maybe they should be regulated.

bigred, having first hand experience with your country's' trade unions in 1980 and 1981 while working under contract with the government over there, I can say that there is no guarantee of quality because of the system. Decisions are made by committee and if one person is not in attendance, nothing gets done. My work took me to your town as well as Lands End and Greenwich gas works. I am not saying that I didn't meet some well qualified people. It was the system that was the primary problem. The more the schedule slipped, the slower the decisions came. I am talking about basic engineering based on tried and true principles. I had a chance meeting with your then Prime Minister, Ms. Thacher and the conversation drifted to the job I was working. She was very familiar with the work and asked about the delays. I gave her a briefing and she promised to look into the problem. This happened on a Friday. The following Monday it was a whole new game. The decisions were made and the job was completed on time. She had called the Gas Works leaders to her office on Saturday for a detailed update. No system is perfect. No amount of testing can guarantee perfection. I am self taught in blacksmithing and knife making. I read books, joined this forum and others and practiced. I will never be a master smith of any kind. Over here, under your system, blacksmithing wouldn't be a dieing art, it would be dead. We have freedoms that your country lost years ago. We are free to make mistakes. Yes there are consequences and I am willing to live with them. I stand accountable for all that I do. That is my basic work ethic. Mike ( of the Middleton Clan ) PS: Six weeks after the job was completed and I was back home in the "colonies", I was offered a job as Director Of New Works by British Gas. My reply was "Thanks, but no thanks"

Thanks. Pug the punches were not hardened. I just keep them cooled down in the quench tank. Mike

I made some tools this week. The hot cut and 1/2" slitter are W1. The punches are mild steel. This is my first try at forging this type of tools. Used the slitter and square punch on some scrap pieces. Ended up making a cross from my first square punched hole. Punched a second hole in some wrought iron for a base. Thanks for looking, Mike

Thanks for the info everyone.

I have heard that kitty litter can be used to protect forge lining from welding flux. If this is true, I would like to know what brand is suitable. Thanks

I have some nerve damage in my left hand and cannot grip well. I use hose clamps. They are adjustable and cheap.

Since I don't drive, I don't get out much. I have checked the local scrap yard with no luck. What size stock should I look for?

I need to make some hand tools and will have to order some stock as only mild steel is locally available. I will be working on mild steel only to begin with. Sizes will be 3/4" to 1/4". I am considering 4140 but am open to suggestions. Price is a concern. What size stock should I order?

Wayne, I didn't have enough of either product on hand for a final coat, so I mixed what I had. I would guess 60/40 mix ITC 100/ Plistix. The only thing I noticed was the mix seemed easier to apply than either product straight. I used a foam brush to apply the mix. It worked better than a bristle brush. I will let you know how it holds up. This project was somewhat of an experiment to see what I could build with the leftover material I had. I knew the single sidearm burner would be a push for the volume. Adding a bit of air let me get welding heat at 2psi propane with a neutral flame. I can hold forging heat at 1psi with the air reduced. One thing I have learned is to add water with a spray bottle when mixing the coatings. (satanite, ITC 100, Plistix) Start with dry powder, squirt, mix, squirt , mix- until you achieve the consistency you want. It is a lot easier to me. Mike

I built my first gas forge for knife making almost 10 years ago and it's still going. I have been doing more smithing projects and the small forge was really limiting me. Been having to use my O/A rosebud way too much. When I built my knife forge, I used 2 burners and soon found out that was overkill. I removed one and plugged the hole, so I had a burner. I had an old 11gal. air tank with a pin hole leak, so I had a body. Scrap metal shelving to make the ends. I have helped 3 other guys build gas forges and kept all the leftover material. The 1" Inswool was 6" to 8" wide and about 24" long pieces. I had about 6# of Satanite and small amounts of ATC100 and Plistix 900F. I cut the ends of the air tank and ended up with a 12"x14" body. I used my hydraulic jack to make an oval shaped cylinder. Cut some of the shelving to make the ends and a tray for soft firebrick sliding front door. I ended up with an interior oval approx. 9"x5"x11 1/2". About 460cu/in volume. To give my venturi burner a little boost, i used a small squirrel cage fan I found in a dumpster years ago and some 2" vacuum cleaner hose to provide extra air. All comments and questions are welcomed.

Our living history group at Kings Mountain National Park has one Trades and Crafts event each year in May. This is the only one I attend for selling. I make cook fire sets, trammels, trivets, blow tubes, various hooks, and knives. I keep my prices below on line listings for the same items. This year I sold out by Sunday afternoon. I even sold the cook fire set and trammel I was using. I only live 2 miles from the park and have had 3 additional sales resulting from the event. Sitting around the fire Saturday night, one vendor told me my prices were too low and I was hurting others. I did not even try to answer. Blacksmithing is a hobby for me and it's the only hobby of mine that pays for itself. I made enough profit that weekend to pay for my forge fuel and supplies for the next year. Being retired on a fixed income, keeping my prices low is the only way for me to continue my hobby.

I came to blacksmithing through knife making. I started making stock removal knives and soon wanted to try forging. Bought some blacksmithing books, joined this site, got some basic tools and started beating hot steel. Being self taught, I didn't have the best teacher, but I learned to move metal. When i started taking commissions, I quickly learned that most people don't really know what they want or need. I stopped taking commissions and went back to what I love, making knives. I soon started making simple farm equipment repairs for friends. Sometimes money changed hands, sometimes for trade and sometimes for free, like straightening a bent draw bar. I re-pointed and heat treated a jack hammer bit for a friend who was a contractor. He said it worked better than a new one. Soon my phone was ringing off the hook. He had told other contractors and I could have easily started a full time business. I refused to turn my relaxing hobby into a business. I have been retired for 3 years and money is tight. I make enough from my hobby to buy supplies and occasionally buy a new tool, so I am happy. I now also teach basic blacksmithing and only charge for supplies. I have some friends that have had great success with their knife work. They make a few basic styles, crank them out like cookies and make good money. Two have reached burnout and have stopped altogether. Everyone has to decide for themselves, but for me, money can not buy the joy I get from my hobby. Mike

When forging knives, I teach my students to think in terms of volume. It's not that hard to figure the approximate volume of the knife. Then choose the appropriate size of stock. My knife stock is 1/4"x1 1/2" x 48". I just cut off a piece and forge to shape.You can always give yourself a little wiggle room. If you are doing only stock removal, then you will have a problem with this approach.

Great first knife. My first one looked like crap on a stick. Now make another one. Learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them. Then do it again. Practice, practice, etc.

Welcome Jose. Nice chopper. Show us some more of your work. Mike

Thanks Willis. metal99, I use clear Watco Danish oil, hand rubbed on a 220gr finish. I use at least 6 coats. Then I apply a couple of coats of bee's wax/mineral oil paste and hand buff with old denim(blue jean leg). Mike

I have been using a Coote for 10 years and it's been a great machine. The only things have changed are to modify the rest and add a glass platen liner. For the liner, I used 1/4" shelf glass I had left over from a project. I have only changed the liner once in 10 years. Mike

Thanks everyone. The top two are loosely based on a Japanese santoku blade. They normally have a contrasting "guard". I made these from 1/4" black paper micarta, slotted like a regular guard. They are not my favorite style to make, but I have made a number of them. Started making them as a special request from a chef in Canada, about 8 years ago. Then my wife wanted one and it sort of snow balled. I make a lot of knives similar to the bottom two. They work well as skinners and in the kitchen. Again, thanks for the kind words and if you have any questions, just holler. Mike

Here are some kitchen knives I made for my children. They will get one of each size. They are hand forged 1084 steel with curly maple handles. Thanks for looking, Mike

coolhand, this guy has the best English flint chards I have found. Just contact Shannon as they are not listed on his web site. http://www.smoke-thunder.com/ Mike

I entered the forging arena the hard way, through knife making. Made a lot of mistakes along the way. In Feb. 2008 I took a fall that crushed my clavicle and damaged my rotator cuff. My doctor, who was also a knife client of mine, said that my hammering days were over. Well being a stubborn old Phart, I didn't give up. Having no insurance, I had to become my own physical therapist. I used a couple of new wrinkles on the standard techniques and gained about 80% use in 4 weeks. My doctor was amazed. I still could not forge without considerable pain. I decided to try the Hofi method that I had read about on this forum. The short story is that it worked. I shortened and flattened the handles on all of my hammers and purchased a 3# Hofi hammer. One of the ways I teach hammer control to students is have them drive 8P finish nails in a 2X4 with a 28oz ball peen hammer using the flat face. If the nail bends before it is fully seated, move to the next one. I have a young student who has been with me for two summers. The last day this year, he was talking about having to drive all those nails last year. I asked him if he thought it helped him. His answer was " I guess so". I gave him 6 nails and told him to drive them with the round end of the hammer head. "No way", he said. "Way", says I. He bent the first one and proceeded to drive the 5 with no problems. The bottom line is to find what works for you. Don't avoid trying something different. Mike