Kuja_torra

Just cleaned up a rose yesterday in a muric acid bath for 5 minutes. I didn't brush the piece once with a brush and just made sure to wash it well afterwards so that there was no acid left. My painting on the other hand leaves room for improvement. -KB

Just for reference here is a simple video on how a factory would go about making a pot. I would try to make forms like they have and use heat instead of brute force.

Thanks jlp! I'll post it when i get around to making the fire poker with flat twist basket handle.

I am very interested in knowing what stock you used in the two "flat" twist handles on the right side. I like them and would love to try my own rendition of them. Thanks!

I'm still working on my finish for the pattern welded rings. Made a second ring today and redid finish on the first. This time after the etch i used the bees wax mix finish and im going to coat with lacquer.

I used ferric chloride to etch and then used briwax to prevent rust. I also tried copper contaminated ferric chloride but i didn't like the appearance for a ring.

Finished a very late Christmas gift with some of the patterned steel that I made.

Practiced my pattern welding with mild steel. 32 layers with 3 folds.

It looks to me as if your trying to make a rate of 60 an hour for your work. If this is the case, how do you expect to make a bbq fork in 15 min considering the cutting of stock, layout, forging, and finishing. Just want to let you know to be much more realistic with your estimates. Also, i have purchased books on craft fairs and spoken with many ppl that do them. I recommend doing your research and taking the time to learn about them through books and attendance. Most venders will gladly talk about their experiences with it. I wish you the best of luck! -Kyle

Alternatively you could come to the Buffalo NYSDB meeting some time to getore knowledge and ideas. They meet monthly. Cheers

I think that Frosty just made a simple math error. Lets review the formulas first. Cylindrical volume is V=A×h Area of a circle is A=3.14×r^2 Circumference of a circle is C=3.14×2r Frosty simply used Circumference in his calculations instead of area to calculate volume. I'm not easily able to remember the difference myself so it's easy enough to mess up. Just as a side note, if you add a bottom plate to your tank it will decrease the volume and make it easier to grab multiple pieces out from your forge. With a bottom it will also be much easier to achieve the cubic inches needed to not use lots of propane (added burners). Just my two cents. I'm looking to build another gas forge this spring myself. Let me know if I'm wrong but it's all good either way. -KB

For me the journey started when i welded a sword together in high school. It broke after just two swings. I forgot about that for a long time since i was an active kid with many hobbies at the time. After the military though i started the American dream for myself and got married. Soon into my marriage I got smacked over the head with the reality that i needed help with my life. Counseling wanted me to get involved in something that interested me. I thought hard about what interested me and it brought me back to that sword. I wanted to do it right this time and invested into learning how to forge. I took a couple of classes so that i wouldn't develop bad habits before i truly knew what i was doing. As of now I have made two knives and no swords. I have no interest in making them at this point but I love smithing. Thanks for reading some of my story. KB

Hello, I figured that I will add my ideas on intermediate. When I moved on to intermediate I started doing projects that require planning, forging to size, and multiple piece projects. This includes trivets, tongs, signs, sculptures, calipers, Norfolk latch, traditional joinery, and much more. Learn how to make something that interest you. Make it to size and make all the tools for said project including jigs. This should keep you interested for the next few years until you figure out where you want to go with your acquired shaman skills. Another idea is to advance your ability to create detail and interest in your pieces through techniques like chasing and finishing. This all really depends on what makes you want to continue to get out in your shop everyday. Hope this gives you some idea's. If not then I suggest reading more books on smithing and metal work :). Thanks for reading my two cents. Below was a project I did at about two years exp.