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I Forge Iron

Reid Neilsen

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Everything posted by Reid Neilsen

  1. Workin' on the new website.

  2. They are very lovely. Well done and interesting too.
  3. Lookin' good! Keep at it and before you know it, you will have forged all kinds of stuff! (Or lots of knives if that is what interests you)
  4. Do you have a welding torch?(or a recip. saw wth a metal cutting blade - heck even a hacksaw woudl work.) Go to your local junkyard and get a steel barrel that has no holes. Cut it in half(you can even grind off the shapt burred edges if you are so inclined) Then you have two more tubs. Or leave it full size for those long pieces or irregularly shaped pieces you need to quench. Total cost - $10-20 and it will be more heavy duty than a galvanized tin bucket. Edit: It will take many years for it to rust out. That has been my experience.
  5. My "dipper" or "sprinker" for the forge is made from an old soup can. Most use out of something I got for 50 cents...EVER!
  6. I have a secret to fill you in on...you might be able to start making knives really cheap, but it will turn into an obsession and eventally you will have spent $10,000 on a shop full of tools. Once you are hooked, its hard to turn back. Its like drugs. Seriously, though - that is a great book. Good luck and have fun!
  7. I have always just kept my blades raw and keep a light coat of oil on them in storage. If they get a little oxidation on them though use a scotch pad or very fien steel wool and oil to clean it up. If it is a display piece that you never plan to use - I really liked tompdw's suggeston of car wax. Thats a good idea. Of course, if you really never plan to use it other than to hang it on a wall/sit on a display, maybe just coat it with a commercial finish(non-yellowing acrylic clear coat?) It will last forever that way.
  8. It doesn't have a channel to affix it to a rifle right? Or the little unlocking button found on the handle of Mauser bayonets? I only ask becuase I cant see thd detail in the photo and, at first glance, it looks like a bayonet that has been converted or even cut down(i.e., the odd shaped blade) Could it be an ersatz leftover from the greatwar that got recut and reused in WW2? I have seen a lot of weird edged weapons like that(those Germans don't ever let anything go to waste! They re-used EVERYTHING they could in the second world war) On the other hand, it could just be an oddball trench knife. The fact that it has the identical handle shape, guard shape and blade shape of a mauser bayonet make me wonder if it isnt a conversion/re-use.:confused:
  9. Roman weapons form the period that the traditional hasta was used(pre-Marius or roughly "Republican Rome") seem to indcate a mix of carbon contents in the metal itself. I feel like it is safe to say that whatever carbon content you choose to make a reporoduction from is fine even just plain ol' mild steel(the closest thing most of us have to raw iron). You did a really nice job on the socket - I can barely see the weld. It looks great! Good shape too.
  10. I ended up getting a Grizzly 2x72 - I love it! Thanks for the advice.
  11. Reid Neilsen

    tongs

    Hecks Yeah! Nice job on yer tongs BTW!!!
  12. Reid Neilsen

    tongs

    I forge the majority of my tongs out of 3/4" square stock. Unless they are going to be really little tongs, in which case I'll use 1/2" square. I have found that it is plenty of "meat" to forge whatever type of jaws you want - plus I just forgeweld on the reins to save labor. Saves some drawing out sweat. BTW, if you choose to draw out the reins, here is a trick (I am sure you are already aware of this one, but..): 1. Heat that sucker to a bright, bright yellow(get all the heat you can wthout burning it up), 2. Draw it over the fat part of the horn or a bottom fuller - rounded edge of the anvil works too... 3. And WORK THOUGHT THE FULL HEAT(obviously stopping when it cools too much to be effective). You will do it so much faster you will be amazed. The time it takes in between heats is the time consuming part. Less heats usually equals project done faster. It may mean a little more muscle applied to each heat, but it is worth it in my opinion.
  13. Hi Wagonmaster, I learned to forgeweld by making lots of little rings with 3/8 roundstock. I did LOTS of them and once I kind of had a handle on that type of weld/scarfing tequnique, I did some lap welds and some T welds. I know a lot of people like to make their tongs and stuff by drawing down the reins, but I prefer to weld on the reins. I dont have a power hammer so I try to save my arm whenever possible. The type of welding practice I mentioned above makes it possible to do this consistenly. Just practice one technique at a time. I agree that maybe doing some lap welds or even fagot welds is a good first time option. Fagot welds are forgiving becuase you dont have to worry about balancing one piece on an other. They are connected already! Dont worry, its tricky to get the technique right, but once you do, its like riding a bike.You will also get good at recognizing welding heat by color and even almost by "feel". Good luck!
  14. The secret to the type of rod handle you are describing is to get EVEN heat in the area being wrapped. (Also the secret of getting consistent twists BTW!)Thats my one piece of advice.
  15. Gitcha an old 6x6 post and hollow/dish out the end a little. Mount or secure it such that it wont move around a lot when you are trying to work on it and sink bowls to your hearts content(or until it starts to burn out and the shape starts to get irregular). I think somebody said this already, but go the junkyard and get a big piece of thick pate steel (at least 1/4" thick) and torch cut out some holes of differnt diameter. Mount or secure this in such a way that you can work on them and you have light duty swageblock of sorts. You may need to file/grind the insides of the holes smooth so they arent so sharp or jagged of course. The other half of dishing/sinking is - planishing. The cheapy way to go about this I'd recommend is to get an old trailer ball hitch and grind the top of it smooth (so it doesnt have the flat part anymore). you can use this in your vice to planish bowls, spoons, etc. I am sure you already know this one, but if you have a big enough hardy hole and are only making a spoon or something little, you can use the hardy hole to sink. (My 2 cents)
  16. The very best thing you can do is join an organization! It puts you in contact with other smiths nearby you and allows you to glean infomation off them. Often groups host workshops as well to learn more techiniques. Happy Hammerin'!
  17. How odd...I could see how you might think they are some kind of holding tool. I am stumped:confused:
  18. Just think, you could hand forge beams for yer pole barn with that thing (with a big enough forge and hammer of course) LOL Seriously, a 1000 pound anvil? - Wow!
  19. ROFL!!!! "I love the line "I think I can improve with y'alls help"...
  20. LOL! I think i have a few of those floating around myself! Seriously, though. This is the main reason that one of the skills that smiths have always emphasized was efficiency. Some of my teachers (often in a not so eloquent or kind manner) would tell me "Are you going to piddle around with that thing all day or are you gonna forge something???" I got yelled at a lot to "finish" my heats and get as much movement(in the metal) out of every heat as possible (without working too cold of course). I was also encouraged to "not be afraid to hit it and move the metal like I meant it. I am thankful for that advice and admonishment too - because it made me able to do more with each heat and really, each blow! We all learn tricks to do more, faster too (like drawing over the horn, over fullers, etc.) It is because of that training that I am reasonably comfortable just doing hand work. I have had people tell me "Your are going re size that piece by hand???!!! Thats what power hammers are for!", but, I dont own a power hammer and really, if you get used to it, it isnt that bad(of course I am still young - ask me that same question in twenty more years:rolleyes:). As for the whole pricing thing, if you decide your work is worth $40 an hour or more, then try to get as much as humanly possible in that time! Right?
  21. The auger bit (for wood boring) in a large hand-auger was very common for a LONG time. I find this interesting because one of the hardest things I have ever had to make was a reproduction 3/4" hand auger. It took MANY tries to get it right. Maybe if you had a jig or a machine to help it would be easier. You could cut the threads on the starter and cut the blades with a file, but getting that twist just right is tough! Here is a link to an interesting article: The Davistown Museum
  22. FYI: don't let anyone know you have that rail - those railroad companies can be soo posessive! They could charge you with theft believe it or not. The rails stay their property seemingly indefinitely (even though they have abandaoned it)
  23. The more carbon in the steel the easier it is to burn so yeah, I agree with some of the other fellas - mild steel should be easier to weld than carbon steel. It wont burn as easily that is for sure. The photos look good! If the pieces are simply welding practice, a good test is the old "hammer on it cold in a vice as see if it holds" test to see how strong the welds are. If you cant pop the weld with a few good solid blows, I'd say you have succeeded! Another method is heat the whole eye AND weld up, and put it in a vice and put a cold rod through the eye. Start to twist. If you can twist it round a few times without the weld coming undone you have a good weld.
  24. I used to work at a living history museum in Indiana(where I began my apprenticeship) We not only had to talk to the public while forging, but also stay "in character" and act like it was 1836! Talk about a challenge! Sounds like it was a good time - Its fun to demo your work for people. Most people have no clue. They find smithing very mysterious.
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