George N. M.

Any kind of a coating on a blade, barring something prohibitively expensive like carbide coating, will wear away in use. That is the nature of materials in our world. Some coatings can be refreshed pretty easily.

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. I'm afraid your question is so basic that I have to recommend that you do some more basic research. This is like teaching someone who has never seen a car how to drive. Since you posted this on a knife making thread I assume that you are looking to make a blade. Probably the best combination of strength, hardness, weight, edge retention, etc.. is a fairly high carbon steel. You can make a blade out of almost anything but the softer the material the faster the edge will dull. Copper will sharpen up but will dull quickly. Obsidian will give you an extremely sharp edge but because it is brittle it will also dull fairly fast in use. Also, if you post your general location in your profile we can give you better answers. A lot of answers are dependent on geography. Also, 'cheap" is relative. You can make some oretty good blades from scrap steel at 20-25 US cents/pound but any give piece of scrap is an unknown quanity and quality until you experiment with it, particularly for heat treating. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

What many folk do not realize is that granite has porosity, water can penetrate little spaces and cracks between the individual crystals which make up the granite. But it does not have permeability which means the pores and cracks are poorly interconnected so that it cannot pass water through the rock like you can with some sandstones. This is what was happening with Stash's "thermalling," little steam explosions flaking off individual crystals from the surface. The Fort Morgan, CO cemetery used very hard well water for irrrigation for years and it had the effect of damaging granite headstones by seeping inbetween the crystals and when the irrigation water dried it left behind Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) crystals in the cracks. As the csrbonate crystals grew they caused the granite to spall off damaging the headstones, to the point of obliterating some of the inscriptions. Besides this the well water played havoc with domestic plumbing systems and appliances and was fairly nasty to the taste to boot. About 25 years ago the city bought water rights and built a pipeline to bring snow melt and rain water water from the mountains to replace the well water. A great improvement. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

It looks like you have a good set up and suite of tools to start getting iron hot and hitting it. A couple of comments: 1) the anvil may have a cast steel or cast iron body but has a nice thick tool steel face which has delaminated and broken off on the heel. 2) I don't see and oil port on the top of the blower gear box. Assuming it turns freely and should windmill a couple turns after releasing it while crnaking you need to figure out how to lubricate the gears and keep them lubricated. Some brnads are designed to be in an oil bath in the bottom part of the gear case. Automatic transmission fluid works pretty well. 3) It's hard to tell but if the bottom of the post of the post vise is floating above the floor it should be placed into something solid like a block of wood. The whole point of a post vise is to transmit impact forces down the post to the earth rather than into whatever it is mounted on. If you don't have that you just have a species of bench vise. (Although, tht is a solid looking bench). 4) What does your forge look like and if you don't have one what are you planning? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

To add to what the others have said the old geologist will add his 2 cents: Most sedimentary and much igneous rock is unsuitable for a forge because of the porosity which may contain water which will equal steam explosions which equals hot fragments flying at high speed. About the only suitable natural rocks are fresh (unweathered) high grade metamorphic rocks such as the soapstone Charles mentions. They have been subjected to high temperature and pressure already in their geologic history and have nearly no porosity for water to seep in. That said, outcrops of this type of stone are often weathered and have developed cracks and fissures that can contain the dreaded water. You can also get cracking and fractures from differential heating. One side of a rock or stone may get hot in a forge or campfire and expand a bit causing it to break from the cooler side. This sudden fracture can be pretty spectacular sometimes. Forsest fires can fracture boulders 10 or more feet across. This was the way of much mining prior to explosives, get the rock hot then suddenly quench it to break it up. So, generally speaking stone and rock, with certain exceptions, are not the best choices for a forge. BTW, the melting point of quartz (SiO2) is about 3,000 degrees F. "Byt hammer and hand all arts do stand."

The USCG was involved in littoral and brown water interdiction in Viet Nam. Semper Paratus!

This is getting into a consideration of conformance, how a person fits into or stands out from the group or tribe and why. If you want to be part of the team and family you adjust your appearance to whaterver the generally accepted standards for that group are. If you are in IT, as Thomas has mentioned, the group aesthetic may be sandals and holey jeans and intermittent shaving and bathing. In an old school, commercial litigation law firm it may be business suits and muted ties for men and dresses and heels for women. If a person wants to stand out from the crowd, for whatever reason, they will divert from the group dress code either mildly or wildly. In the law firm that might be as simple as wearing a bright tie or a conservative pants suit. Or it could be Rockstar's architect in high visibility green heels. Or it could be much more dramatic. Reasons for standing out can be "I want to be noticed by customers/the public/supervisors/etc. and stand out from the herd of my contemporaries" or "I want to show that I am a nonconformist and am not governed by artificial rules" or an act of rebellion and defiance or "The group dress is dumb and dowdy and I want to look fabulous." I had a friend who advised my son that if he really wanted to rebel and stand out in high school to forget mohawks, dred locks, colored hair, etc. and wear a buisness suit and carry a brief case to class every day. No one, not student, teachers, or staff will know what to make of you and will be put off and suspicious much more than any "wild" hair or dress you could adopt. Madelynn mentions Queen Elizabeth II who intentionally wears bright colors so that she will stand out and be seen in a crowd. It should be noted that many "rebellious" modes of dress are very conformist with a smaller group. It all depends on what group in which a person wants to be accepted. The green and pink mohawk hair and extensive piercings and tats may be "wild" for general society but are normal and ordinary is some rock music scenes. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Yes, I would say that was a good buy. Here in the US where these are more common it would still be a good price but not the deal of the century. In your part of the world I am sure you made a good score. And if the seller was satisfied everyone went away happy and that is a good transaction.. "By hammoer and hand all arts do stand."

Michael, your English is better than those of some native speakers. Do not apologize. Be proud of being multi-lingual. Many Europeans are but few Americans are. I can stumble along a bit in Spanish but that is about it. It has been too many years since my most fluent and most has rusted away. VERY nice vise. Do you mind saying how much you had to give the nice lady? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

It's kind of funny how people will make assumptions about you depending on how you are dressed. Several times when Martha was in the hospital people assumed I was a doctor because I was wearing a tie. If you have a tie on you are much more likely to be asked "May I help you sir?" rather than "Whaddaya want, Mac?" you may get in jeans and a tee shirt. If you appear by your dress and demeanor to be "upper class" or "professional" many people are more deferential to you. Is this a "good thing?" Maybe not because people are making assumptions based on superficial appearances. However, you can work it to your advantage. Dressing "up" can show respect in a job interview, a wedding, a funeral, meeting a banker, etc.. However, there are times to dress "down." Of course, I would wear a tie to court and a business suit in a jury trial but if I was going out to meet with some farmer on a land use or road issue I'd wear decent jeans, a button up shirt, and work shoes. I have always tried to be a chameleon and dress appropriately for the occasion. I've always thought that men who took pride in not owning a tie or knowing how to tie it and at the other extreme, not owning jeans or work clothes were limiting themselves and that restiction could work to their disadvantage. I've mentioned dressing for court previously. If you look credible as an attorney or a witness a judge or jury is more likely to believe what you say. Demeanor is probably even more important. If you speak clearly, make eye contact, and not look nervous or evasive you will be much more credible. I've had witnesses who folded on the stand because they were nervous or not prepared for cross examination. I've blown up a few unprepared or angry opposing witnesses on cross examination which reduced their credibility. BTW, tattoos are problematic, IMO. They are much more accepted than they were 30 or 40 years ago but there is still a negative connotation to them for some folk. Particularly for older folk there is still an association with unsavory and less trustworthy elements of society. I have known attorneys and other professionals, including women, who have ink but nothing that would be visible in a formal setting. In the spirit of full disclosure, I, personally, do not have any ink. Mainly because I don't have a long enough attention span. I'm tired of the calendar picture by the end of the month. Anything I would have to live with for the rest of my life would have to be pretty amazing. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

As Thomas alludes to, there are regional variances too. The west tends to be more casual, the east more formal, and it's probably OK to argue cases in front of the California Supreme Court barefoot (but you also need a good tan). I do recall that there was one time when I had to be in court but had to briefly stop and do something in the shop on the way. At that point I was probably the only blacksmith in the country (if not the world, but Europe does tend to formal dress) working in a business suit. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

I think that it depends on the industry and whether someone is in contact with the public and what the percieved or actual public expectation is for that person's role. Most folk probably won't care if the grocery checker has green hair but someone is an attorney, doctor, airline pilot, or most other "professionals" I think there is a higher expectation of "conventional" attire and appearance. It is probably more relaxed if a professional person is interacting with other professionals. No One ever wore a tie to the Colorado County Attorneys' Association conferences. And there are probably more relaxed expectations for zoom or other teleconferencing meetings. In most teleconferences you can't even tell if other people are wearing pants. That said, even though I come from a more "formal" generation I, and I think many folk, have come to the realiztion that formal appearance does not necessarily equal competence and knowledge. Also, younger generations and lower socio-economic levels do not have the same knowledge and expectations as we who are older or higher up the food chain might expect. I used to tell people to dress for court like they were going to a job interview or church. Then I realized that for a lot of folk job interview dress was old jeans and a tee shirt and many do not go to church. I had a few instances where I told a young woman to dress nicely and she thought that meant to dress like she was going out clubbing (so much skin!). I kept a nice scarf in the office to cover exposed skin and a size medium sport jacket and a clip on tie for emergency dress upgrades. You see the same thing in churches. Where women always used to wear hats and gloves and all men wore a tie and jacket those are now the exceptions to the rule. As to not speaking up in meetings, some folk are naturally reticent. Engineers often fit that stereotype. Good at what they do but less good at communication and social skills. I still wear a tie and jacket to court and would do so to job interviews. IMO, dressing up to an occasion may not help you but it sure can't hurt. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Prayers and thoughts from Madelynn and myself. I suspect the Rainbow Bridge vibrated to the tune of the Marine Hymn when he crossed over. G&M

We can't really answer if we don't know where in the world you are. Prices vary widely depending on location.

To respond to your other questions: 41 is NOT too old to start blacksmithing. I started my 2d career as an attorney when I was 41. I started blacksmithing in my 30s. If you can take classes or work with a more experienced smith it will be an easier journey. I and some others here are self taught and it is not the optimum way to go. When I started in 1978 all I had were some books from the library, some very nasty coal, and lots of my own mistakes. Today there are some very good (and some very bad) videos available on You Tube. I like Black Bear Forge, JPL Services (our own Jennifer), Torbjorn Ahman, and Christ Centered Ironworks. I believe there is an IFI thread on recommended blacksmithing videos but the ones I have mentioned will give you plenty to start. A large amount of blacksmithing is hand/eye coordination, where to hit the metal and how hard. Once you develop that muscle memory the rest is refinement and details. It's like riding a bicycle or learning to play a video game. If you watch a demonstration, either live or a video, do it yourself as soon as possible. That will develop the muscle/kinesthetic memory which will last much longer than just mental memory. There are lots of IFI postings on improvised anvils which is all you need to get started. Stay far awy from the Harbor Freight cast iron anvils. They are [worthless] and suitable only for a door stop or boat anchor. Again, if you put your general location we can give you better answers to your questions. A surprising number of answers are geographically dependent. Now, we don't know if you are in Lapland or Tasmania. I recommend that you look up you nearest affiliate of the Artist Blacksmith Association of North America and seiously consider joining. It will be money and time well spent. Finally, welcome aboard for 7500' in SE Wyoming. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

About the only way it would be feasible, IMO, would be if you invesrwd in an induction forge. Barring that, my vote is with everyone else, BAD IDEA. Don't do it! Potentially too dangerous to you and your family. Also, it would probably void your homeowner's insurance if an accident happened. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Selph, welcome back from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you again. Is that a box bellows on the left side of your forge? Single acting or double acting? How do you like it? Have you used a hand or electric blower and how does the box compare? I'm no expert but I'd say your design should work. There is no "right" way to do things, just whatever works for you. I do agree that you should probably progress way from wood and to metal. A JABOD is a great way to get started but it is an entry level tool. I doubt many folk continue to use them as they progress in the craft. Like you, they fabricate something better or buy one. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

The only way to prevent oxidation is some sort of barrier layer. Darker ones are semi-permanent. Clear ones, like oiling a blade, have to be reapplied frequently. No other choices that I know of. No magic treatments that will give you a transparent barrier which will last. Sorry, but that is the way of the world. We're not dissing you but what you are asking for, as far as I know, does not exist. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Welcome aboard, Jack, from 7500' in SE Wyoming. Glad to have you. If you put your general location in your profile we can better answer your questions. Your present problem may be dependent on whether you are in a high humidity, salt water environment or the middle of a desert. We don't know if you are in Lapland or Tasmania. You are getting oxidation (rust) from oxidizing elements in the knife's environment such as water and atmospheric oxygen. This is what steel does. Iron is pretty chemically active and easily oxidizes. The only way to prevent it is a barrier of some sort between the steel of the knife and the oxidizing elements in its environment. These can range from a light coat of oil (vegetable or mineral), a drying oil like lindseed oil, or chemical treatments like parkerizing or gun blue (dilute phosporic acid). And keeping your blade dry after every use. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

This is the first place I've ever lived that has well and septic. I've previously always had municipal water and sewer. I've learned that sepric systems should be pumped about every 3-5 years. We had ours done this spring and the operator said our system is all A-OK. Depending on your soil the leach field may need to be replaced/relocated about every 20 years or so. When we were approving new rural subdivisions for the county we made sure that every lot had enough room for a replacement leach field at least 100' from their well. One situation we ran into is when someone wanted to split off and sell the old hired hand house as a seperate parcel. However, it was often a case when a dwelling unit was added that they would plumb it into the existing septic system and/or well. If you want a situation all set for future conflicts between neighbors a shared well or septic is the ticket. A shared driveway is bad enough. And I have seen situations where, when drawing the lines for the proposed new lot the septic system's leach field for lot one was located on lot 2. In a case like that we would tell them to go back and start over and keep everything for each lot on that lot. Billy, it soulds like the big pot thing may be some sort of a french drain for the gray water. I'd be uncomfortable not knowing where the big drain was going. You may be able to trace the ultimate end by whether the vegetation in the area is greener than that surrounding it. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Just to have a wee gloat: High temperatures in Laramie have been running in the upper 70s and low 80s. Humidity today was about 30%. Occasional afternoon or evening thunderstorm. About normal and seasonal. My thoughts and prayers are with those of you in hot and humid climes. I don't think I could ever live in a place like that again. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming from an old Viet Nam infantryman. Glad to have you. That is not a common steel for most of us to encounter but it is good to know about it. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Portable AC units usually recirculate the air in a room while a window or central air system usually pulls air in from the outside. So, as Thomas and Frosty say it is possible that with a tightly buttoned up shop (don't want that hot outside air sneaking in) and a portable AC unit you could reduce the ambient oxygen level with a burning forge (propane, coal, coke, etc.) that it would start to produce carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion. If you want AC in your shop (I would in LA) I'd think of a window/wall unit instead of a portable AND one or more CO detectors in the shop. If a CO detector ever goes off STOP whatever you are doing immediately and get out, leaving the door open behind you. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

Do you have a septic system? Or does the gray water drain separately from the sewage? I have a hard time thinking that the gray water shouldn't go into the septic system. GNM