new guy

thank you frosty. i think he may like a knife but i am not sure. next time i walk by ill ask.
or he may want something else out side of my skill set. since i am too young to work there (15 i need to be 18 to work where dangeous things are) i can probably send him business. thanks to all who posted. fishers are the best things ever (from my experience. i have only used rr track and a hay budden at a reanactment in mystic seaport, ct.). does a small gp folding knife sound like a good deal to give him? i may copy the little ugly damascus folder i have seen under the folding knives forum (just minus the damascus part).

mr. sells thank you for that link, as i also want to sell knives in ct and that link was great. does nayone know where i can become a liceneds bladesmith? i have seen some sites via google but i dont know whos is rebutable or not.

good luck and go for it. a block of any steel wil be good for a newbie. get that vise and all of the hardies. $75 for a vise and a couple of hardies will be a good deal. good luck

get a simple 2lb sledge. i am 6'2" and 15 but i am in the process of making a smaller hammer. 4lbs is more than you need for 90% of your work. a small precise hammer is the best. make a hammer if you cannot find one. good luck and i hope you get a proper anvil asap. and how did you get your first anvil?

id say $45 us tops. don't get it unless your desperate. although it would be good for hot cuttin and chisleing. just use a rr track for now.

ok good to know. but i have awful spacial perception so i will measure it today. thanks for the info. wheather it is good for a hammer or not it will be good for practice. and if it is soft i can avoid marring my new (to me) anvil until i am better. thanks again!

Wow, I didn't know there was a problem. I've enjoyed your posts. The Cone post was spot on. I've saved it in my math files for future use.

I do know for a fact, nothing I've posted has been original, all was taught to me by some one else.

that is so true irnsrgn you don't brag you state facts. i would have never guessed a problem. .. good luck and dont apologize. keep posting. i doubt i would have an anvil if it werent for your celtic cross blueprint. please keep posting. i got an anvil beacause i was making a couple of j hooks and celtic crosses for a church fundraiser (not doen on time but put to good use) and i realized how un satisfatory my anvil was. so i got looking for some other materials. and i gound an anvil when i was getting some leaf springs $150 for a 115lb fisher norris ingreat condition.

start at 9 and end by 6 is my rule. i have really grouchy neibors on all sides. i just use charcoal (no smoke) and i have a fisher (almost no ring). try a little dirt under your anvil between the base it kills the ring but leaves the rebound. no problems yet for the police coming but, a few annoyed neighbors.

buy the vise and all the hardy tools the guy has. hardy tools are hard to make without power tools so get a rr track or BIG hamer head and set those in a stump or concrete until you get a real anvil. it worked for me for 4months so it may work for you. the leg vise is maybe worht 50 or $75 with hardy tools so go for that. good luck and hope your smithing works out.

can i use an axle for a hammer or tamahawk? it is 3 or 4 in diamater and it is a snapped axle. maybe i need to stress relive (i did that already today). thanks for the replies!

looks great! i found a truck reapair shop today walking home from school, i got a 115lb fisher norris for $150. it is in great condition and is amazing. and i got 50lbs worth of leaf springs that are almost surley 5160. i may just put off buying tool steels but thanks for the posts and when i run out i guess it is w1 for me. i think free steel is better than cheap steel. thank god for nice old smiths that have several ton stockpiles of steel! i could probably even find a blower at said repair shop.

ok looks like w1 it is. is w1 easier to forge? and i don't think il make thin blades. the bulk of my knives are for gp work so i like heavy thick blades. plus i try to only harden the edge. can i get a temper line on w1 ( i dont know what the real name is).

i am going to start making some tools (mostly edged tools ie knives). i am a beginer smith and i want to dicide between w-1 and o-1 for some blades. i think that w-1 has a wider temp range for foring but i am not sure. also i will have to get oil if i use o-1 so i am trying to decide. if anyone has any comments please feel free to comment. :confused:

MR. sells i have to be honest. it is an amazing process that goes into a knife and an even more amazing one going into a blade like this. i kinda thought using dril rod was a 'cool' way to make a knife. i guess your metorite blade is WAY cooler than that! good luck and i hope it works out. and id love to see some pics. :)

osage orange is good for tool handles.

hey if you want to make a sword make one, although itll probably look pretty awful. knives are easier and more practicle. i think for anyone who is not uber experienced a sword is out of the question. Make machetes or somthing if you want something big and sharp. or you are good enough to make a sword (unlike me).

i am a student and i have to work to keep my grades up and i could not work long hours, but no health care costs. interesting.

it an incredibly interesting proceess, the melting and welding of metals. it is really cool how ou are making the metal suitable. how did you come up with the idea of using metorite iron?

oh yeah i guess i knida missed that. i always assumed that pulaskis had a welded on hoe.

thats awful. but it beats being hit in the hand with flying rail road spikes (its a long story)

yeah how do you make a pulaski withou welding?

that sounds really cool id love to see pics.

that college kid sounds like me. although i have more like 800 lbs of scrap. Mike could be a supe gung ho smith and he could just want to go out and learn from doing. let him burn himself enough to learn, but not really get hurt and he may just listen up more. just my .02 cents worth.

thats what i am making a blower for! more air = more heat (to a point). although i have to make a real blower. i can do it.

will oak work as a fuel? i ahve really dry oak and i want to see if i can burn it to coal and use that for fuel? i have been doing it and want to really try welding, works for regular forging though.