Chad J.

Don't forget to warm up before and cool down/stretch after you get done singing the hammer for the day.

That's outstanding! Thanks for sharing! I was getting ready to try and duplicate the railroad spike trivet I saw that someone did here, I apologize but can't remember who, and this will help me.

Harbor Freight has decent hammers to get started, sand the finish off or you may get blisters. The forum has a section on improvised anvils that is a very fun read. I kinda have jumped in with both feet but I have also spoken with an experienced Smith who recommended making S hooks because it forces you to use the four basic hammer techniques on an anvil. I've been following Black Bear Forge's videos for tips and techniques. John has a video about basic hammer techniques and also tong making and basic and advanced projects. Oh, and jumping back to the hammer, there are ways to prepare the hammer head to prevent or reduce hammer marks in the piece. Look for info on dressing your hammer. Good luck, welcome aboard and I look forward to seeing project pictures.

These are great tips, I haven't done much chisel work yet so this will be bookmarked so I can review again. And again... and again...

The guys aren't saying don't try, they are saying don't expect it to work out beautifully. I'm trying my first sword now. I went in without a plan, minimal experience, a piece of steel less than half the length I should have had, and an undersized propane forge that I removed a brick from so I could pass the blade through the back. The challenges I have faced have all taken time and thought to get through and that was in the blade. I still have to make the guard, hilt, scabbard, finish sanding the fuller, figure out how to properly heat treat this blade, sharpen it, and keep it all straight. I have plenty of reading to do still as I work on this project. I am not expecting perfection, I'm actually not even expecting success, I'm simply taking a first step.

Thanks for setting my mind at ease Thomas, I know this isn't going to be a combat weapon but you never know when you'll need a good blade that means business. Buzzkill, Frosty, I hasn't planned on heating the tang before the weld but you're it wouldn't hurt and I would help with the stress. The tang is about 1/4 inch thick there, so I already have ground in the angles and I will use the trick with the welding rod stubs. Steve, my little one burner forge isn't strong enough for a forge weld. Besides I missed the equinox and I don't have any magic Flux with cat hair. Hopefullly one day soon the stars will line up for it.

Fuller is roughed in, as is the bevel. It's weighing in at 23 oz right now with a bit more grinding to do. I didn't like the tang so I split it and I am going to be forging an add on and stick welding it in place. Not much choice to it but I plan on peening and normalizing it to relative the stress of the welds. I still don't give myself more than a 50% chance at pulling this off but I'll keep plugging away.

Thanks again Thomas, I didn't want to develops a bad habit that would bite me in the hiney later. Spelling was too bad

Thanks Thomas, it is kinda hard for me to explain since I'm still getting started. The allot is 5160, and I'm using cool water. I'm not submerging the whole piece just the part I'm trying to cut up to where I had been trying to do an anvil cut. then I just whack it with the hammer. The rest of the piece I'm working on stays at temperature. I hadn't seen any cracks due to this but in my lack of experience I may have overlooked something and wanted to ask.

Ok, just a quick question on the water and HC steel front, 5160. I have gone to cut off excess material on blades a couple times and it would keep bending just shy of shearing off. At these couple instances I quenched only the portion I wanted to cut. It worked beautifully and I went back to working the steel in the forge. Can this compromise the rest of the steel along where I cut or does the reheating and working alleviate the stress?

Started grinding on my little messer, worked on a basic hand guard, got a chef's knife cleaned up, a rough grind on it and it's ready to quench. Also realized that I need to stand farther away from what I'm talking a picture of, that or lose weight.

I think I could have drawn it out since more, the blade is fairly heavy but no visible signs of cracking or stress from drawing it out. The blade is 18 inches, I have a little more to pull from the tang but film the original 10.5 inches I've stretched it to 21. Pardon the knife...I must can't seem to focus on one project at a time.

Ok, I have it drawn out, and when I quite for the evening I started working on the distal taper. It's a little under 3/8 inch at the base, and a touch under a quarter inch at the tip. I'm working on a Kleine Messer, so nice narrow tip. I am planning on fullering it out still so I have a good chance of wrecking it there. But right now I have a mostly sword shaped object. The blade is at 17 1/2 inches and I got it over 20 inches total length. I'm going to have to add on some tang with the welder I think.

I was leaning towards a saber but realized I won't have the length needed. A Kleine Messer is my current plan. Thank you both for the advice. I've not always done things the easiest but I've never fretted over failing at something new. Buzzkill, I like a lot of meat on my knives as well, they just feel better in the hand with some weight to them. I'm not beyond calling this a failure early enough to still salvage some blades from the steel. With my sledge, I don't normally swing it like I do my other hammers, I use my whole body and add the force on the down swing. I don't use it on back to back heats either. I've had shoulder issues in the past and got into weightlifting because of it, targeting my shoulders with rotational and stability work. I found that kettlebells really b helped too.

Don't have one yet. I think I may go from 1/8 inch down to 1/16 about 2 inches shy of the tip, depending on final shape, I may go with a small swell since it's going to be single effed. I had also considered fullering it in case my lack of a plan and generally being clueless isn't enough of a handicap for finishing this up successfully.

Thanks JHCC!

I need to make a set of these! How did you handle it? Did you fold the angle over for the length of the reigns or did you cut it off? Is there a tutorial, or should I just get in there and start swinging?

I give myself maybe a 10% chance of making anything that survives to being a sword right now since I am still so new to smithing. I was starting to make a machete but the steel, 5160 leaf spring, was moving so easily under the persuader, my 8 pound sledge, that I decided to try for an actual short sword of some type. The problem I am concerned about is the amount of steel I started with and if my rough estimations are correct. I started with 10.5 inches of 2.5 x .25 inch steel. If I reduce its width by half that should bring me to about 21 inches and working the tang down further I may be able to get 24 inches of metal over all? My goal for the thickness is 1/8 inch. Can I get it close to this, or should I just cut a longer piece? I fully expect this to fail in one way or the other but the lure is too much. I don't care if I come out with a mini Saber or end up making 2 knives out of what's left I'm going for it.

Nice, what did you use for the wood?

Yes, they are nice and square.

Well, now I don't have to ask. From the section on perfect forge welding I figured it was some mystical mix of sage, beeswax, graphite, and cat hair.

I found that highly informative and I am currently trying to find the best version of Ride of the Valkurie for my ceremony. I will refrain from blessing the anvil with the scotch but I do plan on using it to chase out the evil spirits from within.

So according to this thread, I should start preparing for my first forge weld now. Do the pagan gods need any liquid refreshments to help bless the mess I plan to create? If so I'll run out and grab some New Glarus. As for the anvil; is that true north, magnetic north, or grid north? Should I have bagpipes playing in the background? What about hammer prep? Should I soak the hammer in single malt scotch? Where can I get some of that commet dust and does it make a decent flux? Am I missing anything else?

Finished this little knife. Solid hickory scales with beeswax finish. Steel is 5160, quenched in canola, tempered for 2 stretches off an hour at 400 degrees. Makes my 5th completed knife.

Smooth, not too tight, and well greased, I'm rather happy with this find.