Scalebar

Noise - I highly doubt he'd get anywhere, but we do have to live next door to them. Nope, no damage and no video.

I've been forging for well over a year, only just made the jump to ferrous but I was using exactly the same kit for silver and bronze. I've always been conscious it makes noise and stuck to one hour stints. The set up is on the opposite side of the house from the character I'm about to introduce and I have a tiny anvil. Not being able to drive I'm kinda limited on venues. The neighbour has suddenly started objecting. After having a go at my wife a few weeks ago I agreed to keep it between 4&6pm, I've only fired up the forge five times since then - and limited it to half an hour sessions no more than twice a day (which is frustrating but at least the oversized burner gets the forge hot quickly), I'm keeping notes. Today he voiced his objections by banging on the gate with a hammer and threatening legal action - after ten mins. As far as I understand it - I have a legal right to carry out my hobby as long as I'm taking reasonable care to minimise disturbance - which I reckon I have been. Anyone got any experience? I'm tempted to take up the bagpipes

My second knife and seventh thing I've made from ferrous metal. Just a basic kitchen knife. This was my old plaster file - lost in a leaky shed for years and well on it's way to becoming a concretion. Managed to get down to just over a mm on the edge by hammer, it's ever so slightly serrated. The wood is Leyland cypress - I think I have a new favourite, it's easy to work, comes out a treat with shellac and thanks to jerks illegally dumping, there's plenty sat there ready seasoned. Bolster's horn.

Working through the replies - I've been carding (even if I didn't know the name), I didnt know about picking through the teeth with something hard - that's made a difference. I was taught proper filing action as a child to stop me ruining my grandfather's stuff! Half rounds - I just like them, I have others but it's my first choice I'm filing freehand most of the time and like the versatility. The brand I can't remember - small relatively local engineering firm,( that stocked saw sets last time I looked! ) they're meant for metal. Definitely going to try the chalk. Hot filing I'll have to give a try - I know I should reserve a file specifically for it. I must start saving my filings as well - they'll come in handy one day. Thanks everyone

Just made a hefty box for both pieces, just need to get some sand. The end of the the large piece is really rough, I'll see if I can slice off a useful piece when I tidy that - looks like it'd make a really good small eye hoe if I bent the flats round to form the eye. If it works it'd be worth buying a section for the purpose - I can bribe the allotment committee into letting me set up down there...

They've not been crusted in scale - cleaned before annealing but then I set to with the file, maybe I should wire brush first. Getting a couple of grit files would let me file in both directions though

I do most of my stock removal with a set of 12 inch half round steel files (good quality ones - none of the case hardened cheap stuff) . They're not lasting well since I started on ferrous - the smooth is a bit smoother than I'd like after five pieces. I'm thinking I should get some grit files but I've not found they last well (because I bought cheap ones), any suggestions for a good set?

That is a beautiful knife Latticino, that's what I'm aspiring to. I know I'm not ready for that yet - my forge welding is virtually non existent, scrub the virtually I have a 50% sucess rate - 2 attempts. For the moment I'm going to straighten up the stock I have, and aside from offcuts leave it alone. I might play with a couple of the rivets, I need a shed hasp and staple - I like the look of splayed and heavily etched wrought iron so I I'll hammer one out for the plate and go over the edges a little cold, draw the other out for the staple and give them a dip. These forums are amazing, thank you all for the advice

That's the route I was going down, I don't know what they look like in the rough, I presume they retain some of the slag. I've just acquired some modern pandrol clips which I know is a manganese steel. I'm thinking it might be nice to layer those two together, would that be a foolish idea for someone just starting out?

Duly acquired though the magic of the interweb and flipped through. That'll make good commute reading. Thanks for the tip.

A quick go with a file, it's harder than mild or wrought but not as hard as the spring, it had gone a bit cold before quenching - all I was thinking of was getting the crud of. I wonder if the stench was from the concretion formed in a polluted river. I'm in half a mind to just go for it with this piece and make a small veg knife - all I've got to loose is time.

Please don't give me a grilling over the cheesy piece. I've done some more playing - sparks longer than a bit of the wrought flat but less than a suspension spring, heated and water quenched it goes ting when hit, the wrought goes clack. So some grade of steel? I suppose the thing to do is straighten it, draw off a piece and test it

That'll keep me in lime wood once it's seasoned. And I wonder why I need a hip replacement..

The discs a little worn but relatively short, some of them with a little fork at the end

Couldn't resist giving it a quick grind. Looks like mozzarella.

I saw your post on that - sent me down some rabbit holes holes! when you say pipe, how thick? I presume treacle tin would just burn up but there's a length of steel tube security fencing in the river - I'd need get the zinc off first. I've no idea how to judge wi quantity but the rail clip looks like bent wood and made cough inducing sulphur fumes when I heated it, smelt like brown coal - my spidey sense is tingling... or is my lungs?

I've been wondering about that myself. I've got my eye on a couple of rail clips next time I'm walking the dog that way - modern ones, wonder if they're the same steel.

Yeah - sorry, I did the whole heat treat again after going back over the tang, a tiny bit of the tip cracked off but that's not even visible after sharpening. Thanks for info, I'll put it into practice on the next chisel - I have a pile

I've forged a few from copper ages ago as an exercise but this my first try with the good stuff. The steel was a weirdly flared very rusty wood turning chisel, I tried to pull the heel back towards the handle a bit with a cross peen and I kinda like the curve it's made. That misalignment will bug me forever though even if it's hidden by the handle - which is blackthorn with a couple of layers of shellac. The pic was taken before I had another go at it. The surface finish was an accident - I oil quenched, decided to have one more go at sorting out the tang so reheated. I'd have thought it would have polished out - I did 400grit before treating then 1000 after. Chemistrywise what am I seeing? Is it a tiny amount of carbon migrating from the oil to the steel? I like the effect, any reason why I shouldn't try to repeat it? It's lasted through slicing many acidic things. It is a lovely kitchen knife to use - I might be a little biased....

Wow you people are helpful. I've bought it a friend - a ten inch section of track. I figure the small section gets shaped into a marvelous multi faced anvil and the larger flattened on the face as a larger striking surface. I'm thinking sand box for the stand for maximum flexibility - I don't have a great deal of space I think I know the answer to this but I've not seen it mentioned - I don't need to temper do I? If this stuff was hardened it'd shatter under a train

Grubbing around in the river again. Is that gas torch cutting on the end? Too small for an anvil but I feel it should be a tool, what's the best way to put this to good use. Also got half a sleeper, a frustrated dog and sore shoulders...

My trusty swoe - also made from that spade. It's the most useful tool I've had - sickel edge on the inside curve, push hoe end and chopping edge on the outside, plus a pointy bit for minor grubbing. This thing really kicks grass. I use it to mow the paths. Medlar handle again - half baked French polish (I sanded but didn't pumice and only did 3 layers). The etch is slime mould pattern. Five mins at five volts with table salt. The stainless isn't great at holding an edge but the same is true of traditional scythe blades - couple of strokes with a whetstone is all it takes.

For the record I know one of the industrial archaeologists from a local site, I asked about iron finds - she said it's fine unless I pull up something truly ancient or notable - the wheel would be probably different matter. Even the very old horse shoes I found were 'cute but no thanks". If I found intact tools of any kind I'd also be rechecking. Thomas are we talking slag splattering out or metal? I know I'm gonna have to get this very toasty to weld, probably one where I should remember my apron ( I always wear eye protection. I might just seal a section in with charcoal and see what happens after fifteen or so hours at the back of the forge.

I like the way you're thinking! I may just have to add something to the swoe blade...

I did say 'in their origin' meaning they have their roots in a very simple design meant to be inexpensively produced (from my shallow read up) , peasant probably wasn't the right word. It just got me thinking about the grades of metal and what a low status person would have had access to.