Dutchmancreek

I agree guys... it seems that everyone wants to move to advanced work without ever doing research, or ever practicing the the basic skills. When I'm at the open forge meetings or at demos the younger folks are bored by watching S-hooks, wall hooks, etc being demonstrated. They always ask how they can make a sword or knives, or even how they can get started making pattern welded steel. Library books, Amazon books, the internet, ...all good ABANA, local chapter meetings....great Practice, practice, practice the basics and move up as you learn. There's no other way. Steve

Just what is it you want to make?.....Please don't say swords. You have to start with the basics and the best way is to watch and learn from people who already know what they are doing. If you don't want to listen to what the more experienced smiths say, and want to do only what you want, then why are you posting on this forum? Attend open forges and chapter meetings and watch. If you can't do basic exercises (drawing out, upsetting, bending, tapering, punching, scrolling, twisting, etc) then you aren't ready to move on. Many organizations have basic classes several times a year...sign up for one. Can you make an S-hook? Now make 50 more just like it. Add a twist. Then make hammer-in wall hooks. Make a lot of little things...you can give them away for presents. There are a lot of books available (check your library) that will show basic projects. The only way to learn is to start with basics and move up a step at a time.

I'm sure the cat was at least partly at fault...just look at the expression on it's face. At last count, we have 7 cats (4 barn cats and 3 house cats) on our farm and they are always into trouble. One of them keeps bringing snakes to the back door. I usually wear a leather apron when angle grinding because of the sparks. Steve

No gloves...if it's too hot to hold, use tongs ( you have 20 or 30 pairs hanging there don't you?). If sparks/scale/flux/etc fly up and burn your poor little hand just suck it up until you get done hammering...it's part of the job. Steve

After I retired from engineering and measuring things to .0005, I started in getting things hot and hitting them with a hammer. A good change. Actually I got interested in smithing from demonstrations at Rendezvous meetings (I was already into blackpowder, etc) and thought it would be a good hobby. Things have really changed since I started out working outside with an anvil made from RR track and a forge made from an old Weber grill. The grill's now gone, but I still have the little RR anvil sitting on the edge of the coal forge. I use it for welding small parts that lose heat rapidly...directly from the fire to the small anvil. (It sure looks tiny next to the 300# Hay Budden or even the Peter Wright.) I'm thinking about starting to do demos at Rendezvous myself now, to get others interested. Steve

This is the front of the forge now...I forgot to include it in the previous post. Steve

Here's my coal forge...steel framing and table with a Centaur Forge firepot and hood. Before you say anything, the photo was taken after a major cleanup and painting...it's a lot dirtier now. Steve

In the winter, as soon as I light my forge I put in a chunk of steel and let it heat up while I'm piddling around prior to starting. When the steel is hot I lay it on the anvil to get at least a little warmth started. I've heard of putting an electric iron on the anvil and also of using an electric engine block heater on the anvil. Steve

I have also seen new harow discs with the center hole welded up and two handles added so they could be used as a shallow wok/pan for outdoor cooking of fahitas and such. It looked good but I never went to the trouble to make one. Steve

I use Leah's method .... you have one bundle instead of four separate pieces. Just don't use too much force on your initial hammer blows. If you use the separate pieces, squaring them to begin with is a good idea, as is welding them in a semicircular notch of a swadge block. Also, when I have had trouble with this type of weld, I knock off any mill scale with a grinder before I start...especially with new stock. Steve

I attach three legs to them and make dutch oven stands. Charcoal is burning on the disc and a camp dutch oven is set onto the charcoal. More charcoal is put on the lid of the dutch oven for baking. Mmmm biscuits. They can also be cut into a triangular hoe blade with a slightly curved cutting edge. It looks different and is popular at about $20 (with a hickory handle). Steve

I didn't purposely set out to get a perfectly level anvil, but I just went out and checked my main anvil and found it is very close to true both edge to edge and end to end. Just luck I guess. It's a 300 pounder and never gets moved. I move my smaller anvil (131#)around and outside and only set it up so it "looks OK" and never have a problem. Steve

I usually try to clean off any mill scale from the area where the weld will be made, if I'm using new stock. I also try to use the minimum flux. I also can't weld unless I'm wearing my lucky Cleveland Browns cap and have my socks inside out. Steve

My dial up is blazing at 26.4 Kbps right now...it usually runs 24. We're way out in the country and until recently, the phone lines were laying in the ditch. Whenever someone bush hogged the fields we lost phone service because they ran over the wire. Verizon says no way we are getting DSL but by the end of the year they're supposed to get the wireless internet access card running in this area and we should be able to move up in the world. Steve

Newbiesmith...where are you in Northeastern W.V? We go through there several times a year. We have a cabin in Somerset County Pa. and have considered moving to Fairmont West Virginia. Steve

Here's some photos of my campfire cook set. I make some lightweight sets for Rendevous buckskinners and camping folk, but this style is for more permanent set-up. The uprights and cross bar are 3/4" rebar in the photos (my back yard) but the later ones I've made with smooth bar stock. The horizontal bar is held by (rivited on) horse shoes, just because I have a lot of them and I like the way they look. The hooks are different lengths for hanging the dutch ovens. There's also an adjustable grill for skillets, steaks, and such. Steve

I was involved in some very noisy activities back in 1970 and already have some hearing loss. My Hay Budden rings like a bell if I don't have magnets under it and have it spiked down. It's quieter then but I still often use a set of muffs. Steve

I use a Hobart wire welder and like it. However, I'm with Thomas that I never use it for a critical application or where safety is a factor. I also won't weld for someone else, except where forge welding is a part of a piece I'm building. A buddy of mine has a welding shop and is a professional, so anything critical goes to him. For the type of light repair work and small projects around the farm that I do, the wire welder works great and beats hauling everything 20 miles to the welding shop. Steve

Swords and armor are not simple things. You can't start there. Specialist smiths take many, many years to learn this type of work, and even then there aren't very many sword or armor makers out there. After a point it is an art, not a skill. You have to start on the basics of smithing. Read everything you can find and join a local blacksmithing group. Attend the meetings...smiths are always helpful. There are also beginners classes provided by many blacksmithing associations that will get you started in the right direction. Steve

I use a salvaged blower from a small gas furnace, metal dryer vent tubing, and stainless metal tape (duct tape works but I have a lot of the s/s tape on hand). You need to be able to vary the amount of air flow. Some use some sort of rheostat, dimmer, or ceiling fan control but I use a sliding air gate. Wire the blower through a foot switch so that the air stops when you step away from the forge. This will save fuel and keep you from burning up stock from lack of attention. Steve

I'm lucky in that I have a coal supplier in Murphysboro, Illinois, about 30 miles away. Just drive over, weigh the truck, fill my containers, and re-weigh. If you buy a ton or so they'll probably put it in the truck with the end loader but I only buy about 200 pounds at a time so I shovel it myself. Good coal. Steve

I've never used wood as a fuel for forging. I would think that just the volume needed to attain the required temperatures would be prohibitive, in addition to the smoke and ash that would be generated. If all I had was wood, I'd make my own charcoal out of it, and then use the charcoal in the forge. Cook with charcoal, forge with coal or a gas forge. Steve

"You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din" Chris...anvils don't seem to be really that rare at farm auctions around here but all the people in the metal arts programs at Southern Illinois University who also go to auctions run the price up. Steve

WalMart usually sells Royal Oak. Lowes handles Royal Oak and Cowboy. Home Depot often has Rancher charcoal. Some restaurant supply stores and chain grocery stores also sell it. Lump/natural charcoal isn't hard to find in most areas...most people just buy briquets for their grill but lump is becoming a lot more popular. Steve

Well, I screwed up again yesterday afternoon. I was drawing out the blade on a tomahawk and burned the end off. It was my first slit and drift hawk (I usually wrap and weld) and I had already formed the eye and fullered & forged the spike...a lot of work invested. I guess I got distracted by something shiny and turned my back on the forge without flipping off the blower switch. When I noticed the sparks it was too late. Rats! Corrective action: I just installed a foot switch on the electric blower so the air stops if I step away (gee...just like a hand cranked blower). The switch is from an old sewing machine so has a large actuator plate and I modified it so it is strictly on/off...no speed control in the switch. (I use an air gate for that). I want to get started over on another hawk but today is going to be a "bush hog the pasture" day so, unless it rains, I'll be stuck on the tractor. Steve