Drako11

Hey everyone! I haven't posted in a long while, but I wanted to tell everyone about a success I had this weekend. My church was having a fundraiser for the children in Puerto Rico for when we go on our mission trip down their. I offered to bring my forge down and make knives to sell. I sold all that I could make and made a good deal of money for them. Everyone was really interested and thought it was awesome what I was doing. I got a whole bunch of friends interested in the hobby....errrr....addiction now, oops..... Now I have to help them make forges and teach them some stuff, because my forge is to crowded!! Anyways it was just awesome to see people so interested in what I was doing and to actually sell something I had made, my blades are getting better and better I will have to post some pics soon. Really I need to post pics of my whole setup....almost got my second forge done, and got a little shop area setup. Oh I also met a couple people who had some tools they wanted to give me, someone who had an old crank forge they would give me, and got invited to an event to forge and sell stuff there. Woo hoo! Got praise, new toys, and a business opportunity in one day it was awesome!

Is it just me or are those knives not even that good of quality.....they look pretty ragged to me...

Great stuff! Those legs on the turtle and the petals of one of the flowers look like those big rail clamps from the railroad track, I have been wondering and wondering what to do with those, great usage of them!

Great suggestions! Pre-bending I never thought of that brilliant! I think I am going to incorporate the wooden hammer and pre-bending. Just pre-bend and since I've never done it I will probably have to make corrections with a wooden hammer. Thanks for the help guys!

Hello all, My brother and I have been messing around for a little while with RR Spikes, making some knives. We have made a couple crude ones that should look better once ground down, but all the blades curve up. Now I know that the blade starts curving up when you starts narrowing down the cutting edge. I want to make a knife like a sort of machette with a straight spine. How can I keep the blade from curving up or when it curves up tap it back down? Do I just flip it over and tap the cutting edge till the spine is straight? Thanks!

AHH MAN! I want that apron its like a leather body armor, but yet an apron!

Well I have always been interested in the times of old from ancient Greece, to Rome, from Knights in Shining armor, to the Revolution. I was watching alot of videos on YouTube about smithing and how to make knives and such. Stumbled on a video of a guy making a knife with a home made grill forge. We had an old grill sitting behind the house, ran out and bought some concrete and galvanized pipe and set the grill up as a forge. Found an avil, some ball pien hammers, a few wrenches and away I went. I have only been forging for a couple weeks, but I love it! Probably not going to turn it into a career, but will most likely be a life long hobby. ^_^

Hmmmm ox in Alaska I don't know....maybe a Caribou...or he could alter it into some kind of dog yoke, since we know all Alaskians own a sled and dogs, wear parkas, and hunt whales ; P It would make a really cool wall decoration though, may try it some day yuppies would love to buy one I bet!

Wow thats alot of posts! I guess Alaska is a boring place Stop posting and go make more stuff Frosty!! Nah just kidding, I love all the input I get from you your great!

Apparel: Cotton T-Shirts (Never liked wearing synthetic stuff) Blue Jeans Welding gloves (At least I think they're welding gloves they're pretty thick and go past your wrist in length) Sneakers (I have leater combat boots would those work?) Tools: Anvil Ball pien hammers of varying weight Crescent Wrench Channelocks Various chisels and punches Wirebrush A couple clamps (One clamp is attached to this big stand made out of an I beam apparently used for smithing before) (Just working with the bare minumum here, but we decided just to go for it and start whacking away) I don't have an apron or safety glasses yet, what type of apron would be better leather or cotton? I know a cotton apron would be cheaper, but leather seems more protective. Is a leather apron hard to move around and work in? Also Finnr you had mentioned making tongs, I found the guides for them, but was wondering what would be the best type of tong for basic holding stuff? Also would re-bar work for making tongs?

Ermmm safety glasses???? I uhhh...well we....*cough*.... *runs to the store*

Ok learned a few more things last night trying to make a tomahawk out of a RR Spike 21. A bucket of cold water is always nice to have standing by for dipping hot tongs (in my case a crescent wrench) in, as well as burnt hands. Not to mention quenching as well. 22. When you add fresh coal and it starts flaming up really high it seems to work well to shut off your air and let it smolder for awhile and when you come back it won't flame up as much if at all. (Maybe I'm just giving it to much air I don't know....) 23. If you time your heats right two people can work on one anvil. (Although I wouldn't advice this at all, my brother and I wanted to work on seperate pieces so we got a little dangerous) 24. Working in the rain is inadvisable, everything pops and crackles often sending sparks flying. 25. (Alteration of the tip about wearing gloves) Ok so I tried working without gloves and I agree you have much better control. Unfortunately I don't have any long handled tongs yet, just using a crescent wrench. So I altered to one glove for my wrench hand and no glove on the hammering hand. This seems to work pretty well, but I do plan to go down to no gloves when I get proper tools. 26. You don't have to fill up your whole forge to work on a piece. If it is a small piece just make a small mound of coal and work with that. 27. Neighbors aren't always as excited about you getting a chance to smith for hours as you are. (That anvil ringing is somewhat hard on the nerves, a solid base should help though once I make it.....) 28. Have a good grip on your piece before you start hammering. (This should be a no brainer, but I often find in our haste to start hammering before the heat dies we often end up dropping a piece because we weren't holding it securely.) 29. If you want a small amount of metal to move use a small hammer. Its like golf, why use a driver for a putt? 30. The coal and bits left over from your last job work great to start your fire next time. I actually use a little bit of charcoal, get it glowing, then add the left over bits. Once that is going good add on new coal. The left over bits do like to smoke alot though, because there is alot of fine dust I guess, it helps to give an opening where the air and flames can escape. Note: I'm sure I am probably mentioning alot of stuff most of you already know, and sorry is I am boring anyone. I am just putting down what I am learning as I go. : )

Hello everyone another question Say you are working on a piece and you have to leave, get tired, don't feel like working anymore, something like that can you put the piece up and come back the next day and finish it or will this mess it up?

Hey everyone! So I got an old anvil from my grandfather that I have been using, it is in pretty good condition, but like all old metal things it has a rusty tinge. I have been working on it with a drill powered wire brush, but it is taking a long time to get it all off. Is there something I can use or put on the anvil to help shine it up and get the rust off??

Thanks for the compliments and such everyone! Really makes me feel good to get praise from some experienced smiths. So I may just keep milking this for awhile haha! ;P So ya, added a few more to the list enjoy!

I am just a beginner smith, but I want to try and contibute, so expect a leaf from me if you can recognize it as a leaf that is. XD I will give it my best shot though. : ) Any ideas where to get stainless steel?? Also any certain temperatures or such it need to be worked at?

It really depends on what fuel source is easiest to get around your area. I am just a begginner as well, but I have used both charcoal and coal. They both work well, although charcoal burns really fast compared to coal. I think the heat it a little better and more controllable with coal as well. However if you don't have access to coal where you live, charcoal is the way to go, especially since you can make your own charcoal if you have a mind to, I have and its actually pretty easy! You might also want to look into gas forges, alot of people here seem happy with those.

Ok so here is a few things with the few smithing sessions I have done, just thought I might pass on a little bit of it so others don't make the same mistakes. 1. Keep your fuel supply, especially Charcoal, far away from the forge where no sparks can get to it and preferably in a metal container! (Ya I had all my charcoal in a plastic box a ways behind me while I was working. I look back and the whole box is an inferno ) 2. Wear gloves when you first start working with stuff or at least work with long objects. (I've decided to wear gloves all the time) 3. When your fuel starts getting low turn your air down if possible or else sparks and ash will be everywhere. (At least with my forge its like that...) 4. When cutting a piece of metal either have someone hold either side with tongs or cut it only 3/4 of a way through and twist it off. (If you cut all the way through it without holding on to the piece your cutting off it will go flying!) 5. Keep all hands, fingers, and toes in the ride at all times.... (A hammer to the thumb hurts!!) 6. Just because a piece isn't glowing orange doesn't mean it isn't hot, please let it sit for a good while before touching it.... (Looks at burn mark on hanb..) 7. Working with two people is sometimes alot easier then one. 8. As your piece gets smaller and smaller it will take less time to heat, set your piece off to the side if your going to get a drink or adjust your work area. Your piece will melt....trust me... 9. Although metal going off like a sparkler looks really cool its not a good thing, you got the metal to hot. 10. If you get a piece to hot when you take it out, don't hit it right away, molten metal will go flying. 11. Try to make a nest for your piece to sit in where you can keep an eye on it while its heating, especially smaller pieces. It is really easy to lose a small piece down in the coals, and its no fun digging around trying to find it. 12. Hot tempers and hot forges don't mix, I don't recommend starting arguments around a forge. 13. People love to watch smithing in progress, for the same reason blacksmiths love to smith. Glowing hot metal, pounding hammers, and flying sparks are just fascinating. However it is dangerous having people standing around your work area, especially when you are a beginner nad you never know when something might go flying. Try to keep everyone at a safe distance. Learned a few more things today.... 14. Accelerants.....where to start.....use in small amounts or, JUST SAY NO! (Fire wouldn't cooperate today so thought I would pop a little kerosene on the fire to help it along....ya umm took me awhile to get that inferno under control!) 15. Blacksmithing it addicting!!! AHHH!!! I can't stop thinking about A. New project I want to try B. What went wrong with the last project C. How I can obtain more metal, tools, or better anvil D. This durned forum! There should be a warning label on the main page WARNING: Smithing may cause loss of hair, hearing, normal thought patterns, and any life you had before! 16. Failure is the first step to success, that club you try to tell people is a knife will get better and better every time. 17. Smithing makes a great conversation starter! 18. Although smithing is a great convo starter no nomal person (Ya you smiths don't count!) wants to hear how you think you can make your next piece better then the last and what went wrong that you should fix. Oh and when you mention what type of anvil you own with pride, they won't know what you are talking about. 19. When talking to ladies every hammer you own doesn't weigh under twenty lbs. and that 250 pound anvil is as light as a feather. ; ) 20. Don't try to work through the pain in your shoulder from hammering, just set it down....just set it down and walk away...NO STOP I MEAN IT SET IT DOWN!!

Wow thats great! Makes me want to go out and carve my own guitar out of a tree. :P

Squaring up round stock sounds pretty easy.... How do you draw a point?? Just hold it at an angle on the anvil and hammer it into a cone?

Hey thanks Glenn and Finnr! The lessons should help alot and I was able to find someone with a forge right where I live thanks to one of your links Glenn! ^_^

Hello Everyone! I live in Leoma, TN about two hours south of Nashville and an hour north of Huntsville, AL. My brother and I have just taken up blacksmithing and after messing around my ourselves have found we would really like to learn a few things from someone. So I was wondering if there was anyone that lived near me that wouldn't mind showing some new smiths a few tricks of the trade. Also we don't have any decent tools, we have been working with a ball peen hammer, chisel, and pliers. So if there is anyone that live close and wants to sell or get rid of some tools we would be happy to oblige! :D

Thanks for all the help guys. glad to know there are people willing to help! : ) What rokshasa said hit true. I remember a couple points when we pulled it out were were like OH IT'S A SPARLKER!! XD We probably hammered it to cold at some points as well. Oh well we aren't to discouraged, just trying to figure out a little bit of what happened so we can try to do better next time. Your probably right Frosty, I should try and find some easier projects and such before we attempt to many more blades. Any suggestions of a good beginners project?

Hello Everyone, I'm new here, and well totally new to blacksmithing as well. My brother and I made our own forge and confiscated an anvil and hammers from our Grandpa. Anyways we have been playing around with it and finally came out with a decent looking rough blade. It was made out of a section from a large Alan Wrench. The blade formed out well although there was a little melting on the tip. However when we were pounding out the tang it began to crack really badly, we tried heating it up really hot and pounding it back together but really only succeeded in making it a little better if not worse. What caused this to happen was the metal just bad, did we heat it to much, did we heat it to hot??? :confused: