K. Bryan Morgan

A project that I've been working on since Tuesday. Some friends and I worked on making steel. We had ABS Master Bladesmith Bill Burke to head the project. After many hours of hard work we broke apart the furnace and found....not much. It was a terrible disappointment. We had hoped for about 300 pounds of usable tamahagane steel. The leaders of our team are very experienced and knowledgeable, however many variables can contribute to a poor outcome. Weather wasn't great. The iron sands were from an unproven source. It could have been any number of things that lead to the less than hoped for result. After going through 400 lbs of iron sands and two tons of charcoal we estimate that we ended up with about 7-10 lbs of material that will have to be can welded to be usable. Getting together one more time tomorrow to see what can be done and to salvage what we can. Still, I would totally do it again.

Lots of great advice here. My personal opinion is to get some iron hot and hit it on the anvil. The rust won't really matter. If its just a matter of aesthetics, I used vinegar and a wire brush then a solution of baking soda. Cheap and effective. Then I wipe everything down with a rag that has vegetable oil on it.

Learn this stuff first. https://www.abana.org/resources/chf.shtml 26 PDF format lessons you can download.

I have done some research about that anvil type and it is forged steel from India. How hard it is I have no idea. That shape has been on the market for several years. I tracked down the manufacturer back when and looked at their website. Yuppers its steel. Just not a shape people are used to seeing here in the US. Now all that being said, is it a good anvil? I have absolutely no idea. It could be soft as butter. It might not. I don't think I would take a chance. How big of an anvil do you need? I've been told by people who know these things that a 10-1 ratio is a minimum. So on a 20 lb anvil. A 2 lb hammer is your maximum use size. Rebound, energy transfer, you know physics stuff. I have personally used a 20 lb anvil. And made an axe on it. It will do the job. If you have nothing else. Use what you have. Personally I really enjoyed working on the little fella. He sure was cute.

I ordered some fireplace screen from King Metals. I got it, in Alaska mind you, in two days. I was flabbergasted. I figured at least a week to ten days. I was very happy.

​This to the 1,000,000th power of ten.

The best way to make a million dollars blacksmithing is to start with two million dollars.

http://www.abana.org/resources/chf.shtml Scroll to the bottom of the page. There are 26 downloadable PDF format lessens for you. Do them and you will have a solid foundation to start with. I would recommend doing them multiple times.

​Excellent ideas. Thank you for responding. I think the spring I have is 5/8" round. Or close to that. I'll see if I can get a piece straight enough to chuck in my hand drill. I do have a belt grinder with a disk grinder on it.

Thanks those are both great ideas. I have some coil spring that will make a very good fuller to use as a dedicated punch. Or something like that. Maybe a ball punch, oval punch ect.?

Hi Max, I live in Central Alaska. I have a few local friends and one or two of them are world class knife makers. A few times I've been able to go down to Frosties and hang out for a weekend and learn. I even made it to one class the Alaska Artists Blacksmiths Association had on tong making. For the rest, I use this site. The people here are the best. If I have an issue or need guidance with a project, I ask and they give. Heck even every once in a while one of them will call up and say howdy and chat on the phone. I have been given so much by the membership of this site. Including knowledge. I'm no great smith. I'm a weekend hobby guy. But, people have been begging me for tripods, cowboy cooksets, folding leg campfire grills. All because I made one tripod for a friend. It pays for fuel and for materials. Materials that I plan on turning into axes. Why? Because I have a thing for making axes. I've really put in a lot of time studying how they are made, why they are made the way they are and a lot of other things. Now its time to make some. But, everything I've learned about it is here. I guess what I'm trying to convey to you is this. Hang out. Spend time listening and reading. You'll get there. Your not alone. There are many many people in the exact same boat your in. Hang tough. After all your a blacksmith too.

Here's my bulldog opener. I need to brush up on my drifting skills. The hole on this one is a bit small. But fixable.

Is there a local supply for the brass and copper sheet? Industrial supply or use copper flashing? I guess brass sheet is available online.

I use a Bucket Head Shop Vac I got at HD for about $20. It stays out in the weather and survives -60f temps. I've been using it for 5 years. Oh, and I use a sliding light dimmer to adjust the blast. Easy peasy.

I would absolutely love that. I know some guys here who would buy it up faster than I can make it. I really need to look into it.

Nice, I like it. I've been wanting to do that for a long long time.

Hi Frosty and Jeremy, I wish I could. I really want to. I've been wanting to get down to Art on Fire for years now and just never seem to be able to get there. Same for the meetings. Just the one I was able to make. I really wanted to come down to the one that Brian Brazzel was at but it was the same weekend as the big state wide dog show here in Fairbanks. Seems its always that way. But, that's ok. I will make it down when I can. Hope sooner than later. Jeremy, that's one funny pic and it made me laugh. I needed a good chuckle today. Thank you.

​That's going to be my next purchase from them. I've been wanting a swage block for a long time. They are rare, rare, rare up here and even though I've found a grand total of two here in the state, I couldn't purchase them.

​From what I understand the steel they get for the anvils is American steel.

​I made and use a hold fast in the current pritchel hole with no issues at all. I'm currently upgrading my hold fast to a type that is actually a drill press clamp. I have the clamp just need to get some 1" square and tap it for the threads on the clamp. Its a lockable one. I have a pic here let me see if I can find it and post it with this. A good man who is on this site turned me on to the idea. Dan, he lost his wife last Wed. So if you could keep him in your prayers I would appreciate it.

I own a Rhino anvil and its a great anvil. I would recommend them to anyone. I own the Papa Rhino 242 lbs. The only thing I don't like about it is, the horn doesn't come to a point. Which makes it hard to use on something small. Like a small scroll or to forge open a bottle opener hole after drifting it. Stuff like that. Other than needing a bick for smalls like that I wouldn't trade it for its weight in gold. Ok I would, but I would immediately buy another one.

I agree, 24" round would be better. I love this table. Any chances of a blue print?

I own a Diamondback 2 burner Blacksmith model. I've owned it almost five years and I'm just now getting to the point I need to buy the relining kit. Last time I checked that was about $60. If/when I need another forge, I will buy the same one. I could not be happier with it. I would whole heartedly support anyone's decisions to purchase a Diamondback forge.

Oh goodness.

Actually it was for her work first at a leadership conference in AZ. Then we came to her family in Carson. Since my family is all gone, except my sister, it's really important to me that she sees hers as much as we can make that happen.