Ridgewayforge Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Hi all, I was wondering some specifics about making a flux spoon- What size stock, should I upset it, etc etc. Any help would be great! Thanks! ~Rf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewed Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I used 3/8" round. Smashed the end flat with the cross peen, then flatten with the face of the hammer. Curve it on a block of wood. File to clean up the edges. I think mine started about 16" long, about a foot after I tied a knot in the end for a handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Some ol' fossils put a little trough-like spoon on the end of their straight poker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Well the only answer to your question is "Yes, Definitely!" They can be pretty much any size or shape as long as it works for you! Do you use a lot of flux or a little? We don't know. Do you flux at low temps or at high temps or both? We don't know. Do you like to stay far away from the hot end of the metal or are you comfortable being right up close? We don't know. Will you be fluxing billets or typical blacksmith welds? We don't know. shoot we use a bent piece of scrap sheet metal in my forge as the flux spoons seem to disappear over time and the scrap piece is kept in the flux tin. So I suggest you make one and use it and then make another with your design improvements and then make a pretty one.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 In florida I use a lot of flux (Borax) so I have a shaker like the ones you find for parmesean cheese. I took a Mayonnaise jar and drilled holes in the lid. it is very effective. The few spoons I have made one out of 1/4" and one out of 1/2" folded it back on it self and welded it to its self. Then forged tha bowl of the spoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Creek Blacksmith Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I do use a empty parmesean cheese container the holes are already there and the container is plastic......so if you drop it no broken glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hammer Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 3/8th square bar will make a nice flux spoon. This one is about 18# long. I didn't measure the amount of stock I used, but I would guess about 12 inches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Dave, that's a beautiful looking spoon! Thanks for all the input, I think I'll go ahead and try my hand at it, I'll start by trying 1/4th " square bar, (its what I have). Thomas, I haven't started forge welding yet, I'm more just trying to get the pattern of a spoon down before I attempt some projects for a local Boy Scout Troop- a cooking award! Once I get my real forge (hopefully it'll be coming soon so I can stop using a campfire), I'm going to try my hand at basic forge welding- chain link and easy good practice bits like that. Drewed, how'd you carve out the wood? And was it hardwood? I've got all my stuff on some old Tulip Tree stumps: would these be solid enough for swedging? Thank you all for your input into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50calmike Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 3/8th square bar will make a nice flux spoon. This one is about 18# long. I didn't measure the amount of stock I used, but I would guess about 12 inches. That is a nice spoon! My attempts have functioned, but they ain't pretty, yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I do a nick fold - forge weld for the spoon with whatever stock is laying around. I generally go 1 or 1 1/2 x the width for the tab. I make these as a warmup sometimes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chichi Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I believe I saw a video of Mark Aspery making a simple spoon from 1/4 or 3/8. He made that scarf he demonstrates on the end, folded it back and welded the end effectively doubling the mass. A few strikes with the ball pein and he had a perfect spoon. I did the same and it worked perfectly. I bring this up so the newer smiths who need practice welding can do this for practice and end up with something useful. Good practice making the scarf and learning welding heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I believe I saw a video of Mark Aspery making a simple spoon from 1/4 or 3/8. He made that scarf he demonstrates on the end, folded it back and welded the end effectively doubling the mass. A few strikes with the ball pein and he had a perfect spoon. I did the same and it worked perfectly. I bring this up so the newer smiths who need practice welding can do this for practice and end up with something useful. Good practice making the scarf and learning welding heat. Thats what I'm talking about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Anyone got a link to the Mark Aspery video? I'd like to take a peek and get the theory of spoon-making down first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chichi Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Ridgeway-I dont recall where I saw mark's video. FE-iron You make a nice spoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.pierson Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Ridgeway, This might be the video. It is more on forge welding than making a spoon but an interesting watching none the less. BP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Brian, that is a neat video! Really explains a lot about forge welding and the techniques. That and TechnicusJoe's video on welding are some of the most helpful I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double_edge2 Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 3/8th square bar will make a nice flux spoon. This one is about 18# long. I didn't measure the amount of stock I used, but I would guess about 12 inches. Nice little basket from scratch there too, they really do dress it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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