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

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.

Some ol' fossils put a little trough-like spoon on the end of their straight poker.

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....

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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...

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.

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...

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.

Ridgeway-I dont recall where I saw mark's video.
FE-iron You make a nice spoon

Ridgeway,

This might be the video. It is more on forge welding than making a spoon but an interesting watching none the less.

BP

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.

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.