Glenn Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 Show us your early blacksmithing projects. You know the project you kept because it was your first or early accomplishment in blacksmithing. We know it may look a little rough but we all had to start somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJergensen Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 First tongs. History: I bought a pair wolf's jaw tongs as my "bootstrapping" tongs. When I started to make chisels and punches out of 3/4" sucker rod, I needed something that would hold them. The tongs did work (and still do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beammeupscotty Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I can't even remember what my first project was, much less where it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I can't even remember what my first project was, much less where it is.Me, too. I regret having not kept some early tries, but I do recall an S hook that had a rather ugly, uneven twist in the middle. No swan necks either, so the shaft of the hook hung crookedly.And the first ram's head I did was pretty ordinary in hindsight. I thought it was pretty good at the time though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 I can't even remember what my first project was, much less where it is. All I remember about my first attempts is where they probably are, a S. Cal. dump or scrap yard cir. 45-50 years ago. Then again Mother might have saved something but no telling, we're hereditary pack rats. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 OK, so here's a pic of a couple of first attempts. I'm not sure I feel comfortable about posting the pic, but since you ask ...The S hook was meant to have a central twist, and as you can see, it is out of balance - aesthetically and physically. It doesn't hang straight.The leaf letter opener was a first go at a leaf, and I was reasonably happy with that, but it was difficult to get the blade straight as it tended to curve as the sharper side was forged. I can do it OK now.Anyway here's the pic:It's good to look back on first attempts that were set aside. Makes you appreciate the progress made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 I had an Anvil in the Shop for 15 years before building my first Coal Forge, ... about 12 years ago. Just used a "Rosebud" on the A/O torch whenever I wanted to "work" a piece back into shape, ... or form a new part, ... or Heat Treat a piece. Hard to say when the "transformation" to "Honest-to-God Blacksmith" actually took place. I still design and modify tooling for Custom Automation Applications, ... and find that having the option of Forging odd shapes, to be a real asset in the design process. So, ... for me, ... it's more of a "circular" progression, ... having no distinct point of orrigin. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Coat rack; Steel on oak Close up of hook There are two boards; one with 5 hooks mounted at adult eye level and one with 4 hooks mounted at child level below ;) My only regret on this was not being able to find square headed lag bolts and not painting the heads of the hex heads; a procrastination that is 12 years in the making LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 my first project was a shovel. All I had at the time was a forge, hammer vice and some re-bar I even welded the bends with a small stick welder, and cut off nails for rivets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redneckforge Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Here are the first two things I ever forged almost three years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 My first Project is always with me I have never lost it . You see when I very first pick up a 1 LB hammer I mashed the Bird Finger on my right hand and broke the very tip of the bone in it & Mashed the end very Bad , at the young age of 7 . I still have a pin in the end of my finger However, it was replaced with a plastic pin some years later due to a crooked end of that finger( they broke it and straightened it as well) yet the scars are still there . it reminds me to keep all my fingers tucked in while hammering. By the way I am now right Handed . Ret, Sgt. Yates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothBore Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 For what it's worth ..... Last night it occurredto me, ... the first piece that I remember "Forging", ... was a part to repair/replace a broken "white metal" casting, that formed the Trigger Guard and rear portion of the Trigger Assembly, ... on an old Shotgun. ( In the mid 1970's, the Federal Government began requiring "Steel Shot" to hunt Waterfowl, in certain areas. ) Fearing this hard shot would damage the barrels of our "good" guns, ... many Waterfowlers chose to aquire inexpensive old guns, to shoot the Steel Shot. Much has changed since then, ... but that beat up old "Boat Gun", still works better-than-new. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 My first attempt at a fork, done in 1973. One of my first forging projects. I don't even remember what I used for a forge. I keep it just to remind myself where I started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I have a cold chisel made in metal shop. It's either in my stuff somewhere or in with dads tools someplace. Just remember that it came out to soft as 2 of the queen bee girls were bs'ing between me and the quench tank. They moved quick when being yelled at to move or get burnt... can't remember making anything before that. Did watch Dad make a knife out of a planer blade and Teflon for a handle on his rivet forge, was for a cousin if I remember right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01tundra Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Ah....I remember that day like it was yesterday, my first project was a drive hook.....that was way back in the winter of 2012 :D . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Made this back scratcher early days 1999 block of steel for anvil oxy acet for heat, welds oxy fusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winginit Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 http://my first project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawman Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 This was my first hook and my first knife. I still have both of them. Well to be fair my first attempt at a knife was in my coal forge and I was paying a little closer attention to drinking the beer in my hand than tending the fire and ended up vaporizing the old file that I was trying to forge. Since it disappeared into a fire I don't count that one. I didn't try it again till I completed my gas forge. Its much more forgiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borntoolate Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 THis isn't my first but very very close. Made from a coil spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malice9610 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 The bottom item is my first ever blacksmithing project, Which I started mid January this year ( still not finished but close ) And then this is my first ever successful Forge Weld, That I did today.. Im a newb... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmaxims Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 First project was a tool, coal rake....nothing special lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John in Oly, WA Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 My first blacksmithing project. My first knife project. About 40 years ago. Didn't even know I was blacksmithing. In my high school shop class, I told the teacher, Mr. Seeley, I wanted to make a knife for my grampa. He handed me a big old flat file and said, "Here, you can make it out of this." And I heated and hammered for days. Fast forward about 40 years and here I am wanting to learn more about blacksmithing and bladesmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Tried to make a snake out of a RR spike, and bend a drawknife into a scorp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 being a guy who enjoys "restoring" tools. That poor draw knife! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 (edited) The scorp is not a two handed instrument, as most drawknives are. Your creation looks more like an unfinished inshave (two handled one.).(there are one handled inshaves but they are larger than scorps.) Most scorps are a small to very small sizel. In my estimation, the draw knife to scorp conversion is not a simple beginners project, But it is a more advanced one. You deserve an A plus for ambition and effort. Your project could become a very practical tool. It can be handled and used as a drawknife with a deep belly. Such tools are used by chair makers to hollow out the seat to accommodate The sitter's posterior. They can also be used to hollow deep wooden bowls. A Good job, notwithstanding. SLAG. Edited May 20, 2016 by SLAG added more "vital" thoughts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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