April 15, 201610 yr Most of my time at the forge has been for knife making, with an occasional "Honey do" project thrown in. As such, I've noticed, my skills as a knife maker are greatly improving, but my general blacksmithing skills are still sorely lacking. So, I decided to dedicate more time to just moving metal around for some different projects. Made a couple of bottle openers, completed a few tools that I've been meaning to make forever, like my spring fuller, and then last night, I decided to have some fun and try something that I honestly didn't think I would be able to do. Took some 3/4 round stock and managed to smack this out. Flattening the blade part took 4 times as long as I was expecting, and by the time I was ready to start cleaning it up, I decided it was getting to late (I try not to hammer on the anvil after 10 so as not to annoy the neighbors to much), so its got more of a rustic look than I shooting for, but I think it will fit in well with the rest of our camping gear. I honestly don't mind all of the hammer marks, but removing them is another skill that I want/need a lot more practice in.
April 15, 201610 yr Wow. 3/4 to that. My arm hurts. That thing is awsome. Another project to add to my list.
April 15, 201610 yr I think that you'll find that scale removal will help a great deal in keeping the blade nicely finished. If you're planning to use it, it might be good to try and sand it smooth, in order to wash it more easily.
April 17, 201610 yr Last reply disappeared. Nice exercise. She needs some work with a flatter, file and brushing and it'll be a show piece at the grill. Nice job, how's your arm? Frosty The Lucky.
April 19, 201610 yr Nice job. I've been wanting to make a spatula, just wasn't sure if I used mild steel (such as hot rolled / A36) if it would hold seasoning and not just rust up. I was thinking that if I treated it like my cast iron and didn't "wash" it after use it may be OK. Anyone have any experience with forging grilling utensils out of low carbon steel and long term performance?
April 19, 201610 yr 17 minutes ago, 01tundra said: Nice job. I've been wanting to make a spatula, just wasn't sure if I used mild steel (such as hot rolled / A36) if it would hold seasoning and not just rust up. I was thinking that if I treated it like my cast iron and didn't "wash" it after use it may be OK. Anyone have any experience with forging grilling utensils out of low carbon steel and long term performance? Seasoning is a surface coating, so you should be fine. (Don't believe the nonsense about it penetrating the "pores" of the metal.) So yeah, treat it like new cast iron: give it a wipe with canola oil, rub off the excess, and throw it in the oven at high heat for an hour. (If you happen to use high-carbon, be aware of what this might do to the temper.) Wash after use, dry immediately, give a quick wipe with the oil every once in a while, and let nature take its course.
April 19, 201610 yr On 4/15/2016 at 9:18 AM, HEAP of JEEP said: I decided it was getting to late yeah, I have found that whenever i forge till it is dark, ill be working on a project and say "oh, that looks pretty good" and then once I bring it inside to the light, its a whole other story. Littleblacksmith
April 30, 201610 yr Try a wider/rounder peen on your hammer. A sharp peen acts more like a chisel, really diving deep into the steel but not pushing it sideways to spread things out. A flat peen might sound contradictory, but the wider face forces the metal to the sides considerably.
May 2, 201610 yr Author On 4/30/2016 at 2:00 PM, VaughnT said: Try a wider/rounder peen on your hammer. A sharp peen acts more like a chisel, really diving deep into the steel but not pushing it sideways to spread things out. A flat peen might sound contradictory, but the wider face forces the metal to the sides considerably. Thanks for the info. I'll be doing another one for a customer to give to her husband for father's day, so I will try that out.
May 11, 201610 yr Thanks for the nudge Heap. made 3 now out of RR spikes, one for myself and two for friends that hook me up with scrap.They are the best ones i've ever used.. they just dont make em like they used too lol.
May 11, 201610 yr Author Ha, to funny Das. As much as my wife laughed at it, I used it on the grill this past weekend, and it was great. I have an order for one for a father's day gift too, but I have to add viking runes to that one. lol
May 11, 201610 yr Awesome. I've had good results spreading the spatula part with the large radius cross pein then hammer face then using the flatter on it. helper is great for this someone that can swing a hammer while you hold the flatter. Love the viking rune idea. sure you wont be labled a blasphemous? lol. hopefully your more comfortable making whatever you like now.
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