1776 Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Hey there. I'm glad to be on this forum, seems like a really cool place. A little about my self. I got interested in forging because my brother did. We built a coal forge out of a sink, fire clay, fire bricks, and a shop vac. We had a unhardened railroad anvil (still do) . We got it all built, and then realized we had no coal. So went and bought that. Started pounding some metal. Both of us started on knives. Only my brother got one made though. After that we kinda dropped forging for a couple years. Just a couple months ago I got really interested in making knives again. I got my brother really stoked (get it?) about it too. So I went all over the internet learning all I could about it. Ordered 4 books. Forging your way to perfection, the $50 knife shop, and two others that I can't remember the names of right now. All were really helpful. After searching and reading, my brother and I decided we would take the plunge and buy a gas forge (still have the coal forge, just like the gas better). Bought the DiamondBack Ironworks single burner knifemakers forge. We got it a week ago. Ordered some 5160 from Jantz supply. That is getting here on Monday. I have made a D2 knife by stock removal, and a tomahawk from a railroad spike. My brother is working on a Seax knife. Still having trouble forge welding.. can't seem to get it... I have learned that forging iron is not as easy as it looks, but a ton of fun! Looking forward to spending time here when I'm not at the forge. 1776 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Welcome aboard.There are threads on forge welding here and many Good answers as well. pack a lunch and a cold drink since you will undoubtedly be able to find info here that you need to be successful. Don't forget to add your location to your profile since there may be other blacksmiths or groups in your location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Welcome aboard historically significant date in American history, glad to have you. Nothing wrong with a rail anvil especially if you mount it standing on end. We love pics: projects, equipment, tools, shop, etc. most anything you'd show a youngster. The site has thousands of archived posts organized by section and subsection that covers most anything a person could want to know. Including mankind's highest form of humor. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Forge welding is easiest learned 1 on 1 so stop by sometime and I'll walk you through doing a billet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1776 Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said: Forge welding is easiest learned 1 on 1 so stop by sometime and I'll walk you through doing a billet. Wow. I would really love to do that. Unfortunately I'm all the blinking way up north. But man, thanks for the generous offer! 11 hours ago, Frosty said: Welcome aboard historically significant date in American history, glad to have you. Frosty The Lucky. Haha. Thanks man. 13 hours ago, Daswulf said: Welcome aboard.There are threads on forge welding here and many Good answers as well. pack a lunch and a cold drink since you will undoubtedly be able to find info here that you need to be successful. Don't forget to add your location to your profile since there may be other blacksmiths or groups in your location. Thanks for the welcome! Added location. I thought (stupid me) that I could do forge welding right off the bat. Just heat the metal to yellow, slosh tons of borax on the metal to prevent scale from forming, and than hit it. Right? Wrong. A little more to it than that. So that will be a work in progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 You're way up north? Coulda fooled me. Well okay, I'm farther west than north of you still. . . Forge welding is pretty easy you just need to follow the steps, I have beginners do a forge weld and solo on their first session just to eliminate the mythical factor of forge welds. It's like tig welding aluminum, once you know how it's just a job. Hook up with the NWBA it's one of the most active blacksmith organizations in the country. They have hammer ins, clinics and meetings pretty darned regularly, great bunch of folk and Wa. is only part of NWBA territory. You'll learn more faster in an afternoon working with an experienced smith than you will working weeks trying to figure it out yourself. By general location Washington State is a little more general than really useful. A guy in Spokane might be throwing a hammer in BBQ and you don't get invited or maybe you do but you live in Victoria or Kitsap and don't want to drive 4 hours each way. It's not a rule or anything and no we don't want your street address and combo to the lock on your Harley, just a general idea for folk within visiting distance. Still, it's not a rule there are a lot of long time strong contributors who don't list a location. No skin off our knuckles. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1776 Posted February 11, 2017 Author Share Posted February 11, 2017 7 hours ago, Frosty said: You're way up north? Coulda fooled me. Well okay, I'm farther west than north of you still. . . Frosty The Lucky. Haha. Compared to Texas, yeah. Compared to you? Nope, way down south. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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