Blacksmith village Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 This weekend I forged for the second time in my life. I am quite happy with the final product. Last time someone said that no one has become a blacksmith by watching. I think a lot can be done just by observing. What I did, I did just based on watching youtube videos. I see a lot more to improve which I think, and I hope it will come with practice. At this point I would be happy to have a teacher who would show some more tricks and techniques on a concrete case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 If you picked up a hammer and hit red hot metal; then you are NOT just watching... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW HandCraft Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Very nice job! Yes, some people really can learn just by watching. I've never seen a blacksmith doing his job in real life, heck, I've never seen an anvil in real life before I started blacksmithing! All skills I have today I've learned by watching youtube videos. You will get better with practice, for sure. Just keep on hammering! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjdaggett Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Beautiful things. I'm two steps behind you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Beautiful set of wall hooks. Well done! Guys, as Thomas said neither of you is JUST watching videos. You are heating and beating steel trying to apply what you saw on a video. You are DOING and that is how you learn to BE A BLACKSMITH. You may be able to learn ABOUT blacksmithing by just watching Youtube videos but you CAN NOT BE without DOING. I'm not playing semantic games here there is a very real and important difference. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 You are now the blacksmith in Blacksmith Village. You have gotten metal hot and formed it into something usable and attractive. Now, you can spend the rest of your life becoming a better blacksmith. By the way, do you mind sharing the name of your village in Slovenia? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Speaking of names, Blacksmith Village. Is there a name we can call you by? Your login name is pretty hard to use conversationally. Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 I wish my 2nd project looked 1/10 that good. Nice work. Interesting anvil also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 4 hours ago, George N. M. said: village in Slovenia? It translates from Slovenian to English as Blacksmith Village. I would love to see it in Slovenian too (The home of my ancestors). He has a good thread in introduce Yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith village Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Thanks for the compliments By the way for information, how long would an experienced blacksmith need for one such hook? Now I will try to make some tools. I would like to make an opener where I will need a slot punch and drift. I have one car spring and some 1045 steel. Frosty you can say BV or Bosko (which is my nickname). The name of my village is Kovača vas (Kovač = blacksmith, vas = village) In our country we have two villages with this name. BillyBones these is Austrian pattern anvil also called church window anvil. This one is quite small (65lb), but you can work on it quite well for a start. I made one from a railroad track, but I will never work on it. It seems to me that every massive piece of steel is better than it, except the look . Otherwise, I personally prefer Peter Wright shape but I don't see any near my country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Bosko, very nice looking hooks. Don't get too caught up in how long it would take a more experienced smith to make them or anything for that matter. You'll just beat yourself up because you feel it's taking you too long.The more you do, the better you'll get. Like DSW HandCraft was saying, I've never been around a blacksmith at work in my life. I've learned by watching and the help of the wonderful folks here on IFI both publicly and privately. Then take it to the anvil. There's a lot of little nuances (spelling?) that you'll pick up by working that you won't any other way. You're off to a great start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 One problem with timing is that a professional production smith would not be making 1 hook but have 6-8 in the forge at the same time; (gas forges excel for this as you can stack them full of steel and not have any burn up through neglect.) Where we hobby smiths might rest or blan between heats, a professional will be working the next piece and the next piece and ...until they are all ready to go to the next step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 I try working two things at a time sometimes. Any more than that, and I get flustered! Or I will end up setting one aside for a little while then come back to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JW513 Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 way better than anything ive done, Ive got about 60 hours forging time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith village Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 I was forging 2 at the same time and it take me a hour an a half for 3 hooks and straightening one 30cm piece of coil spring. I saw that I must learn a lot on how maintain fire because heaving lot of trouble with that. I think I have too little coal, as the flame is quite high. It seems to me that coal burns very quickly. Someone on YT said you can burn a lot of coal and not do a lot of work. In which case is these? Too little coal in the pile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 Too little coal and maybe too much air. If I remember you are using black coal which may not be the best. If your coal does not coke up and is hard to light, it may be anthracite coal, which takes a different fire maintenance than bituminous coal. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/60608-recommendations-for-working-with-anthracite/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith village Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 Thanx for the link! And here is my first two pairs of thongs they are not forged but hey, they are useful. I need to round off the edges on the handles a bit to make them more comfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 7 hours ago, Blacksmith village said: my first two pairs of thongs Wait...what?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 FIRST two pair of tongs?! How'd you make those without forging Bosko? The tongs I make don't look that nice. Forging 30mm. coil spring down by hand takes time, lots of time it's one reason I have so many different wire diameter coil springs in the stack. Keep your eyes open for springs until you have a large selection, after a while you'll learn which size you use the most and collect that size, the other sizes are handy in case. By size I refer to the diameter of the wire (round rod) that makes the coil, NOT the coil diameter. Make sense? A few years ago I picked up a coil spring abandoned on a vacant lot that two of us had to pry into the back of our SUV. The wire dia on that monster is 2 7/8" That'd be about 51.68 mm. The coil is 13" dia. and 4' 10" long. I haven't used any, but it's there if I need a piece! As already said, do NOT compare how long it takes you to make something with ANYBODY else. Don't get into any head to head races at the anvil either, even if it's your best friend. Trying to go fast before you have the skills and the particular job down is an invitation to accidents and bad habits. Once you have forging a particular product down to a known and practiced set of steps, speed will come because you won't have to wonder what to do next, which tool to use, etc. You'll be arranging the tools and ordering your thoughts while the part is heating back up and you'll be ready to strike the SECOND you take it from the fire. The only sure thing rushing does is make mistakes permanent more quickly and get you injured. Believe it or not I knew Kovac means blacksmith! A high school friend of mine's last name is Kovac though he is Polish. A version of blacksmith is the most common surname on Earth. Funny eh? Frosty The Lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith village Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 Really these are the first tongs I made. They are made of mild steel (I know it's not the best but for start is ok). One was made of 8x8mm square and the other 10x10mm square rod. I dont even heat the metal. Welding, grinding, cold bending that is all. I have some experience with metalworking but nothing with forging. I can't imagine how much forging is needed for tongs made of 30mm spring steel and 2 lb hammer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 I saw a demo at SOFA once on making tongs done with all cold work and a welder. Nothing to be ashamed of. I tend not to forge easily available tools as I'm interested in using the tools to forge other things! Other people like forging their own tools. As the saying goes "Different strokes for different folks!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goods Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 They look great! Nothing wrong with mild steel tongs, as long as they are sized to have the strength needed for the job. On another note, if those are basically made by stock removal, you should have a good idea of the “blank” shape needs. Take that knowledge and try forging out to that blank shape, you may be surprised by the savings (time, material, abrasives, etc.). Your work is very good, look forward to seeing more, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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