Mark Ling Posted October 14, 2018 Author Share Posted October 14, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 Well done.. I started my first demo's when i was 17.. You are way more professional than I was then. (Ah hum.. even now)... Really great.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranchmanben Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 Good hustle Mark! I hope the sales were good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted October 14, 2018 Author Share Posted October 14, 2018 Thank you jlp! Not sure It was more professional than you, you have a pretty nice set up. Thanks Ben! Yes sales were good sold a bit over $800 of stuff. Littleblacksmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dax Hewitt Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 The old fence for the display was a cracking idea. Really sets the stuff off. Some top looking stuff too. It's great to see a young person actually doing something. I don't know what it's like in the USA but in the UK the majority of kids I come across are only interested in games consoles and their phones and think the world owes them a living. Top marks for rolling your sleeves up and "forging" your own way in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Richter Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 Not so lucky with my first attempt to cast a hollow item like a 5in deep skillet and handle from Bronze. Cast of the handle came out nice not the body. Will try again with a more shallow pan pattern. To have at least some casting success I made two bronze replicas of cast iron vintage scale weights. Original 1 and 3 German ‘Zoll Pfund’ (pound) which is 1,6 ounces more than an American pound. However because of the higher material dense of the Bronze the paper weights are also 13% heavier than the originals. Create some new Brass stock from scrap brass I collected, and finished the first sterling silver cast of some small knuckle hangers. Not so easy to cast because the liquid silver cools down very rapidly ones leaving the furnace. Next silver cast I will use a separate handheld burner to keep the crucible on temperature outside the furnace and while pouring. Little blacksmith – very nice both btw, I envy you for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 NARB and gas forge (from a helium tank converted back from a slack tub), ready for refractory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 On 10/13/2018 at 9:14 PM, littleblacksmith said: Thank you jlp! Not sure It was more professional than you, you have a pretty nice set up. Thanks Ben! Yes sales were good sold a bit over $800 of stuff. Mark, you did very well at the event.. I'm lucky to make 15.00 at any event I go to.. My last show i made 15.00 worth of nails.. Lots of 1 dollar bills and quarters.. Way to go.. The trailer is simply because I am old and want a platform that is easy to work in.. When I was a youngster, like yourself I worked on the ground moving gear around, but I was no where as accomplished sales wise then.. Really very nicely done.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cincinnatus Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 Great job on the castings Hans. Seems like every new item you cast leads in in a better direction learning what works and what doesn't - things are progressing well. Littleblacksmith - great job and well done on the sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted October 15, 2018 Author Share Posted October 15, 2018 Thank you Mr. Hewitt and Mr. Richter! Thanks agian Jlp! Thank you Cincinnatus! So today I finished that 3.5lb hammer, ready to be shipped out. here is a better picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Ewert Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Beautiful hammer, nice work Mark! JHCC, nice work so far on the forge. Are the outlets from the NARB at a tangent to the radius of the inner casting? If so you'll have a nice hot forge! I can't overemphasize what a huge difference that little detail makes in efficiency and temperature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Roughly. Here’s a sketch of the planned cross section: (Keeping in mind that no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Don't know what kind of steel this flat coil spring is, but I might get it hot and stretch it out. Perhaps it would be good collar material. Or perhaps not. Anyone used this stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 If it’s a spring, it might make decent knife stock. I would straighten it out, cut a bit off, and test-harden it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 If it's higher carbon then I would not use it as collar stock! (Look a lot like a hood spring from a car...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Aus, like Thomas said that is either an old style car hood spring or one off of a car door window regulator, depends on the size. Don't see those often anymore but I still have some saved. (Wish I had saved more back when they were more common.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlpservicesinc Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Great steel for small pen knives, slitting drifts and such also.. Nice find.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laynne Posted October 15, 2018 Share Posted October 15, 2018 Finished a couple of steak turners/bottle openers for a couple of guys supplying me with materials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad.blacksmithing Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 I finally got my first hammer head done. I don't have a scale so I am guessing it is 1-1.5 pounds. I don't have any fullers so I didn't get to put that nice design on it but I am happy with it. I heat treated and dropped from 1 inch on my anvil and has almost 100% rebound if that is a good test. I tempered it to 550 degrees and the file grabs a tiny tiny bit. I file tested a hammer that I bought and this hammer and this hammer is a little bit harder. Tomorrow i'm going to get a handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Thanks for the info on the spring. It seemed like about the right size for collars, but I'll stay with mild for that. And I think Thomas and Das are right - now you mention it, it looks a lot like the hood springs (we call them bonnet springs) on our old cars. Could be a useful size for small letter knives. Or maybe split for a long spring steel scrolled toast fork. Decision pending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 On 10/15/2018 at 7:17 AM, ausfire said: Don't know what kind of steel this flat coil spring is, but I might get it hot and stretch it out. Anyone used this stuff? If it's a spring, it'll make a good blade. At that size, it's almost perfect for those little knives woodworker's like to use to mark their cuts. I'd cut off a few 2.4" sections and make flint striker pendants for folks. Dress the ends so they don't look so "saw cut" and drill a hole for a lanyard. Boom, instant entry-level striker that folks can use as a zipper pull or necklace pendant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Also that spring is a good size for engraving and repousse tools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Can't even remember how many I have made now but I'm all out of dragonflies. So I started 9 more for upcoming shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Thanks Vaughn and Anvil for the suggestions. Seems those springs are quite useful. I'll have to find a few more. I have seen a few pics of those flint strikers, but I know little of their use. I don't think many people here would know what they are. You're into full production mode with the dragonflies, Das. I know they do sell well. I guess you have been doing the rounds of the op shops to find all those knives. Those nine dragonflies will fly off the shelves at your first show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Aus, every so often after lunch at work I'll run out to goodwill or the restore and see what they have. Many times I can get a bundle for $1-2. I try to check other surrounding junk stores as well. I have lucked out at a couple auctions I was at getting a box lot for around $1. Just gatta look. Unfortunately I am starting to get low on the butter knives. Some of the plans I have for the spoons include dragon scales, so when I do use them I'll need a Lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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