osoincognito Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Hi there, Nice to meet everyone! I'm Oso and have gotten my shop set up in the last couple months. I took a class a couple years ago in blacksmithing as a gift from my wife and fell in love, but it took a while to get the space to build a small shop. Primary interest in smithing is tool making right now, working on building basic hand tools right now like punches, slitters and drifts. I really have a fascination with hammers and am looking forward to trying to make a couple. Long term I'd like to do some bladesmithing, but I'm in no rush. I've never been a knife guy, in fact I have carried the same Spyderco Native for 10 years. My primary interest is to make useful tools that I can give to friends and family that will enrich their lives and hobbies. I've started smithing because I like making things. I worked in the firearms industry for about 10 years as a gunsmith, salesman, designer, etc. I build rifles still for fun, and have a few rifle projects still in process, but I am slowing down on that side. I work in the tech world now, and sit in front of a screen all day. I'm thankful for the job I have and the ability to provide for my family, but I miss working with my hands and being able to look at something I created at the end of the day. Blacksmithing is one of my outlets for that lack, I am excited for how much I'll learn here, and the journey I'll take improving my skill as a craftsman. I look forward to learning from everyone here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Welcome aboard! Glad to have you, and looking forward to seeing your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Anonymous Bear; Welcome; there are several IT folks on these forums; we find it very soothing that after a long day herding bits we can come home and hit something with a hammer---repeatedly! I used to work for Dell; but not around Austin. I worked in the Foxconn Factory in Juarez; crossed the border each day to go to work so I've made over 1000 international trips for Dell. I got laid off when the border got flakey and now work doing IT for the Geology department at the local university and living at home with my shop! What steels are you working with for your tooling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoincognito Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 (edited) I bought some W1 1/2 Drill rod, and have been using it to make some punches. I wanted something water hardening, that I would need to practice heat treating on. I actually just finished my first 2 punches, they are pretty rough but seem to be about the right hardness(to my untrained eyes) after temper. I got them to a cherry red, then quenched them in a brine solution at roughly 180 degrees. I tempered at 400 for an hour, two cycles. I do not have any specific reasoning for W1 other than it was available, and I didn't need to buy oil for it. Edited November 25, 2020 by Mod34 Excessive quoting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Oil is often available free; especially right after Thanksgiving when many of the folks that deep fried a turkey in peanut oil want to get rid of it. The vegetable oils, used warm, around 140 degF, make good quenchants. I've been forging 39 years now and have gained a real appreciation for high alloy tooling for tools designed to be used buried in hot steel. Alloys like H-13 and the S series, (I've used S-1 and S-7 to good effect). Of course these alloys are more persnickety in forging and heat treat and so not the best choice to start off with. A lot of folks start with 5160 from car and pickup coil springs as it is cheap and easy to forge and heat treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoincognito Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 Dang! 39 years! I'm trying to figure out right now how to get decent amounts of steel to play with. W1 seemed simple enough for forging and for heat treat that I can learn the ropes with it. I could try to see if I can source coil springs, but I have no problem paying for new steel. It seems more difficult than I expected to source steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Welcome aboard Oso, glad to have you. Free oil is easy to come by, I get mine from the local grocery store's deli. I have a clean jug clearly labled and put a tag on it saying what it's for. I ask before hand when they change the fry oil, drop the jug off the night before and pick it up that morning. The night shift usually makes the oil change before the donut rush starts. Picking it up early gets it out from underfoot. A little consideration goes a long way and it doesn't hurt one bit to forge some coat hooks for the gang. I rarely use anything more exotic than coil spring for tools and just deal with ones that take heat damage from being hammered into HOT steel. I might give H13 or a S series a try when some turns up for reasonable. Few things come with a reasonable price in Alaska. I favor coil spring for most forged tool projects, it's easier to shape, profiling leaf spring is more difficult, lots of correcting the curve. One of the joys of the craft is how good it feels to use a tool you've made with your own hands and it doesn't make a big difference what tool it is, it feels good. YOUR weed puller will feel like an old friend who wants to put calluses on your hands. Nails are a good beginner project and good warm up for a day's session. What do you have for heat? Oh, a last note, we LOVE pics, anything you'd show to a child without having to explain adult things. Yes? IFI is a child friendly forum, the mods and ADMIN isn't known for their sense of humor re. the rules. Yes? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Should be lots of places selling mild steel and A-36 steel in your area; I'd suggest looking under "steel" and "Metals" in an old paper yellow pages. Avoid the Big Box Stores! I generally can buy a 20' stick of steel from a steel dealer for what the Big Box Stores charge for a 3-4' long piece. Now getting the higher alloy steels; well I'd contact the local ABANA Affiliate and ask them where they are sourcing them. (I usually pick some up at Quad-State where people who have access to "drops" and the scrap stream for high alloy steel sell at a reasonable cost.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Oso: Welcome aboard. I googled "steel suppliers Austin TX" and got about 20 hits including one close to Cedar Park. Call around and get prices to see what is the most reasonable for small amounts. Hot rolled mild steel usually comes in 20' lengths and it is cheaper by the foot to buy a whole "stick". Sometimes a place will charge for cuts and sometimes not if you cannot transport a 20' long piece. I usually have it cut to 2 8's and a 4'. You can fit 8' pieces into most cars if you put them in diagonally. Cold rolled (crisp, sharp edges) usually comes in 10' or 12' lengths. I usually have it cut in half. Be aware that like everything else steel has gotten more expensive over the years. That is the attraction of scrap. Check out metal recyclers in your area as well as steel fabricators and various repair shops that generate scrap and drops. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoincognito Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Frosty said: What do you have for heat? Oh, a last note, we LOVE pics, anything you'd show to a child without having to explain adult things. Yes? IFI is a child friendly forum, the mods and ADMIN isn't known for their sense of humor re. the rules. Yes? I have a single burner firebrick forge I built. I'm not sure if it gets hot enough to forge weld, but I figure I am a few steps away from welding anyways, so I haven't even checked. Regarding pics I will get some added soon. Leaving for Dallas shortly and the garage is full of cars. I take them out before I forge, and the forge itself is on a welding table with wheels, so I can move it around. 6 minutes ago, George N. M. said: Be aware that like everything else steel has gotten more expensive over the years. That is the attraction of scrap. Check out metal recyclers in your area as well as steel fabricators and various repair shops that generate scrap and drops. These are good tips, fabricators and recyclers are all over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirerabbit Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Oso, I go to Westbrook Metals for the fresh stuff. They have no problem with small orders and will cut sticks down for you. They usually have whatever mild steel onsite, but some of the alloys might need to be brought from off site. Best to call with your order. Check out their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 For a lot of tools, I like sucker rod (4130-4140) and the fact I have about 400 pounds of it. Being in Texas there should be a lot of it used running around. Just make sure not to pick up sour rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoincognito Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 6 hours ago, wirerabbit said: go to Westbrook Metals for the fresh stuff. They have no problem with small orders and will cut sticks down for you. That's awesome to hear, I really want to get some 1045 and a bunch of mild in different sizes. I'll give them a call next week. Thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Crew Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Oso and Wire Rabbit I have a steel fab shop and recycle lots of scrap steel . Some of it is large but I always have scrap smaller stuff also. There are a couple local smiths that I give scrap to. I also have a source for free jack hammer bits for heavy equipment . Some of which is excellent for hammer blanks. I also have accounts at several steel suppliers and can order most things. So free steel from my scrap pile and probably free high carbon steel also. Also local my shop is in Liberty Hill Tx. So very close to you Oso and also close to you Wire Rabbit ( In Texas terms ) Unfortunately I have not been forging for a few months all my free time has been spent on doing a frame off resto-mod of my 69 F-250 crewcab 4x4 . I am hoping to get back to forging (learning to forge) soon. Pm me if your interested David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.