Sorry, such as?.. I hate feeling stupid. The problem with living in cornwall.. You can never find anything unless you know exactly what to look for and where. Plus i've not done much of this type of thing before.

Thank's for all the help.

black iron pipe is what is commonly available here in hardware stores. the non galvanized is painted black, and threaded at its ends (typically). diameters measure from 3/8"-2" in common supplies, and any length up to 10 feet
A scaffolding pole would work given that it is not galvanized, it is thick enough

I have seen black pipe from 1/4 inch diameter to 24 inch diameter (and larger). The wall thickness varies with the size of the pipe and the application.

Iron pipe is the common stuff you see all around you on a daily basis, the handrails, gas pipe, scaffolding, etc. It is either threaded and screwed together, or welded. To get a piece in the size you want, use a hack saw (metal hand saw) and simply cut the pipe at the desired length.

Ahhh I see, cheer's guy's.

Thank's

Sorry to bring up an old topic. But I just thought instead of starting up a new thread, i'd use this for my question's, updates and thought's.

So i've all but finished my forge, it was up and running the other day. Just need to finish off the air pipe (Block off one end properly, and get a nice fitting for the other end for either a compressor, or hair dryer.

Currently using rather cheap charcol i can get it quite hot but it burns through rather fast, a few hours and sort of half a 25kg bag. I was using the compressor from the top of the fire, probably not the best way to heat metal.

I was playing with an old lawnmower blade, tis' a bit rusty at the end's.. should i grind this off, or will it come off while heating and shaping?

Going to buy some book's there are a fair few out there and I can imagine you guy's have a long list on here some where, but was wandering if i gave you some of the names of the ones i'm thinking about, you could say if they're any good.

Book's:

- Basic Blacksmithing: An Introduction to Toolmaking

- The Blacksmith's Craft: A Primer of Tools and Methods

- Practical Blacksmithing & Metalwork (ebay)

Amongst others; these seem most intresting to me.

Also, I was wandering if any of you guy's are from my area and sort of fancy a get together over a pint and talk about blacksmithing in general, such as where and what to start with, place's you get metal, and idea's, that sort of thing.

Im from the South West, near Truro, Helston, Falmouth area. Be great to hear from ya'.

Thank's for reading my short story.

Rich

Don't worry about rust. It will flake off when you heat it and beat it.

Get the

"The Backyard Blacksmith" by Loreili Sims FOR SURE Lorelei Sims

Air from the top of the fire is definately NOT the efficient way to go. I'd look for a blower of some sort too, an air compressor is not efficient either. But anything that will blow and that you can control the amount of air will work. I haven't forged with charcoal, but as I understand it, you will go through a fair amount by volume compared to coal or coke. Rust will pop off no problem once the metal is at forging heat. All of the mentioned books are good ones. There is a thread on here somewhere with book reviews that you might search around for a little bit too. Good luck.

That Book seem's a good one aswell, I'll end up with a small library eventually.

Yeah I have several way's for the air, I just have to get one end blocked to stop air escaping, yet removable. I was thinking of welding in a bolt or nut (I get the two mixed up) And then just plugging it by screwing in the other piece, then just blow air through there to clear it out...

Thank's for the thought's and good new's about the rust .

I imagined it would come off through heating.

Also I forgot to metion, i got some nice lumps of steel and a H section from the scrap yard for a tenner, Bargin if you ask me im guessing the lump's weigh in at about 20 - 30 kg and the H section 10 - 15, gonna weld one block to the H section for my anvil, for now at least. And the other as a seperate bit for who know's what for now.

Cheer's

Rich

---Edit---

Library or Libary? Or other?

---------

Edited October 15, 200817 yr by Ethersin
Spelling

One thing you should do (especially being in England) is access Vaughans (Hope Works). That is the site for Vaughans who have been making and supplying blacksmithing equipment since the 19th century. Even if you don't want (or can't afford) anything from them their on line catalogue is first class and contains lots of pictures which you can then use as designs. It really is a treat to look at.

If you contact Vaughns by phone, they have their catalogue on disc they will send you

I've had a look through there before, Lot's of stuff, only problem at the moment.. it means very little to me... I don't know what's what, etc. But it's probably something i'll use later on for either buying or basing my tools off of them or what not. All i need at the moment is a fire a hammer and something to hit against.

Cheer's for the help guys.

I'm hoping to fire up my first Forge this weekend:

http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/f7/first-forge-7654/

Hope it works ok :o

Wow man that look's real nice, I'll post some pic's up in a bit of mine, mine look's horrible, but im playing about at the moment, and i'm getting the charcoal rather hot it sort of goes past red and orange to a sort of white and then spits sparks at me, got an old file in at the moment, it's getting pretty hot i think, a few taps with the hammer and i can change the shape a fair bit.

I wish you good luck with your forge mate, i'll check up on it later to see how it goes

Rich

Hi Rich,
There are many 'smiths near you, I know smiths from
Helston, Bodmin, Redruth, Penryn, were seen and involved with the Royal Cornwall Show,
Suggest you get in contact with them for some advice and guidance on where to go for materials and tools locally, and what tools would be useful for you.
There used to be loads of stuff available from the dockyards at Falmouth and Plymouth in the government surplus depots

Yeah, I know there are about 4 smiths' in a 15 mile radius of my house, it's just getting there and knowing they're there aswell, with time to have a chat.

Excuse's excuse's, I know. Well i'll get it sorted out some time or another.

Thank's again,

Rich

sounds like a phone call is in order. Set up a meeting then bring a notebook, voice recorder, etc and ask if he can please help you get started.

Yeah, no excuses there... I don't have a phone? Not gonna buy that hey?
I'll get it sorted.

I'm gonna put some photo's up over the next couple of day's, because my mate want's to take it up aswell. So hopefully, you'll give us some tip's on what would work better than what I have already.

When i get my back shed sorted out were gonna wack them in there. It's rather large so should be enough room for two to work at once, with space to spare.

I really do like the forge that Arbalist made, and I wish I put the hole's on mine in a more confined place.

Thank's again.

Rich

Well today I made a Knife..ish I used a bit of scrap sheet steel my brother nabbed out the metal bin in technology at his school.

Im guessing it is a mild steel, it was bend-able by hand. It's a wonky mess.. But a knife. I couldn't get a hilt on it properly and half of it snapped off while trying to attatch it to a even more terrible handle.. Soo I ended up masking-taping it together.. To a rather good end i'd say.

I know you guy's say it's a more advanced end of blacksmithing, but I thought it's what I'd like to do when i get good, so I gave it ago. Mainly to just try shaping with the hammer. My hilt was real brittle (Reaaaallly thin) But i was folding it over from the exess i had and i wanted it thinner, guessing this is sort of a forge-weld well mine didn't stick.. But oh well.

I'll post a picture up when along with a pic of my forge, when i find and dig out the camera.

Rich

Right got some pictures here now, see what you think.

These are my "shop", forge and other bit's.

Picture of my "knife" aswell.

Cheer's

Rich

Wow... The difference in heat given off between charcoal and coal is very different... So is the horrible sulfate (i guess) smoke.. sheesh. I need to get me a hood.

Well today I tried some old coal we had lying about in the garage.. To a very pleasing degree, yet rather coughing-ly.

So why use charcoal exept it's cleaner than coal, I also good the book "The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers"

Which I am going to have a good look through in a minute before bed.

I read a little earlier and it say's to use a clean fuel when tempering steal, so it does not oxidise, so no yellow flame or green-tinged smoke.

Ah well, anyway. I'm starting my second sort of project now, it's the basics of a knife, and then i'll harden it when I have read up on it.

Also what is rendered lamb fat? :S

Also, i cut my bar in half and one bit that i started working on snapped and started cracking... and the metal inside seemed.. almost bubbly in texture.. Is this a cast piece of metal or something? Anyway to test?

^ ^ ^
Also what you guys' think of my set-up

Cheer's

For rendered fat read tallow

If you think the coal was a little niffy, wait till you try tallow !

Thats probably where the saying came from "See hear and smell the blacksmiths" quite thought invoking to the older generation, i just love it.

Ethersin, AKA "RICH"
It is a pleasure to welcome you to "I Forge Iron"
I have enjoyed this post due to listening to you as you develop your understanding about the blacksmith craft.
All of us enter this journey in different ways or circumstances. It seems like most of us start out with a dissimilar means of acquiring tools and training. But in the end, we all seem to reach a level of skill that we are willing to work for.
As I watch you struggle for knowledge about blacksmithing, I know you will be OK in the long run.
It is desire that will push you into success.
It sounds like you are having fun on your journey as a blacksmith, as it should be.
Keep on keeping on! And keep it enjoyable.
I wish you the best.
Ted Throckmorton

Edited October 25, 200817 yr by Ted T

Your bar that snapped is probably not cast.. thats just the way a piece of steel looks when it breaks.. and for a test cast iron will break before it bends much even when heated, unless its malleable cast iron (which ive never seen before.. only heard of it so i have no idea about that)

Thank's for the post's guy's.

Tallow? so is this what i would be using to quench my steal? Will this be okay, for what seems to be a mild steel? I Don't think it's already a high carbon tool steel, it's a scrap 1.2cm square bar.

And thank's for clearing that up josh.

I'll post up pictures for my knife soon, i gotta clean it up and harden it up.