I'm up for swappin' tips and such. Been doing smithing about 5 years, started primitive but now mostly ornamental interior stuff (traditional and Art Nouveau). Any one interested in doing a gallery of pic's for the site here?
I'm a wanna be .......does that count ;D I'll take all the tips I can and if I figger any thing out I'll share thmbsup
Here`s a steak flipper made from a RR spike.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/steakturner.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/steakturnerhead.jpg)
Here`s a tool ya can make for putting grooves around a rod, or do two and ha have a bead.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/beadtool3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/beadtool2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/beadinrod.jpg)
Very cool Lenn thmbsup
OK Lenn I know nothing.....howdya do dat? It's really cool but how's it work?
Thumper I am digging that bull head!
Like FrankG says "I'm a wannabe"
Knifework mostly, but a bit of everything.
All this took place before I could afford a digital camera or computer, so, most everything is history.
Quote from: Sir Roaring Bull on December 02, 2008
OK Lenn I know nothing.....howdya do dat? It's really cool but how's it work?
Thumper I am digging that bull head!
Ahhhhh Bull ROFL.........Pitchy made the Bull steak flipper
Those flippers are time consuming but turn out neat.
The thing for putting the groove in ya put the rod in and that flat piece slides down on top of it. There`s a round rod on the bottum also. Then you hammer on top as your turning the rod..
sorry Lenn...........they are really cool......I just can't read.
Quote from: Sir Roaring Bull on December 02, 2008
sorry Lenn...........they are really cool......I just can't read.
Were you asking about the flipper?
Ya hook that little curled tail under your steak and flip it over. dntn
Pitchy, Nice piece, you're no piker, you been doin' this a while! I like your guillotine fuller, I made one that looks like a dinosaur head from the side(I'll do pic's tomorrow), also, my namesake "Thumper, is a Junk Yard Hammer I made after seeing one on the anvil fire site, here's a pic:
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Thumper1.JPG
Here's a rifle stand I just did for a reenactor buddy:
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/GunSt1.jpg
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/GunSt3.jpg
Wannabe's are where we all start guy's, I'm a pernennial one, I alway's "wannabe" better!!
I never posted HTML's here, so if they don't come up in blue, just copy and paste.....computers are still a great mystery to me.
Your smithing a lot more than me, i`m just a armature and play around a little.
That`s a nice stand and hammer, I had a 50 lb. little giant but sold it few years back. hdslp
beautiful stand, Thumper.
I bet you could get some orders for those gun holders....looked real nice. The other items were great too.
I'm a wanna be also. Swappin tips and sharing pictures was my idea when I suggested a blacksmithing board.
Well, I guess I'm a smith too.. Bud Smith ROFL (really). On the serious side tho, I'm a member of the Neo-Tribal bladesmiths for about 7 yrs....Bud
Hey Pitchy, I took another look at your fuller and decided to make myself one, I like your adjustable stop, do you use it much or was it something that looked good at the time?
I use it alot, i don`t do a lot of smithing but that is a handy tool.
I use it alot when i make crosses, here this will show ya.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/secondcross.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/secondcross2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/InTheWind/secondcrosstip.jpg)
WOW Pitchy.....my wife would love that!
I like it too by the way!
Beaytiful cross!! How many sets of fullers do you have for the tool? I'm thinkin' 3 (lg, med,small), sets should cover most stuff.
So far i`ve only needed a 1/2 inch fuller, but i don`t do a lot of smithing.
Thanks for all the kind comments.
QuoteI'm a wanna be also. Swappin tips and sharing pictures was my idea when I suggested a blacksmithing board.
...an a darn fine idea it was... thmbsup
Quote from: Thumper on December 05, 2008
Hey Pitchy, I took another look at your fuller and decided to make myself one, I like your adjustable stop, do you use it much or was it something that looked good at the time?
Got pics?
The neat thing about this tool is you can turn it and fuller yourself and get an even groove.
Hey Pitchy....Got'er Done!!
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine1.jpg
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine2.jpg
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine3.jpg
Took almost as much time to find the right scrap in my pile as it did to make it!! It's all mild steel and you can see I'm already deforming the striking surface. I have some leaf spring stock I'm gonna bend around the top and weld in place, that should solve the problem. I'll get to making an adjustable stop later on. Thanks for the idea, by the way, I'd have sent you a pic of my old one but I cut it apart to make this one before I remembered to.
Thumper ,how about hard surfacing welding rod for the striking edge? We used it to build up on worn backhoe bucket edge.
Quote from: Thumper on December 08, 2008
Hey Pitchy....Got'er Done!!
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine1.jpg
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine2.jpg
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine3.jpg
Took almost as much time to find the right scrap in my pile as it did to make it!! It's all mild steel and you can see I'm already deforming the striking surface. I have some leaf spring stock I'm gonna bend around the top and weld in place, that should solve the problem. I'll get to making an adjustable stop later on. Thanks for the idea, by the way, I'd have sent you a pic of my old one but I cut it apart to make this one before I remembered to.
Very nice Thumper, good idea on the hardy hole mount will have to add that to mine. thmbsup
FrankG, I know they build up farm implements and anvil faces and such with hard facing rod, but I'm not sure it would work as a striking surface cause it might be too brittle (on an anvil, you're supposed to hit what's hot, not the anvil surface, so it's not direct concussion). The other problem is that I only have an O/A rig, nothing electric. Anyhow it's done, I used it on a fire poker today and works perfectly with the leaf spring topper, here's a couple of pic's. I decided to mount it flat rather than bending it over the top cause it gives me a little margin for error should I choke up on my swing LOL!!
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine4.jpg
http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Guillotine5.jpg
Pitchy, The hardie post is nice cause it'll also mount in your vise if you want to work higher than your anvil top.
Is there a way to leave the sides of the tool open and attach a V spring to each side so that top part of the tool would be rasied after each blow?
Steven, I'm sure you could, but it wouldn't help with the work and it would be just a couple of more thing's that might break, especially if you didn't hit dead center every time! There is a tool called a "spring swage". I'll try to describe it. If you're reducing metal (say 5/8 to 1/2), you make a two sided die of the final size on your drill press buy clamping two pieces of metal together and drilling in the middle of both from one end to the other. Then you weld a "U" shaped piece of spring steel to join them together, keeping the die halves about 1/2 inch apart. Then tack on a hardie to mount in your anvil. When you strike the top die with the hot metal you're reducing between the 2 halves, the die will spring open between blows. For tool making and general blacksmithing questions, I highly recommend the book "Practical Blacksmithing and Metalworking" 2nd edition by Percy W Blandford. There's tons of good books out there on the subject, but this one was a really helpful reference guide when I was just starting out.
gonna hafta get that one for the wildbull.......wants to be a blacksmith more than he wants anything else I think.
Thumper, I don`t know why i didn`t put a hardy hole peg on it to begin with. I must have half a doozen bending jigs that all mount in the anvil. Ya know how it is sometimes ya make something for yourself and never finish it. rdfce
Check this out my Bovine bud !
http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC04148873&id=whgLAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=Blacksmithing&ie=ISO-8859-1#PRA2-PA66,M1
gonna show that to the jr bovine!
By the way Pitch, yeah, I'm real familiar with "almost" completing project's for myself...instantly useable is sometimes good enough....alterations at a later date after I almost injure myself LOL!
standing wolf here from north wilkesboro nc.
Been blade smithin since 2003 just startedblacksmithin bout a year and a half ago. Like to do primitive knives neo tribal style mostly but if sumbody wants a shiny un Ill ablige. Wanted to make more stuff so got to blacksmithin. Then came the first blackpowder rifle and now IM a junky cant get enough.
2010 is gonna bring the first mountain man rendzvous to nc so I am tryn to learn all I can b4 then. you guys have a great site.
Welcome to the madness , I can tell ya it dont get better just worse ROFL I drifted away once a few years back and had a relapse worse than ever chrrs
Howdy standingwolf!! Lot's o' irons in the fire on this forum, throw in as many more as you want!!
Welcome to the fire Standingwolf
Thumper, that gun stand is awesome! thmbsup Ya done good!
You guys are very talented!! :)
Thanks Stumblin' wolf. If you ever go to make one use 5/8ths and 1/2" (for the prongs and accents), stock as a minimum.
Ooops, that was 9/16ths, not 5/8ths
Thanks for the clarification! I was thinking 5/8's would be awful heavy. I make tripods from 5/8's and its all my skinny butt can do to bend it! ROFL
Ditto...9/16th's is my max by hand when cold when I need to match pieces. Did that sentence make sense?
I don't consider myself a blacksmith.. I just beat the tar out of stuff till it turns out the way I want..
http://www.roystroh.com/dg2.JPG
I will have the finished pics of it up sometime soon.. blah
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/RoyStroh/DSC_0099.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/RoyStroh/DSC_0101.jpg)
yep thats a hinged toe plate.. A friend of mine David and I have been working on a gun together thats just a taste.
Very cool Roy! I would like to see more. Have you done a photot step by step thing for making gun parts?
Nope just progress pics. A friend of mine comes here a few days a month and we work on his gun. He's been almost been working on it for a year now.. We beat out a dandy triggergaurd, but it ended up being a bit too petite for his rifle.. will work great on a .40 I have planned though ;D Most likely the gun will not be finished untill Fall or maybe later, but it'll be cool.
I for one would love to see the progress pics. Maybe you could put together on another topic. That would be real cool. I have your buddy beat. I have been working on a gun for SEVEN years now. Ok, not really working on it as much as staring intently at it! hdslp
Well, Yall' can add one more to the mix. Been hammerin' iron for a long time. Just got my 15 year old grandson into it a few years back. Mostly sell our wares locally, but have been known to build a knife on commission. :)
Well lets see some pics ;D
Thumper,
How about using cutting edge from asnow plow or from some excavating equipment for it. Its hard yet is able to take a beating without too much damage.
I do a bit of smithing and have mainly done strikers, knives and hawks. Gonna be making some hawks and a calumet or 2 when I get the forge fired up.
Still gettin tools gathered up for my smithing but have enough on hand to do the items listed above. Also have done damascas for knives and hawks, but they are time consuming and are not affordable for most in my area to buy, so most of mine are not damascas. I like to have the handles forged out rather than going with scales on my knives. I like to go with a twisted flat rat tail handle that curves back toward the blade with a hook on them to take a pot off the fire with. The pommel end has a loop I can get a finger or hook into for lifting,The looped foreward part loos back to the hilt area from the bottom and when it gets to the hilt area, it curls down and hooks back forming the "pot hook". The blade works as a lock to keep the pot from tipping so it keeps you from spilling your vittles on the ground or on yourself. The hoop is on the opposite side as the blade end so it works as a lever to keep the pot level. I have tis on the 3 knives I have for myself, and the mid-sized knife has a slight curve to the left (I'm right handed)for skinning deer. The curve follows right around the deer and seems to speed up the skinning proccess for me while being slight enough to still be able to be used as a regular knife.
Voy
OK, I'll bite... Harry (Old Salt) showed me his forge and let me turn the handle on the blower system a while back and it must be somthin' in those fumes, cause I'm in the process of getting my first forge together... HMMMM black powder fumes & forge fumes could it be something in the air?
Yup,
Its something in the air and it is--- ADDICTION!!!!
Once ya start doin things the old ways, there aint no turnin back.
Ever notice when ya get done with a vous, that nobody wants to tear down and go home? They'd all rather just stay there.
Voy
Voyager, I think I missed the original question. Sounds like you're asking about a homemade anvil. You could use the end of a rr rail (good way to learn hammer control), or a tine from a fork lift. If you're talking about blades, what you mentioned would work well, anything with a higher carbon content than mild steel is useable.
Thumper,
That was a question for you in response to Frank G's question. He was aking about using a harder steel for the die on this unit as the others do wear out and I was asking you if the cutting edges from a plow blade from asnow plow, bulldozer etc. would work. They are hard yet they wear forever while taking major abuse. These things hit ricks etc and just keep going for alot more use. Do you think it may work?
Voy
Voyager, OK, I'm with you now. Sure, those metals would work fine. I wouldn't worry about having to temper them after cutting & welding, but I'd definitely anneal them before wompin' on em' so's you don't get any chips or stress fractures.
Im not really a blacksmith..i have been a farrier for more than 25 years...I been making shoes with my forge...But I have found myself tryin to smith a few things...I am tryin to get better at smithing...Glad this section is here...I'm getting good ideas
Go with it. Look at things from here and other places and see if you can copy them with some changes if you want and that will help you to get a feel for the forging and then from there you can work on the tempering of the metal.
Voy
Where can I get smithing tools
flwa
Count one more...
Howdy fellers!!!
flwa
I have a forge and tools for when I move to the country.
Quote from: NW Wildman on July 06, 2009
Where can I get smithing tools
flwa
What are you looking for specifically?
Each year in september there is a large gathering of smiths and sale of blacksmithing stuff in southern Ohio, it is called the Quad State meet.
Anything and everything you can immagine is there in quantity.
Otherwise go to farm auctions, look up your local farrier and ask him what might be around your area (I'm bettin' he knows a few smiths) and you could also place an ad in the local paper.
The closer you are to the east the better your prospects, the further west you go the scarcer stuff gets.
Avoid the antique dealers, they will scalp you.
I just put in a second bathroom. It is kinda rustic and I think it would look cool if I could make some rought iron towel bars and a hand towel ring for the sink. I would like to see some pics of your "interer art nouvo" stuff, for ideas.
Quote from: Thumper on December 02, 2008
I'm up for swappin' tips and such. Been doing smithing about 5 years, started primitive but now mostly ornamental interior stuff (traditional and Art Nouveau). Any one interested in doing a gallery of pic's for the site here?
( I posted this earler but I was really directing the question to you and I am just learning how to do this message board thing so please ax qqqqqqs mi igners Translation please excuse my ignorance). I just put in a second bathroom. It is kinda rustic and I think it would look cool if I could make some rought iron towel bars and a hand towel ring for the sink. I would like to see some pics of your "interer art nouvo" stuff, for ideas.
Grassmith, art nouveau is an old art form, used in many different disciplines. Google up "French Art Nouveau Wrought Iron", and you'll get more ideas than the human mind can comprehend. Welcome to the "I need to smack some hot iron", club LOL.
i am a beginner bs, just being the fact that i do have an anvil(peter wright; 118#?) and i have pounded
out a few things on it. i really do need a forge, i cant get enough heat on the bbq. i am new on the forum
and looking forward 7o this area of talk and information
I love forging. I wish that I had better tools. One of these days I'm going to invest more money in it.
Wish I had a Wright anvil, but my old Fisher works well for me. Wrights are just a bit pricey for my budget.
Voy
I learned enough to make what I need from some old timers and was really lucky. Most tools you make yourself after you get a anvil and hammer. I have a Hay & Budden 112lb. anvil and use a rivet forge with coal and I use a heat gun for an air source because I hate turning a crank for air. I am now in Florida and it sure is hot to hammer most of the time. There are some good books out there and I have many issues of the Black Smith Journal which is an excellent learning tool. It sure is hard finding steel down here though. In Michigan there are scrap yards and you can get dimensional steel dirt cheap. I am rambling on so have a good day! Elglide
I do a bit of smithing and have mainly done strikers, knives, camp gear and hawks. Gonna be making some other stuff as time & inspiration allow. Unfortunately, here in the Valley of the Sun, 6 months out of the year the thermometer is showing above 100 degrees. Not much pounding of iron going on...
Here's a neat tip for those of you who want to make some tongs. Farrier's (horseshoer's), nippers!!! Take out the rivet, and work the ends in the forge w/ hammer and anvil, swages etc, till you get the shape you want. Re-align the tips and make a new rivet, do NOT hot quench these tongs . They are a higher carbon steel than mild steel and they will crack (experience talkin' here!!)!!! You can make any shape tip you want, not just the standards and end up approx 16in long. Here's one specifically for 1/2 X 1/8 strap.
(http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/TongTip.jpg)
Here's a bunch of standard ones and a scrolling tong.
(http://www.fmtc.com/~tfl1x/Tongs.jpg)
I guess you can count me in this I've picked up blacksmith as a new hobby here recently. So I am definitely learning this from the ground up. But will say this a friend of mine just recently asked me this how often do you see a blacksmith at the psychiatrists? So I am going with that.
That is sound advice, guess you can count me on this one too. Gonna screw up alot along the way but boy is it addicting.
While I don't really consider myself a blacksmith, I have pounded some steel into submission on ocassion...
Here are a couple projects to get you started on, pretty much must-haves in most 'skinner camps. First, the basic fire irons set...
This shows the different ways to set this up...
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/Doc20111/3sets.jpg)
Leather awl...
(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd470/Doc20111/awl.jpg)
Squirrel cookers...
(http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr223/Sheasmtn/tripodskwerlcooker3.jpg)
Squirrel cooker with third leg & an S-hook...
(http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr223/Sheasmtn/squirellcookers3.jpg)
The squirrel cookers serve as a fork while cooking or the reverse end has a pot hook for removing pots from the fire or lifting lida to check progress. It can also use the third leg as a sausage cooker, skewering the sausage lengthwise...
Blanket pins...
(http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr223/Sheasmtn/blanketpin2-1.jpg)
Knife blades...
(http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr223/Sheasmtn/blade.jpg)
All these can be made with just an anvil & a vise ( & a set of tongs to hold the hot steel, of course, which you can also make for your self!).
Those are some good looking items Rev thmbsup Not to mention yas need them.. thmbsup I'd say you be a blacksmith...
Nice work Rev!!!
I am a farrier,used to have my own business til my back stopped liking it but I bang on hot metal of any kind now-as the occasion warrants but red steel is my favorite.
I have been a welder/metal worker for over 30yrs so forging metal parts for whatever job I was involved with just became a necessity plus when I was a youngster my father was a cowboy/horse breeder/trainer/farrier who taught me many many moons ago how to make and fit shoes. It has become invaluable in the making of all the parts for my guns other than the barrels and some of the locks, which I someday hope to rectify by building a gun/rifle completely from scratch. On all my guns everything is made by hand except the locks and barrels, with the exception of the perc lock on my favorite "Rose" so I wouldn't call myself a blacksmith, but I would call myself a student of the craft.
Well I just picked up a 55 gal drum full of coal from the SaltFork blacksmith and am ready to start beating on some metal... the forge I made has worked so far with a hardwood fire to make tent stakes from 1/2 inch round stock so now i will see what I can do with some coal.
I have downloaded the course the ABANA has in their downloads section and will be playing around. The gentleman I got the coal from has offered to show me some techniques when he fires up his forge again, and has hinted that he might be willing to part with an old anvil or blower if I can come up with something to trade.
I did just win a pole vise on Ebay that should be here next week so as soon as I get it set up I will take some photos of my setup for you guys and gals to laugh at!
Thats a good score on the coal, That gentelman will be a great soucre of info red badger. Looking forward to the photo's
I've been hammering iron for twenty years or so. Coal forge in my home shop, plus I have a smaller, traveling setup that I take to heritage fairs and threshing bees to demo with.
Count me in.
Blue
There are blacksmiths and then there are craftsmen and artisans---otherwise known as accomplished blacksmiths. These people can work miracles with steel. i personally know 2 who I consider accomplished blacksmiths, and their work is second to none. Although pricey to buy from.
never did any really fancy work , just a few knife blades , and fittings , and the occasional hawk !!