tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86832818161898489032024-02-19T07:06:37.806-08:00Artistic Blacksmithing and Wrought IronDavid Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-30913386310209082252015-07-29T06:57:00.000-07:002018-08-21T10:59:01.486-07:00Stainless Damascus Steel for Wedding Band?Hello Dave,<br />
<br />
Dan here. I took a weekend course with you a
couple years back and had an incredible time!! I have not kept up with
actual forging as much as I would've liked, though I have constructed a
propane forge (based on yours) (see: <a href="https://www.artistblacksmith.com/items-for-sale/gasforge/Gas-forge-construction-manual.htm" target="_blank">Gas Forge Construction Plans</a> ) and I have actually gotten into knife
making. I have made two hunting knives, one double edged boot knife for a
co-worker and I'm working on a 14" bladed chef knife for my partner.
(It's taking FOREVER!!)<br />
<br />
I hope all things are good with you and
your art! I'm wearing my safety glasses and I actually think of your
email sign-offs when I slide them on!<br />
<br />
I'm hoping that you might
be able to help me with something.....I'll be getting married in late
September (for better or for worse! LOL and I doubt you can help with
that!) and I am planning to make my own band. I am trying to find a
small piece of stainless damascus to drill out and shape, as forging a
stainless billet is far beyond my capabilities right now. I guess my
questions to you would be:<br />
<br />
-Do you have a small piece of 1" diameter stainless bar-stock that I could buy a couple 3/8" cut-offs from?<br />
<br />
-Failing that, can you recommend a supplier (or another blacksmith) that would have some on hand and willing to sell?<br />
<br />
-Failing all that, could I commission you to forge a stainless billet (flat bar-stock is probably easiest, I imagine)?<br />
<br />
I'm of course, open to any suggestions you might have.<br />
<br />
Thank you for your time and I'm looking forward to hearing from you,<br />
<br />
Dan<br />
<br />
<i>Hi Dan<br />
Nice to hear from you and I am glad you have been doing a bit of work.
As you have figured out knife making is a lot of fun with its own set of
challenges.<br />
<br />
<b>Damascus</b><br />
I have not done any stainless damascus. It is a challenging weld and draw out.<br />
I would take a look at <a href="http://www.knifemaking.com/default.asp">http://www.knifemaking.com/default.asp</a> under
blade steels. There is a wide assortment of patterns etc. available.
Most are 1/8th inch thick and the pattern is developed on the flat with
not much on the edge.<br />
<br />
You also might want to talk to someone who is producing the stainless Damascus, although I have no recommendations there.<br />
<br />
Just drilling through would work but you would lose most of the pattern.
Also drilling through the stainless and the D2 you will need carbide
bits.<br />
<br />
An alternative is to take a 1/8th thick 3/8th wide strip and bend into
the ring size with heat and weld or silver solder together, Then you
could get some of the pattern and the 3/8th width. This will show a
joint in the finished piece. <br />
<br />
Alternatively you could bend the strip to the required curvature. Cut 2
to 6 pieces and embed them in a wax base that is the actual ring size.
These pieces of Damascus become "gems" embedded in the wax. Then take
the wax master with the Damascus in place, to a jeweler that does lost
wax casting. They can sprue it up and place it in an investment. Then
they will burn out the wax and fill the cavity with molten gold. Once
cold you get an exact copy of what you made, so make sure the wax fits
your finger before sending it to be cast.<br />
<br />
Once cast it will still need to be cleaned up and polished etc. The gold
should fuse directly to back of the steel at the casting temperatures.
In the end this will give you more of a segmented look to the wedding
ring with the Damscus pattern showing with a thin line of gold next to
it.<br />
<br />
I hope this helps.<br />
</i><br />
<div class="moz-signature">
<i>Take Care<br />
David Robertson<br />
Artist Blacksmith <a href="https://www.artistblacksmith.com/" target="_blank">www.ArtistBlacksmith.com</a></i></div>
David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-40884141546252100242014-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:002014-07-14T06:30:14.692-07:00Bottom Draft Forge Clogs | How to Prevent It?<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> Hi there David hope you and your family are
well and hope you busy with your work and lots of sales I have a problem that you
may have an answer too , I have 2 forges one side draft which works well the
other is a bottom draft and it keeps clogging up with small coke clumps
coke dust and molten clinker ,the opening on the forge is 3.5 inches
maybe I may need more airflow I'n not sure , it becomes a pain cleaning the
forge and restarting it, would you know how to stop this problem hope to hear
from you , will send some photos so you can have a look , thank you
.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Regards</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Petar</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> </span>Hi Petar<br />
This is a universal problem with bottom draft forges. The rate at which
it clogs up depends on the quality of coal you can get and the type of
work that you do. Eg. heavy forge welding lots more clogging. </i></div>
<div>
<i> </i></div>
<div>
<i>With coal
that has a lot of clinker in it we have to clean perhaps every two
hours. Usually not a big problem though. I just scoop the large quantity
of coke from the top of the fire, on to the side pan of the forge then
scoop out the heart of the fire with the clicker and coals. Toss this
into a metal bucket for screening later to get the good bits of coke .
Give the clinker breaker a good rattle and make sure all is clear then
pile the coals that I originally put aside back into the fire pot and
crank the air again.</i>
<i><br />
The coals at the side of the forge stay lit for about 1/2 an hour if
they are piled up so it is easy to get them back up to temperature with a
little air blast. The whole clean out process takes about 3 minutes so
it is fast turn around if the coal is bad. Good coal I can get about 4
hours out of before I have to clean out.</i>
<i><br />
Another option if you are in the middle of something important is I use a
"clinker picker" Just a rod about 30 inches long with a small 1/2 inch
diameter hook on one end that I can place down in the fire pot and grab
large chunks of clinker that form and hall them out of the air opening
and carry on work. Very fast and often all that is required to carry on
work for another hour.</i>
<i><br />
I hope this helps.</i>
<div class="moz-signature">
<i>Take Care<br />
David Robertson<br />
Artist Blacksmith</i></div>
<div class="moz-signature">
<i><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/" target="_blank">www.artistblacksmith.com </a></i></div>
</div>
David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-73533075630142015592014-05-27T07:02:00.000-07:002014-05-27T07:12:42.761-07:00How to make a Calla LilySir,<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since seeing your video on forging a rose some
time ago, I have enjoyed making flowers of all kinds and am continually
amazed at the accuracy one can achieve with a little heat and a lot of
patience.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I wanted to seek your advice on a flower I was
trying to forge; it has a deceivingly simple shape so I thought I would
get some help before going through all of my steel!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because
of its bell shape, I wasn't sure if I should raise it, roll it, or some
other technique, also, it has that distinct "sweeping" head to it that I
can't figure out how to imitate. Any guidance you might have would be
very much appreciated.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Gratefully,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anthony </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d5xW1dDqdwEeiWvke9W1zp6UgUDoBZH-L44J1gB_vej5UqwqWwBm1eEsTN3T07wCBYSM6lJShKnKx-rXcjR1EKUg7vUXF_DlL-7WY-_TB9wehLrzOuvRlGTttbmew_6MBqDsjaCKlPto/s1600/calla-lily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d5xW1dDqdwEeiWvke9W1zp6UgUDoBZH-L44J1gB_vej5UqwqWwBm1eEsTN3T07wCBYSM6lJShKnKx-rXcjR1EKUg7vUXF_DlL-7WY-_TB9wehLrzOuvRlGTttbmew_6MBqDsjaCKlPto/s1600/calla-lily.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Hi Anthony<br />
Thanks for the email.<br />
The calla lily is a distinctive flower and you have a couple of
options to work with depending on the size that you wish to
create.<br />
<br />
The most common way to make these is to use a thin gage sheet such
as 16 to 20 gage. Then cut out the flat pattern and do some
texturing on the surface and the edges and then roll into the
shape. Electric weld or forge weld onto the stem and the stamens.
This technique allows you to create one of any size. Make a card
board template first so you can see how it rolls and the final
shape that you get. The sweeping head is simply worked hot over the horn until you get the right shape. Gentle hammer strokes.<br />
<br />
The second way which is suitable for smaller flowers and is more
work but allows for some variations, is to use 1.25 inch black
pipe or 1.5 inch black pipe. This needs to be cut on a strong
diagonal and then "sculpted" to the small point on tip of the
flower with a grinder. Then forge the cone or funnel shape of the
base which again can be electrically or forge welded to the stem
and the stamens. Once the taper is forged or partly forged you may
want to add the cut or split down the side to create the over lap
for added realism.<br />
<br />
I hope this helps.<br />
Take Care</i><br />
David Robertson<br />
Artist Blacksmith<br />
For more tips and questions answered go to the <a href="http://www.collaboration.artistblacksmith.com/" target="_blank">Blacksmith Forum</a> on the main website. You can also get feedback and ideas from other members as well.</div>
David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-24704374265043178942013-04-22T16:10:00.000-07:002013-04-22T16:10:06.538-07:00What is the Smallest Reasonable Air Hammer / Power Hammer and Suggestions How to Sell Your Work?<h3>
What is the Smallest Reasonable Air Hammer and Suggestions How to Sell Your Work?</h3>
<div>
<span style="color: black;">Hello David,</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span></span><span style="color: black;"><span>Thank you for your time in creating these
emails and your web site. The information is very helpful. </span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span></span><span style="color: black;"><span>You talked about power air hammers but can
you say something as to the size of the different hammers. The head weight
varies and I am not sure what weight is appropriate for my work. I know the
heaver the better in general but one has to consider the weight of the machine.
That is an issue for me as I move a lot. My real question is how light can you
go while still being able to work on larger pieces of stock. </span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span></span><span style="color: black;"><span>Also maybe something on selling. A big obstacle
for most all blacksmiths I have come across is how to sell the work and how to
price it.</span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span></span><span style="color: black;"><span>Thank you</span></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<span></span><span style="color: black;"><span>Fernando </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span> </span></span><i>Hi Fernando<br />
You have good suggestions and questions.<br />
<b>Air Hammer</b><br />
This is a bit tricky and it sounds like you have done a bit of research.
The reason heavier overall and heavier head weight is better is that
the over all weight prevents the machine from bouncing around in your
shop. This means more energy transmitted to the bar therefore more
efficiency. Same idea as a heavier anvil is more efficient. As the head
weight increases this is the equivalent of a bigger hammer so you can
impart more energy to the bar as well.<br />
<br />
But your question how small / light can you reasonably go. A few years
back I built a 50 lb hammer that weighed total about 400 lbs. Once this
was well bolted down to the floor it was surprisingly efficient. It was
light enough that I could move it on a two wheeled hand cart. (although
possible it was awkward better to move with two people)<br />
<br />
This design was an H frame much like the KA75 see <a href="http://www.ka75.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ka75.com/ </a>I
made some modifications but essentially the same idea. The KA-75 is a
single strike hammer. That is every step on the foot peddle produces one
strike. A light tap = a light tap on the work, a heavy step = heavy
blow on the work. This machine has a great deal of control and best for
punch work or single blow tools.<br />
<br />
I do a lot of continuous draw outs and this tapping the peddle every
time I needed a strike drove me crazy so I switched it over to a regular
cyclic hammer. There are a couple other issues with the KA. Most
important is that you don't have full range of motion on dies since one
side is blocked with the H frame. Other than that this little hammer
works very well and is reasonably portable. <br />
<br />
Realistically you can work a 1 inch square bar with a 50 lb hammer. The
air hammers I build are 75 lbs and will comfortably work 1.5 inch
square. I have worked 2 inch but it was slow going. Sizing is going to
depend on how big a piece of steel you expect to work.<br />
<br />
<b>Selling</b><br />
This <u><b>is</b></u> a hard question. I think I have an article up on
the website about pricing and what really goes into the cost of making a
piece. That is a bit different from the actual selling and that does
warrant a full article in itself. Some suggestions.<br />
</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>For smaller items, craft shows. This helps for leads on larger
custom work. Always have your portfolio with you and the best pictures
you can take. (Some people are using tablets for this now with some
success)</i></li>
<li><i>Wholesale trade shows for items that you can sell and make fast and in quantity.</i></li>
<li><i>Website Online. I would say this is number one marketing strategy in this modern world.</i></li>
<li><i>If not a full website look at Etsy some people have had very good
luck with it. I don't use it myself but I have heard good comments.</i></li>
<li><i>Consignment at higher end art galleries and art stores.</i></li>
<li><i>Your own retail location (means you have to stop traveling for a
while) also probably means you have to hire someone to run the store as
you make the items.</i></li>
<li><i>Art studio tours. This one depends on location and local studio tour availability. For some people very profitable.</i></li>
<li><i>Advertising in high end home decor magazines. (This one can be expensive with no returns, possible but be cautious)</i></li>
</ul>
<i>
That is most of what comes to mind off the top of my head. Each smith
has a slightly different path as we each specialize in different
products.<br />
<br />
I hope this helps.</i><br />
<i>David Robertson</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/" target="_blank">ArtistBlacksmith.com </a></i>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-49623475551728541802012-09-27T06:38:00.000-07:002012-09-27T06:38:11.145-07:00How To Blacksmith a Courting Candle<h2>
What Are The Steps In Blacksmithing a 1800's Courting Candle?</h2>
<br />
<br />
Hi David
<br />
<br />
I wonder if you could assist me in explaining what is the best way to
make a courting candle holder like they used in the early 1800's? The
one I saw looked like it was made of 5/16 round bar with 8 rings and it
had a little loop on the top.
<br />
<br />
Thank You!<br />
Dawn<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks for the courting candle inquiry.<br />
I use to make many of these and of several different styles. I used 1/4 round bar or 1/8th by 1/2 inch flat bar. Both look nice. The 5/16 that you mention will work just a bit more effort.<br /><br />
So my steps </i>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Point the end of the bar<br /></i>
</li>
<li><i>Make a small curl on the end for decoration<br /></i>
</li>
<li><i>Bend tip in a curve over the horn in the direction of the spiral<br /></i>
</li>
<li><i>Use a 3/4 or <u><b>7/8</b></u> diameter rod as a mandrel to wrap
the steel around. I got fancy as I was making many of these courting
candles and built a jig so that I could have a constant spacing on the
spiral with a separation of about 5/16. On the smaller stock sizes this
could be bent cold. 5/16 diameter rod I would tend to spiral hot. The
curved tip was clamped on top of the mandrel and turned as the straight
steel was fed in the bottom. There was a catch arm to cause the bending
and a spacing pin to keep everything at the right spacing. If done cold
there is significant snap back when you make the final loop.<br /></i>
</li>
<li><i>With the round bar I forged a handle on bottom end and looped it
around to create a base, then up and folded down to make the handle.
Another decorative curl on the handle end of the bar. True everything up
on a flat surface. For 1/4 inch round bar I used 60 inches of material.
Less for the flat bar.<br /></i>
</li>
<li><i>The flat bar courting candle I would fold a piece about 3 inches
long back under the main candle stem with two holes drilled in it. This
was then screwed to a decorative wood base. Alternatively if you want a
carry handle you can fold under 12 inches with the 3 inches the same a s
above and the remaining 9 inches bent like the round bar up then back
down again to form the handle.<br /></i>
</li>
<li><i>The plug that spirals up can be made out of wood dowel or pipe
with a pin on the side as a handle that fits through the spaces in the
spiral structure. Traditionally these plugs were often made out of thin
sheet steel as they only have to support the weight of the candle.</i>
</li>
</ul>
<i>
You will have to do a fair bit of fiddling and fitting to get everything
to work properly, but once you have your jigs made up you can make
these pretty easily. If you are only making 1 or 2 you will still need
the mandrel but you can just eye up the spiral and make any adjustments
after it is formed.<br /><br />
I hope this helps.</i><br />
<i>David Robertson</i><br />
<a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/courses.htm" target="_blank"><i>www.ArtistBlacksmith.com </i></a>
<br />
David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-75260150367963181162012-08-23T06:26:00.001-07:002012-08-23T06:26:53.682-07:00What is Best Layout For a Blacksmith Shop?<h2>
What is best Layout For a Blacksmith Shop? </h2>
<br />
I have been a member of your site for a while. I have done welding in
the past but never blacksmith work. I have accumulated most items over
the years but I am going to join our local blacksmith club in
Murfreesboro Tennessee to start learning about the trade.
<br />
<div>
I am also in the process of drawing up plans for a shop/barn combination I wish to start on within the next year. </div>
<div>
Can you recommend anything on how to layout a shop for blacksmith
work? I have seen some people keep the floors dirt and I saw some
youtube videos talking about having the forge, anvil and vise in a
triangle around where you stand. I just don't want to build the shop and
say later that I messed it up. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thanks</div>
<div>
Gary </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i>Hi Gary<br />
Thanks for the inquiry.<br />
Shop design is a personal thing and each of us have our preferences. Most of us agree that they are never big enough.<br />
So that is my first suggestion build it as big as you can afford.<br /><br />
<b>Floor</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
I prefer concrete as you can keep it relatively clean and you can move heavy equipment around using wheels and rollers.<br />
I don,t like the dirt floors. They kick up too much dust and you can
never find a level spot to true up a table. Also if you drop a small nut
or bolt it disappears.<br />
For standing on I use a piece of plywood by the anvil. This softens the concrete for standing for long periods.<br />
The concrete also gives you something to anchor to if you don't want things to move.<br /><br />
<b>Ceiling</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
Again as high as you can afford. I have a small shop with 8.5 foot
ceiling and there are many times 10 feet would have been better. Also if
you run a gas forge the higher ceilings will allow more of the heat out
of the working area of the shop.<br /><br />
<b>Doors</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
At least one door should be wide enough to get equipment in and out
easily. A roll up garage door is great. I have a 4 foot wide man door
that works pretty well.<br /><br />
<b>Electricity</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
230 volts and at least 60 amps. 100 amps would be better but depends on the equipment you will be putting in. If using industrial equipment you may want to think about 500 volts and 3 phase.<br /><br />
<b>Lighting</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
Some debate here. I use standard 4 foot florescent lighting. Some people
use spot or task lighting. Generally I suggest well lit as opposed to
the "dim blacksmith shop lighting". More the key is uniform lighting
especially on and around the anvil.<br /><br />
<b>Windows </b>that can open for ventilation.</i>
<i><br /><br />
<b>Layout</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
This is personal. A common mistake is that people will put the forge
against a wall or in the corner. You should be able to hold and work on
an 8 foot bar. Now it is very rare that we ever work 8 feet but the
extra space does come in handy. If you work with a coal forge you will
need to factor in a chimney. In this case I would put the back of the
forge against the wall with the working sides free on either side. You
never know when you may have a friend over that wants to do some work
too. </i></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<i>The triangle is a handy adaption although it is more each major
piece of equipment is one point of the geometric form with the anvil in
the middle. So forge one point , vise another, layout table another,
power hammer another, tool rack another, slack tube another. Again this
is personal adaption on your space and work style. If you set something
up and hate the work dynamic you can move things around.<br /><br />
Cold working tools such as grinders and sanders and welders, should be nearby but do not have to be in the hot working area.</i>
<i><br /><br />
It doesn't hurt to sketch a couple of scenarios down on paper and see if they may sense.</i>
<i><br />
I hope this helps a bit </i></div>
<div>
David Robertson</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/courses.htm" target="_blank">Artist Blacksmith</a></div>
David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-6755724366206889872012-08-13T05:48:00.001-07:002012-08-13T05:48:19.850-07:00How Strong Do you Have To Be For Blacksmithing?<h2>
How Physically Fit Do You Have To Be For Blacksmithing?</h2>
<br />
Hello,<br />
<br />
I noticed that you have a blog where you answer questions
about blacksmithing. I am hoping you might answer mine as it is
something I think other people wonder about as well.<br />
<br />
I am
thinking of taking a blacksmith class because I appreciate well-made
items that are not mass-produced and like the idea of working with
metal. I don't intend to make my living this way but hope to make some
basic items, like knives, hooks, etc. However, I am curious how strong
and in-shape one has to be to do this.? Also, realistically, what kinds
of skill sets make a good blacksmith? I am a woman in my 50s,
moderately good condition but not an athlete or weightlifter, a bit on
the short side. I know how to use basic tools but have never built
anything before. Would blacksmithing probably be beyond me? Perhaps
you can describe the physical qualities and basic skill sets which make
someone a good blacksmith?<br />
<br />
Thank you in advance for your reply.<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
Tara<br />
<br />
<i>Hi Tara thanks for your question and I will put it up on the blog as I agree it may be a common question.<br /><br />
<b>How Strong to be a blacksmith</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
In this modern age strength is less important than stamina and
willingness to look at new ways of doing things. I am by no means what
people think of as a hulking blacksmith. I explain to my students that
it is really about coaxing the metal to shape not muscling it to shape.
This means that there are many repeated hammer blows to create the shape
desired. The object is to apply the right amount of force at exactly
the right spot to move the metal the right amount. Of course bigger bars
require more force to move them.<br /><br />
There are a miriad of techniques and tools that help us manipulate the
steel. I know a number of women of all ages that do blacksmithing with
out any problems. They tend to think more about design and how to work
with the steel instead of handling huge bars.</i>
<i><br /><br />
Realistically it is a physical activity and it requires standing for
long periods of time. There is movement of the hammer. Usually a 2 lb
hammer swung many times in a day but you get to take a rest every time
the steel heats. This is almost 50% of the time. Most of the starting
projects use small bar and this is easy to manipulate. Larger projects
often use multiple small pieces that are later assembled. The final
project might be quite heavy but we can use over head cranes and hoists
to move things around. If you set up a larger shop power hammers can
help manipulate the steel. These are expensive machines but the amount
of work that they do is incredible.</i>
<i><br /><br />
Where I would caution a person with blacksmithing is if they have a
previous ailment such as carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, or rotator cuff
injuries to their dominant side. The smithing can make these conditions
flare up.</i>
<i><br /><br />
<b>Skill sets that make a good blacksmith</b></i><b>
</b><i><br />
There are many common skills that serve the blacksmith well and some specialized skills.</i>
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Be able to look at a problem and figure out a solution given resources at hand</i></li>
<li><i>Willingness to learn and do a bit of research</i>
</li>
<li><i>Learn from your mistakes</i></li>
<li><i>If you are fighting with a problem being able to stop and look at it from another view point</i></li>
<li><i>Willingness to experiment</i></li>
<li><i>Understanding that this endeavor requires practice and lots of it.
You usually can be successful with minimal effort but to be really good
takes a lot of practice.</i></li>
<li><i>Some ability to roughly sketch on paper what you want to make helps a great deal. Especially with later complicated projects.</i>
</li>
<li><i>Not be afraid of the hot metal. Yes you will get burned. Usually they are minor.</i>
</li>
<li><i>Specifically being able to electric weld will help</i></li>
<li><i>Good hand eye coordination</i>
</li>
</ul>
<i>
In short from your description I would say that you would be fine at
blacksmithing. Be realistic that it takes time to get good at it but you
should have a good degree of success from the beginning.<br />
I hope this helps.</i><br />
<i>David Robertson</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/" target="_blank">Artist Blacksmith </a></i>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-67373207712308842642012-04-19T04:59:00.003-07:002012-04-19T05:12:20.954-07:00Is Arc Weld Forgeable?<h2>Is Arc Weld Forgeable?</h2><br /><blockquote cite="mid:23962E3F140947E784DABCD655C63ED5@jamespshaverPC" type="cite"> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <div>Mr.Robertson,<br /><br /></div> <div> Is arc weld forgeable? In other words can you heat a arc weld and change its shape and still maintain the integrity of the weld. I'm talking stick weld using rod for low carbon steal, a36, 1018, 1045 </div> <div>thanks for your help.<br />Jjim Shaver</div></div></div> </blockquote><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hi Jim</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The short answer is yes if it is a good weld to start with.</span><br /><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Now there are some problems. Arc welding tends to create a bit of an undercut right at the edges of the weld. When you forge over top you flatten out the weld but the undercut stays. This can become a crack with successive forgings. It also usually stays visible which I find unsightly and indicates to me that the piece has been electrically welded.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Higher carbon content steel may develop a fracture at the undercut more easily than low carbon mild steel, if it is worked on the cold side. Although high carbon may actually benefit more from the forging process than lower carbon steel especially if it was not preheated when welded.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I would suggest (of course depending on the application) using a rod that doesn't undercut the steel very much. 7014 comes to mind but this depends on the steel and your welder (dc is better than ac) and your welding skills.</span> <br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alternatively if you mig or tig weld there is less undercutting and you can forge directly with little issue, both in strength and visibility of the weld.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Of course try a few practice pieces and I recommend forging more on the hot side than the cold side of temperatures and properly prep your welds with V groove and multiple passes as is appropriate for strength.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Play with your machine setting until you get the least undercut with the weld.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope this helps.<br />David Robertson<br />Artist Blacksmith<br /></span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-88014425099829577482012-02-02T06:17:00.000-08:002012-02-02T06:25:46.854-08:00Hand Forged Nails<h2>How To Make Hand Forged Nails</h2><br />Thanks for the black smithing tips. I have been enjoying them. I am a beginner. Right now I am learning to make a nail. Can you tell me what size of a hole you need to hammer the nail through to create the head if you are working with 1/4" round stock? And is the hole a little wider at the opening? I am making my own tool to help form the nail head.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Glad you are starting out. Nail making is a good place to start as it teaches you hammer control and speed.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The nail header is a flat bar which can be mild steel to start, but if you make a lot of nails you may want to use a piece of tool steel such as car leaf spring. It should be fairly thick about 1/2 an inch.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">You hot punch a square tapering hole in the bar. For the 1/4 round you mention I would not go bigger than 3/16 square. Now the key is that the hole is <span style="font-weight: bold;">smaller at the top and larger at the bottom.</span></span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This means that after you draw out the point on the 1/4 round and position it . Make the partial cut so that about 3/8 to 1/2 inch sticking above the heading tool. Then take a good upsetting heat on it (bright yellow) then place in the heading tool and twist off the "handle" then quickly drive straight down into the heading tool.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It is best if you cut from all sides not just one side.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">As the nail gets driven down onto the nail header the first thing that happens is that it slides until the sharp edges of the sides grab onto the steel. Once it grabs then the hot metal deforms "upsets" to create the head. Once it is well seated you can use angled hammer strokes to make the rosette head.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">When it has cooled a bit a tap on the point or simply turning the heading tool over and tapping on the anvil and it often releases the nail. If the heading tool has the small opening down you are wedging the steel into a socket and it is much harder to get out and it doesn't make a nice shoulder.</span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">If you are just starting you will find bigger nails are easier to make. 5/16 or 3/8 rod size. They hold the heat longer so you don't have to work quite so fast.</span><br /><br />David Robertson<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><br />Artist Blacksmith<br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/">www.ArtistBlacksmith.com</a>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-57971332816029318952012-01-17T15:41:00.000-08:002012-01-18T05:45:41.405-08:00Review of Kevlar Flame Resitant Apron<span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size:180%;"><div style="font-family:Calibri; font-size:11pt; text-align:left; color:black; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 3pt"> <a href="http://www.magidglove.com/Magid-A24X24KV-Yellow-Kevlar-Bib-Style-Apron-with-Split-Leg-A24X36KV-1.aspx"><h2>Puncture and Flame Resistant Apron Review</h2></a></div></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeLTM6v_Xo2o685lAOwZ0-R0y0oJKVz3Xv_Un59EYQ7cddI552aD9Irj6wxZCqewhnLX7Vi9D6kNxaXvT9Rk1I2qF_pPfU4vGOsN6Ob9sUwWmzY9jpPV0eGWDBaVn4os74orVNl5TH2Wb/s1600/100_0400.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeLTM6v_Xo2o685lAOwZ0-R0y0oJKVz3Xv_Un59EYQ7cddI552aD9Irj6wxZCqewhnLX7Vi9D6kNxaXvT9Rk1I2qF_pPfU4vGOsN6Ob9sUwWmzY9jpPV0eGWDBaVn4os74orVNl5TH2Wb/s320/100_0400.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698750731624834322" border="0" /></a><br />Review of Kevlar Spark Resistant Apron by Magid Glove and Safety<br /><br />I have been asked to do a review of a heat resistant apron for use in blacksmithing.<br /><br />You can see it in the photo. It has full coverage and is quite light material. There are cross over straps that are quite comfortable and easy to adjust for sizing. It is also easy to get into and out of.<br /><br />I am not a huge fan of the color but in a blacksmith shop that will change.<br /><br />The traditional leather apron is used to deflect sparks or falling hot metal away from your body. Leather is quite durable and will take a beating. But in cold weather (as you see I am wearing my hat as it was chilly today in the shop) leather stiffens up and you practically have to thaw it out.<br />With this apron it was soft and pliable all the time. A nice bonus.<br /><br />So How did I test this apron out? Well I simply stretched the fabric across an opening and secured it with two magnets.<br /><br />I then heated a 3/8ths square bar about 3 inches long to about 1800 degrees F. See the photo on the left.<br /><br />I then placed the hot b<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyuO6iHhcZMKoruK3vYlEBZAp0ga5zFUxa17PB8fnlLBFXSbzkDIg4IDb5a8ePK7xBk0WfkEy0gDY5Zqe4MYRBNUAyv75QWQSA9rWXsE0tw8sPgUV66MehTeWkRMeKK0HAlFFfNu7fMMD/s1600/100_0420.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyuO6iHhcZMKoruK3vYlEBZAp0ga5zFUxa17PB8fnlLBFXSbzkDIg4IDb5a8ePK7xBk0WfkEy0gDY5Zqe4MYRBNUAyv75QWQSA9rWXsE0tw8sPgUV66MehTeWkRMeKK0HAlFFfNu7fMMD/s320/100_0420.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698752701638376690" border="0" /></a>ar on the fabric and watched what happened.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So it turns out that after about 3 seconds the heat transfers through the fabric and scorches the underside. Now this means that if you were inc contact with the hot steel for 3 seconds you probably would get burned.<br /><br />But after smoking a bit (stinks a bit too) the bar was still well supported after 15 seconds. This means that the fabric was still intact after 15 second direct exposure to 1800 degree heat.<br /><br />Now in the greater schem of th<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUDElk183AQ_w5tZrcrN6rzSh8CqtoS7FDXotEPOx5jRNxZTklj-xRxIQDz-HENt9VfWd2JAKkZHyKx9a43mJuG0rdHiZpJi9kKsOhkXt2bWeFOb9jpdQkWM4VYijYbM-T6xmfAjsGiTS/s1600/100_0421.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUDElk183AQ_w5tZrcrN6rzSh8CqtoS7FDXotEPOx5jRNxZTklj-xRxIQDz-HENt9VfWd2JAKkZHyKx9a43mJuG0rdHiZpJi9kKsOhkXt2bWeFOb9jpdQkWM4VYijYbM-T6xmfAjsGiTS/s320/100_0421.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698753474736687682" border="0" /></a>ings 3 seconds is a long time to have something hot brush up against you in blacksmithing. 15 seconds is an eternity.<br /><br />So my feeling is this is a good product for general protection.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can see the smoke in this<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbhPXjsDNtabvy0HgfQ-uj5QTXLcOuLasFqX9T3YO0nuaNkS7F1UXuXx7Y5DgZKi0Li9AaNqTmJEzT6Lw43gBodU0N0F5Uoc0KvoUy4cVdUGO9kpRUadv0k_JbXdps3vBd1nxd5VJSrua/s1600/100_0422.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbhPXjsDNtabvy0HgfQ-uj5QTXLcOuLasFqX9T3YO0nuaNkS7F1UXuXx7Y5DgZKi0Li9AaNqTmJEzT6Lw43gBodU0N0F5Uoc0KvoUy4cVdUGO9kpRUadv0k_JbXdps3vBd1nxd5VJSrua/s320/100_0422.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698755449353923842" border="0" /></a> photo.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQGHNjwEqCoMYP2PcxsHFTPjpjS8Fg5smXwupgnEZ4ONAgB7jH18tpAov0pxkmHAzDdytywoWWne_QfhJF5bLK0Lvx_4hE697rGz821flfZLgVP5bNnPvjWYL0G37MTbkFoPX1nbE43Fx/s1600/100_0423.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQGHNjwEqCoMYP2PcxsHFTPjpjS8Fg5smXwupgnEZ4ONAgB7jH18tpAov0pxkmHAzDdytywoWWne_QfhJF5bLK0Lvx_4hE697rGz821flfZLgVP5bNnPvjWYL0G37MTbkFoPX1nbE43Fx/s320/100_0423.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698756165363008914" border="0" /></a>This final photo shows the scorch mark. Not bad for 15 second exposure.David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-51213552608230467372011-12-24T07:44:00.000-08:002011-12-24T08:05:38.331-08:00More on Forge Welding<h2>Forge Welding Tricks and Temperatures</h2><br />Hello Mr. Robertson: <br /><br /> <span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">I very much enjoy your website <a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com">(www.ArtistBlacksmith.com)</a> as I am new to blacksmithing and value the articles as a learning resource.</span> <br /><br /> <span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">My two questions deal with technique to follow when hand forge welding:</span> <span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><br /><br /> <span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Q#1) I have used both a gas forge and an oxy/acetylene torch to heat small parts when I need to shape and forge weld tool steels (D2) to mild steels. From my research, I understand that the best forge welding occurs when steel temperatures are both above 2400F and when both surfaces are well cleaned. I have a very difficult time seeing the difference in color between dull yellow/orange, bright yellow and yellow/white to know when the materials are both hot enough to effectively weld. I have tried using "Tempsil crayons" to measure surface temperatures, but these crayons only indicate when surface conditions are above 1850F.</span> <br /> <span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">What trick or tool do you use to insure that both steel parts are adequately heated to guarantee a good quality forge weld?</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There is a lot going on with a forge weld. You certainly need a high temperature and scrupulously clean all helps. At these temperature it is very hard to see and judge the colors of the steel. I usually tell people to look for a lemon yellow or melted butter color or the same color as the interior of the gas forge running at max. But there are some tricks that can be used.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The first one and will gain you the most success is to use special shade 2 welders glasses. </span><a style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&x=15&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=ur2&y=15&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=uvex%20shade%202%20infra-dura&url=search-alias%3Daps">Click Here for selection of Amazon Infra-dura safety glasses.</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-style: italic;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I use either the infra-dura shade 2 or rose dydmium glasses for the forge welding. The infra-dura lens actually filters out more of the harsh light than the dydimium. Both of these lenses allow you to see the surface of the steel at high temperatures. The shade 2 lens is green and you have to get use to the color shift but with a little practice this is not a problem. I would suggest wearing them for all forge work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When using these glasses I am looking for a surface that has a bright greasy look to it. It should also have a look like it is almost slithering around. This is not liquid but getting close to it. The whole weld area should be the same color with no shadows. If it is an uneven heat turn the bar over in the fire and soak it from all sides. It should be an uniform temperature all the way through.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Another trick to try when starting out is forge a 1/4 inch round bar to a point and bend the point over a 90 degrees. Bring the bar that you want to weld up to temperature with the 1/4 round pointed one beside it. When you think it is right touch the point to the part that you think is at welding temperature in the fore fire. It should stick. If it doesn't stick it is too cold. Soak it longer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If it sticks ( you should be able to pull it apart) take the weld. Start with simple fold over welds such as handles or even 1/4 by 1 inch flat bars just folded over on itself to learn the temperatures required.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Remember in gas forges this is working right at the top of what they are capable of. A high altitude makes a big difference as well. Above 4000 feet you may need a blower to provide extra air.</span><br /><blockquote cite="mid:OFF348FB13.44C9001C-ON8525796F.00815CC0-85257970.00017C92@parker.com" type="cite"> <br /> <span style="font-family:sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Q#2) I have heard that some blacksmith's prefer flux when forge welding while others strictly refrain from using flux because flux introduces contamination to the weld site. If flux is preferred, what are the best flux formulas for forge welding steels, stainless steels and wrought iron? </span> <br /></blockquote> <span style="font-style: italic;">Flux is a bit of contentious issue. If using no flux your joints and fire have to be as clean as possible. Flux keeps the scale from forming on the bar. Scale does not weld. Some fluxes contain a ground metalic ingredient that lowers the welding temperature and increases the surface area at the joint. All these are good things when joining mild steel. I have used these compounds and they do work well. Trade names that come to mind are EZ-weld, Cherry heat, Antiborax, There are others. The problem comes when you are welding damascus billets as this metallic grains introduce a new layer into the billet and it can muddy the sharp transition between the layers.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">20 Mule Team Borax found in the laundry isle has been used for years and works well for all general forge welding. It introduces no metallic contaminate. However there is a downside to using 20 Mule Team Borax. On regular joints it leaves a residue of borax that is very hard to clean off. It can be ground or sand blasted off. The problem with this residue is that it will start to turn white as it is exposed to moisture. So you may have this lovely forge welded piece then it starts to get this frosted appearance at the joints after a couple of years. Not pleasant</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Different fluxes for different steels.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I have not forge welded stainless steel, but I understand you require a special flux with a Fluoride component to clean the stainless. Wrought iron should have enough slag in the matrix of the bar that you don't need flux but Borax wouldn't hurt.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope this helps</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Artist Blacksmith</span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-71765841781688530102011-12-07T05:39:00.000-08:002011-12-07T05:47:29.174-08:00Blacksmith Protective Eyewear Questions<h2>Protective Eyewear Questions</h2> <br /> <br /> 1. Can you comment on fit for people who normally wear glasses - i.e. isn't it necessary to get safety glasses that fit over the regular eyeglasses. I've ruined two different pair of regular glasses because I thought that if I got lenses comprised of 'safety' rated material, e.g. polycarbonate that would work. Well, it might work for safety features, but after a short while I had so many small pieces of metal shavings and welding rod flux imbedded in them, the visibility through them was degraded. To replace these is quite expensive.<br /> <br /> 2. Why is the tint necessary if the eyewaer has UV protection?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hi Doug</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1) Prescription glasses are a problem. Although if the safety lenses protected your eyes from the metal shards and flux yes they did their job. This is a personal fit thing and yes best option is glasses that cover completely your regular glasses.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2) The forge like a cutting torch puts out UV and Infrared. Most glasses are well protected for the UV but very few protect for the infrared spectrum. The chemistry of the additives in the lens can filter out the infrared. Various tints help you see the metal better by filtering out different spectrums of visible light. The didymium ones I use filter out the sodium flare which is the bright yellow light from the forge.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I recommend shade 2 welding lenses such as </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002A5DKHS/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002A5DKHS"><img src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=B002A5DKHS&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=artiblacdavir-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002A5DKHS" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-style: italic;" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002A5DKHS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002A5DKHS">Uvex Infradura shade 2</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002A5DKHS" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-style: italic;" width="1" height="1" border="0" /><span style="font-style: italic;"> (shade 3 which is more common is pretty dark for shopwork as I start to trip over things). You may also find clip ons available that would protect both you and your prescription glasses but you may have to dig a bit for those. I use a pair similar to the above glasses for forge welding and find them much cooler on the eyes Than the rose didymium that are my regular forging glasses. The infradura filters 85% of the infrared and about 99% of the UV</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Also www.auralens.net has a more extensive line of specific high temperature lenses. Look for metal working.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope this helps.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/">Artist Blacksmith</a>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-18178616491014237912011-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:002011-10-15T08:16:18.993-07:00Tips For Forge Welding Above 4000 Feet<h2>Forge Welding at Higher Altitude</h2><br />By the way I am at 4000 ft. I am told that it is very hard to weld with a propane forge. Is there something you can share with me on what I can use or do before I start to try this????<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Most of the trouble with higher elevations is the thin air. You just need more air to compensate for the fuel required to get enough heat for the forge weld. Some people are successful with an atmospheric forge forge welding at 4000 feet. Above that it seems that they need to add a blower to increase the air (oxygen / fuel ratio) . I would try just normally but run your forge hot as possible. Higher pressure. This depends on what type of forge you have.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For forge welding here I use 20 to 25 psi although I am not very high. This does depend on your particular forge though.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you find you do not get the temperatures required (lemon yellow at least) then you will probably have to look at adding a blower to the system, if your forge doesn't already have one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The other thing is to put a piece of scrap plate steel down (1/8 th is fine) to cover your forge bottom to catch any drips of flux as it will eat into the ceramic fire brick or the insulation. I use 20 Mule Team Borax and that works fine for me. If you buy "Cherry Heat" or "Anti-Borax" or "EZ Weld" or other trade name flux from either Centaur forge or Pieh tool company or Blacksmith Depot (addresses in the resource section on the website, members area) this type of flux will help lower the temperature for mild steel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope this helps.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com">Artist Blacksmith</a>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-6312306855929421272011-09-27T07:22:00.000-07:002011-09-27T07:27:56.419-07:00How to use Thermal Cycling in Heat Treating a Knife<h2>Thermal Cycling Steps for a Hand Forged Knife</h2>I have a knife that needs to be hardened and tempered. But I read your thermal cycling article and thought that this would be a time to test it. My question is, is when you thermal cycle the steel is that all that needs done or if the knife needs to be tempered after the thermal cycling process? Is all I need to do for the knife is the thermal cycling process that you describe on your website? could you give me instructions for heat treating a knife and axe using the thermal cycling process?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The thermal cycling process is part of the annealing process. So this means it is done before hardening and tempering.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The thermal cycling process changes depending for what type of steel that you used for the knife. Below are the steps for 5160.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The steps</span><br /><ol style="font-style: italic;"><li> Bring to a bright orange, allow to air cool on an insulating surface such as fire brick or kaowool or vermiculite. This is important for knives so that they don't warp in the cooling process.</li><li>Bring to medium orange, the cool as above.</li><li>Bring to bright red and slow cool <b><u>covered </u></b>in vermiculate, kaowool etc. You may want to heat a bar and leave under it for added thermal mass. Allow to cool over night or until room temperature</li><li>After cool it is annealled and ready for the hardening process. Now at this point I do my primary grinding. Shaping the knife but not putting an edge on. I do this after hardening and tempering.</li><li>Hardening - depending on the steel and the quench media require air, oil, water etc.<br />I heat the knife to an even medium red temperature and check to see if it is non magnetic. If not I will go a bit hotter. If it is non magnetic I will test until the magnet just pulls, then quench completely in the quench solution. At this point the whole blade will be quite hard and brittle. Don't drop it!</li><li>Next is the first tempering. I place in a small oven at 425 degrees F and bake it for 1 hour. Best if you have a digital thermometer to check this temperature accurately.</li><li>Last step of the tempering process. After the hour in the oven the knife will be evenly tempered to edge hardness all the way through the blade. The best blades have a softer back. So I now take a shallow pan of water (about 1/2 an inch deep) and place the edge down and heat the back of the blade with a torch and you should see the colors move to the edge but stop at the water level. Blue on the back and dark straw on the edge.</li><li>Last step. Final grinding and polishing always keeping the blade cool so that you don't mess up the temper already acheived. I usually do one or two passes on the sander then dip in water.</li></ol><span style="font-style: italic;"> I hope this helps.<br />David Robertson<br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com">Ontario Artist Blacksmith</a><br /></span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-60186559363334321482011-09-15T05:16:00.000-07:002011-09-15T05:28:38.436-07:00How To Identify Different Steel Types For The Blacksmith Shop?<div><h2>How To Identify Different Steel Types in The Blacksmith Shop?</h2><br /><br />Your website and newsletters are very interesting to me a person learning the art of blacksmithing.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the issue of topics you could cover in your newsletters what about workshop techniques for identifying steel types!<br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks for the idea of identifying steel types</span>.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> This is known as the spark test. Many of the blacksmith books cover it in detail but it would be a good idea to cover it in news letter. I will add it to the list. I am a little concerned that my video camera would not pick up the true nature of the sparks. I will have to try it and see what quality of image I get.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Essentially as there is an increase in carbon content the complexity of the explosion of the sparks increases. When different alloys are added the amount, color and length of the sparks change. Use a set of known examples to test an unknown to. This will get you pretty close in determining an unknown steel. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> A good reference book that I use often is </span><b style="font-style: italic;">The New Edge of The Anvil</b><span style="font-style: italic;"> by Jack Andrews (See picture)</span><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1879535092/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1879535092"><img src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL110_&ASIN=1879535092&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=artiblacdavir-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1879535092&camp=217145&creative=399369" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" height="1" width="1" border="0" /> <span style="font-style: italic;">It has a good section on using the spark test to identify different steels as well as a number of basic techniques and good background reference information. Check it out if you get the chance.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Thanks again.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Artist Blacksmith</span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-50280039437205023922011-08-16T07:02:00.000-07:002011-08-16T07:12:53.588-07:00Damacus Etching Solutions<h2>What Acid Solutions to use for Etching My Damascus Steel?</h2>
<br />I have just finally received my fieldsmithy and anvil and can really start out with my own projects. I wish to focus on blades, from knives to swords, and especially patternwelded. Now I have found a lot of information on patternwelding, but have to practice on it ofcourse. But I can't find anything clear about the acid used for etching to get the pattern out.
<br />
<br />I am planning to use iron plates and carbon steel stacked and welded together for the patternweld, and after a lot of research I have found out that on basis of the material used the etching solution is different. So basically my big question would be, what would I use for the iron+carbon steel stack, and what would I need for low carbon + medium/high carbon steel stack when it comes to etching.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There are many etching solutions and all will work to a certain degree.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I have used </span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Sulfuric acid (battery acid)</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Nitric acid</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ferric Chloride</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Vinegar</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Sulfuric I have been using lately as it is easy to get and quite cost effective. Find a local automotive supplier to get it in bulk.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Nitric has a very aggressive bite and you may only leave the piece in for a few minutes.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ferric Chloride has a slow etch but easy to control.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Vinegar is almost a discoloration although by heating it you will get a bit of an etch.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> With all Acids take proper precautions.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Face Shield</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Rubber Apron and Gloves</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ventilation</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Neutralizing Agent</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Eye Wash</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Fresh Water for Rinsing or Flushing</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Proper disposal of used Acid solution</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Some of the acids can be mixed to achieve different looks. You should experiment to develop your own recipes.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Remember to always ad acid to water for diluting not the other way around.</span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> This book has some useful information on etching for pattern development
<br /></span><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=artiblacdavir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0811721752" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Here is another link to </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&ref_=nb_sb_noss&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3ADamascus%20Etching%20&field-keywords=Damascus%20Etching%20&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&ajr=0#?_encoding=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Other Useful books With Etching Info</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-style: italic;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />
<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I hope this helps.</span>
<br /><div class="moz-signature">
<br />David Robertson
<br />Artist Blacksmith
<br />
<br />My Website: <a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/">www.artistblacksmith.com</a>
<br />For Blacksmith Related tools and information Please see
<br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/items_for_sale.htm">ArtistBlacksmith.com-Blacksmithing Tools</a>
<br />For Blacksmithing Courses Please see
<br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/courses.htm">ArtistBlacksmith.com-Blacksmithing Courses</a></div>
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<br />David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-17286720254103900112011-06-28T05:48:00.000-07:002011-06-28T05:59:03.738-07:00Blacksmith-When To Remove Scale From Work Piece?<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family:georgia;"><h2>What is the best time to remove excess scale from your blacksmithing work?</h2></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Is there an advantage to descaling a hot work piece with a wire brush as opposed to just giving the hot work piece a couple of light raps with the hammer thus saving valuable heat? Is hammering the work piece on the anvil that has loose pieces of scale on it detrimental to the work piece?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >Sweeping The Anvil Between Heats With Your Glove</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" >You should get into the habit of sweeping your anvil surface between each heat so you are always working on a clean surface. The scale left on the anvil will pit the the bottom of the bar. This is most noticeable on the back of thing pieces of steel such as leaves. It creates a coarse rough texture.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:georgia;" >Wire Brushing Hot</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" > A bit different. There are times that you want to quickly wire brush while your bar is hot. Eg. of this would be last couple of finishing heats on things that require an optimum surface such as knives.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" > The scale comes off well until about bright red then it sticks to the steel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" > In general I forge with out wire brushing but with sweeping the anvil between each heat.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" > If I take a finishing heat I may give it a good wire brushing from dull orange down to black heat to remove the loose scale. Once cold I will use a wire wheel on a grinder or wire cup on an angle grinder to further clean the steel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" > I hope this helps.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" >David Robertson</span><span style="display: block; font-style: italic; font-family:georgia;" id="formatbar_Buttons" ><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><br /><a style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/">Ontario Artist Blacksmith</a><br /></pre>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-67341649610480567852011-05-16T10:33:00.000-07:002011-05-16T10:46:31.577-07:00Steel Designations and Bellows Back Flash<h2>How to prevent bellows Flash back and basis of steel designation.</h2><br />Hello David<br /><br />Thank you very much for the valuable information you have provided me so far, I am always looking forward to your next subject<br /><br />I do have a few questions, although I heard that when using bellows, the bellows may be destroyed due to gases forming on the inside If the bellows were hung higher than the forge, would this prevent this from happening?<br /><br />2. what would be the best metal to use, cold rolled steel or hot rolled steel and what is the meaning of 1030 or other number associated to the steel?<br /><br />Thank you for helping the newbie’s like me, it is much appreciated<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Good questions.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Bellows</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> The bellows should be set up with a check valve inside so it can not draw gasses back in from the forge. The check valve originally was just a flap of leather on the exhaust that closes when the bellows is opened. This means all the air is sucked in through the inlet ports and none of the fuel gases from the fire which could be exciting indeed. Hanging the bellows higher than the forge will have little effect in preventing the problem.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Metal to use</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> The number designation refers to the type of steel and its alloy content.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> The 1000 series means that it is just iron and carbon in the mix.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> 1018 or 1020 are both used for cold rolled and hot rolled. It is the same type of steel but as the name implies one is worked cold and the other hot. Cold rolled has tighter tollerances in size and requires more energy to make and costs a lot more. Hot rolled has more variation in sizing and has less stress put into the steel so it will bend easier. Once either are put into the forge they will work the same as there is no difference in the carbon content.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> So back to the number designation. 1020 means a simple iron carbon mix with 20 points of carbon or .2% carbon. 1060 would have 60 points of carbon or .6% carbon.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> 5160 which is car or truck leaf or coil spring material is a different series. The 5000 series contains chrome. So 5160 has about 1% chrome and .6% carbon. Other series will have different major alloying components. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Google knife making, and alloy steels, and metallurgy</span> for information on each different steel series and their uses and properties.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Mostly for blacksmithing I will use hot rolled for general art work or 5160 if I am making cutting tools or hand punches. Other specific tools and punches I will use better suited materials such as S7 or H13 (yes there are letter designations as well).</span><br /><br />Hope this helps<br />David Robertson<br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com">Ontario Artist Blacksmith<br /></a>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-23636947597501981872011-03-08T07:10:00.000-08:002011-03-08T07:24:12.156-08:00How To Make Different Damascus Patterns in Pattern Welding<div><h2>Damascus Steel Patterns</h2><br />Sorry to bother you so late at night (over here anyway)</div> <div>But I was wondering what patterns you can pattern weld I have seen your ladder pattern and other patterns on the internet and was wondering if you could give me a few tips.</div> <div>That you for your time.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There are hundreds of patterns and variations to work on.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Most are based on layering steel, then either modifying the surface such as the ladder pattern (cutting material away) then flattening and grinding to expose the pattern.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Or</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> flat layers that are twisted, then shaped, and ground to expose the pattern.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Both of these techniques can become very complicated depending on the layer count and the manipulation.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> There is a third technique</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Called Mosaic Damascus</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> This can be done with powdered metal or machined "pixels" put together to create a "picture" in the steel. It is a bit of a different process using a hydraulic press for the fusion weld to maintain the structure of the picture.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> The best thing to do is get 2 colors of modeling clay and layer them together like a damascus billet and then twist and manipulate them. Then use a knife to cut some of the outside material away to expose the pattern (sames as grinding on the steel). Experiment with this but keep notes as you go so when you find a pattern that you like you can reproduce it in steel. This is a fast low cost way to experiment with these techniques.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> A couple of very good books on the subject are<br /></span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8890335939?ie=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=8890335939">Damascus: Forging Techniques</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=8890335939" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-style: italic;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />or<br /></span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0873644301?ie=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0873644301">The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way To Perfection</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0873644301" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; font-style: italic;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> You may want to check out some the knifemaking forums for some other details.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I hope this helps.<br /><br />David Robertson<br />Artist Blacksmith<br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/">www.artistblacksmith.com</a><br /></span></div>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-89202324003721548542011-03-03T17:36:00.000-08:002011-03-03T17:47:07.147-08:00Blacksmithing Removing Scale, Tinted Glasses, Upsetting<h2>Blacksmithing How to Remove Scale, Tinted Glasses, Upsetting</h2><br /><div>I have a few questions for now. </div> <div>If you use hot rolled steel how do you remove the scale on the parts that is not heated for forging? Do you use a wire wheel, and acid bath or sand the area? </div> <div> </div> <div>Do you wear special tinted or filtered glasses when you do blacksmithing and have to stare at the fire alot.<br /></div> <div>I want to flare out a 3/4 square bar so that it will form a pyramid type base. If I heat it should I slam it on to a thick steel plate to flare it out. Is that the best way to do it?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Removing Scale</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> There are couple of options, they mostly depend on what coating you are putting on it.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Wire wheel for clear coating.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Sandblasting for paint.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Acid etch for galvanizing but this is done at the galvanizer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Mostly it depends how you want the finished piece to look. Complex shapes may not get completely cleaned of for clear coat and painting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Tinted glasses</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Yes I wear rose dydimium glasses. This is the old filter style originally designed for glass blowers. There are other filters that are better recommended for blacksmithing such as AUR-99 from www.auralens.net. I have not used this lens so can't really comment on it. The exposure to UV and IR are generally minimal in blacksmithing, but it does become important with lots of forge welding as the temperatures are so much higher.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Upsetting 3/4 inch square bar</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Depends on the length. short can be done on the anvil or clamped in the vise and a light hammer used.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Long bar yes heavy steel plate on the floor and it is sort of bounced on it.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> It must be at yellow heat. You should also taper the edges (basically knocking the corners off the end of the bar) this lets the force go deeper into the center of the bar instead of being dispersed at the end. Upsettting is tricky to do well. Practice first and easier to do on a larger bar than a smaller one.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I hope this helps</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ontario Artist Blacksmith</span><br /></a> </div>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-58957357885510044082011-01-29T06:00:00.000-08:002011-01-29T06:14:23.302-08:00When Can You Call Yourself a Blacksmith?<pre wrap=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;"><h2>What Does Define a Blacksmith?</h2></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I know you probably had this question asked of you many times. But at what point in metal working are you really allowed to call your self a blacksmith? I mean going out and pounding on a few pieces of metal isn't really blacksmithing. What does define a blacksmith?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">This is actually a tricky question.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">In North America there is no governing body of blacksmiths, so legally</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">anyone who works with steel could call themselves a blacksmith. This</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">causes a whole lot of confusion with the general public. A cold</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">fabricator calls themselves a blacksmith but charges 30% of what a</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">person who works with hammer and anvil and shapes the hot steel. The</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">fabricator only has 30% of the time into the project.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">There are measurable fundamental skills associated with blacksmithing.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Do all of these have to be mastered for a person to call themselves a</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">blacksmith?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">There are tools required for the work. Can a person call themselves a</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">blacksmith if they don't have the tools required to do the job?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Should a person call themselves a blacksmith until they are making an income from the smithing? Should it be a full time income?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Is it more esoteric? Such as when a person has to smith. When they are</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">drawn to it as a passion. Some would say "When it is their blood". A</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">number of smiths have told me of this calling back to the anvil when you</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">have been away from it for a while.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family: georgia;">My Opinion</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">A person can call themselves a blacksmith when they have a good ability with the basic techniques with hot steel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Drawing out, pointing, shouldering, flattening, punching, twisting,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">square corners, hot cutting, splitting, curve generation, tool making,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">upsetting, forge welding. They also have the facilities to do the work.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">This may be as simple as a back yard forge, anvil and hammer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">It really is a gray area and each person has to make their own decision</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">when they can call themselves a blacksmith. There is no-one to call them</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">on it ( In North America) except their customers, which often are not</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">well educated in the difference between hot work and cold work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">David Robertson</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Artist Blacksmith</span><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com">www.artistblacksmith.com</a><br /><br /></pre>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-18458762199798483142010-12-17T10:28:00.000-08:002010-12-17T10:48:36.186-08:00Blacksmithing: Carbon Migration in Forging Blades<h2>Is there Carbon Loss In Forging Blades in a Gas Forge?</h2><br /><br />Hi David Merry Christmas and thank you for an ongoing 'live' tutorial. It is very generous of you and I want you to know that I appreciate the time you put into it for us!<br /> <br /> I do have a question at this point. One issue that you haven't addressed (perhaps you just haven't gotten to it yet and if so I apologize for jumping the gun) is that of carbon loss with a gas forge. When I was training in Japan, I watched a Bladesmith produce kitchen Kata-ha blades with a gas forge. He explained, however, that he had to work extremely fast and could only afford one heat for the forging process (he uses a spring hammer) or he would lose too much carbon. When I say fast, I mean it. I took a video of him forging 4 - 5 blades every 7 minutes. He is not an amateur, but rather the person who is considered to be (within Japan) the best kitchen knife forger in the world, so I trust his word.<br /> <br /> It would be useful to hear your thoughts from a Western perspective.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">This is an advanced question for sure.<br /><br />I do make knives but there are many people much more skilled than I. I am sure the fellow in Japan is one of them but here is my view point.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> My take on is a bit different. Yes I do agree if the gas forge is running too lean (too much oxygen then yes at high temperatures there is carbon loss but really only in the outer 1 mm of the steel. The carbon migrates to the lower carbon areas and if low carbon in the atmosphere of the forge then it can jump to the atmosphere, causing a net carbon loss in the blade.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> There is an old saying to "forge thick and grind thin" once you start grinding you are getting back into the high carbon steel.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> By keeping the forge running neutral or a bit rich there is extra carbon available and carbon migration is less of a concern but you don't have infinite heats to work with. I agree completely that you should forge out the blade in the minimum heats possible as a best practice. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> Different steels will behave differently as well. Some steels need to soak a long time at high temperatures to allow the carbon to jump to a face centered cubic crystal. Think here S7 or H13. Neither would I use for knives but the high alloys do change things a lot. So in part the alloy of his knives would make a huge difference in the final quality of the piece as well as the number of heats he takes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> One heat is pretty fast! And shows a great deal of control on his part.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> When You get a chance look up the article on heat treating in the members area. There is a pdf at the bottom of the page that you should download and read as it goes into much more detail than I possibly could. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Link To</span> <a href="http://www.artistblacksmith.com/members-area/membersindex.htm"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Blacksmith Members </span></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Sign In</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> I hope this helps but do check out the pdf as it goes into great detail.<br /><br />Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!<br />David Robertson<br />Artist Blacksmith<br /></span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-60115071552320913942010-11-03T04:29:00.000-07:002010-11-03T05:02:54.991-07:00Hydraulic Press as Power hammer for Armor Making<div id="seoquake-seobar-mainblock" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); 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margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: bottom;" height="12px" width="12px" /> LD: <a target="_blank" href="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/advsearch?p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com&bwm=i&bwmo=d&bwmf=s" title="Yahoo linkdomain" type="param" index="12" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">167,471,963</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"><img src="data:image/x-icon;base64,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" style="border: 0pt none; 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margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: bottom;" height="12px" width="12px" /> I: <a target="_blank" href="http://delicious.com/url/373de0a92eccfc6dd91b3fb54f1318cb" title="Delicious index" type="param" index="33" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">0</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"><img src="data:image/x-icon;base64,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" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: bottom;" height="12px" width="12px" /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.whorush.com/search/?q=www.blogger.com#whorushwhois" title="Whois" type="param" index="37" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">whois</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"><a target="_blank" href="view-source:http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8683281816189848903&postID=6011507155232091394" title="Page source" type="param" index="38" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">source</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">Robo: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogger.com/robots.txt" url="http://www.blogger.com/robots.txt" title="Robots.txt" type="param" index="39" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">yes</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">Sitemap: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/sitemap.xml" id="0" url="http://www.blogger.com/sitemap.xml" title="Sitemap.xml" type="param" index="40" style="color: darkred; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">no</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; 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margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: bottom;" height="12px" width="12px" /> Rank: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.semrush.com/info/www.blogger.com?ref=174537735" title="SEMRush Rank" type="param" index="41" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">1376</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"><img src="data:image/x-icon;base64,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" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: bottom;" height="12px" width="12px" /> Price: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.semrush.com/info/www.blogger.com?ref=174537735" title="SEMRush SE Traffic price" type="param" index="43" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">4075140</a></td><td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(240, 240, 240); border: 1px solid gray; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; height: 18px; padding: 2px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;" id="seoquake-seobar-param-links"><img style="border: 0pt none; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: bottom;" src="chrome://seoquake/content/skin/links12.png" height="12px" width="12px;" /> Links: <a title="Internal links" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;" href="javascript:{}" id="seoquake-seobar-param-intlinks">12</a>|<a title="External links" style="color: blue; 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margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: middle;" /></td><td title="Close" style="border: 0pt none; cursor: pointer; margin: 0pt; padding: 1px; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 12px;"><img src="chrome://seoquake/content/skin/close.gif" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; vertical-align: middle;" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="clear: both; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" id="seoquake-seobar-clearblock"></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><h2>I was wondering if I use a hydraulic press for plate armor will it give the same effect as a hammer and stake or will it stretch and thin the metal?</h2></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Interesting question.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I have only worked a little with a hydraulic press but will pass on what I know.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It should work fairly well for simple dished forms. So this is changing flat sheet into bowl shapes. You will have to be careful of wrinkles developing in the steel sheet. If a wrinkle starts immediately press it out or it will get out of control. Hydraulic press have the advantage of being very slow so you can see things develop. The extra pressure means that once an unwanted shape starts to develop it needs to be corrected right away.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The hydraulic press wont work well when using a raising technique on the sheet steel. You may have to do this by hand on a stake as usual. The raising techniques involve closing a piece of sheet over a form or stake with very light repetitive hammer blows. This is actually thickening the steel as the pipe or cone is created. The press tends to deform the steel either by thinning if it is trapped between two dies or by depressing it into open space between two dies. A lot will depend on the types of dies that you make for the press.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">For simple armor forming I would think about a mushroom shaped top die and a matching bottom die that could be made from heavy pipe with 1/2 inch round bar welded around the top edge to provide a round surface of contact. The diameter of pipe I would try would be about 3 inch but this would vary depending on the work you were doing.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You will have to experiment here.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Like power hammers any dies that you make should have the edges well radiused so the edges of the dies do not cut into the steel. This will give a smooth transition to overlapping pressings.</span><br /><br /><b style="font-style: italic;">Hydraulic Press as Power Hammers.</b><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A hydraulic press is very different from a hammer and does have a different action. They will do some of the same things. Other things not as well. Advantages of the press is the tremendous force that is developed and there is no pounding so they are relatively quite. This can be important in a residential neighborhood. The main disadvantage is that the presses are slow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You can work hot metal under them and many people use them to develop mosaic damascus with the controlled pressure. The press will work for drawing out but not as fast as an air or mechanical hammer. The press will work very well for punching holes or shearing (splitting) or for decorative veining or punching. All can be done hot provided your dies are set up for it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Of course a press will work very well for flattening or controlled repetitive shaping if the the dies are exactly made for a specific purpose. Hydraulic presses also have a relatively small footprint in the shop.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In general I would say a hydraulic press is a useful addition to a blacksmith shop but it will mostly depend on the type of work that you are doing. For the armor it may work very well but you will have to experiment with die shape and size to make it work effectively for you.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D16%26ref_%3Dnb_sb_noss%26y%3D14%26field-keywords%3Dhydraulic%2520press%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dtools&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Sample Hydraulic Presses</a><img src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=ur2&o=1" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hope this helps.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David</span><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=artiblacdavir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B0000AX7MO" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-7286486143951928762010-08-25T12:12:00.000-07:002010-08-26T09:25:33.664-07:00Knife Making Belt Grinders<h1 style="font-style: italic;"><small><small>Recently I have had many inquiries about knife making and belt grinders.</small></small></h1><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Knife making is one of the most interesting parts of blacksmithing and is actually how my interest was peaked. Had I had a <span style="font-weight: bold;">knife making belt grinder</span> when I started it would have been so much easier.<br /><br />In general there are four different steps in blade making.</span><br /><br /><ol style="font-style: italic;"><li>Forging the blade from the original bar. This is where the rough shape is created. You may have heard the old saying 5 minutes at the forge saves half an hour grinding. For me that certainly is about right.<br /><br /></li><li>Primary and secondary grinding of the blade. This is creating the finished shape of the blade through a series of grinding and sanding steps. For me this takes the longest time and is the most exacting.<br /><br /></li><li>Heat Treating. This is the hardening and tempering of the blade.<br /><br /></li><li>Final sanding and polishing. This is when the blade is actually sanded to a perfect finish. You may choose to buff to a mirror finish as well.</li></ol><span style="font-style: italic;">So a lot of questions have come from people just starting out in blade making. They are wondering about the grinding steps.<br /><br />Belt grinders are the best solution for blade making. They give you a flat surface to work on and remove material quickly with coarse grit. Fine grit can leave a satin finish to shiny if you go super fine.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The problem is that </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">knife making belt grinders</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> usually range in price from $1200.00 to $2500.00. Now that is a lot of money if you are just trying this out as a hobby. If you are committed then I would suggest looking at this price range. The standard in knife making is the 2 inch by 72 in belt grinder with usually a 1 hp or 2 hp motor.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Back when I needed a knife making belt grinder I couldn't afford to pay the $1000.00 plus for a factory built one, so I choose to build my own. So on a shoe string budget I built one. Does it work? Yes fairly well. There are things I should change on it, but in general I am satisfied with the finished piece. I used no plans and scrounged as much as I could.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I recently found good plans for a nice belt sander that requires no welding. It all bolts together!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001S56MYO?ie=UTF8&tag=artiblacdavir-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001S56MYO"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ND136-es7VHvXr_9DkqSjh385bt7QJhNvEG3d88crOjtQfQvHe_2YawpPo55v0n-WK_j3wcvjzFVf9OQNU5bV6BM-bkRaPz8_Zb9WBZpev-IFsMcSl83OVcEdDnVV8Pt1_Ha3PCL3gjz/s1600/51euh4Pq8DL._SL160_.jpg" border="0" /></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=artiblacdavir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001S56MYO" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" border="0" height="1" /><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Just Click on the above image to be taken to more information.</span><br /><br />These plans provide simple construction just with cutting and drilling and bolting everything together. Of course you could weld the joints that needed welding, if you had a welder. It would only make it better.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now you will have to recognize that some of the parts are expensive. Motors and contact wheels do start to add up, but this is the cheapest way to build a good quality grinder.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I also found this tool</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=artiblacdavir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000E34C2K&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; font-style: italic;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is very similar to a belt grinder that I started with before I built my big one. If you want to try knife making as a hobby and are on a tight budget this sander will work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now this is a light tool that bogs down if you are really trying to hog metal off and the small belts ( 2 inch by 27 inch) wear out quickly, but it will work. This one has 1/2 HP motor. The belts are pretty economical and this is a good way to see if you like knife making.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you do like knife making and knife grinding then you will probably want to upgrade fairly quickly.</span><br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=artiblacdavir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000E3280I&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; font-style: italic;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now I did come across this machine and WOW! This is an industrial metal belt grinder. It sells for only <span style="font-weight: bold;">$695.00</span> and has a <span style="font-weight: bold;">4 HP motor</span>. This is twice the power of the best knife grinders at a 1/3 the price. It is solid and versatile. It uses a large 3 inch by 79 inch belt and has both contact wheel and flat platten for smooth grinding. Had I come across this knife grinder years ago I would have bought it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">There is a downside to it. This is </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">220 volt, 3 phase</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. Now 220 volt may not be a huge problem as most shops with serious equipment have 220 volts. 3 phase is usually limited to industrial areas. So now you would have the choice of replacing the motor, or buying a phase converter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Both are about the same price. The phase converter for this belt grinder is recommended as</span><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=artiblacdavir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B002KTAYN2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px; font-style: italic;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So we get back to about the $1000.00 mark but with a 4 HP motor to chew through the metal.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">From everything that I have looked at, this is the most cost effective knife making belt grinder on the market. So I hope I have given you some options to look at if you are starting out in knife making or if you are looking to up grade to an industrial level.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh yes the most recent blacksmithing course I taught, the students were interested in making a knife as their Sunday afternoon project. They did quite well. I will put up a picture of mine when I get it finished. I still have some grinding left to do.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Artist Blacksmith</span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8683281816189848903.post-17574561846098501792010-08-24T06:58:00.000-07:002010-08-24T07:10:06.939-07:00Blacksmithing : Forge Welding Cable Damascus<span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><h1><small> I' m interested in trying the steel cable damascus knife, any advice?</small></h1></span> <div> </div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cable is actually really nice stuff to weld. There are a couple of tricks that people forget that help a lot.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The alloy in the cable has a good success of welding even at fairly low temperatures. Having said that use a full welding heat until you are comfortable with it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Crane cable is better than elevator cable. Elevator cable has an inner core twisted one direction and an out sleeve twisted the other direction. This is called counter rotating cable. That is the cable doesn't twist as it spools off the drum.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Regular crane cable has inner and outer strand twisting in the same direction.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What this means and this is the important step, when you first heat the cable up, clamp it in the vise and twist it as tight as you can get without it buckling. This helps close up the air spaces for better weld. The elevator cable won't twist tight as the inside is expanding when the outer sleeve is being twisted tight, causing spaces to open up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Back into the fire and take up to a nice orange.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gently wire brush it, and add flux.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Back into the forge to take the welding heat.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The next trick is instead of welding flat on the anvil (although this does work) use a U shaped bottom swage tool or swage block to help support the sides of the cable when you weld.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">As you make the actual forge weld rotate the cable with the direction of the strands. That is each hammer stroke is actually tightening the twist.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You will find that once the cable strands are weld the feeling of the metal changes from the floppy cable to a hard bar. Once it is well stuck together as a bar take a series of refining welds on all edges to make sure any loose strands are tacked down.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When you are completely satisfied that it is well welded then stretch out as normal and make your knife etc. as usual. Once completed, ground, hardened, then sanded again then you can etch in acid to reveal the pattern. You can use vinegar warmed up on the stove. Takes along time but will give you a bit of the pattern, and is the safest acid.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I use more aggressive acids such as sulfuric or nitric or some times ferric chloride. Follow all acid precautions with these strong acids.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Neutralize and take a look at your knife.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">David Robertson</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Artist Blacksmith</span>David Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10100220556488211289noreply@blogger.com