Artistic Blacksmithing and Wrought Iron

Review of Kevlar Flame Resitant Apron

2012-01-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Puncture and Flame Resistant Apron Review

Review of Kevlar Spark Resistant Apron by Magid Glove and Safety

I have been asked to do a review of a heat resistant apron for use in blacksmithing.

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.

I am not a huge fan of the color but in a blacksmith shop that will change.

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.
With this apron it was soft and pliable all the time. A nice bonus.

So How did I test this apron out? Well I simply stretched the fabric across an opening and secured it with two magnets.

I then heated a 3/8ths square bar about 3 inches long to about 1800 degrees F. See the photo on the left.

I then placed the hot bar on the fabric and watched what happened.

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.

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.

Now in the greater schem of things 3 seconds is a long time to have something hot brush up against you in blacksmithing. 15 seconds is an eternity.

So my feeling is this is a good product for general protection.

You can see the smoke in this photo.

This final photo shows the scorch mark. Not bad for 15 second exposure.

More on Forge Welding

2011-12-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

Forge Welding Tricks and Temperatures

Hello Mr. Robertson:

I very much enjoy your website (www.ArtistBlacksmith.com) as I am new to blacksmithing and value the articles as a learning resource.

My two questions deal with technique to follow when hand forge welding:

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.
What trick or tool do you use to insure that both steel parts are adequately heated to guarantee a good quality forge weld?

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.

The first one and will gain you the most success is to use special shade 2 welders glasses. Click Here for selection of Amazon Infra-dura safety glasses. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

Different fluxes for different steels.
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.

I hope this helps
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmith Protective Eyewear Questions

2011-12-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

Protective Eyewear Questions

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.

2. Why is the tint necessary if the eyewaer has UV protection?

Hi Doug
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.

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.

I recommend shade 2 welding lenses such as Uvex Infradura shade 2 (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

Also www.auralens.net has a more extensive line of specific high temperature lenses. Look for metal working.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Tips For Forge Welding Above 4000 Feet

2011-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Forge Welding at Higher Altitude

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????

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.

For forge welding here I use 20 to 25 psi although I am not very high. This does depend on your particular forge though.

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.

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.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

How to use Thermal Cycling in Heat Treating a Knife

2011-09-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

Thermal Cycling Steps for a Hand Forged Knife

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?

The thermal cycling process is part of the annealing process. So this means it is done before hardening and tempering.
The thermal cycling process changes depending for what type of steel that you used for the knife. Below are the steps for 5160.

The steps

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.
Bring to medium orange, the cool as above.
Bring to bright red and slow cool covered 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
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.
Hardening - depending on the steel and the quench media require air, oil, water etc.
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!
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.
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.
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.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Ontario Artist Blacksmith

How To Identify Different Steel Types For The Blacksmith Shop?

2011-09-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

How To Identify Different Steel Types in The Blacksmith Shop?

Your website and newsletters are very interesting to me a person learning the art of blacksmithing.

On the issue of topics you could cover in your newsletters what about workshop techniques for identifying steel types!

Thanks for the idea of identifying steel types.
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.

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.

A good reference book that I use often is The New Edge of The Anvil by Jack Andrews (See picture)
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.

Thanks again.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Damacus Etching Solutions

2011-08-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

What Acid Solutions to use for Etching My Damascus Steel?

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.

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.

There are many etching solutions and all will work to a certain degree.
I have used
Sulfuric acid (battery acid)
Nitric acid
Ferric Chloride
Vinegar

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.
Nitric has a very aggressive bite and you may only leave the piece in for a few minutes.
Ferric Chloride has a slow etch but easy to control.
Vinegar is almost a discoloration although by heating it you will get a bit of an etch.

With all Acids take proper precautions.
Face Shield
Rubber Apron and Gloves
Ventilation
Neutralizing Agent
Eye Wash
Fresh Water for Rinsing or Flushing
Proper disposal of used Acid solution

Some of the acids can be mixed to achieve different looks. You should experiment to develop your own recipes.
Remember to always ad acid to water for diluting not the other way around.

This book has some useful information on etching for pattern development

Here is another link to Other Useful books With Etching Info
I hope this helps.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

My Website: www.artistblacksmith.com
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Blacksmith-When To Remove Scale From Work Piece?

2011-06-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

What is the best time to remove excess scale from your blacksmithing work?

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?

Sweeping The Anvil Between Heats With Your Glove

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.

 Wire Brushing Hot
 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.
 The scale comes off well until about bright red then it sticks to the steel.

 In general I forge with out wire brushing but with sweeping the anvil between each heat.
 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.

  I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Ontario Artist Blacksmith

Steel Designations and Bellows Back Flash

2011-05-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

How to prevent bellows Flash back and basis of steel designation.

Hello David

Thank you very much for the valuable information you have provided me so far, I am always looking forward to your next subject

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?

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?

Thank you for helping the newbie’s like me, it is much appreciated

Good questions.
Bellows
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.

Metal to use
The number designation refers to the type of steel and its alloy content.
The 1000 series means that it is just iron and carbon in the mix.
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.

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.

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. Google knife making, and alloy steels, and metallurgy for information on each different steel series and their uses and properties.

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).

Hope this helps
David Robertson
Ontario Artist Blacksmith

How To Make Different Damascus Patterns in Pattern Welding

2011-03-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Damascus Steel Patterns

Sorry to bother you so late at night (over here anyway)

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.

That you for your time.

There are hundreds of patterns and variations to work on.
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.
Or
flat layers that are twisted, then shaped, and ground to expose the pattern.
Both of these techniques can become very complicated depending on the layer count and the manipulation.
There is a third technique
Called Mosaic Damascus
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.

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.

A couple of very good books on the subject are
Damascus: Forging Techniques
or
The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way To Perfection

You may want to check out some the knifemaking forums for some other details.
I hope this helps.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith
www.artistblacksmith.com

Blacksmithing Removing Scale, Tinted Glasses, Upsetting

2011-03-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Blacksmithing How to Remove Scale, Tinted Glasses, Upsetting

I have a few questions for now.

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?

Do you wear special tinted or filtered glasses when you do blacksmithing and have to stare at the fire alot.

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?

Removing Scale
There are couple of options, they mostly depend on what coating you are putting on it.
Wire wheel for clear coating.
Sandblasting for paint.
Acid etch for galvanizing but this is done at the galvanizer.

Mostly it depends how you want the finished piece to look. Complex shapes may not get completely cleaned of for clear coat and painting.

Tinted glasses
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.

Upsetting 3/4 inch square bar
Depends on the length. short can be done on the anvil or clamped in the vise and a light hammer used.
Long bar yes heavy steel plate on the floor and it is sort of bounced on it.
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.

I hope this helps
David Robertson
Ontario Artist Blacksmith

When Can You Call Yourself a Blacksmith?

2011-01-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

What Does Define a Blacksmith?
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?

This is actually a tricky question.

In North America there is no governing body of blacksmiths, so legally
anyone who works with steel could call themselves a blacksmith. This
causes a whole lot of confusion with the general public. A cold
fabricator calls themselves a blacksmith but charges 30% of what a
person who works with hammer and anvil and shapes the hot steel. The
fabricator only has 30% of the time into the project.

There are measurable fundamental skills associated with blacksmithing.
Do all of these have to be mastered for a person to call themselves a
blacksmith?

There are tools required for the work. Can a person call themselves a
blacksmith if they don't have the tools required to do the job?

Should a person call themselves a blacksmith until they are making an income from the smithing? Should it be a full time income?

Is it more esoteric? Such as when a person has to smith. When they are
drawn to it as a passion. Some would say "When it is their blood". A
number of smiths have told me of this calling back to the anvil when you
have been away from it for a while.

My Opinion

A person can call themselves a blacksmith when they have a good ability with the basic techniques with hot steel.

Drawing out, pointing, shouldering, flattening, punching, twisting,
square corners, hot cutting, splitting, curve generation, tool making,
upsetting, forge welding. They also have the facilities to do the work.
This may be as simple as a back yard forge, anvil and hammer.

It really is a gray area and each person has to make their own decision
when they can call themselves a blacksmith. There is no-one to call them
on it ( In North America) except their customers, which often are not
well educated in the difference between hot work and cold work.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith
www.artistblacksmith.com

Blacksmithing: Carbon Migration in Forging Blades

2010-12-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

Is there Carbon Loss In Forging Blades in a Gas Forge?

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!

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.

It would be useful to hear your thoughts from a Western perspective.

This is an advanced question for sure.

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.

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.

There is an old saying to "forge thick and grind thin" once you start grinding you are getting back into the high carbon steel.

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.

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.

One heat is pretty fast! And shows a great deal of control on his part.

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.

Link To Blacksmith Members Sign In

I hope this helps but do check out the pdf as it goes into great detail.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Hydraulic Press as Power hammer for Armor Making

2010-11-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

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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?

Interesting question.
I have only worked a little with a hydraulic press but will pass on what I know.
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.

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.

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.
You will have to experiment here.

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.

Hydraulic Press as Power Hammers.
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.

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.

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.

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.

Sample Hydraulic Presses

Hope this helps.
David

Knife Making Belt Grinders

2010-08-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I have had many inquiries about knife making and belt grinders.

Knife making is one of the most interesting parts of blacksmithing and is actually how my interest was peaked. Had I had a knife making belt grinder when I started it would have been so much easier.

In general there are four different steps in blade making.

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.
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.
Heat Treating. This is the hardening and tempering of the blade.
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.

So a lot of questions have come from people just starting out in blade making. They are wondering about the grinding steps.

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.

The problem is that knife making belt grinders 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.

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.

I recently found good plans for a nice belt sander that requires no welding. It all bolts together!

Just Click on the above image to be taken to more information.

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.

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.

I also found this tool

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.

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.

If you do like knife making and knife grinding then you will probably want to upgrade fairly quickly.

Now I did come across this machine and WOW! This is an industrial metal belt grinder. It sells for only $695.00 and has a 4 HP motor. 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.

There is a downside to it. This is 220 volt, 3 phase. 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.

Both are about the same price. The phase converter for this belt grinder is recommended as
So we get back to about the $1000.00 mark but with a 4 HP motor to chew through the metal.

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.

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.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmithing : Forge Welding Cable Damascus

2010-08-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

I' m interested in trying the steel cable damascus knife, any advice?

Cable is actually really nice stuff to weld. There are a couple of tricks that people forget that help a lot.
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.

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.

Regular crane cable has inner and outer strand twisting in the same direction.

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.

Back into the fire and take up to a nice orange.
Gently wire brush it, and add flux.
Back into the forge to take the welding heat.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I use more aggressive acids such as sulfuric or nitric or some times ferric chloride. Follow all acid precautions with these strong acids.

Neutralize and take a look at your knife.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

What is The Best Steel for Making a Blacksmithing Slitting Chisel From?

2010-06-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

What is a Slitting Chisel and What Steel Should I use For it?

A slitting chisel is a very thin flat chisel used for opening or splitting steel when it is hot. The steel has to be very resistant to heat so that it doesn't deform as it is hammered through the steel.

Most slitting chisels are about 1 inch wide and the edge less than 1/8th of an inch thick. If you are planning on making curved cuts consider making a slitting chisel about 1/2 inch wide. (The smaller the width the tighter the curve you can make!)

I usually try to make the chisel about 8 to 10 inches long. My preference for making this tool is H13 steel or S7 steel. Both of these steels are heat resistant and stand up to the heavy abuse. They are a bit difficult to forge down to size but it is worth the effort as they last much longer than other steels.

I have used coil truck spring. This is an alternative and will do in a pinch but this steel is not very heat resistant. This means that you can't work it down so thin and if you let it show a bit of color as you are hammering through the edge will deform. Then if your chisel doesn't get stuck you have to sharpen it. As I said it will work but not as well.

I have had good luck using old jack hammer bits which I believe are S5. They stand up to both the heat and the hammering.

Good luck making your chisel and it doesn't hurt to have 3 different sizes. 1 inch , 1/2 and 1/4 inch for detail work.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith.

Blacksmithing | Can a File Make a Good Knife?

2010-06-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

How to Make a Knife From a File?

I have a bunch of old and fairly new files of all sizes. I would like some information on the proper procedure in turning them into a decent blades.

Hi
Files can make decent knives but you have to do a fair bit of preparation first. To truly make a good knife I would suggest grinding all the teeth off so you are down to bare metal. If you forge the blade and the tang leaving the teeth on. All the valleys at the bottom of the teeth make small creases in the surface of the blade.

When you heat treat the blade these creases can form cracks or potential cracks, and are always a point of weakness.

In general file steel can be an unknown tool steel and I have heard there is considerable variation in quality. I would try quenching in oil for most. I would actually recommend buy new steel. O1 drill rod is easy to get and makes a good knife and most importantly you know what you are getting. Buy 3/4 or 1 inch round and just forge it flat then make your knife from that.

It might seem a little expensive to spend $30 or $40 on a piece of steel 3 feet long. If your knife breaks in the final heat treating after spending 10 to 20 hours on it the $10 spent on the piece of O1 used for the other knife seems pretty cheap.

If you are stuck for finding O1 and tool steel in your area try clicking through to Onlinemetals.com They carry a full range or sizes.

I have had a number of knife making requests lately so I am planning on doing a newsletter series on it in the near future.

I hope this helps.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

How to Deaden The Noise of an Anvil ?

2010-05-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

How Do I Decrease the Ring of My Anvil?

Hi
There are a couple of tricks to deaden the noise of an anvil a bit.

I do use a chain but the secret here is that it is a fairly heavy chain and you wrap it around the anvils waist. Then it must be bolted down very tightly to the stump or stand that supports the anvil. This does help deaden the ring significantly. The idea is to tightly clamp the anvil to its base with the chain.

You can also add a good sized magnet under the horn or the tail of the anvil. This will collect scale but it helps remove some of the ring as well.

Another option that I don't like as well as the others is to take a short length of chain and make a loop out of it and hang a weight off it. Then place the loop over the horn or the tail of the anvil. It too will help deaden it down the noise a bit, but as soon as you need that spot on the anvil it is in the way and has to be moved.

Hope this helps.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

How to Avoid Distortion Heat Treating Damascus

2010-05-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

How Do I prevent Scale Build up When Heat Treating a Knife?

Well making my third Damascus knife 13 layers ,when i get it polished and to the point of tempering when i put it in the gas kiln red hot to loose magnetic it warped every which way .made out of all the same coil spring steel and hammer welded plus all sorts of slag all over it now so while it was red hot gently hammered it straight again and annealed . so how can i get it polished perfect and temper with out slag and distortion next time now after i sand and polish it again ? whats to keep it from happening the next time I go to temper it ???

Hi
This is a little tricky to answer as I have not seen all the steps that you have gone through.
Slow cooling (annealing) in vermiculite or wood ash to relieve the stresses is very important. This should remove much of the tension between the two different types of steel. This should help reduce the warpage when you heat for quenching.

If you are heating the blade in a gas forge hold it so that the back is up and it heats evenly from both sides this should help with the distortion as well. It should only be heated just past the magnetic point. It doesn't have to get super hot. Then pull the blade out and test with a magnet until it just pulls then quench the whole thing in the appropriated quench medium. Water or oil. Then temper evenly 425 degrees in a toaster oven. Then a quick sanding and hold the edge in a water bath (about 1/4 inch deep) and paint the temper colors on the back with a torch. Blue on the back straw on the edge.

Then sand to final finish always keeping the edge and the blade cold by dipping in water.

In short I rough grind and sand to about 80 grit before I heat treat. The final sanding is done after the blade is hardened. When I harden there will be some scale formation but it is really very little as it is only up to color for about a minute and not very hot. Just enough to lose the magnetism.

I know some people use a nickel foil to wrap around their blades so that it doesn't oxidize very much. I have not used this technique but understand it works well. You would have to source a knifemaking supplier for the nickel foil.

Hope this helps.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmith Coal Forge Hood and Chimney

2010-04-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

What do you need to take the coal smoke away from the forge when you build a coal forge?

I fire mostly propane so fume exhaust is a little bit less of a problem.
Coal forges definitely require a chimney to exhaust the smoke. There is a great deal of smoke
created when you burn coal.

Essentially you have two options

The first is the easiest and that is to make a large funnel shaped sheet metal hood to catch the smoke. It should enter into a 10 inch pipe (much smaller does not draft well for a coal forge. 8 inch diameter you take your chances on) This pipe should extend through your roof and ideally be 2 feet above the ridge line of the building. If you are in an area that requires building codes to be inforced you may have to use insulated stove pipe.

Coal smoke is actually much cooler than wood smoke and in reality does not need the insulated pipe but the building inspectors have no reference for this.

This hood works moderately well. You can start the draft by crumpling a couple of sheets of newspaper and lighting them on fire when you start the coal. Once the draft is started it is pretty easily maintained with the heat of the coal fire.

The second option is more complicated to construct. But works well. It is a Side draft chimney.

For plans google "side draft forge" or "side draft chimney for forge" you should be able to find something. It is basically a box that has a low opening in the side and a shelf inside the box that catches the smoke. The chimney draft sucks the smoke to the side and out of the way.

Good ones work very well. Again you may have to discuss chimney designs and materials with your building inspector.

Coal produces alot of smoke on start up, then simmers down as it converts to coke. Hardly any smoke with a coke fire. Charcoal works well too with very little smoke although you need some chimney to carry the fumes away from your work area.

I hope this helps. Good luck building your forge. Coal forge is the most versatile but it is a bit of a trick to get on to. It is also the easiest to build.

Take Care
David Robertson Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmithing : Anvil Height

2010-03-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

What is The Best Height For My Anvil?

Hi David
Thanks for all your emails they are really inspirational, I have just got my old gas forge, anvil and leg vice back off my uncle who never used it a bit rusty but no worse for wear, my question is this I have read somewhere that the correct height for a anvil is if you stand up straight with your arm down by your side and make a fist the height from the floor to your knuckles would be the ideal height to the top face of the anvil is the correct, my anvil and steel stand is about that height but it just feels a bit low for me? the other thing is if I use a stump of wood as a anvil stand what is the best wood to use?

Many of the old books on blacksmithing use this standard for anvil height. I too have always found this a bit low for several reasons. If your arm is close to full extension, the repeated impact can damage your tendon in the elbow if not the joint as well.

I have my primary anvil set at wrist height as I stand beside it. This creates more flex in the arm acting as more of a shock absorber. I do lose a little power having this flex but I prefer to err on the side of self preservation.

The other issue is that the lower the anvil is placed the more you will find yourself bending over. This creates strain on your back. Some thing to be avoided in later years. This is especially true of light work where you tend to get closer to see what is going on. Heavier work should be done in a more vertical position.

Mounting the anvil.
Mounting on a stump is good. I am not sure that the type of wood makes as much of a difference as the weight. I have seen some steel anvil stands (3 leg) that were quite heavy and worked well. The important part of this is that the anvil needs to be bolted securely down to the stump. This effectively adds the weight of the stump or stand to the anvil. In some cases this could add an extra 100 lbs. If the anvil just rests on top it, it looses efficiency as it bounces around.

This will help in the stability and the performance of the anvil.

A box filled with concrete with bolts for tieing down could be effective. I don't like the sand boxes as the anvil floats too much on top and you have to keep leveling it.

A lot comes back to personal preferences, but this is what I have prefered in the past.
Hope this helps.

David
www.artistblacksmith.com

What Finish to put on My Vine Arbour?

2010-02-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

What Finish Is Suitable for my Blacksmith Forged Vine Arbour?

I want to protect the steel from rusting but be able to see the texture of the vines I made underneath. What are your suggestions?

Hi
Finishes in blacksmithing are always a question. Something like this I would use an automotive paint with an epoxy primer coat. The hard acrylic top coat protects for several years (about 7 in a low salt environment). The metal must be clean sandblasted and a good deal of care has to be used in applying the paint.

The nice thing with this paint (see an automotive supply store for it) is that it comes in almost any color and it is quite durable.

Your next option is to have all the pieces hot dipped galvanized. Then paint over top. The problem with this is that the galvanizing fills in the texture that you have worked so hard to create. It will provide a good long lifespan before rust develops, but is better suited for large scale curves and shaping. Not so much for texturing on bars.

Another product that smiths in the states have had good luck with is called Permalaq (just google it for more info) It is a clear laquer that is sparyed on leaving the natural steel tone and is quite durable. Talk to the manufacturer for details of use, as I have not used it yet.

There is a longer article on the main website about finishes that may be worth reading.
Click on Blacksmithing Articles to see a full list of articles on the site.

Hope this helps
David
Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmith Spring Fuller Questions

2010-02-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Spring Fuller Suggestions for Blacksmithing

Mr. Robertson,
I would like to fabricate a hardy spring fuller.

I have several leafsprings from an old truck that I can use for the spring portion. I had figured I would shape each end of the spring in a swage to fit a 3/4" diameter bar and then weld 3 or so inches of the bar in place at each end of the spring. I would then bend the spring so that the round bars come together and finish by welding a piece of square stockon the outside of the spring to fit my hardy hole.

I have two questions. First, is it acceptable to use mild steel for the 3/4"fullers provided I keep them cool during use?

Second, what sort of heat treatment do I need to do on the leaf springs where they were heated and bent?

Hi
A couple of things.
The leaf spring may be too heavy to get a good spring action. I usually use a coil spring that I straighten out. Then flatten out the midle section to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. This gives enough of a spring.When welding either the hardy stem or the "jaws" onto the spring steel, preheat the spring steel to at least 500 degrees F. I will usually take them up untill they just show a bit of color perhaps 1200 F. This seems to work pretty well for me.

The mild steel will work fine for the jaws, at least for quite a while. Expect some wear though.

Once the spring is forged flat and bent to shape, Take an even dull orange heat on it and just let it air cool and it seems to work fine. The steel itself is springy will work just with normalizing. If you want to heat treat, temper to about 500 degrees F but this is not really required on this tool.

I have also made spring fullers using mild steel flat bar as the spring. 3/16 by 1.5 inches or 1/4 by 1 inch Both of these have worked as well.

Hope this helps.

Charcoal as a Blacksmith Forge Fuel

2010-01-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

What Do you Think of Charcoal as Forge Fuel?

Charcoal was the original forge fuel. It is realtively clean and smoke free and reaches all the temperatures required to forge or weld with.

Originally charcoal forges were side draft not bottom draft as coal forges are.The main draw backs are the cost. Either cost in producing your self in time or cost in dollars to buy premade.
The other drawback is that you will use a lot of charcoal volume wise but it will work out to about the same weight as coal.

Blacksmithing Punches, Lubricants and Treadle Hammers

2009-12-30T06:35:00.000-08:00

How Do you Make A Blacksmith Hammer Drift?

How do you make a good oval drift, for example for a hammer head?

I would use a good tool steel S7 or jack hammer bit are my preferences. Forge a tapering rectangle of the slightly over size of the dimensions you want. Then knock the corners off with the hammer while the drift is hot. This will give you sort of an octagonal oval. At this point I swich to a hand angle grinder and grind smooth so there is no catch points for when you are drifting.

I have made limited use drifts out of mild steel but prefer the tool steel.

What Blacksmithing Lubricant do you Use?

What except charcoal, do you use as a lubricant preventing to get your drifts stuck in deep holes?

I also use coal dust or coke dust by themselves or mixed with beeswax in a tin can that I can dip the hot tool in. there are lubricants comercially available but I haven't tried them. A good graphite paste or spray might work well but I have had good success with the coal or coke dust.

Blacksmith Treadle Hammer Blueprints?

Do you know of the existance of blueprints for a treadle hammer, because I have to do everything single handed and sometimes there is a hand short.

I am biased because I really like my air hammer and it allows me to do mostly what a treadle hammer will do and so much more. But I do recognize they are not for everyone and a treadle hammer will help a great deal. First I would suggest finding a copy of Werk und Werkzeug des Kuntsschmieds by Otto Schmirler ISBN 3 8030 50405
Click Here For this Book

This is a great book and he has a good diagram with measurements of his "Oliver " which is a treadle hammer. The rest of his book is tools and techniques.

I would also look at www.abana.org as I think they sold treadle hammer plans you may also find plans on www.anvilfire.com or www.ifrorgeiron.com

I hope this helps.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

Blacksmith Hand Crank Blower

2009-12-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

What to Look For In a Blacksmith Hand Crank Blower?

Handcrank blowers are a bit hard to find and I can't recommend buying over the internet unless it is from someone that you completely trust. I use a Champion and like it but I am not sure the name is as important as it's condition. The main thing with the blower is that it should turn smoothly in both directions. If the gears grind either way it may be more costly to fix it if not impossible.

It should have been kept well lubricated and should be able to be lubricated easily with oil or grease ports. The fan blades should not hit the housing and there should be no cracks that later could cause problems..

The gear box is the heart of the blower and it must be in good shape to give you years of performance. I know some smiths that have refurbished a seized gear box but you must get the blower cheap enough that you can invest many hours soaking it and cleaning the gears.

The larger the blower the larger the forge fire you can effectively work with it. You will still have nice control on small fires. The small blowers really only work well with small fires. You can't easily get enough volume through for a large fire.

In my opinion the stand is secondary to the blower itself. I can always make a new stand if it is not in the best condition.

I really like to look a blower over in person before buying it. I understand that this is not always possible but it is best practice. With a large and heavy object shipping will be expensive.

I hope this helps and good luck in your search for hand crank blacksmith forge blower.
David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith

What to Look For In a Blacksmith Post vise?

2009-12-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Blacksmith Post Vise or Leg Vise what are they worth?

Blacksmith Post Vises
price range $40.00 to $700.00
Typical in good shape, clean jaws, spring and screw intact, 5 inch jaw size about $65 to $100
Like anvils typically the larger the better if it works well. The larger also costs more.

There is quite a spread and depends alot on availability and size. At Quad state this year there were many in working condition at the $40 to $60 range. Nice ones that weren't too beaten up sort of started around the $60 range.

Things to look for.
Jaws close tight and are still aligned both flush and left to right. Not too much slop either side. Faces of jaws not too scored up. Spring intact, and screw works smoothly. A bit of oil doesn't hurt to loosen things up. Mounting plate intact with wedges.

Remember a machinists vise is fine for twisting but if you are hammering then the Leg vise is better.

David Robertson
Artist Blacksmith.

Blacksmith How to Keep Propane Tank From Freezing?

2009-12-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

My Blacksmith Gas Forge Propane Tank Freezes Up. How do I prevent it?

As propane is drawn off a propane tank it cools the temperature of the liquid propane inside. It can cool it to the point that it freezes. At this point the pressure in the tank drops to nearly zero and the gas forge is starved for fuel. In cold weather this can happen with a significant amount of propane left in the tank.

There are a couple of things You can do.

The best is build a box that holds 100 watt light bulb that the propane tank can sit on. This will provide a gentle warming that helps keep the propane from freezing. This becomes more and more important as the weather gets colder. A simple crib made of 4x4's that is small enough for the propane tank to sit on comfortablly should work.

Another option is to gang two or more tanks together so that you draw off a larger thermal mass and it doesn't freeze as quickly. This requires a number of plumbing fixtures and POL fittings but does work.

Battery heating blankets might be another option. Wrap two together. You would have to take a look at how they are configured.I don't recommend any heat source that provides a source of ignition.

Hope This Helps

David Robertson
www.artistblacksmith.com

Is a Treadle Hammer an Useful Tool for a Blacksmith Shop?

2009-11-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

What is your opinion about treadle hammers in the blacksmith shop?

Thanks for the praise about the youtube videos. They are only 10 minute long videos but actually take me about two days to produce. I put them up so they can help people like you. There is more information on each topic on my website in the members area so check out the newsletters when you get a chance. Videos have their place and combined with the written word can be quite powerful education tool.

Treadle Hammers
Are they a useful tool?
Yes sort of. Since I build air hammers and have good control with them I can use it effectively as a treddle hammer. My opinion is that if a person can afford to build an air hammer that this is a better option.... but a good half way point would be an air assisted treddle hammer.

The big bonus with a treadle hammer is the control and cost can be quite low. They are not fast but you have a great deal of control with them for punching and texturing. They are unpleasant for drawing out, which I use my air hammer for all the time.

In short it depends on the type of work you do.

I hope this helps.

David

Wholesale Pricing of Blacksmithing Work?

2009-11-08T06:05:00.000-08:00

How to Price Blacksmithing Work at Wholesale?

Pricing is always difficult and wholesale can be tricky. Unfortunately I can't give you step by step but only generalities.

Work as many irons at a time that you can. a gas forge is easier in this respect as you don't burn the steel.

Jig everything possible that you can. Shape of the hook cut off etc. This will also give you an uniform product which the stores like. Unfortunately makeing the jigs takes some time.

Negotiatiate with the stores for better advertising "Locally Hand Made by Traditional Blacksmith" so they can ask a higher price than usual so you can charge a bit more.

Negotiate with the stores to advertise you so you can get larger commission work from customers. Pay them a finders fee perhaps 10% and build this into the price you charge the customers. In this case deal directly with the customers and don't have the store as a middle man if you can help it. It will save you many headaches.

In short you have to work as efficiently as possible to keep your cost per unit down. If you can work in multiples as this streamlines the process. Eg. curl 6 hooks, bend 6 hooks, cut 6 hooks, start over.

If you find you are doing much production consider hiring a student at minimum wage to do the non cost effective work such as painting. At first this seems like a large expense but if you keep them busy it does actually pay.

I hope this helps. I have sold wholesale for years and you can make decent income with it and you usually have few problems getting paid which is good and if you have a good relationship with the stores they will work for you too.

There is more information on pricing on the main site http://www.artistblacksmith.com/ in the members area under the articles.

David Robertson

What Flux to Use For Forge Welding Damascus Steel?

2009-10-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

What Flux is right for making Damascus Steel?

One of my family-members asks me right away if I could make a knife for him, made of damast-steel.
This is the reason why I'm coming with another question:
What product do you need for welding pieces together, or making damast-steel? In other words: what works best?
I've been looking on www.angele.de and they offer borax, magi-weld and something they call "Flutsch". The last one is black and looks like tar. Magi-weld is the most expensive but does that mean it works best?

I am not familiar with those products except the borax.
Some of the smithing fluxes have iron filings in them that help the steel stick, but this can muddy the layers in the pattern. Most of us use a product called 20 Mule Team Borax. It is laundry borax. Cheap and works well. Found in the laundry isle in the grocery store. Some people use borax ( boric acid) from the pharmacy which is more expensive but is more pure.

I strongly suggest practicing welding mild steel together many times before trying damascus steel. It is a very tricky process and requires a good deal of practice.

How To Make a Flint and Steel Striker for Primitive Fire Starting?

2009-10-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

How to Make a Strike-a-light for Primitive Fire Starting ?

First I think you are doing two great things. Teaching primtive fire starting and how to make a steel striker. Your success depends on the actual type of steel you use and the heat treating process that you use.

I have a video up on Youtube that answers most of your questions see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hld38Nqglgk

I use W1 tool steel but have had good luck with spring steel and others. Mild steel won't work. In the video I use an old rattail file which will work fine although not the cheapest way to go.

The heat treating is critical. It must be quenched just as the steel becomes magnetic. At this point it should through a spark with a sharp piece of flint. They will work like this but should be tempered a bit so they don't break as easily. Also the other key is that you need to catch the spark in charred cotton cloth. Again see the video.

How to Make a Basket Twist

2009-10-10T06:18:00.000-07:00

How do you make a basket twist?

Start simple take 4 rods weld the tips together both ends
Heat the bundle uniformly and clamp one end in the vise
Twist tight one direction
Then untwist a bit and the basket should open up
You may have to tap one end a bit to get it to open up as well.
You may have to use a pry tool to get them evenly spaced.
Large globe shaped baskets are much more work but can be made around a form then welded then twisted.
Experiment a bit and see what you get.

Alternative
Is to split the bar from both sides instead of welding. this is nicer but much more work.

What To Quench Tool Steel In?

2009-10-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

What is best to quench tool steel in to harden it?

Different types of steel require different quench media.
Some require oil some require water some require air quench.
It is best to refer to the manufactures guidelines and quench as close as possible to their recommendations.

If you quench an oil hardening steel in water it will be too brittle. If you quench the same steel in air it will be too soft.

The thickness of the steel will play a roll as well. Thicker sections usually mean you can quench in the next faster medium.

How to Make a Forge Fire Pot?

2009-10-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

How to make a coal forge fire pot?

The best solution for a fire pot is to buy a cast steel one from www.centaurforge.com or www.piehtoolco.com or www.blacksmithsdepot.com or www.nfap.ca all have good quality fire pots that will last a long time. They are expensive.

It is cheaper to weld up your own but don't expect it to least near as long. It is esentially a flat bottomed rectangle with tappering sides with a lip around the edge. General size top opening 10 by 8 inches, bottom size 6 inches by 4 inches with a 2.5 inch hole in the centre. Depth top to bottom 4 inches with tapering sides down to the bottom to fit. The lip around the edge about 1 inch wide.

You will need to add a grate in the bottom that is removeable. I have used one with 9, half inch (1/2") holes in it arranged in a grid pattern that fits over the 2.5 inch hole. This grate will get burned up but you can make another one easily. I have used 1/2 inch thick plate for this.

The plate thickness for the walls and the floor and the lip of the fire pot should be 1/2 inch thick or a minimum of 3/8 thick.

I think if you dig around www.anvilfire.com they may have some more information and diagrams.

Hope this helps. Really you are farther ahead to buy a cast one and spend the $200 or so. Save you a ton of time and much better product.

Gas Forge Precautions

2009-10-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

What is a list of precautions to take with gas forges?

Gas Forge Precautions

You are the proud owner of a new gas forge so how do you use it with out blowing yourself up?

1) Make sure the forge is set up on a stable surface well away from any combustible material.

2) The forge should be placed with the fresh air coming to you first then the forge. Remember the forgeproduces a lot of carbon monoxide, and produces a lot of carbon dioxide. It also use oxygen at a high rate.Carbon monoxide is poisonous.ALWAYS HAVE FRESH AIR ! If you feel light headed or nausea then shut the forge off and move to freshair immediately.

3) Place the burner in the forge as far down as it goes. Make sure it is secure.

4) Attach the hose and regulator. Attach the regulator to propane tank. Remember fuel threads are left handthreads. All attachment points should be secured with a wrench.

5) Check for leaks with dish soap and water. Also sniff the joints to detect any leaking propane.

6) Start the forge with pressure set to about 8 psi registering on the regulator.

7) Ball valve should be off. Place a lit piece of paper in the chamber and turn propane on. If you have anatmospheric burner (no blower) that should be it. If you have a blower right after you turn on the ball valve youneed to plug the blower in.

8) A flash back can occur if the propane velocity is lower than the air velocity. This can happen at lowpressures. The flame will go out in the chamber and start combusting inside the burner. The sound will changeand you will need to shut the ball valve IMMEDIATELY ! Increase you propane pressure and try again. Thisusually is not a problem with a blown system but could happen if the power went out.

9) Make sure your hose is out of the way of falling hot steel. Hot steel could melt the hose and ignite a fire.When the hose is connected make sure it is out of the way of direct heat from the forge as it could soften andmelt causing a fire.

10) When finished for the day shut ball valve off, turn off blower if any, shut main tank valve off. Always shutthe main tank valve so if there are any small leaks in the system you don't come into a pool of propane whenyou next start your forge. Propane will pool if there is a leak. This could ignite just by turning on a light switch.

11) General work usually about 8 to 10 psi. Forge welding 15 to 20 psi. If you are going to forge weld put apiece of sheet steel in the bottom of the forge to catch the drips of flux. Flux will eat the lining and the firebrick.These you will have to replace over time but why speed the process up. Fire brick on the front and back willeventually break and the support steel will sag. Replace when needed.

12) If you are working a long bar make a separate support that stands on the floor. This will help prevent theforge from tipping over.

13) Always wear safety glasses, and have a fire extinguisher nearby just incase.

Refacing an Old Anvil?

2009-10-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

Is it worth the time and trouble to reface an old anvil?

Refacing an anvil is not an easy job. My short answer is to just use it as it is until you find a better one.

If you use welding rod to build up the face you will have a lot of grinding to smooth things out and you will probably take the temper out of the surrounding steel meaning that you will have to heat treat the whole anvil.

Your other option is to have the surface milled to take down the high spots. This means you will have less surface thickness over all to work with, although it will be flat. With this you shouldn't have to heat treat it.

All in all considering time and money many people just find it cheaper to buy a new anvil. Try www.blacksmithsdepot.com www.piehtoolco.com or www.centaurforge.com or www.oldworldanvils.com for price comparisons on new anvils.

It is tough doing some of this work alone I would check www.abana.org for any associations in your area. It is great if you can talk to actual people and see demos close up.

Privacy and Artisan Blacksmith Blog

2009-10-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

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