Old hobby, new hobby BLACKSMITH FORGE!

[Buggyout]

I used to do smithing as a kid and decided the other week to get back into it. I made the forge from a brake drum, some metal pipes and a 3$ blow dryer. I found the stand at a local junk yard. The brake drum fits perfectly in it. Check it out:



Next, I fired it up. I bought some coal online and it costs me a bundle. If I lived on the east coast, I could get coal lots of places. Here on the west coast, coal is nearly non-existent. The box stores don't even sell the stuff. BAH! I'll be switching to a gas forge soon.



AWESOME!

-Buggy

[Buggyout]

So here is my "test" project - a railroad spike knife! I didn't really put a ton of effort into making this and its far from being done. I just wanted to make sure the forge could heat metal. I have lost a lot of skill, however, it is coming back to me:

[dalewick]

With all the coal around here, should I ask what you paid? Do you think you could make the blade for a Philippine bolo machete?

Dale

[Buggyout]

I paid $30 for 25 Lbs. :(

I won't be doing that again. I'll be ordering a propane oven soon. Something like this:


I can make just about anything given the right metal. Luckily, I have access to an old hoarder's junk yard. It's full of great medal; Leaf springs, old tools and the like. I found a bunch of files yesterday, BIG files! They make great knives.

Shaping metal is extremely satisfying for me. Haha!

-Buggy

[dalewick]

I paid $30 for 25 Lbs. :(

I won't be doing that again. I'll be ordering a propane oven soon. Something like this:


I can make just about anything given the right metal. Luckily, I have access to an old hoarder's junk yard. It's full of great medal; Leaf springs, old tools and the like. I found a bunch of files yesterday, BIG files! They make great knives.

Shaping metal is extremely satisfying for me. Haha!

-Buggy

OUCH! That hurt just reading it. $30 for 25 lbs. Someone is getting rich if that didn't include postage. I think it's selling locally for $150 a ton. Oddly enough though, for my foundry I use propane for heat since it has a more even heat and is so much cleaner. When you get you propane set up please let me know as I would like to get you to make me a machete blade if you will out of leaf spring. I'll get you a pattern and pics of my original. You can give me a price then. Working with metal is very satisfying.

Dale

[Buggyout]

Dale! Sure! It would be my pleasure.

Today, I tackled a file. It's turning out really nice. Check it out:

I talked to my neighbor, he's going to get me a bunch of sheds for handles. Gonna be NICE!

-Buggy

[dalewick]

Sweet! Looking good!

Dale

[CountryGuy]

Guy at the lumber yard is a hobby smitthy and being out here close to eastern PA he was compaining because if he buys rice anthracite it's like 15 bucks for a 50lb bag. He said he know's he's getting taken to the cleaners but he's got no need for a ton. Like Dale says if you wanted a ton of hard coal last I knew it was about 175 a ton around here for hard little harder to find soft. I'd asked the guy about propane but he said he just loves the old coal forge and sitting there cranking the blower and all that. I need to ask him if he does blades as I think he's only ever mentioned doing wrought iron pieces like railings, fire pokers and decorative items.

Buggy, just be bad this year and 'ol Santa Claus will bring you plenty coal for Christmas... LOL

[Buggyout]

Haha! I can be bad. VERY bad.

I do wrought iron stuff too. Edged stuff is my thang though. I would really like to stay traditional and use coal but, it's just not going to be an option. I'm serious, the west coast has absolutely nothing for sale. I've looked everywhere. It's not that we didn't mine coal at one time. There are old mines around. For some reason at the turn of the century, they stopped. I assume in favor of more logging or the lack of resources.

Another couple hours on the file knife. Still not where I want it, but its getting there.:

-Buggy

[Morgan101]

Buggy: look at you with a whole new career as a knife maker!! Looks like everything is turning our well. Do you know what kind of steel you are using, or does it even matter? Seems like the debates over which steel is best for a knife are as wide spread as which caliber is best for a gun. Glad you are having fun with it. Great skill to have if TSHTF.

[Buggyout]

Oh, metal matters. The higher quality steel, the better product hands down. The Iron railroad spike is fun to make and look at, but not much in the line of durability and use. Now, the files are made of high carbon steel. You're going to get an amazing product when making a knife out of them. Mine is almost done:

-Buggy

[dalewick]

Buggy, auto leaf springs are commonly made from 5160 steel and I believe most files are O1 or D2 high carbon tool steels. I used to make knives but sold off most of my tools when the wife and doc fussed after my heart attack. I'll get you a pic of my last blade tomorrow.

Dale

[RICHFL]

I learned on the knee of my grandfather. He was very old school. He started in 1901 working as a blacksmith assistant working for the lumber companies cutting old growth.

I remember helping him in the late 50's and 60's getting the forge started up all summer long. I learned a lot about metal from him... The man chewed tobacco drank a pint of whiskey every day and he was still shoeing farmers horses and fixing plows till he was forced to quit at the age of 89. What a man.

All of his black smith equipment went to establish a blacksmith shop and at logging museum in Wisconsin.

[Buggyout]

I learned on the knee of my grandfather. He was very old school. He started in 1901 working as a blacksmith assistant working for the lumber companies cutting old growth.

I remember helping him in the late 50's and 60's getting the forge started up all summer long. I learned a lot about metal from him... The man chewed tobacco drank a pint of whiskey every day and he was still shoeing farmers horses and fixing plows till he was forced to quit at the age of 89. What a man.

All of his black smith equipment went to establish a blacksmith shop and at logging museum in Wisconsin.

Rich, I would give my left, well you know, to get my hands on that old blacksmith equipment. People buy the stuff and hang them in their homes as antiques! They go for thousands of dollars. I would use the stuff.

I'm after a post vice now. let me know if anyone knows of one!

-Buggy

[RICHFL]

What he did was establish a working site at the museum so all could see what type of work was done in the old days. Most of his heavy equipment:: trip hammer, lath, blower were run on 4 and 8 inch leather belts.

Next year I'm taking my grand kids there over the summer. The ride to the museum starts with a 20 minute ride on an old coal fed steam engine. They have a Paul Banyan's restaurant near by. They still serve it like you were in a logging camp. Lots to eat, and no talking allowed.