Search results

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
  1. Broch

    All Change!

    Congratulations John - you'll realise very quickly that all those people that said 'I don't know how I ever had the time to go to work' were not joking; time flies, enjoy it.
  2. Broch

    Hand Forged Bearded Axe

    For 930C it's not necessarily a forge you need but a kiln - mine can go up to 1100C. Brass MP is between 900-940C so within its capability. However, if you want a forge, a home made one with electric bellows can reach well over that.
  3. Broch

    Hello from a hide tanner in mid wales

    Hi Jane, welcome to the forum :) That does sound interesting!
  4. Broch

    Not much about yet

    You can only attach photos directly into your posts if you subscribe as a full member; otherwise you'll need to use a link. There's quite a lot up in our wood now but we don't have garlic :(
  5. Broch

    Tengus New Stick

    Stick with it; I'm sure all will be explained in time :)
  6. Broch

    Tengus New Stick

    At a guess, I'd say it was a digging stick - but, as she's in the Iron Age not the Mesolithic, I am probably wrong :)
  7. Broch

    Hello there from Folkestone!

    Welcome to the forum :)
  8. Broch

    Hi from Liverpool.

    Welcome to the forum Eric :)
  9. Broch

    Oil for wooden shafts

    I have loads of different specialist wood oils, but now I just use one combination for all my woodwork, food grade, bows, or tool handles. I use mineral oil with beeswax - I don't want a slippery axe handle so mine aren't polished as finely as many. I make up a number of mixes so some are oily...
  10. Broch

    Greetings from Derbyshire

    Welcome to the forum :)
  11. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    Yep, my current bearing block is a granite pebble with a depression ground in it and polished - it will last forever. I think we need to remember paleo man carried everything with him. He did not rely on finding a good, dry, hearth or a seasoned drill, or make his string on the spot; getting a...
  12. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    No I haven't TBH; the spindle/drill is well seasoned and the cord I'm using is not that 'hard'. There are probably starter-cords and starter-cords :) I know there are some that are 'shiny' which are probably more likely to slip.
  13. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    I think that's the point, there is no 'best wood', so having more than one species provides a better likelihood of success :)
  14. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    I'd like to say I 'use natural cordage' but that would be a lie :) I have found the best cord to use is starter cord for strimmers and such, it doesn't stretch at all.
  15. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    No, no problem at all @Toddy, I know some people have great success with it, and I have managed to get it to work but not as well as others :)
  16. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    There you go! :)
  17. Broch

    GOOD WOODS FOR BOW DRILL.

    I'm currently using an elder drill on a maple (sycamore) hearth - it's very reliable for me. I think the dried pithy core actually helps produce a good ember. One wood I have not found so reliable for the drill is hazel. It's tempting to use 'cos it has nice round stems but I have failed to get...
  18. Broch

    BcUK fly of the month March 2024

    Making good progress; got the kit out :)
  19. Broch

    Hand Forged Bearded Axe

    No, I've been planning on getting some but not got around to it :) - I just go by the tempering charts for the steel (200C=62, 250=57, 300=55 approx).
  20. Broch

    Hand Forged Bearded Axe

    Hi Dave - it was finished apart from heat treating. I have a kiln so I was able to do that easily at home. It's tempered to around 56-58 so, not as hard as a knife - perhaps a little harder than a splitting axe.