BCUK smiths

[Neumo]

I tried a DIY forge I made a few times last year & want to get back into it again as it is so much fun. I have seen Dave Budd’s knife making demo a few times & found it fascinating . I love the idea that you can get into it very cheaply & start making things out of metal that are useful, to me anyway. I will keep an eye on this & will join the group as I want to learn more. Maybe we could do something at the moot if it takes off.

 

[Whittler Kev]

Another customer request for you perusal

He wanted three simple hooks to hang his new fire tools on (including his new poker I made him)

detail of the log dog

 

[ForgeCorvus]

I was apprenticed for three years in my late teens, fell out of it for a while but have since done some odds and ends using other peoples gear

Once made a Dane-Axe for a TV program, it did air but I never got to see it

Looking to get my hand bellowed forge up and running again, space has been the biggest problem.

 

[JohnC]

Would like to know a bit more about smithing after Everything Mac's tutorials at the Comrie Croft meet, I'm hoping to get a piece of rail knocked more into shape as an anvil...
I've made a knife, and made a fork (under supervision) but I'd like to do a bit more.

 

[Everything Mac]

Did that turn out ok John?

Hope you took something away from it.

Andy

 

[Allybally]

After seeing the rail anvil at Comrie getting a beating, i've made my own and have made my first knife, sooo much to learn!!
Hope to see some tips

Aldo

 

[lannyman8]

funnyn this thread should come up again, it must be fate.......im making, or addleast trying to make damascus steel next weekend at a meet....

im going to useing a sledge hammer as an anvil (my normal one as its all i have) and club hammer, air bed foot pump with steel pipe as air flow, raised earth nest shape and will probably line it with some gravel of some sort, this should keep it nice and hot.....the fuel will be wood and coal......

the billets are going to be realy small though, probably just enough for a carving type blade.........

well we shall see how i get on, will be sure to take lots of pics (if the battery in the cammera dont die....lol...)....

regards.

chris...................

 

[cletus]

Hello lads i'm new to all this just have been watching for a while,made a few knives and odds and sods just finished my forge and going to krank it up tomorrow. Made from an old landy wheel so will be asking all sorts of questions like coal or charcoal that sort of thing. Ill try and put some picys up well i'll get the wife to anyway.

 

[Everything Mac]

I think we need pics.

Chris - don't line it with gravel mate - there is a good chance that the gravel will pop and maybe explode everywhere - not ideal.

you could line the forge with sand though mate. Pm Dave Budd - he uses a forge like that. You are in for one hell of a job though mate - I suggest you get something like this if electricity isn't an option.
http://www.tents-sale.com/index.asp?pcode=590320&l1=Camping Equipment&l2=Sleeping&l3=Outwell

it pumps on the up and down stroke so you get a more even air flow.

I've never had any luck with damascus myself. - make sure you have lots of flux though.
Best of luck!!!


Hi Cletus - welcome aboard! I look forward to seeing your forge.

Ally - can't put a face to your name but best of luck mate

Andy

 

[lannyman8]

hi Andy, ye i know about the gravel, what i mean is sand stone small pieces like grevel, no the normal flint type.........doh should have said......

i have flux coming this week (borax) and if i run out i will have to burn some straw (im using it as tinder for teaching) and use the ash as a flux, this has been used for thousands of years, so i have been told, also sand can be used.......

realy realy looking forward to it, if it does not work out i have plenty of 01 to play with........

chris...

 

[Everything Mac]

Did not know that straw ash could be used - I've heard of using sand though.

I do believe a picture thread is in order when you do it.
Best of luck to you.

Andy

 

[Dave Budd]

What ever you do, DO NOT LINE WITH GRAVEL! Sand stone, flint, or finest marble if it's got any moisture in it (and chemically combined water that releases upon heating), then it WILL explode! I've dug my ground forge into pretty much every soil type now and I've seen a lot of things go pop! sometimes its only a bit of charcoal that gets moved, but I have retreated to a safe distance while the stoney shrapnel and embers died down!

Just use clay or clay tempered with sand, or just use soil if its sticky enough.

Asfor the straw ash as flux, that's a japanese thing. They use rice straw ash as the main component of their special recipe flux. I don't know how well it will work with steel but it seems to work OK for them with wrought iron. Same with sand (silver sand ideally). Borax is the usual flux these days as it actually cleans the surface of the metal as well as excluding the oxygen, which is all the ash/sand do.

 

[lannyman8]

thanks Andy, and as ever your the mane Dave.............

chris.......................................

 

[cletus]

Hello lads i'm new to all this just have been watching for a while,made a few knives and odds and sods just finished my forge and going to krank it up tomorrow. Made from an old landy wheel so will be asking all sorts of questions like coal or charcoal that sort of thing. Ill try and put some picys up well i'll get the wife to anyway.

 

[Everything Mac]

That set up looks really good Cletus.

Were the blades in the 3rd picture all forged or was there some grinding too? They are amazing if it's just forged.

Andy

 

[lannyman8]

View attachment 4457View attachment 4458View attachment 4459View attachment 4460View attachment 4461

good work mate, love that blade in the middle, looks a right beast.............

 

[cletus]

all old files mate just hardened them on forge . just starting on the forge it is all new to me loveing every minute though.

 

[robin wood]

Hello lads i'm new to all this just have been watching for a while,made a few knives and odds and sods just finished my forge and going to krank it up tomorrow. Made from an old landy wheel so will be asking all sorts of questions like coal or charcoal that sort of thing. Ill try and put some picys up well i'll get the wife to anyway.

Charcoal is my fave, good quality English lumpwood charcoal. Blacksmiths coke is easy but not always easy to come by, coal can be used but is a pain since you have to break it into even sized small pieces and coke it (burn off all the smokey cr*p) before forging.

 

[lannyman8]

help please!!!!!!

ok, im trying to make damascus at the weekend, i have or will have borax by then, will use a coal forge have a big hammer etc..... just need some advise on the billet, i only have a small amount of steel though.....the plan is to use old steel so if i mess it up its cost me nout.......

i have O-1, (broken knife blade handle) L6, (old saw blade) and W-1 or W-2 (old file). i have 2x O-1 2x L-6 and 1x W-2..... the order i was planning to build the billet is:-

O-1 L-6 W-2 L-6 O-1 is this the correct order (as such) and is it the order you would put it in.........

thanks for the help gents......

chris....................................

 

[Dave Budd]

the order you put them into will depend on the contrast you like O1 is black, L6 is almost silver (though most of our blades aren't the high nickel L6 the yanks have, so ours are pale grey) and W1/2 is grey (compared to O1).

If you've not made any before then leave the O1 out, it's funny about working temperature and you could end up with loads of cracks in the billet. Might be best off having a practice with the files/bandsaw and mild steel, just to make sure your welds are good. If the bandsaw is industrial thickness, then go for that it's more forgiving at temperature than files, but they aren't too bad. With a practice billet I'd go for a stack of 4" long and about 1" square with 4 layers each of mild and bandsaw by preference, its a good size to work by hand and can produce enough material for a few knives if you don't waste too much

Also, heavy hammer ONLY for drawing the stock when welds are good. use a light hammer and light fast blows to get the welds set, if you smack it then it will just blow apart!