Forging

[big4wheeler]

Hey everybody
I've always wanted to forge iron and one of my friends just showed me this article from popular mechanics on how to build a homemade forge. http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journ...op/4303543.html
It looks fun but I was wondering what kind of work goes into forging blades, does it cost more and take more time than pepakura?

 

[TheSpartanMjolnir]

Hey everybody
I've always wanted to forge iron and one of my friends just showed me this article from popular mechanics on how to build a homemade forge. http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journ...op/4303543.html
It looks fun but I was wondering what kind of work goes into forging blades, does it cost more and take more time than pepakura?

I used to be on a sword forum, never quite like the discussion, plus, i just wanted to build a cool looking sword. To build swords you need a carbon type of block. The burn it and hammer it and dip it water. Sounds easy right, NOT! you have to that multiple times and do the custom details.

Heck yeah it takes more work than pep.

 

[juliet76]

I too have had an interest in black smithing. Just like armour building here on the 405th it can be time consuming and costly, but very rewarding. It's a matter of you get out of it what you put into it. Here's a link to Anvil Fire one of the more prominent black smithing sites/forums that I've found-

http://www.anvilfire.com/

Just like here MAKE SURE TO READ THREADS ON SAFETY! Working with some metals can be even more hazardous then working with fibreglass so make sure to do your research before doing anything.

Hope that's of some help to you Big4wheeler.

 

[Loess]

Smithing takes huge amounts of time and practice. But, it is a lot of fun to beat on steel with a hammer.

My advice is that if you start forging, get or build a gas forge. You don't want to spend most of your practice time tending a coal fire, when you can be learning how metal behaves.

 

[big4wheeler]

Alright guys thanks for the help
I just found out from my mom that my uncle use to forge so I'll see if I can get some extra info from him.
Juliet double thanks for the extra forum

 

[Privateer]

Cool to see some others interested in smithing I have forged quite a few blades and decor items in the past all the way up to a triple folded katana and I will say materials are cheap tools are high sweat is free lol. Over 300 hours on the katana and a average of 40 or 50 on a large bowie style knife. If you can afford it or know of someone who has one get a good size anvil as your first investment anything around 100lbs is perfect for blades and light armour, the heavier the anvil the less work on the smith. I was extremely lucky to get my hands on a vintage 1913 swiss made 313 pounder for a ridiculusly (sp) low price the guy didnt know what he had. Gas forge is a must but you can start out like I did with a Oxy Acetalyne torch with a large rosebud tip, even some of the harder wood varieties will produce hot enuff coals to forge light stuff when forced with a blower. But they introduce alot of carbon to your metal and can have adverse affects to the end result by making a really hard shell on a soft core that tends to crack along the surface.

Keep us updated on your progress.

Check out a friend of mine I meet up with yearly at the Texas Rennaisance Festival excelent workmanship and one helluva nice guy. http://www.varmouries.com/index.html

Cheers!

 

[big4wheeler]

Thanks Privateer! I will keep you guys updated but it might not be for a while, I just poured most of my money into a honda civic and I'm expecting to put a little bit more into getting it painted and what-not, so i will not be starting anything major just yet.

 

[Loess]

I was extremely lucky to get my hands on a vintage 1913 swiss made 313 pounder for a ridiculusly (sp) low price the guy didnt know what he had.

I hate you.... I'm stuck with a ~40lb cast iron ASO my dad and I dug out of a junk pile.

Gas forge is a must but you can start out like I did with a Oxy Acetalyne torch with a large rosebud tip, even some of the harder wood varieties will produce hot enuff coals to forge light stuff when forced with a blower. But they introduce alot of carbon to your metal and can have adverse affects to the end result by making a really hard shell on a soft core that tends to crack along the surface.

He speaks the truth, Acetylene is very useful if you don't have anything else, or if you don't have enough work to justify lighting the forge.

Big4, some of the tools are expensive (stay far away from a harbor freight doorstop, spend the cash for a real anvil) but you can scrounge, build, or re-purpose most of a basic shop if you have time to invest. My scrap-pile-sourced forge cost me about $100, and nearly all of that was for the ceramic fiber blanket.

 

[big4wheeler]

Ok Loess.