"Backyard Blacksmithing" pounding iron on the forge this evening!

Yeah I suppose that poler will last him for years to come. I also like the reverse twist. Any time I put a twist on something it's somewhat of a pain, because I use a Cresent wrench. I just need to take some time to make something that I can twist it evenly.

Your torch is absolutely cool!

 

Take an adjustable wrench and weld some steel rod opposite the handle. It helps greatly to even the twist. I've quenched either side of twists to keep it contained to a particular heated area of the stock. There is a bit of satisfaction when the stock is soft enough to twist and it cooperates.

Not my picture.

 

That is exactly what I plan on doing. But one problem I only have one wrench like the one in your picture but it's a smaller one. I'd like to get a couple of different sizes and haveat least two wrenches in each size I can twist different sizes of steel.
I suppose I could go to flea markets or check ebay for these wrenches. Just something I've never gotten around to.

 

I'd hate to deface an old wrench.

You could punch a square hole in some stock the size of the square rod.

 

I also hate to deface an old wrench as well. I have seen something similar in my blacksmithing books that you use square stock. Here's a picture. I just don't know how well something like this would hold it's shape and stay tight when you would torque it to do the twisting . I suppose if you make it out of heavy enough square stock you'd be ok. Again something i haven't had time to mess around with, one of these days!

 

Got about an hour in tonight with my son. He wanted to start a new knife, so he started out with an idea for another curved knife, and he decided to go with a clip point. I shaped the point and he filed the edges to shape. Maybe a handle tomorrow. I started filing my trade knife down to shape. I think a soak in vinegar to take the shine out will be in order.

I really like his little sticker. Maybe a full tang with cherry scales on his.

 

I really like that! Both knives are nice and I am sure going to be beautiful when finished! I wish that my son's would show a little bit of interest in some smithing that would be good because it would get me into the shop a little more. There's nothing like spending time with your boy's making something together by hand.

It's truly a dying art that does need to be passed along.

 

I remember saying that you have only been making the knives out of mild steel.

Have you checked any scrape yards in your area. I know that I have a scrap yard about a mile from my house and there is all kinds of good steel such as springs for dirt cheap! They get a lot of scrape steel from the locomotive shop here in town. Which it's full of locomotive springs. I think that I got 300lbs of springs for $60 a few years back. Of course most of them are gone now. I do still have some very large coil springs about 1 1/2" in diameter. Which when I get around to it will make some awesome hammers!

Leaf springs out of a vehicle are perfect you still have to forge them but they are thin enough that you have to beat on them all day to get the knife you want.

 

I have a few old files but no coil or leaf springs yet. I can source them no problem between the local scrap yard and auto shops. Almost ready to do one of those. Knife making has a gravitational pull to it that I can't ignore.

But yes, quality time and he is learning a lot and hopefully carry on the craft.

 

Nothing makes a sharp long lasting edge like a knife made from a file! If you don't temper them right they can break very easily that's the only drawback. I say as long as your not prying or chopping go with the file.

Iam glad that your son is enjoying the forging process.

 

This sign was bartered for the meat skewers. This was really a great trade.

 

Iam really liking the sign! I think that was a good trade!

 

The pins were a little too long on my son's knife and bent when I was peening it over. The scales are from pallet wood, possibly mahogany. Thin wood is not too forgiving. I cut and set the new ones already. He will sand and finish it today I believe.

 

Was your son upset at all? How old is he? Trial ans error that's the name of the game.

 

He was fine. Kind of that eye roll, "really dad?" look. He'll be 11 soon.

He asked to go to the scrap yard this morning before they closed. We picked some nice half inch thick allen wrenches for a few bucks. I think this will be the next step up. We'll pick some coil springs next time.

He finished the knife. I used shorter pins and filed them close to the scales before peening.



Lots of errant strikes but he is learning the angles of the hammer face to the metal.


The scrap yard sells I beams by the foot.

 

Heck for 10 years old he did an awesome job! He should be proud! My 14 year old wants to make a knife now. I recently got him a little intrested in watching forged in fire.

But I told him that I need to fix my flue for my forge first. For some reason I never got the draw for the smoke like I should. Iam frustrated because I have no problem with draw from my wood stove that TEE'S into the same flue! I am going to install my own style of flue fan with the help of Scotty Overkill . Hopefully this will take care of it so can get my son to the anvil!

I'll post pictures to show you my contraption hope to get it done this week!

 

How about a venturi type flue with the fan sitting on a wye pushing air up and out. Maybe drafts in your shop are causing smoke spill out, or lower the hood if you have one?

I've seen electric fans for forges partially diverting air using a gate to push air up a flue. There are in line fans that could work on an upside down wye to the same effect.

We were watching Forged in Fire a few weeks back too, and that got my son more interested in this. Taking electronics away for the day never hurts either.

 

That is exactly what I am going to do. I have a high power fan that I am getting for free. I am going to do a wye pipe and put the fan on a rehostat. I'll get pictures of the set up hopefully it will be done theis week.

I actually do have a hood over top of my forge it's larger than my forge and is closer. This has me baffled!





As you can see in this picture there's no smoke that's because all of the impurities are already burnt out of the coal. That's Scotty Overkill in the picture.

 

Maybe the tee is causing an air disruption over a wye. Separate flues would be ideal.

But when you look at the bottom opening of the hood versus the diameter of the forge flue at the top of the hood, the volume of air it needs to pull up the flue greatly increases, causing a reduction of draft. I can bet having sheet metal side panels on the back and sides of the hood down to the tray would really help. It would reduce the amount of air it is trying to pull up.

 

I've had this problem since before I tied my wood burner into the same flue. After I tied the wood burner into the flue with the forge the situation has not changed at all! I am not sure if you can see it in the picture but the back of the hood does come down and meets the forge. The hood allows the forge to be open on 3 sides. I have no problems what so ever with back draft on the wood burner. I even built a fire in the wood burner to get the draw for the forge smoke going but there was no change at all.