- Joined
- Jan 13, 2000
- Messages
- 22
let me first start off by saying that i have been reading the posts here for a long time. I have printed out 2 binders worth of information regarding knife making and blacksmithing. I now have 2 books on knife making and 2 books on blacksmithing...tools, i now own my dad's old craftmans drill press, a buffer grinder, a belt sander, a metal band saw, and machinist tool box stuffed with goodies that i inherited from my grandfather the list goes on. Last weekend i made a very crude forge out of a old small round BBQ and a 5 gal metal bucket a hair dryer and BBQ coals. I cut up a rail road track so it looks somewhat like a anvil and heat treated in my little forge. Believe it or not it took about a half hour to heat the face to a med orange then i dunked it in a lage plastic bucket filled with water..a mistake..i did not figure on it taking forever to cool off and i could not let it go because it would melt the bottom of the bucket..so there i stand my arms getting tired waiting for it to cool being bathed in the hot steam of the anvil cooling off....finally it was over and i set it down on the ground ahh my first project in metal craft..i can not put in words how i felt..satisfaction comes close but i guess its the feeling of taking something raw and turning it into something usefull...all the work i put in to making the anvil all the cutting with the torch all the hand filling and sanding to get it somewhat flat and the end result came out beautiful..still crude but beautiful in my eyes..tried pounding some hot metal on it since i still had some hot coals and it works great not one dent or sign of pounding...so i am ready to begin my journy into knife makeing/ blacksmithing and to tell you the truth i have the bug bad...its all i ever think about i wake up thinking about it and go to sleep thinking about it..hopfully my girlfriend will stick with me thru it all she's a trooper but i tend to get caught up in stuff like this..anyways where was i mmm i dont know i guess i just had to tell someone...anyways just a short note to thank everyone for all the idea's and posting without which i would not have had a place to start..i will keep on posting now and then with updates..my next project is making a better forge a gas one.
randy
randy
