I'm doing it! (getting started smithing)

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peter ryt

Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
290
I have compiled my final questions-
Should I go horizontal or vertical for my forge
Will channel locks work a tongs
where is a good source of railroad track (excluding junkyards)
will your average uhhh... claw hammer I think its called, work?
is there anything that I'm missing from this list of stuff for knife forging(i have sandpapper and files, and a bucket for quenching)

thanks
Peyton
 
Should I go horizontal or vertical for my forge
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Your choice, though you'll find more plans and advice on horizontals since they're more common.

Will channel locks work a tongs
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Hmm, I donno though I've thought of trying it. It might work. My laughable tongs are just machinists pliers with pipes forged to fit the handles.

where is a good source of railroad track (excluding junkyards)
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No clue besides a local scrapyard? A begininer anvil doesn't need to be a RR track, any good sized piece of steel with a flat section should work as well.

will your average uhhh... claw hammer I think its called, work?
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Yes, but badly. Claw hammers are harder then smithing hammers, you have a serious risk of chipping the hammer face and sending the chip flying, and if Murphy is involved it'll fly straight into your eye. You can get a better hammer for cheap from a hardware store though it'll be a pain to dress the face without power equipment.

is there anything that I'm missing from this list of stuff for knife forging(i have sandpapper and files, and a bucket for quenching)
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There's about a bajillion things you could get that'd be useful, but for things you NEED, only thing I see missing is a drill for tang pin holes, even that isn't needed if you only make peened buttcap stick tangs.
 
Oh, don't worry- my dad has a pre fab shop, and at hom we have a wealth of power tools- I'm just talking forging.
hmmm...
so then, it would be good to invest in a smithing crosspien hammer, the tongs can wait, and all i need is a hard piece of metal.
cool, thanks
 
I'm not an expert at forging by any means, but I've been using a couple of just general use 2-3lb hammers. One has a tapered head so that one face is about 1.5" wide and the other is about 3/4" wide. The other is just your run of the mill 3 lb hammer. I think I need to get a heavier one too cause I broke the handle on the tapered one and had to pin it back together :o
The biggest thing I found I had to do was grind the faces smooth so they don't mark up your work as bad.
I know there are better hammers for the job, but I already had these handy and they've been fine for getting some practice with the hammer and tongs. I'll upgrade to better tools over time.
 
No, don't use channel locks for tongs. First off, the handles are too short, you'll be way too close to the heat. Secondly, the jaws are just not well suited to holding your steel well enough to hammer on it.

A claw hammer can work, but I sure wouldn't recommend it.

Go to an antique shop and find a pair of tongs. I have several pair I got brand new, but I also have found several pair at antique shops for $10 each.

Go to a pawn shop or second hand store and buy yourself a 2 and/or 3 lb. cross-pein. Should be able to find one in good shape with decent handle for $3-10.

Trust me, those little things will make it much easier on you, much safer, and much more fun!!! :D

Nick

http://www.wheelerknives.com
 
my anvil is a piece of 1 1/2'' steel welded to a piece of I beam.
whole thing is about 12''L x 3''W x 6''H.

works for most things.
 
Peter, I looked at the tongs Kayne has and the flat bit looks good to me. I also like the oc V bit chainmaker tongs. One of the problems you'll encounter is keeping the blade you are forging from flying out of the tongs when you hit it just a little wrong. (Hint: Wear safety glasses and a baseball cap. The brim on the hat protectes your forehead when that red hot blade comes spinning toward your face :rolleyes: )
One solution to this is to get some 1/2" -3/4" wide thin steel and weld (or get somebody else to weld) two pieces across the bottom of your tongs one on the front, and one on the back. They shoud stick out on either side and the idea is to bend them 90 degrees up so that they bracket the blade and keep it from flying out of the side of the tongs.
Another solution is to get the V tongs and grip the blade by the edges. Better yet get both. Haunt antique stores, flea markets, and anyplace else you see old tools. Buy as many different tongs as you can manage. sooner or later they will all come in handy for something. Same with anvils. Keep your eyes on the classifieds, want ad digest, paper shop or what ever you have locally. They're out there. It just takes time and patience (and some money) to find them.
Good luck,
Ed
 
thanks ed
question on the anvil thing- harbor frieght has a cheap 55lb, 69 dollar anvil, but I hear that they are junk- should I make some sort of metal blanket for it and go with it since its cheap and easy, or go for quality?
 
Quality anvil; you will be looking at around $3 per pound if not more than that for a used one. Don't buy the Harbor Frieght, save your money towards something decent. When I first started, I tried beating on the flat part of my 6 inch vise, not good, no fun. Then I borrowed a 100# Peter Wright from a buddy. Made a world of difference. I don't think you can effectively move hot steel on a "soft" surface, an unhardened surface just absorbs too much of the energy.

I use wolf jaw tongs 99.99% of the time. I think they have 14 inch reins, and I use them for anything from 0.033 to 1.25 inches in thickness.

Go with a vertical forge if you can. You will be glad you did in the future.

I use a 2 or 2.5 pound (can't rember which) straight pein hammer to set my forge welds and for straightening blades. Seems like a nice weight for multipurpose work. I think I bought mine for $10 at a local bargain shop. And I did grind the face to be flat but that didn't help me not leaving marks in the steel. ;) Hammer control is not one of my strong points.

The biggest thing is to start small and have some fun, oh yeah and be careful. You can always upgrade in the future, but good tools are not cheap.

Just my $1.04 worth.
 
okay, go for a quality anvil, until then, will a little stake anvil work?

next, my mom is unhappy because of how loud a propane forges are- is there any way to dampen the sound. 3 other things- where should the vents be located, where should the door be located, and where would be a good place to mount the burner for a nice even hear. Sorry bout the questions, but all I can find are horizontal propane forge tutorials.
 
Laredo7mm said:
And I did grind the face to be flat but that didn't help me not leaving marks in the steel. ;)
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I meant not to use an old hammer with a gouged up face from working with chisels and stuff. Then you don't just get hammer shaped marks, you really mar stuff up bad.
Hammer control? I thought that was just not hitting your free hand :p
 
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