Please allow me to introduce myself

R

Rody

Joined
Nov 3, 2007
Messages
153
Hi all,

I've been lurking here for quite a while and thought it was about time to introduce myself:

My name is Rody, 30, mechanical engineer and I'm from Holland. Next to mucking about with metal my interests are motorcycles (I ride a K1100RS) and making music (I play bass in a soul/disco band).

I've been interested in making blades and forging for well over 10 years, but only managed to get started around 2 years ago. My then wife gave me a 1-day knife-forging workshop for my birthday and I've been hooked ever since. Since then I've done a sword-making workshop (well, sword-shaped object in my case ;-) ) and an axe-head making workshop. I've been piecing together my shop over a period of time. The score so far:

- 1.1 kW grinder (4" wide with horizontal platen, 6" contact wheel), plan to build a KMG clone since Beaumont doesn't ship overseas and I like building stuff myself
- various hammers in various sizes (ball-peen is my favourite)
- various tongs
- various files and saws
- large drill-press
- stationairy band-saw (need to swap out the motor for a 3-phase. i have a Siemens 2HP micromaster VFD I can use to get the speed into the range suitable for cutting metal since the current motor runs at woodworking speeds)
- stick-welder
- oxy-gas set
- measuring equipment (calipers, micrometers etc)
- 275lbs Peddinghaus anvil (yeah!!)
- account on bladeforums.com (very important tool)
- 1200 lbs of forging coal (awesome deal at $100, from a construction company gone belly-up)
- various bits 'n pieces
- safety equipment (respirator, molded earplugs, goggles etc)

All I need to really get started is to build my coal-forge. I was thinking of welding one together myself from heat-resistant stainless (310/314) but this stuff is ridiculously expensive. I'm still researching alternatives. I already have a squirrel-cage blower with VFD to power it.

So there you have it. Don't worry, I've lurked long enough to avoid asking the obvious questions, I hope...;-)

Cheers

Rody
 
Welcome Rody

Like you, I also more lurk and learn here.

Interesting set up you have started, my wish for you is that forging steel is as much a blessing for you as it for most here!

Cheers

Kevin
 
good start on the tools, especial the Peddinghaus, thats my dream anvil.
How about a forge from a break drum, save that expensive steel.
 
Coal forging is nostalgic and romantic and many do it. My first coal forge was made from a large break drum, slopped with refractory cement. My blower was a hair dryer.

After forging on a gas forge, I got one and threw out the coal forge. Cleaner, and I didn't have to spend time tending the fire (which I sucked at by the way).

Good luck and welcome to our group!
 
Thanks for the welcome. WRT the bike, euro bike for euro trash, i guess ;-)

Wrt the brake drum forge: that is the main option on the list. I have the feeling that drums from american cars have greater wall-thickness than from European/Japanese cars, I'm not sure though. I'll have to visit a few "vehicle disposal facilities" to find out.....

As to tending a coal forge, I find it to be very soothing (or sooting if you will) and therapeutic. I just hope my neighbors will agree :D

Cheers Rody
 
"I'm a man of wealth and taste"


Sorry just being a smartass again thats the first thing that popped into my head after i read your thread title.
I woud agree with the other responses as far as the forge goes, and if youline it with a bit of refractory I'm sure you will get a year or better out of a brake drum forge(enough to burn up that coal you have). That way you can use standard building iron for the res of it and save yourself some $$$
In my experience we knifemakers never have enough.
Great anvil, and a good start on the rest, although you will find in time that you will collect more.
Thanks,
Del
 
delbert ealy said:
"I'm a man of wealth and taste"


Sorry just being a smartass again thats the first thing that popped into my head after i read your thread title.
Del
Click to expand...

Well, I was a smartass for choosing that title (it was chosen deliberately). Great minds think alike huh...:p

Cheers Rody
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! I look forward to seeing your work!

delbert ealy said:
"I'm a man of wealth and taste"


Sorry just being a smartass again thats the first thing that popped into my head after i read your thread title...
Click to expand...

Im glad im not the only one to think that!
 
OK I know I'm not the only sick bastard out there "Symapathy" and "Paint it Black" are my favorite stones songs (lots of fun to perform)

Coal is a great way to get good cheap really strong heat, I had some bad coal at one point, after about 2 years, got frustrated, bought a gas forge and have been using gas ever since for blades. It's expensive, but clean and very controlable. I am rehabilitating my coal forge this summer so I can play with some big stuff without going broke, (I'm also organizing a hammer-in project for my local SCA group forging out an iron gateway which we will probably dig pit forges for)
Welcome to BF
hope you're around for a long long time
and spend many nights forging blades!

-Page
 
I started with a hand blowe char coal forge. I linned mine with local clay. where it craked I filled it with sand or clay depending what I had on the day.
I have 3 venturi gas forges. They are great howeve I do sometimes miss the ability of the char coal forge to heat just a small area not the whole blade.

I don't miss the way I useto get carried away forget the blade and burn it off with too much heat . That is the best part of the gass the temperature control It is not better just that you can set it without fear of burning.
 
Sam Salvati likes to work with coal forges, and he recently just built one. Try asking him any questions that you might have regarding building one.
- Mitch
 
Welcome Rody, You could get a truck brake drum, they are big and beefy, or use your engineering skills to build you an efficient gas forge, you will probably end up with 2 or more anyway. Hey, ship your bike over here and I will ride along with ya, we can blow the seats off some oil puk'in harleys and visit some world class knife makers...Yaah.
 
Welcome Rody: :thumbup:
Happy to see you come aboard Bladeforums. There are some great people on here. You will love being a part of this family. :)
And by the way, I play guitar as well. I have noticed other musicians making knives. At one time I was starting to think that I was the only musician that made knives. Thanks for posting. :D
 
Hi y'all,

I found an ad on what would be the Dutch equivalent of craigslist. A forge with a hood for E70 (~$100). The firepot is a store-bought one with ashdump and clinker breaker built into a homemade cart. The blower needs exchanging since it's from an old vacuum cleaner and goes way too fast unless fully choked, but it works for now (It's also noisy but what the hey..). I couldn't resist firing it up just now. It works like a charm. Once I install the hood and move my anvil from the livingroom (being divorced has SOME benefits ;-) ) to the "smithy" I'm good to go!!

Anyone have a good link for bar stock (both plain and 5160/10xx) and rebar in Holland?

Cheers Rody

ps I will post pics soon, just need to set up a server...
 
Welcome Rody! Here is a picture of the forge I built from the ground up, table, firepot, tuyere, ash breaker, ash dump, and everything.

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l_3d72e1b1ed13d3d8fe0da0e0d92759bf.jpg

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Side draft works GREAT, no need for a hood.
 
Hey Sam,

Thanks for the pics. Sweet setup!
As you can see in my previous post, I just bought a forge with hood. I'll save the pics for future reference though..
Does the draft come from the chimney or do you have a fan to create the draft?

Cheers rody
 
The draft is entirely from the chimney design itself, there is a formula to use to get enough natural draft touse a side fdraft and it is, the opening for the smoke to go into on the forge table itself must be smaller than the inner area of the pipe being used. It works even better when the pipe heats up and the fire is going really good, but has enough draft that even when cold when you stick a match near the opening it blows it right out, and if you hold the smoking matchstick above the opening it will pull the smoke down into the opening.
 
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