I appreciate your comment and it's one reason why I mainly prefer to show most of the process of making whatever items I do in videos and not just do a time lapse style where I only show the best parts and a pleasing end result. I like to show how I actually got to that result... Thanks. Glen
I'm very glad you can learn something from watching my videos - even maybe learn what not to do! Good luck in your work and sorry for the very slow reply. Thanks. Glen
Awesome idea, I have always had the thought that bending forks and bending tools should be made to be held in bench vices. Thank you for showing me a different way of thinking.
John, There are some really simple ways to go about making a tool/jig for bending hot steel that don't involve forging but I figured having a hardy bending fork would be best for what I want to do. Thanks for watching. Glen
40 years ago when i was an apprentice shipwright a blacksmith who i spent a week with told me when holding a hammer to tuck your thumb nail under your for finger! Its something i have never forgotten and makes hammer control and comfort using a hammer so much better! May take getting used to but at least try it, those old tradesman got to old and still working by using little tricks like this!
Excelente video Glen, realmente son muy útiles para los que recién empezamos en este mundo de fraguas , bigornias, hierro y acero, muchas gracias Glen. 👌👍
Walter, I think I will do basic technique videos in the future, knowing that there are lot of folks who are just getting involved in blacksmithing and are looking for direction. Thanks. Glen
That hot cutter you have is an absolute beast! I really like the handle you have on it. Thanks for sharing what you know, glen, the craftsmanship of your work is very nice.
Christopher, My hot cutter is made from H13 and the cutting angle seems just right for stuff like this. Granted this piece was only mild steel but the hot cutter edge didn't blunt at all. Thanks for watching. Glen
John, I'm not sure there's anything fantastic about this but I do appreciate you saying that! It should serve my purpose and I'll demonstrate using it in an upcoming video or two. Thanks. Glen
Another great video Glen. You have an excellent teaching style that comes off as a friend helping another friend. Keep up the good work. Your shop is always sooo clean.
Ron, At first, it was very hard to find my "voice" for making videos. In earlier videos, I sound like a robot reading off a teleprompter. I wouldn't say I'm much better now but just trying to be more natural. Sorry for the super slow reply. Thanks. Glen
It doesn't take much (tool wise) to start to blacksmith. And wit the proper skill, any number of items can be created using just minimal tooling. Thanks. Glen
That's a really good question ! In my own shop, every tool is covered with cloth because of humidity. By the way I wonder what is the best material to isolate an anvil from ambiant humidity. What's your secret Glen ? Thank you for your good work !
That's a good question. The humidity here is off the charts - tough environment to be a blacksmith... I feel that constant use of tools is the main factor in keeping rust at bay. Gabriel's idea of covering tools with (oily) cloths is a good idea and something I do for certain tools. And, I frequently spray and rub my tools down with WD-40. I like a light, sprayable oil like this since a heavy oil or grease would make things a mess when forging. I hope this answers your question. Thanks for watching. Glen
Ernest, More than a joke, that's actually very true. Anyway, I'm hoping to employ this bending fork to help me make some kinds of knots and will show that in an upcoming video. Thanks. Glen
Glen, I think Patreon would be a good fit for you. Put the link up there with your website and contact info. Add a short segment in your video to let people know. I'm sure there will be any number of people that would gladly throw a few bucks in there to help offset the cost of creating the videos you create that are so informative. I've heard several folks speak well of the platform. AAR
Albert, Thanks for your input on this. I will look into setting up an account and see what comes of it. Some people may find it more appealing/convenient than Paypal... Glen
Hi Glenn, thank you for your videos. I have full time blacksmith shop and I wondered where you picked up square anvils and what you like best for. Thank you again.
Mark, The block style anvils you see me using are my own designs which I had made here in Taiwan. I was having a hard time finding an anvil that suited my work style / need and so took advantage of the resources available to me and got these made (three styles in all). I am very pleased with them. They are made for 4145 steel and completely heat treated, top to bottom. Thanks for watching and good luck in your work. Glen
Sean, I used to offer my smallest anvil for sale but the high shipping, back and forth for different operations, and low margin on such an item made me stop, at least temporarily. But due to these videos, a lot of people inquire about my anvils. Thanks. Glen
Ron, That cone shaped hardy tool is a mini cone mandrel. It used to come to a finer tapered point at the top but I cracked it when heat treating (it's medium carbon steel) and so the top is more blunt now. Thanks. Glen
Rounding them off would definitely have been a smart move. I used my angle grinder after it cooled to ease the sharp edges some. I wasn't thinking too hard when I made this. Thanks for watching. Glen
Martin, Thanks for reminding me. I thought that would make a good project but forgot to work that out and make one for a video. Hopefully, I'll get to that soon. Glen
The block style anvils I use are my own designs that I had made here in Taiwan. Could be called hornless anvils or maybe swage anvils since they have swage functions. Thanks for watching.
if I may ask Glenn though a little off topic but I'd like to make videos as well but not sure what kind of editing software to choose what do you use Glenn thanks, bryan
Bryan, To be honest, I'm fairly terrible at filming myself and editing the footage. However, the software I use is just i-movie which is on my Mac computer, that's all. Once you get used too it, it's convenient for non-pros like myself to combine different clips and do basic editing. I used to just use the editing feature on RU-vid but it's a bit limited for some things. Thanks for watching and good luck in your work. Glen
William, I designed my block style anvils and had them made here in Taiwan. All told, I had three different designs made and am thinking about a forth. Very pleased with them... Thanks for watching. Glen
