Just had to let you know. many years before you were born I worked with old time metal smiths that would forge and make almost anything for heavy equipment and farm machinery. I learned tremendous amounts. Then years and life happened and all that wisdom and common sense receded. I want to thank you for bringing that knowledge back. I no longer work in big metal but small fine art. The techniques that you use are what I am now relearning, using and it has opened unbelievable doors. So I just want to say thank you for posting, explaining and and helping me rediscover the joy of metal smithing and taking my art to the next level. In your debt, John
Hey Guys especially you Newbys out there. Listern to Mr Switszer he's a true master Smith and so far brought me a long way along the road to becoming a Hobby Smith. I will never be as good as him But I'm so gratefull for his expert education. Thank You as always John
I agree with everything you covered, but you left out the skill of cussing at a piece of steel until it does what you want it to. Word choice can be critical!
I have only just started my black smithing and thanks to others advice and your videos I have learned to forge weld and fold metal I am currently working on drawing the metal.
Another great series coming up. Awesome! Perhaps you can also cover folding/welding , ala Japanese style, and adding carbon to the folded steel. I only have access to scrap steel (mower blades, RR spikes, etc) and wonder if this would improve the quality of the steel. Thank you.
Great thanks. Reminds me that I saw an interesting way of upsetting in Lilico's manual. Where the heated bar is bent slightly and confined between clamps, then hammered flat.
Very nice list thanks so much John. Very helpful video and helpful. Can't wait to see more videos. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work John. Forge On. Keep Making. God Bless.
That was a pleasant surprise. I just happened to find this channel. I look forward to the basics videos.... Thanks for all that you do. I subbed, of course... Be well...
This is the series I’ve been hoping for! Once I finally find a good deal on an anvil near me, I’ll be ready to follow along with you all in one playlist! Thanks for this!!
Going to do my first course. Getting to an age where i want to find somthing i can do alone and enjoy it. Enduro motocross all my friends dont have bike or got rid of them. So ive been always intrigued about black smithing. Anvils arent cheap but will last me a life time and i can make my own tools to play with steel. Cant wait 👍🇨🇦🇺🇸
I'm just about to start on my Blacksmithing journey and really appreciate content like this to add to a practical education. Thank you for sharing.... Cheers from Alberta!!
O Paulo, le todo esse comentario. Se tu voltou aqui depois ou logo antes de comprar as coisas pra realmente coemcar a ser um ferreiro. Cara saiba que eu estou muito orgulhoso de vc. No momento agora eu to sozinho na casa Cedar Park, o joao foi jogar um m25 no mexico a nat ta na casa dos pais dela desde sexta. To meio sem saber oque fazer e vim ver esses videos. Mas enfim, se tu realmente ja ta podendo fazer isso cara vlw por nao ter desistido de mim. Espero que tudo esteja o maximo. O pior eh que provavelmente de vez em quando tu vai lembrar dessa epoca q eu to vivendo e sentir saldade e ou nostalgia. E cara nao ta facil nao. Eu tenho que ir no tribunal la pra tentar revindicar a minha conta de 400 dol a multa tlg. E nao sei eh a unica coisa que me preocupa no momento, fora a questao de fazer grana o suficiente pra pagar a facul neumm. Isso sempre. Mas vai dar certo, Temmmm q dar. Acho que eh isso vei sla, fica bem ai seu pangua.
I like skill #8_picking up dropped work with a pair of tongs . But I think #9 beats them all , Having the ability to teach these Skills . And as a hobby Blacksmithing has become an obsession so i'm really looking forward to all of your 7 fundamental skill videos John . :)
that's a very nice "south German" pattern anvil! i looked, and looked, but couldn't find one in the 75 kg weight, and an "affordable" price, buy ended up with the same type of horns, just missing that nice little "sidebar"..
Depending on exactly what you're doing it can become more basics. I've mostly made pieces that require hardening and tempering. It sounds easy, and there are many examples out there on te internet but most of the time they make a fatal flaw during the quenching/hardening process. They move it. If you want it to be a reliable process, you MUST hold it still. By moving, you get hotter oil on one side, and colder on the other (or whatever material you're using, but I highly recommend investing in specialised hardening oil as that's the easiest and most reliable material) which greatly increases the risk of warps, cracks, or even breaking. Tempering is a must after quenching. If you've done your quench right your work should be extremely vulnerable. Hard as glass, but just as brittle. Tempering is reducing the hardness a bit and get more elasticity in the steel. There are several levels each of which have a function. If you want a kitchen knife for instance, you want minimal elasticity and maximum hardness and thus you'll go for a temperature of around 200°C. A survival knife around 240, impact tools are 280-300 (hammers, and axes e.g.), and spring steel is 400. Above 400 you'll lose all hardness. There are two reliable ways of determining the temperature. My preferred one is looking at the oil. Directly after quenching the oil still sticks to the steel, and starts smoking at 180-200°C. A thick smoke for survival knifes, and you burn it away for impact tools. Spring steel can be tested with a thin strip of wood. If you strike the steel like it's a match it should just catch on fire (repeat it occasionally so you won't overshoot it). There's also a way to do it after you've cleaned your steel (by grinding or filing) which is based on colouring. I've never used that before, so I could not tell you what colour belongs to what tempering level. Tip: if you've made a kitchen knife, you can set your very ordinary kitchen oven to 200°C and put the blade in for a while (I recommend 15-30 minutes, so you can guarantee an even heat). Edit: another important thing to know is that making a forge weld without supporting "tools" (flux) is a very unreliable way as you cannot know how many impurities (and thus stress risers, and chance of breaking) are in the weld.
I agree 100% with you!! I've been watching your videos for about 3 years now and always learn so much from them. One thing I would like to see and struggle with is hammer techniques. Half face blows, good fast efficient drawing, use of different hammers, etc. Thats one thing that I haven't found on any channel. Really appreciate ALL your videos and hope I can get to even 50% of your skill. Thanks for ALL you do!! MERRY CHRISTMAS 2021!! LaMont Where The Metal Meets The Wood
I purchased my anvil from Steve Fontanini about 6 months ago. I have taken the dive and made a bit of debt but I got an Anyang 242lb hammer. I figured I'll probably only be able to get a power hammer once, so I went BIG. I just learned that it arrived for pick up here in SLC, UT late yesterday so I'll go get it Monday morning. If you'd like I will keep you abreast of the advancement of the installation. Thanks Again!!
I'm trying to post the regular videos from the main channel on Sundays. SO I will post these mid weeks, although at the moment I haven't been able to commit to a schedule.
Hi Sir Anthony Smith here What would be a good formula to know how much material to cut off before sthirty on your baking scrolls and making a pointed end to drive into wood. I am going to be making a shoe holder.
Still learning still watching and learning.do you endorse this book these are mentioned in this book.... Blacksmith: Apprentice to Master Or have you even heard or have read it???? 🔥🔨
Sorry about that correction on spelling. Lazy Susan scrolls and your twist with a point at the bottom to drive into wood. To hang your shoes on muck boots. I'm sure you have the ideal now.
He seems like the kind of man who treats his wife with respect and honor, is patient with his children or students, is not easily offended, is considerate and kind hearted toward his neighbors, and bears wisdom in his heart toward life and his work. I really would feel unworthy of being around this man in person... Maybe this feeling is like what is written in scripture where people would feel unworthy of God or Jesus’s love or something... I hope and pray I can be like this man one day, and grace the world with my character and heart and skill.
I have a question that i would like some feedback on. When a fracture, or cracks occur in a blade thats forged welded. I see people trying to weld to fill the crack. I think that automatically creates a week spot. My question is would the weld fill be more effective if the steal was heated to a temp before you weld ? I know temp control is everything when trying to move materials. Temp is everything when forge welding , so it would only make sense to heat the material b4 trying to weld a repair. Feed back please !
Proper welding procedures already induces the required localized temp to weld, hence it exist. But theres pre heating and post heating procedures done on certain high carbon steel alloys that further assures the best weld environment. The problems I see aside from poor welding jobs leading to failure is the usually softer weld metal used to fill the crack lacking the homogenized properties of a solid blade, the localized tempering/softening on the weld area on an already quenched/hardened piece, and the blotched look after acid/etching treatments. Hope it helps.
