I switched from a beat up 100 pound anvil to a 150 pound Fisher last month and my welds started falling apart at the same heat I always used. Turns out the mass difference was pulling heat way faster out of the billet. Has anyone else had to crank up their forge by 50-75 degrees when moving to a heavier anvil?
Last Tuesday I was working on a set of kitchen hooks from old horseshoes and everything just clicked - no missed strikes, no warping, even the twists came out even on both sides. I finished a whole batch of 12 in about 3 hours when it usually takes me close to 5. Has anyone else had one of those days where your hands just know what to do?
After 8 months of forging I ran into an old timer at the Masonville flea market who watched me make one hit and said 'you're choking the handle like a baseball bat, loosen up,' and it fixed my wrist pain almost overnight, has anyone else had a random stranger point out a basic flaw in their technique?
Last week I finished 6 fire pokers in 5 days which is way faster than my usual pace. I switched to using a jig I made out of some scrap angle iron from the old barn on my property in rural Oregon. It cut my bending time almost in half and I didn't mess up a single twist. Has anyone else tried building simple jigs for repetitive work like this?
Been running a propane forge for about 4 years now, but a guy at the local shop let me fire up his coal forge last Saturday. The heat control was way more responsive and I got a cleaner weld on my first try compared to fumbling with gas adjustments for 20 minutes. Anyone else switch fuel sources and stick with one over the other?
I usually just use a ball peen for everything, but this old timer showed me how a simple hammer drift lets you set the rivet head cleaner without marring the surrounding metal. Took me maybe 5 minutes to get the hang of it. Now I'm wondering why I didn't try this method sooner. Anyone else got a tool they ignored for years that ended up changing their workflow?
I got a $40 anvil off Craigslist last month and figured I'd try forge welding on it without checking the steel type. After one pass the face started pooling like butter and now I've got a lumpy mess with a crater in the middle. Anyone else ruin a tool by assuming it was high carbon when it was just cast iron?
Kept getting these weird scale marks and dings even on mild steel projects, then an old timer at a shop in Knoxville watched me for 5 minutes and pointed out I was hitting at a slight angle instead of square. Has anyone else fixed a basic habit like that and seen a huge difference in tool wear?
Honestly, I always thought a fly press was just a fancy toy compared to a power hammer. But last weekend at a meetup in Portland, this older smith let me try his 3-ton fly press on a 1-inch round bar. After three passes I could see the metal moving way faster and more even than my hammer work. Have any of you switched and found it worth the floor space?
I've been using lump charcoal for years because it's cheaper and easier to find around here. Last week I finally broke down and bought a bag of bituminous coal from a supplier 40 miles away. The difference was night and day - my steel heated way more evenly and I didn't have to constantly adjust the air flow every 5 minutes. I got a cleaner weld on a 3/8 inch bar in half the time. Has anyone else switched fuels and noticed a big change in their work?
Last week I was working on a fire poker for a customer in Cleveland. I went to forge weld a joint like I always do, and it just fell apart on the anvil. For the tenth time that month. An old timer walking by my shop saw me cuss under my breath and asked if I was fluxing the joint before welding. I told him sure, I sprinkle a little borax on there. He shook his head and said I needed to heat the steel to a dull red first, THEN apply the flux, then bring it up to welding temp. Apparently I was putting flux on cold steel all these years and it was just burning off before it could do any good. Tried his way on the next weld and it stuck perfect first try. Anybody else learn a basic technique wrong for years before someone corrected them?
I was reading this forum the other night and some guy was showing off his 150lb Fisher anvil he got for $200 at a farm auction. Made me remember the one I saw at a estate sale back in 2014 for $150 with a cast steel body and no face damage. I talked myself out of it saying I didn't need another anvil, and now I kick myself every time I see prices for similar ones. Any of you ever pass up a deal that still keeps you up at night?
The firebrick lining cracked on the third heat and the steel shell bowed outward on the fourth, so now I'm out the money and half a day grinding rust off my anvil from the fallout has anyone else had a prebuilt forge fold on them that fast?
Was doing a live demo at the local Renaissance Faire in October and some guy kept leaning over my shoulder asking if I could make a sword in 20 minutes. Has anyone else had to deal with clueless crowds ruining your flow on the anvil?
Been grinding on kitchen blades in my tiny shop near Boise, ID, and the first hamon line actually popped on a 1095 blank last night - took 4 failed attempts to get the clay right. Anyone else get that weird satisfaction when a blade finally shows its character after all that grinding?
I was at a hammer-in last month and this old guy watches me work for a minute. He says 'you know you're twisting your wrist on the downstroke, right?' I thought I had it down pat, but he showed me how I was using my whole arm instead of just snapping my wrist at the end. Now my hammer hits are way more controlled and I'm not getting tired after 20 minutes. Anyone else have a basic move they had to unlearn after thinking they had it figured out?
I've always been a coal guy. Been running my old rivet forge for about 4 years now. Last month I picked up a used two burner gas forge at a swap meet in Harrisburg for 80 bucks just because it was cheap. Figured I'd try it out on some simple projects. First few heats felt weird, no visual feedback from the fire color. But I tried forging a chef knife from 1080 and the heat control was way more consistent. No hot spots or cold spots like I get with coal. The blade hardened evenly on the first quench. I still like the ritual of coal but the gas forge definitely has its place. Anybody else switch and regret it or stick with it?
I was counting up my orders last night for my shop inventory and realized I passed 1,000 bottle openers made over the last 3 years. I mean, it's such a simple little project, right? But seeing that number on paper made me stop and think about all the weekends I spent at the anvil just banging out these tiny things. Has anyone else been surprised by a milestone like this with their work? What was your unexpected number?
I've been going back and forth on this for months now. I started with a coal forge my grandpa gave me, and I love the heat control but man the smoke and cleanup is a hassle. Last week I tried a buddy's propane forge at his shop and it was so clean and easy to start up, but I felt like I couldn't get the same welding heat. Which one do you all prefer for general bladesmith work? Has anyone switched and regretted it?
Was reading an old forum thread last night and found out the bick (or horn) on a farrier anvil actually came from the French word "bic" meaning beak. Never really thought about where the name came from, but it makes sense now. Anyone else ever dig into the history of their tools like that?
I've been strictly forge welding for 8 years, thought MIG was cheating. Then this guy named Dale at the Portland hammer-in last Saturday showed me a knife he did with a MIG stitch weld on the tang. He said 'the steel doesn't care how you stick it together, it just cares if it holds.' Watched him do a bend test right there and it held perfect. I bought a small MIG setup the next day. Anyone else had their whole approach flipped by watching someone work?
I was at a craft fair in Bend last fall, and a guy picked up one of my chef knives. He turned it over and said, 'Great steel, but the handle feels like an angry potato.' I was so focused on the blade I never really thought about handle shape. I spent the next two months just carving and sanding different handle profiles until they fit a real hand. What's the dumbest piece of feedback you've gotten that actually helped?
I got this new apron to keep sparks off my jeans, but the first time I bent over the forge, the bottom corner dipped right into the coal and caught fire. I had to drop it and stomp it out while my buddy just laughed from across the shop. Anyone have a good apron that doesn't try to turn you into a human candle?
I went with propane for the cleaner burn and easier temperature control, but I'm wondering if I missed out on the traditional feel and metal quality some say coal provides.