Cleaning Steel?

[IOPort51]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog All information is helpfull. Forge welding, I've been thinking about building a forge. Blacksmithing has always fascinated me. So, the question on removing scale is multi faceted. A wire wheel on my grinder is a must. Unfortunately I can't always get into the tight spaces, even with a hand held brush. No fans in my work area.

blacksmithing is , for a fact, very cool. I suggest you contact your local blacksmith assn. or perhaps check out the Artist blacksmith assn. , ABANA, to help you get started. A whole new world will be opened to you.

[Hedgehog]

Good idea. My supervisor is does some blacksmithing I have always found it fascinating. I do worry about the noise and my neighbors. They have been tolerant of my CJ work and welding, but I'm not so sure about beating on metal. Then there is the price of a good anvil OMG! Every farm had at least one when I was growing up. Like finding treasure I guess. $700 at least and far more can easily be spent on an anvil. We had a coal forge that just sat around. What we didn't know we had back then. My forge would be gas, not coal.

[jpeck71]

One of the smiths on Forged in Fire (History Channel) used a coal forge in a cast iron skillet and his air source was a blow dryer taped to a pipe nipple that fit into a hole drilled in the skillet. I couldn't believe it! The skillet wasn't big enough to make a sword in so he found a metal satellite dish and wedged the skillet in it so he could have a bigger pile of coal.

I've also been curious about it but would only be interested in doing it once just so I could experience it. I can see myself building a skillet forge but I don't know where I'd get an anvil. I certainly don't want to spend $700 on one and I would only be interested in making a knife.

[Hedgehog]

Yeah, I saw that show. Coal forging is a difficult messy process. A propane forge is surprisingly easy to build, most anything can be used. Its popular to use small propane tanks lined with one kind of insulation or another. Brick, batting, even concrete will work. The nozzles are easy to build or buy. For less than $50 you can have a usable forge ,,,,, sure it is easy to spend a lot more than that.

Like the show not specifically for the items being forged, but for a look at the little things like equipment and methods being used. My friend makes most anything other than knives or weapons. He likes to make snakes and lizards out of old rasps and files or leaves or any one of a bunch of forged wall art. Me, I'd make knives and a sword would be cool.

If you are only doing a little forging a decent anvil can be made from a piece of rail road rail. Heavy iron like that can be used for any number of uses where pounding on stuff id necessary, even for little stuff like punching metal to drill holes. Most every week I find myself wishing that I had an anvil.

[IOPort51]

getting a gas forge above 2100 deg., welding temperature, is a bit of a trick but a coal forge does it easily. Coal is more fun but gas does not give you black boogers.

Go to a local hammer in and I bet you will find someone that gives seminars. couple hundred and a weekend meet some nice people and have a lot of fun. find out if it is something you want to get into.

Short section of rail road track makes pretty good first anvil. My first forge was a brake drum with brick dirt in it and an old Kirby vacuum cleaner with a rheostat.

coolest thing about smithing is making square holes.

[Hedgehog]

There is a guy up North in Camp Verde that gives a great work shop on forging. My friend attended it a year or so ago and came away with great things to say about it. It was pricey though well worth it.

[Peanut Butter]

Originally Posted by IOPort51 getting a gas forge above 2100 deg., welding temperature, is a bit of a trick but a coal forge does it easily. Coal is more fun but gas does not give you black boogers. Go to a local hammer in and I bet you will find someone that gives seminars. couple hundred and a weekend meet some nice people and have a lot of fun. find out if it is something you want to get into. Short section of rail road track makes pretty good first anvil. My first forge was a brake drum with brick dirt in it and an old Kirby vacuum cleaner with a rheostat. coolest thing about smithing is making square holes.

Anything you haven't done, IO? Wholly Cow, I need to come spend a couple weeks with you. Do you take on Interns?