Built a forge, now what?

[rwhite]

Got the idea I needed to build a propane forge. Never have used one but I got tired of trying to hold a torch and heat things. Anyone do knife making it know if any good tutorial books on the subject?

 

[johneh]

Now that you have a forge.
you will be doing this next
(broken link removed to https://www.history.ca/shows/forged-in-fire/)

 

[mcdougy]

Get a BFH....heat er up.....bash away....dunk it oil...voila a knife

 

[mcdougy]

Where's the anvil ??

 

[rwhite]

Where's the anvil ??

Lady in waiting

 

[rwhite]

Now that you have a forge.
you will be doing this next
(broken link removed to https://www.history.ca/shows/forged-in-fire/)

I'm sure I'll be long dead before I even come close

 

[mcdougy]

I'm sure I'll be long dead before I even come close

Its probably going to be fun trying...I bet it won't take more than 25 knifes to get pretty good

 

[faultymechanics]

I'm a hobbyist blacksmith myself. There's a few beginner blacksmithing books out there that can get you started. Generally people start by wanting to make a knife but just remember if it isn't a high carbon steel and you properly harden and temper the blade it will not stay sharp or keep an edge....we call those blacksmith's knives aka letter openers.

I highly recommend practicing hooks, steak turners and things that improve your skills in bringing stock down and manipulating it.

I personally don't make knives and am much more a traditional blacksmith than bladesmith.

There's a great Blacksmithing For Beginners group on facebook if you use facebook.

 

[rwhite]

I'm a hobbyist blacksmith myself. There's a few beginner blacksmithing books out there that can get you started. Generally people start by wanting to make a knife but just remember if it isn't a high carbon steel and you properly harden and temper the blade it will not stay sharp or keep an edge....we call those blacksmith's knives aka letter openers.

I highly recommend practicing hooks, steak turners and things that improve your skills in bringing stock down and manipulating it.

I personally don't make knives and am much more a traditional blacksmith than bladesmith.

There's a great Blacksmithing For Beginners group on facebook if you use facebook.

I will check out that page. I've been a hobbyist welder/metal worker for some time but never attempted forging. Not true forging anyway. Heated plenty of stuff with a rose bud and hammered away at it. Cant wait to get the proper regulator so I can fire it up and see what it can do.

 

[PaulOinMA]

Anyone remember Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man form the early 1970s? Great series. Still have the companion book.

Really interesting episode on metal working and includes and the making of a samurai sword. The sword making starts around 14:00 in the episode.

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Shows like The Ascent of Man, NOVA, and Car Sagan specials in the 1970s had a lot to do with my becoming a scientist.

 

[rwhite]

Anyone remember Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man form the early 1970s? Great series. Still have the companion book.

Really interesting episode on metal working and includes and the making of a samurai sword. The sword making starts around 14:00 in the episode.

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Shows like The Ascent of Man, NOVA, and Car Sagan specials in the 1970s had a lot to do with my becoming a scientist.

I'll have to watch that. I doubt I've ever seen it since I was only a few years old when it came out.

 

[PaulOinMA]

I just watched the whole episode. I see again why I liked it so much 47 years ago. Going to start at the beginning and watch the series.

Bronowski was a contemporary of John von Neumann.

John von Neumann - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bronowski tells the story in one episode that von Neuman was the most brilliant person he ever met and an anecdote. Von Neuman and someone, may have been Bronowski, were discussing something late into the night. von Neuman was known to stay up very, very late and wake very late. The person called von Neuman in the morning to say that von Neuman was right about what they were discussing.

"You wake me up early in the morning to tell me that I'm right? Please wait until I'm wrong."

John von Neumann
As quoted by Jacob Bronowski in The Ascent of Man TV series

 

[ben94122]

Obviously make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector in that area...