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Forged in Fire

Started by Raider Bill, August 18, 2015, 12:25:25 PM

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Left Coast Chris

David,   

It would be great to see you on the show.    No need to be the best at something to participate.   You have earned a spot to show your skills.   Life is short, we hope you reconsider.
Home built cantilever head, 24 HP honda mill, Case 580D, MF 135 and one Squirel Dog Jack Russel Mix -- Crickett

MattJ

I think the contestants have gotten better over time.  I was interested in it as I took an intro to blacksmithing class with Peter Ross through Roy Underhill's school and I've been considering getting into it as yet another hobby (i.e. to pile up more unfinished projects!).

The thing that struck me is that I am an utlra-newbie and only took intro classes but I saw a lot of the contestants at the beginning violating the simple rules Peter laid out for us day one.  For example they were mashing steel that had cooled way too much in hydraulic presses and trip hammers and cracking the blades all over the place.  Seems to me a mistake that a master wouldn't make. 

The last few shows though had some really great designs that were fun to watch.  I liked watching the one grandfather in his 70's forging.  Worked at a great deliberate pace and made a beautiful knife. 

Matt

Gadrock

so tonight I open up my email and lo and behold I received my second invitation to ....well show that I am not totally good enough to do this stuff.

Do I forge weld? yeah   Do I make blades? yeah   Do I care about doing this on tv? Not in the least!

But it is a great experience to watch a good smith at his craft. To watch Bobby Rico or Paul LaBatard...oe even theperfectionist David Messer....you would drool. Yet they could do stuff that would amaze and satisfy your soul. I am referring to nice craftsmen, and we all appreciate the values in each others work. For that I greatly appreciate be welcomed as a craftsman and friend.

The state of Arkansas has more bladesmiths than one could imagine. It seems they live two on each block. There is one of the best bladesmith schools there too.

Peter Ross is a highly reputed blacksmith , instructor, artist, and demonstrator. we tried to get him to come down to Mississippi and his response was ...well it needs to be a bit cooler. I consider it our loss. He sure would be a great demonstrator.

Hopefully I may be able to show some of my craft. Maybe someday my sawmilling will equal my blacksmithing.

david Gaddis


carry on
LT40 G18,   bent Cresent wrench,   broken timing light
Prentice 280 loader, Prentice 2432 skidder, Deere 643J fellerbuncher, Deere 648H skidder, Deere 650H Dozer

Jeff

David, you should accept. we've seen your work. You may not want to be on tv, but hundreds of your Forestry Forum brethren would LOVE to see you on it.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

pineywoods

Sawyers and loggers NEED blacksmiths. I have a couple of log grabs that were given to me, probably because they didn't work very well. I took them to my hobby blacksmith brother. He did some magic (re-bent and hardened the tips) now they grab and hold like a logrite cant hook.   ;D I would love to see a general smithing topic on this forum, hint, hint.
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

Jeff

The alternative methods board would be a good place to post such things. I don't think the subject would warrant a dedicated board at this time. It can be hard to find a given board now due to convolution. :D
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

beenthere

Seems we already have a "general smithing" topic in this thread. What more do we need?  ;)  8)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Paul_H

The Alternative board would be a good fit
Science isn't meant to be trusted it's to be tested

sandhills

Personally I wouldn't care to be on tv either, but I would love to see some of your work.  I love the general woodworking board and seeing what everyone accomplishes, it always amazes me at the talent all the folks here have and how they use it.  Umm I can drive a tractor  :D :D :D.

Raider Bill

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't but..

Being a city boy I'm pretty impressed with anyone that can take a unknown chunk of steel, forge a knife out of it, in someone else's shop, with equipment that you never used before and do it in 4 hours.

I watch Survivor too. ;)




The First 70 years of childhood is always the hardest.

Holmes

  I just saw this thread. Bill I read the title and thought it was about bulldozers. :)
Think like a farmer.

Magicman

 

 
Here is the skillet that member Gadrock forged.


 
And here is a steak flipper being forged for us: Sawdust and Splinters
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

JB Griffin

I have watched all of um and I agree to a point with Gadrock it seems to be scripted, but after talking with my friend Ray Kirk who was on the last show the drama is somewhat real and the way it is edited. Season 2 should be better if they learned something of what the viewers really want to see.

The first 2-3 shows were disappointing for sure but they started getting better, showing more of the heat treatment and sorta explaining it a little.

I whole heartedly disagree with Gadrock about the quality of the smiths last show had two ABS (American Bladesmith Society) Master Smiths and one Journeyman Smith on it and the other guy didn't have a snowball's chance in you know where.
2000 LT40hyd remote 33hp Kubota with 6gpm hyd unit, 150 Prentice, WM bms250, Suffolk dual tooth setter

Over 3.5million bdft sawn with a Baker Dominator.

maple flats

I enjoy watching it. However I think the biggest issue is the time they allow the smiths to produce in. Most shows start with 2 segments of 3 hrs. where the smith makes a blade, they are always rushed (at least 1 gave 4 hrs). I think the results would be better if the first segment at least gave them 5 hrs to forge the blade. Segment 2 the 3 remaining smiths address any issues in their blade and then attach a handle and put the finishing touches on the knife. That usually seems to be enough but I've little doubt another hour would produce some truly beautiful knives. Then the 5 days at their home forge might do better with 7 or 8 days. Editing could still keep the show to the hour they are now doing.
At any rate, I've never done any blacksmithing but before I discovered this show I had recently thought I'd like to try. I bought a coal forge, Hand crank blower, 165# anvil and a post vise. This year I'll be building a shop for blacksmithing. I also bought some hardwood lump charcoal and some soft coal. At this point my interest is not to make blades but I'll eventually try a few most likely. My thought is if TSHTF I may need that skill, given the world situation now.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Ljohnsaw

Fantastic video links.  Great, there goes another whole segment of my life watching YouTube! :D 

I, too, want to be able to do a little forging.  I made myself a anvil from some 120# rail with added mass and have a semi brake drum I will turn into a forge.  Just need to get (or make?) a hand crank blower.  Wish I was closer to Kbeitz so I could go "shopping" :)  The plan is to make big hinges for my cabin doors.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Farmerjw

Quote from: ljohnsaw on April 28, 2017, 12:38:40 PM
  Just need to get (or make?) a hand crank blower.

Many people pipe in a hair dryer.
Premier Bovine Scatologist

Ljohnsaw

I know, but too stinkin' loud!  I'm planning on no power available, 12vdc at best.  What would be cool is a foot powered one, like bellows or maybe a old peddle sewing machine.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

maple flats

If you want a bellows blower, there are plans online to build them, I found them when I was looking for a blower and was going to make a forge using a brake drum or a large brake rotor. I got lucky and found a nice vintage cast iron Champion #400 blower in good condition at a fair price. I had been casually looking for a forge for maybe 2 years when I saw an ad in our local Pennysaver. I called and went to look. It turned out the guy had just gotten into it 3-4 years earlier. When he did, he started going all over 3-4 states looking for forges and related equipment. He had acquired 4-5 coal forges made 2 different size gas forges, he had 2 power hammers, about 10 or so post vises, maybe 100+ hammers of all descriptions a bunch of assorted tongs and about 20 or more anvils. However they were not all for sale. I bought what he offered for sale in the adv. plus I also talked him into a 165# Vulcan anvil in like new condition that he didn't really want to sell.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

maple flats

Now my next move I think is to build a blacksmith shop. I'm thinking something in the 16-20' wide and 20-24 long. I plan to make it simple, just a basic pole type structure with 10' to bottom of the truss cords, likely stone dust floor, packed, anvil mounted to a "stump" made from a log buried below frost line and plenty sturdy. My Coal forge has no hood, so I'll make a hood and then run the stack up thru the steel roof. Might likely be sided with board hemlock and no batten. A couple of windows and I will wire it from the main panel at the sugarhouse, which is 200A, might run 60A 240 direct burial to the shop. Will have LED lighting which is bright.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Al_Smith

Well my name is Smith and yes I came  from a long linage of metal workers .I know basic blacksmithing and although I've made knives I've never forged one .

As for the show,like any reality thing it's obviously scripted .----BTW a power hacksaw blade makes a dandy knife .

maple flats

My blacksmith shop is one step closer. This fall I bought a 14' x 28' storage shed (mostly for maple needs), and I had a door for a future blacksmith shop put in the back, 14' wall. I'll be adding a lean-to roof along the 28' west wall which will add 8' width, then  I'll build a 12'-16' x 22' (original 14' + 8' added on west side) blacksmith shop on the back.
Back to Forged in Fire, I recently saw an episode where a woman was the winner over 3 men. On that episode they had to start by making their hammer and then forge the knife in the same 3 hrs. A lot of the issue is time pressure, I'd much rather the time allowed was longer so the smiths could have enough time to do a more complete job. Many times the blade is just being quenched in the last 3-4 minutes in round 1. Too much rush-rush for my liking.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

starmac

Years ago I knew an old timer that still made a living blacksmithing, he was in his 80's iirc and his bread and butter was, at the time building teeth and cutting edges for construction equipment. The thing I remember the most about himwas his massive right arm, would have made popeye jealous.

I know a guy in New Mexico that makes a living, or did just a few years ago doing old time blacksmithing. He was a genuine artist and had found a niche in the high end housing market, People would contract him to do a whole house, door hinges, cabinet hinges and handles, toilet paper racks, everything youcan imagine and then some more. he also had a furniture factory going that incorporated his blacksmithing, building new furniture that looked like it was an antique. He had quite the business going and was making a name for high end work.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

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