A nice candle holder or two should be on every blacksmith’s bucket list. Here is a fancy one that takes two to three days to build.
A nice candle holder or two should be on every blacksmith’s bucket list. Here is a fancy one that takes two to three days to build.
The petals and stem of this rose are made from one continuous piece of iron. It requires a little bit of MIG or TIG welding.
Sanding or filing a blade can be a dangerous project. Minimize the risk of serious injury by using a magnetic blade clamp that shields all sharp points and edges while leaving the blade unobstructed.
This article was published in the January 2013 issue of Hot Iron News.
It describes all the steps in making the oak branch door knocker shown here.
This is the first project I give a raw beginner. It involves several of the basic operations: drawing out, tapering, bending, straightening and cutting.
Does it look impossibly difficult to make drill bits?
Have no fear: it’s actually not difficult at all.
Detailed instructions on how to make and operate a simple charcoal maker.
After working with the charcoal maker for a while, it has become apparent that several improvements are in order. The suggested improvements, along with related correspondence, are posted below the article pdf.
This is a link to a table of recipes for forge welding fluxes. The table is compiled from a large number of blacksmithing books dating back to the late 1800’s. Also included are sources and current costs for the ingredients.
Here are detailed instructions on how to make nails, and how to make the tools you need to make nails.
Spreading tongs: a valuable tool for scrolls, spiral baskets, and any other detailed bending & adjusting.
Click here to download the instructions as a .pdf file:
Twist Jaw Tongs
This article describes in a series of pictures the steps in making an antique style drawer pull.
Suppose you are making a gate and you need two horizontals to be exactly the same length, but one turns out a little longer than the other. You have already forged something — a tenon for example — on the ends of the bars. You can’t cut the bars. How can you shorten one or lengthen the other?
The answer is simple: draw out or upset. The shorter bar can be lengthened by hammering uniformly along its length, cold or hot. The more you hammer it, the longer it will grow. Read More→