Unplugged Bladesmithing

soldering brass

feeds@yuku.com (willym) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:23:28 GMT

hello all! my question is this. if i solder 2 pieces of brass together so i have a thicker piece for a bolster will there be a silver line from the joint? or,could i braze them together or does a brazing rod melt at the same temp as regular brass? thanks,willy

Arrow

feeds@yuku.com (jamesGIII) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:11:48 GMT

This if from Inwabo , Nice and sharp great hammer control.

my arrowhead for the drawing

feeds@yuku.com (kellerknives) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:51:53 GMT

...

Arrowhead in the Hat ~ Drawing Results

feeds@yuku.com ( Lively) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:49:22 GMT

1 ~ Lively sends his arrowhead effort to; magman357

2 ~ MOONEDGE37.paleoplanet69529 sends his arrowhead effort to; B Finnigan

3 ~ James Gill sends his arrowhead...

Does anyone know a bladesmithing instructor near Holland?

feeds@yuku.com ( Lively) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:38:53 GMT

I was contacted by young smith who lives in Holland and is looking for an instructor. He's 16 years old and is already forging out some promising work. I think he would make a great student. So does anyone know whos the closest to Holland that is capable of teaching?

Pictoral of how to make a socket head spear.

feeds@yuku.com (B Finnigan) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:35:03 GMT

It's in German but the pics do a great job of explaining the process. IMHO the socket is not as complicated as the pics show.

http://www.thing-schmiede.de/neue%20Thing%20Schmiede/html/lanzenspitze.htm

If you are careful and pay attention to the symmetry of the "beaver tail"...

Forging a T section blade?

feeds@yuku.com (Dave Budd) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:35:41 GMT

I've been asked if I can make a customer a traditional style of Persian knife. The tricky bit is that it is T-shaped in cross section.

Anybody made one or have any suggestions as to the best way of doing so? I'd rather not grind it out, but don't mind a bit if I need to tidy it up

I've posted this problem elsewhere and the general theories are to either upset the spine to form the top of the T, or...

My Arrowhead in the Hat effort

feeds@yuku.com ( Lively) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:41:11 GMT

Here's my spearhead for the arrowhead in the hat trade.
I hand forged this unplugged out of 5160 from the last of my '57 Dodge leaf spring stash.
It measures 11 3/4 inches long overall. The blade is 6 3/4 inches long from shoulders to tip and it's a little under 2 inches wide at the widest spot across. I stamped my name on the tang because I was feeling Japanesy. I thought for a long time on how to finish the tang/ricasso/shoulders area. I decided to file them square...

Miss Tudy's beadwork....

feeds@yuku.com (nifeman) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:49:47 GMT

Hey fellers, I know I haven't posted in a while but here is some of Miss Tudy's beadwork. She started with the eagle fetish, then the turtle, the large trade knife and finally my original patchknife. Mind you, she just started doing this and hand sews everything. ..Sure hope y'all like them...Bud aka nifeman

How do you work brass or bronze?

feeds@yuku.com (Arthur) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:42:06 GMT

I have a piece of brass and a piece of bronze that I want to use for what I guess would be called a sub-guard. It's the piece that goes on before the guard.

I was wondering if brass or bronze is worked hot or cold.

Thanks in advance, -Art

Precurve in "Unplugged" video.

feeds@yuku.com (Arthur) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:48:56 GMT

Evening Tim,

I was watching your "Unplugged" video again today and it brought up a couple of questions:

First, initially you pre-curved the blade to prepare for the steel moving during the forging of the edge. I got that part. Then there came a time when forging the edge moved the steel to the point that the back straightened out as expected. In the next scene the blade obviously came out of the forge and was curved again. I assume that you did some magic...

Please allow me to introduce myself.

feeds@yuku.com (Arthur) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:21:36 GMT

Hello All,

I'm a retired game warden. I've always enjoyed edged weapons. I've had plenty of opportunity to use them from when I was a kid, then during my years in the military, and then for 30 years as a game warden. I wanted to make my own from an early age but life just seemed to get in the way. Not any more! In retirement I've taken up wildlife photography and do enjoy that every chance I get but bladesmithing has recently gotten into my blood.

I...

How close do you forge the edge before quenching?

feeds@yuku.com (Arthur) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:25:56 GMT

Morning Tim,

> How close do you get your edge to final shape before quenching? I'm hearing from others on Don Fogg's Bladesmithing Forum that it's about the width of a nickle or dime. I was wondering if its any different unplugged.
>
> The knife I'm working on will have a sharpened edge about 4 inches. The blade at thickest point is about 1/8".

...

parts help here

feeds@yuku.com (Thomas Malabar) — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:19:55 GMT

Does anyone know where I can get replacement parts for a hand crank blower? One of the gears had lost a couple of teeth when I first got it but now it's getting worse

Small Adobe Forge w/ Fireplace Bellows

feeds@yuku.com ( Lively) — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:32:34 GMT

I bought this old fireplace bellows in hopes of using it for a cheap alternative for a handcrank blower. The bellows only costs me $5.99 plus shipping. There are lots of these for sale on eBay cheap so if this works maybe it can be something we can recommend to beginners in the future for small blades and spears and arrowheads. The bellows I bought was a very old one and needed so repairs. There are lots of them on eBay that are brand new but some of the older one are a little bigger in...

Santa Clara Coppersmiths

feeds@yuku.com ( Lively) — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:44:08 GMT

I saw these guys working at the ABANA 2000 show in Flagstaff. Who needs a power hammer when youve got friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSNx_SC35dU

anyone want to try something different?

feeds@yuku.com (Thomas Malabar) — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:37:38 GMT

http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/

all kinds of tutorials for anyone that wants to expand their skill base

casting copper

feeds@yuku.com (Thomas Malabar) — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:35:25 GMT

I want to try making some items from 1/2" square stock but I haven't had any luck finding any around here so I was going to try to melt down some of my scrap copper and pour it into molds. Anyone know what will take the heat? I had thought of using clay to make the molds but I figured it would probably just shatter from the heat

PVC Bellows

feeds@yuku.com (ThreeToedWolf) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:11:53 GMT

Finished this in about 6 hours today

Got the pipe for free from the city. Total cost in this was about $30. Got the valves limbered up and it blows pretty good

Oh yeah, almost forgot

Sledge Hammer Head Anvil

feeds@yuku.com ( Lively) — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:14:28 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhwhVRj9L2U