I started watching Blackbear Forge videos 4 years ago when I set out to start forging. I started with the basic setup you see in this video. I started making hooks and other simple projects. Now I have a Bridgeport mill, hydraulic press, multiple anvils and much more. My projects range from hooks, axes, warhammers, hammers, knives and much more. Just stick with it and listen to John he’s a good teacher! Lol
Don't be afraid of learning the skill folks. All you can do is practice and it becomes easier. I made tongs, punches, and chisels for a few months piddling few hours after work. Then I started making hammers. After that i made hundreds of hammers and quit my job for an enjoyable few years of self sustaining livelihood.
How much would a 1cm x 1cm square steel bar cost that is 62cm in lenght? I made one as those fireplace "ahjuroob" in estonian language. Gave it a leaf shaped tail end for the handle (kind of like a sword guard at the front) and cut squares around the handle into these blocks that I then twisted to look like some animal horn?
I'm another beginner that's been learning from your videos for years. I've always admired and been grateful for your focus on teaching skills that don't require special tools. I love this new series, and while I'm growing beyond what you're teaching now, I applaud you for continuing to focus on beginners.
Thanks for putting together these videos (and the rest of them). I've finally scraped prioritized thworing cash at starting my own small home forge. Was at a blacksmithing course over a weekend some weeks back, and I'm hooked. In a month's time, I'm getting my own forge, tongues and hammers, and I'm off running. From now until that time, I'm gonna have to get myself something resembling an anvil. Thanks for the inspiration, and the clear(!) instructions. For those of you wanting to start out: A local blacksmithing course is the way to go. You meet with others in the environment, and learn whether this is for you. Blacksmithing looks easy, and the fundamentals are. Hit hot metal with hammer. It really doesn't take much out of you to get started. However! Getting them looking the same every time is hard. The blisters will be there, and the work can be physically draining for those of us sitting behind a keyboard all day. The veterans make it look so easy, and with time and practice, so will we. Looking forwards to continue binge-watching your videos over the next months as I'm getting started with my own blacksmithing journey. Much love from Norway.
This is amazing, I personally learn best when someone breaks down and shows even the small stuff. I feel like I could start from the beginning and work beside you. Thank you 😊 I was a mechanic in the military and I can vouch for the glove detail. We only wear gloves when there is a pinching hazard.
Love this series!!! You are breaking down barriers for a lot of people that want to get into blacksmithing. I have heard many times..."I want to start blacksmithing, but I can't afford an anvil".
For me it was the forge. Once I found one I could afford the rest was easy. I'm in about $700 at this point and no end in sight, and all I really want to make are knives and small art projects.
I just watched your videos on the bloomery iron from several years ago. my grandfathers method was to go from blume to crucible. He liked to use green glass from broken beer bottles. We recovered iron from the peet in the licking river bottoms in Kentucky.
I really ought to follow along while I can, and rebuild the skills again that I’ve lost. By the way, excellent and versatile so far. And that one brief pause you took reminded me of just how far you’ve come with your delivery and talking to the camera, it’s inspiring
I want to learn how to blacksmith bc I have a small homestead. I want to start producing my own nails, hinges, hangers and anything else I can think of to save myself a little money. I’m not interested in selling anything but I definitely want to get good enough to produce better quality items that I would have to buy anyway.
great video , I have been setting up my forge for a year now ( attempting I should say ) all of your videos are very informative . Thanks for all of the teachings and info . TC
Starting small is still a start. Really enjoying the “budget-friendly basics for beginners” videos. A good measuring tool for a beginner to get acquainted with is a set of dividers, they’re pretty cheap at Harbor Freight. I’d be curious to see if some cheap neodymium magnets stuck to the underside of that anvil would help with the ring. Another excellent video sir.
Dividers aren't too different from tongs also, but they're a lot smaller so a lot less to draw out but still the same skills to learn for shaping the boss, punching/drifting a hole, riveting, etc. Would be a good beginner project for sure.
This is a great series! I can't tell you how many people ask how to get into forging. I have little to no answers as a novice myself, so I revert to your channel now.
On the topic of gloves, I've settled on a setup where I have a hot mill glove on my tong hand (left) and I tape my index finger and thumb with sports tape. I'm not in the shop every day, so the tape really helps cut down on blisters that make my day job more difficult and might keep me out of the shop. The glove on my tong hand helps with radiant heat when I'm holding a top tool and it helps to cushion the vibrations in the tongs or, especially, when I'm holding the end of a long work piece.
It's great to see that you're already working in this new space and I have great expectations for when the coal forge is installed. Only the experience of a lot of work provides the empathy to teach in an objective and accessible way and that you own very well. Thank you very much!
These videos are a great service. I’ve been forging for 5 years now. For the first year I only practiced tapers. I’ve added to my tooling and built a belt sander, a forging press, and three ribbon burner forges. I am picking up info from these videos. One thing I have never seen explained is what is the shape of the cutting end of a punch look like? Sharp edged? Beveled? Rounded? Is the face of the cutting end flat? Rightly rounded or even concave?
Just stumbled on this, John. It seems like the perfect series for me. I have a strange affinity for numbered instructional videos, the longer the better. I'm going to go back to the beginning and watch both of them. Thanks for this. Oh, and one question. I know you're keeping this affordable, which is great, but why is the bench your vise is mounted on so janky?
John, I don't know how you could stand to punch on that hot, thick steel plate with no gloves on your holding hand!!!! Mine would have blistered first time around. You be one tough guy!!!🙄
Watching you make tools from scratch is my weekend guilty pleasure 😁 out of curiosity, can you make files yourself? I've always been curious how they got made without already having a file on hand..?
I think Clickspring might have done a video on hand making files back during his Antikythera mechanism series. Edit: Yep here it is: ruclips.net/video/SOw9WqMOHjA/видео.html
Love this content John!! Thank you! This is the main style of my forge setup and thrills me to see you going this route for us! Been a fan and follower of yours for a while now- please keep it coming!
Why don't you wear your own t-shirts to advertise them to us John . And if they are not cotton, can you order them as such. Love what you are putting out there for our young viewers, you always do a great job in teaching the new students. ❤
Thank you so much for doing this! I am an apprentice bladesmith and am setting up my home forge slowly. Your videos are very helpful, but this new series is absolutely perfect for someone like me who is just starting.
I like to hot rasp my round tapers. I anchor the piece on the anvil or on a vise, anything that will prevent the piece from moving against the rasp. Spin and rasp, spin and rasp. I usually use H13 and I can make round punches without grinding. Cool video, John. Thank you!
On the clothing, one I'd not considered till I heard about it happening to another Smith... Clothing like flannel that has a knap to it can be dangerous even being a natural material. A fluffy surface. The added surface area made it readily combustible and the Smith had to have a skin graft.
Why don't you wear your own t-shirts to advertise them to us John . And if they are not cotton, can you order them as such. Love what you are putting out there for our young viewers, you always do a great job in teaching the new students.
even if all you have is a hacksaw you can get creative. make a campfire and put it in it or toss it in your burn barrel. might help lose the temper so you can get through it
Whereabouts? Southwestern Virginia here... have spare land and all equipment except for power hammer/press, but need funds to build the building to use as a shop. I'd gladly sell an acre or work out a deal, if you're interested in a rural life with extremely low property taxes and cost of living.
I love this series on setting up shop. You’re a great instructor and wonderful resource. You really drill down into the nitty gritty. I mean, what boots do you wear? Seriously down and dirty on the details. Love this and I don’t even want to be a blacksmith.
It's coming along nicely so far John. Can't wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep forge lit. Keep making. God bless.
Thank you so much for taking your time to do this. I bought a n inexpensive forge a while back and nd played some, but this gives me a great direction to start. Going to build a roof to keep things dry and keep following your lead.
Great video John, I use S7 in my farrier practice a lot. It's a great tool steel, I can modify it out in the field without having to go through the quenching and tempering process.
@@BlackBearForge I've always let it air cool or let the end cool off in a bucket of ash and never have had an issue with it. I just always make sure the end I am pounding on is very rounded. Generally it's the pritchels that break because the ends are so small and used so hard. That's a quick fix though - just heat them up, fix them and move on!
Great videos! Very informative so far. I happen to have a bunch of 3/8" and 1/2" rebar around my shop. Could that be used for any of these projects or would it be good for practice at least?
Love this series, never too old to learn new things! Picked up a decent vise today at my local salvage yard. Just needed cleaned up. Old vise broke at the base.
Coil spring can be straightened using a temporary brick and charcoal fourge. Heat up, put on a vertical rod and pull an end. Videos on RUclips. Temporary fourge is a great tip for heat treatment of log stuff. I just use clay house bricks and clay mud from my water hole
Good point on the New China files. New files in general are not very good. I buy all the old files I can find at state sales and yard sales. For a while hammers were everywhere, till I got all of them. I built my forge from a paint can, refractory cement, good black iron pipe from Lowes for the propane burner. Grill brushes from yard sales do great for brushing hot steel. I'd like a bigger forge but that is for down the road. I can make knives and wrenches with what I have.
Have you had any problems with using the 20lb propane tank? I have a similar forge (Mr volcano single burner) and I’m wondering if a 20lb will work well or if I need to get a 40lb or similar. Thank you for the great series.
The Lenox hack saw, is wonderful as a basic tool. Thanks 🙏 for the tong recommendation! I made a set when I was a kid. They are a big project for a novice. I still really love ❤️ riveting. Copper rivets are fun!
I always enjoy your videos. I learn a lot even if I'm not blacksmithing. On the coil spring material, is it air hardening as well so that I need to keep it hot when forging it like with the S7?
Just finished my first lesson in Blacksmithing here at my local historical society and came across your video. Great work, thanks for thinking of us beginners!!
I watch all of your videos, and I learn something new with each one. I strive to learn everyday, and I appreciate this content. Please keep up the good work John, you have been an inspiration for me over a year since I've started!
Question on using chain to dampen the anvil's ring. Does the chain have to be 3/8" or larger, or would something lighter such as dog chain work? Old dog chains are a lot cheaper to buy than say a 20 foot log chain.
@@BlackBearForge Thanks for the reply. I'll try it out when I finally get an anvil and get it set up. My thoughts are that it is the chain absorbing the vibration, and maybe the lighter chin will work better??? We'll see.
Fantastic video series! I've always been interested in the subject and so far, your videos are the best I've come across. The ones I've looked at in the past were either to hurried and skipped explanation or the person would go off on tangents and make them too long. Example.... Yours is the first I've seen that mentioned specific metal grades and where to buy them. Until this video I had no idea that there were tool steels that were designed to air hardened and not quenched and/or hardened in an oven. Thanks for making this series.
Just some pointers as a tool and die maker: 1. there are blades for a hacksaw that will cut hardened steel, i usually use the Sandvik ones. Its slower than a grinder of course, but its cheaper, and you don't have to worry about sparks or drawing a tools temper. 2: Make sure that your vise is as steady as possible, every little bit of rocking is wasted energy on your part
I'd like to put a ball end on my tong reins, do you know of any videos that teach that? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, if you like I'll send you some photos of my attempts
Thank you very-very much for starting this project! It is an excellent source for someone like me, who is trying to learn a few things. :-) As a side note: perhaps, something you may want to check: your links to hammer and tongs seem broken. Thank you again!!
it's a job to buy s7 around here. i used coil springs. would coil springs be good to make axe drifts i need a small one and a middle size one. this is a awesome series have a great day
So how does it feel going from time tested custom tools to store bought cheaper tools? Did it take some getting used to before making the videos or did you just jump in feet first? To be fair, I've tried lots of hammers but my favorite one is an 800gr I bought from Blacksmiths Depot years ago. It's like the difference between a surgeons scalpel and an axe. I guess it's just what you get used to using. One question though, I assume that you dressed the face of that hammer before you used it but it looked like it still had fairly sharp edges on it. Is that just my poor eyesight or are you using that hammer as bought?
Not really much of a change. I like this hammer weight, but will modify the handle a little. I did show using a file to dress the face of the hammer in the previous video, but didn't talk about it. I'll try to remember to mention it in the next part of the series.
I started watching Blackbear Forge videos 4 years ago when I set out to start forging. I started with the basic setup you see in this video. I started making hooks and other simple projects. Now I have a Bridgeport mill, hydraulic press, multiple anvils and much more. My projects range from hooks, axes, warhammers, hammers, knives and much more. Just stick with it and listen to John he’s a good teacher! Lol
Did you pay for it all with things you were making or do you have a source of income you funneled into the hobby?
@@norcalbowhunter3264 it was a combination of the two. I caught some auctions and added equipment over time.
I wish i could do it but i would have to do an apprenticeship for 3 to 4 years so i can be a certified smith and also get money from it
Do a welding or fitting and turning apprenticeship. Do smithing as a hobby
Don't be afraid of learning the skill folks. All you can do is practice and it becomes easier. I made tongs, punches, and chisels for a few months piddling few hours after work. Then I started making hammers. After that i made hundreds of hammers and quit my job for an enjoyable few years of self sustaining livelihood.
And ofc all sorts of decorative stuff
Always enjoy your videos John thanks for posting i likes this new series. You are helping a lot of possible blacksmiths godbless and be well.
How much would a 1cm x 1cm square steel bar cost that is 62cm in lenght? I made one as those fireplace "ahjuroob" in estonian language.
Gave it a leaf shaped tail end for the handle (kind of like a sword guard at the front) and cut squares around the handle into these blocks that I then twisted to look like some animal horn?
I'm another beginner that's been learning from your videos for years. I've always admired and been grateful for your focus on teaching skills that don't require special tools. I love this new series, and while I'm growing beyond what you're teaching now, I applaud you for continuing to focus on beginners.
Thanks for putting together these videos (and the rest of them). I've finally scraped prioritized thworing cash at starting my own small home forge. Was at a blacksmithing course over a weekend some weeks back, and I'm hooked. In a month's time, I'm getting my own forge, tongues and hammers, and I'm off running. From now until that time, I'm gonna have to get myself something resembling an anvil.
Thanks for the inspiration, and the clear(!) instructions.
For those of you wanting to start out: A local blacksmithing course is the way to go. You meet with others in the environment, and learn whether this is for you. Blacksmithing looks easy, and the fundamentals are. Hit hot metal with hammer. It really doesn't take much out of you to get started. However! Getting them looking the same every time is hard. The blisters will be there, and the work can be physically draining for those of us sitting behind a keyboard all day. The veterans make it look so easy, and with time and practice, so will we.
Looking forwards to continue binge-watching your videos over the next months as I'm getting started with my own blacksmithing journey.
Much love from Norway.
This is amazing, I personally learn best when someone breaks down and shows even the small stuff. I feel like I could start from the beginning and work beside you. Thank you 😊
I was a mechanic in the military and I can vouch for the glove detail. We only wear gloves when there is a pinching hazard.
Love this series!!! You are breaking down barriers for a lot of people that want to get into blacksmithing. I have heard many times..."I want to start blacksmithing, but I can't afford an anvil".
Glad you're enjoying it.
For me it was the forge. Once I found one I could afford the rest was easy. I'm in about $700 at this point and no end in sight, and all I really want to make are knives and small art projects.
I just watched your videos on the bloomery iron from several years ago. my grandfathers method was to go from blume to crucible. He liked to use green glass from broken beer bottles. We recovered iron from the peet in the licking river bottoms in Kentucky.
I really ought to follow along while I can, and rebuild the skills again that I’ve lost.
By the way, excellent and versatile so far. And that one brief pause you took reminded me of just how far you’ve come with your delivery and talking to the camera, it’s inspiring
I want to learn how to blacksmith bc I have a small homestead. I want to start producing my own nails, hinges, hangers and anything else I can think of to save myself a little money. I’m not interested in selling anything but I definitely want to get good enough to produce better quality items that I would have to buy anyway.
great video , I have been setting up my forge for a year now ( attempting I should say ) all of your videos are very informative . Thanks for all of the teachings and info . TC
I lve this series! Thanks for this amazing videos!
Starting small is still a start. Really enjoying the “budget-friendly basics for beginners” videos. A good measuring tool for a beginner to get acquainted with is a set of dividers, they’re pretty cheap at Harbor Freight.
I’d be curious to see if some cheap neodymium magnets stuck to the underside of that anvil would help with the ring.
Another excellent video sir.
Dividers aren't too different from tongs also, but they're a lot smaller so a lot less to draw out but still the same skills to learn for shaping the boss, punching/drifting a hole, riveting, etc. Would be a good beginner project for sure.
This is a great series! I can't tell you how many people ask how to get into forging. I have little to no answers as a novice myself, so I revert to your channel now.
Been doing this for 9 years - still a fun series to watch!
On the topic of gloves, I've settled on a setup where I have a hot mill glove on my tong hand (left) and I tape my index finger and thumb with sports tape. I'm not in the shop every day, so the tape really helps cut down on blisters that make my day job more difficult and might keep me out of the shop. The glove on my tong hand helps with radiant heat when I'm holding a top tool and it helps to cushion the vibrations in the tongs or, especially, when I'm holding the end of a long work piece.
Great video, John.
It's great to see that you're already working in this new space and I have great expectations for when the coal forge is installed. Only the experience of a lot of work provides the empathy to teach in an objective and accessible way and that you own very well. Thank you very much!
You're such a good teacher!
These videos are a great service. I’ve been forging for 5 years now. For the first year I only practiced tapers. I’ve added to my tooling and built a belt sander, a forging press, and three ribbon burner forges.
I am picking up info from these videos.
One thing I have never seen explained is what is the shape of the cutting end of a punch look like?
Sharp edged? Beveled? Rounded? Is the face of the cutting end flat? Rightly rounded or even concave?
A punch usually has a flat end with crisp corners as it transitions from the flat end to sides of the punch
I would say buy tongs or trade for some from a local blacksmith.
Just stumbled on this, John. It seems like the perfect series for me. I have a strange affinity for numbered instructional videos, the longer the better. I'm going to go back to the beginning and watch both of them. Thanks for this. Oh, and one question. I know you're keeping this affordable, which is great, but why is the bench your vise is mounted on so janky?
Its temporary built out of scrap to keep it affordable.
How did it miss this
John you are a plethora of knowledge thank you for sharing everything that you do share and hope to see more projects from you soon
John, I don't know how you could stand to punch on that hot, thick steel plate with no gloves on your holding hand!!!! Mine would have blistered first time around. You be one tough guy!!!🙄
Watching you make tools from scratch is my weekend guilty pleasure 😁 out of curiosity, can you make files yourself? I've always been curious how they got made without already having a file on hand..?
File making was a very specialized trade. All cut by hand with a chisel. Its not something I have ever tried.
I think Clickspring might have done a video on hand making files back during his Antikythera mechanism series.
Edit:
Yep here it is:
ruclips.net/video/SOw9WqMOHjA/видео.html
@@Vikingwerk Thank you for the link!
Love this content John!! Thank you! This is the main style of my forge setup and thrills me to see you going this route for us! Been a fan and follower of yours for a while now- please keep it coming!
Glad you're enjoying it.
Great series John, Thank you for sharing your great experience in Blacksmithing.
Why don't you wear your own t-shirts to advertise them to us John . And if they are not cotton, can you order them as such. Love what you are putting out there for our young viewers, you always do a great job in teaching the new students. ❤
Thank you so much for doing this! I am an apprentice bladesmith and am setting up my home forge slowly. Your videos are very helpful, but this new series is absolutely perfect for someone like me who is just starting.
If you want to get tintinitis... don't cover your ears. Anytime that I'm awake my ears sound like them circadia bugs.
I like to hot rasp my round tapers. I anchor the piece on the anvil or on a vise, anything that will prevent the piece from moving against the rasp. Spin and rasp, spin and rasp. I usually use H13 and I can make round punches without grinding. Cool video, John. Thank you!
Thanks, that is what I was wondering on the tool steel. I have seen other videos showing it in use on mild steel. Do you use a file or just a rasp?
On the clothing, one I'd not considered till I heard about it happening to another Smith... Clothing like flannel that has a knap to it can be dangerous even being a natural material. A fluffy surface. The added surface area made it readily combustible and the Smith had to have a skin graft.
Don't wear gloves machining, during forging I wear a left just for radiant heat but no glove on hammer hand
Why don't you wear your own t-shirts to advertise them to us John . And if they are not cotton, can you order them as such. Love what you are putting out there for our young viewers, you always do a great job in teaching the new students.
Great series = John, have watched you for a log long time but I am still enjoying this series. Once again, Thank You!
I put a magnet under the trail of my Accaio anvil. It almost completely removed the ring.
even if all you have is a hacksaw you can get creative. make a campfire and put it in it or toss it in your burn barrel. might help lose the temper so you can get through it
Hello John . I use an old car speaker magnet to dull that ear numbing ring and it doesn't magnetize the anvil .
I'm loving the series! I always appreciate the videos.
Hello John
Thank you for this wonderfull series.
For beginners it is the best they can get.
Thank you for sharing your Skills.
Yours Frank Galetzka
I didn't think I'd find this so soon, I'm currently interested in blacksmithing once I buy land, thanks for the videos ✌
Whereabouts? Southwestern Virginia here... have spare land and all equipment except for power hammer/press, but need funds to build the building to use as a shop. I'd gladly sell an acre or work out a deal, if you're interested in a rural life with extremely low property taxes and cost of living.
@@stevealford230 Id take you up on that offer
I love this series on setting up shop. You’re a great instructor and wonderful resource. You really drill down into the nitty gritty. I mean, what boots do you wear? Seriously down and dirty on the details. Love this and I don’t even want to be a blacksmith.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🥃🥃🥃🍻🍻🍻👀👀👀👍👍👍☕️☕️☕️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I've been forging for 15+ yrs and still come to John to learn ,love your videos Brother great teacher
It's coming along nicely so far John. Can't wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep forge lit. Keep making. God bless.
Fantastic information John. Thanks for walking through the process.
It looks cold while punching the bolster
Thank you so much for taking your time to do this. I bought a n inexpensive forge a while back and nd played some, but this gives me a great direction to start. Going to build a roof to keep things dry and keep following your lead.
Great video John, I use S7 in my farrier practice a lot. It's a great tool steel, I can modify it out in the field without having to go through the quenching and tempering process.
Do you just use it as hardened then? I usually temper out of habit, but maybe it's not required.
@@BlackBearForge I've always let it air cool or let the end cool off in a bucket of ash and never have had an issue with it. I just always make sure the end I am pounding on is very rounded. Generally it's the pritchels that break because the ends are so small and used so hard. That's a quick fix though - just heat them up, fix them and move on!
Great videos! Very informative so far. I happen to have a bunch of 3/8" and 1/2" rebar around my shop. Could that be used for any of these projects or would it be good for practice at least?
Yes, you can use rebar. However it is generally harder to forge than mile steel.
Love this series, never too old to learn new things! Picked up a decent vise today at my local salvage yard. Just needed cleaned up. Old vise broke at the base.
Coil spring can be straightened using a temporary brick and charcoal fourge. Heat up, put on a vertical rod and pull an end. Videos on RUclips.
Temporary fourge is a great tip for heat treatment of log stuff. I just use clay house bricks and clay mud from my water hole
Good point on the New China files. New files in general are not very good. I buy all the old files I can find at state sales and yard sales. For a while hammers were everywhere, till I got all of them. I built my forge from a paint can, refractory cement, good black iron pipe from Lowes for the propane burner. Grill brushes from yard sales do great for brushing hot steel. I'd like a bigger forge but that is for down the road. I can make knives and wrenches with what I have.
Have you had any problems with using the 20lb propane tank? I have a similar forge (Mr volcano single burner) and I’m wondering if a 20lb will work well or if I need to get a 40lb or similar. Thank you for the great series.
So far I haven't had an issue with the single burner. But I will discuss that more before the series is complete.
Watching you do all this I'm realizing blacksmiths must develop the same asbestos hands as chefs. If not even more intensely.
Bless you Sir!
The Lenox hack saw, is wonderful as a basic tool. Thanks 🙏 for the tong recommendation! I made a set when I was a kid. They are a big project for a novice. I still really love ❤️ riveting. Copper rivets are fun!
My punches always deform on the point end.
Thats normal. Keep them cool in use and touch them up with a file or grinder as needed.
Subscribing !
I always enjoy your videos. I learn a lot even if I'm not blacksmithing. On the coil spring material, is it air hardening as well so that I need to keep it hot when forging it like with the S7?
Most coil springs should be oil hardening.
Hi John you are a master of your craft
Thank you!
Just finished my first lesson in Blacksmithing here at my local historical society and came across your video. Great work, thanks for thinking of us beginners!!
Dude, you are awesome, I've learned a considerable amount from and really enjoy your videos. Thank you.
Thank you
As an OSH representative in my workplace, I was impressed by your explanation of what to wear, when to wear it and why you need it. Well done.
Really love this series! Very helpful! Thanks John!!!
Every time you hit the heated steel for the first time in your video it's like this huge release 😂😂
Another great video!
This is actually relaxing, looking for classes locally
I watch all of your videos, and I learn something new with each one. I strive to learn everyday, and I appreciate this content. Please keep up the good work John, you have been an inspiration for me over a year since I've started!
Question on using chain to dampen the anvil's ring. Does the chain have to be 3/8" or larger, or would something lighter such as dog chain work? Old dog chains are a lot cheaper to buy than say a 20 foot log chain.
I think its the mass of chain that matters, so you can use more of it to get the same effect.
@@BlackBearForge Thanks for the reply. I'll try it out when I finally get an anvil and get it set up. My thoughts are that it is the chain absorbing the vibration, and maybe the lighter chin will work better??? We'll see.
Another excellent video! Thank you!
Earplugs with earprotection is the best. And oversized leather welding gloves are good.
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Need too talk about fire extinguishers, just for those unexpected moments?
Thank you very much for your time and patience
Great practical information. Thanks!!
Love these videos they will help me a lot with ideas on what to make, Thank you so much!!
Thank you very much to show blacksmithing is within reach!
I wear my FRC clothes when around any hot working
Fantastic video series! I've always been interested in the subject and so far, your videos are the best I've come across. The ones I've looked at in the past were either to hurried and skipped explanation or the person would go off on tangents and make them too long. Example.... Yours is the first I've seen that mentioned specific metal grades and where to buy them. Until this video I had no idea that there were tool steels that were designed to air hardened and not quenched and/or hardened in an oven.
Thanks for making this series.
Just some pointers as a tool and die maker:
1. there are blades for a hacksaw that will cut hardened steel, i usually use the Sandvik ones. Its slower than a grinder of course, but its cheaper, and you don't have to worry about sparks or drawing a tools temper.
2: Make sure that your vise is as steady as possible, every little bit of rocking is wasted energy on your part
I took a welding course and thought I was invincible with my gloves on, only prolonged my pain when i picked up some pieces I was working on
ank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
I'd like to put a ball end on my tong reins, do you know of any videos that teach that? Thanks for sharing all your knowledge, if you like I'll send you some photos of my attempts
How long would it take to forge a hand like in army of darkness?
Please dampen thr anvil for fiture videos. You may be wearing hearing protection, but little hard to do so while watching the video.
What where you dipping your punch in between smacking the domino with it?
Just started on my setup, good timing to find this
For the punches, is it best to leave the sides round towards the struck end? Or would shaping it into an octagon or something be a good idea?
Either is fine
Thank you very-very much for starting this project! It is an excellent source for someone like me, who is trying to learn a few things. :-) As a side note: perhaps, something you may want to check: your links to hammer and tongs seem broken. Thank you again!!
Thanks for the heads up, they should work now
I recently got an antique knife that was made out of a some sort of bandsaw blade
Nice series, looking forward to see were it goes!
Walmart will sell you safety glass frames for less than 50$.
it's a job to buy s7 around here. i used coil springs. would coil springs be good to make axe drifts i need a small one and a middle size one. this is a awesome series have a great day
The material would be very good, its just a matter of finding it in large enough diameters for that type of drift.
making a pair of togs to start with , you make them to suite you
Love the series and what you do!
Thank you sir for this series.
So how does it feel going from time tested custom tools to store bought cheaper tools? Did it take some getting used to before making the videos or did you just jump in feet first? To be fair, I've tried lots of hammers but my favorite one is an 800gr I bought from Blacksmiths Depot years ago. It's like the difference between a surgeons scalpel and an axe. I guess it's just what you get used to using. One question though, I assume that you dressed the face of that hammer before you used it but it looked like it still had fairly sharp edges on it. Is that just my poor eyesight or are you using that hammer as bought?
Not really much of a change. I like this hammer weight, but will modify the handle a little. I did show using a file to dress the face of the hammer in the previous video, but didn't talk about it. I'll try to remember to mention it in the next part of the series.
I want to send this guy money he’s showing us all this information and I just can’t thank him enough
I appreciate the thought. Donations are welcome, links in video description