Blacksmithing and all the request that people ask help with!

[raceman1590]

Howdy all, it has come to my attention that there are many people that want to build very difficult items in the blacksmith shop. With this being said I would highly recommend that you attend a committee meeting for more info on those subjects or contact me personally. Building simply pieces that only use one piece of metal with a few spot to bend don’t take more than a couple of hours on a free afternoon. On the other hand many people have come to me with the interest of building very complex items that take lots of time hammering and at the knife grinder. I would love to help many with projects like this and to make that happen where we can go in detail I would like to invite those interested in this to attend a committee meeting and or I set up a clean up/ class day where we can go further in detail vs just having a quick 10 minute chat after class. I’ve dedicated my life to blacksmithing and building anything in that shop takes work like anything else and if y’all are as interested in this craft as I am I’d love to compare ideas and get the blacksmith shop up to par on what we would need to make more complex projects built. Also I have to pay bills and if I spend an afternoon with you or a one on one that take time away from custom projects I’m working on for others that are paying me. In conclusion we all want to build amazing pieces and to do that we all need to contribute equally if you decide to take part in a endeavor of such… aka building swords/or multi faceted sculpture pieces.

With all this being said I’m going to leave this open to y’all and we can all have a place to chat about what it will take to make the more time consuming art pieces come to life. I will start with this and then we can work out times that people can meet in person. That way Everyone can get a chance to build at their own speed while still working together to learn the best ways to go about these things. Might throw a shop clean up day in this month just to get a small group of like minded people.

                                            Thanks Nicholas Brown

[raceman1590]

Some of these are more simple than others. This will give those interested an idea of where we can go with hard work and teamwork. If you want to know where my mind is at… Welcome this is where! If your interested in any of these things this is where my focus will be.

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[raceman1590]

I’m also posting this because many people have asked about continuing in blacksmithing without knowing where they would like to start. As far as my current talents in blacksmithing this will be a step up for y’all and same on my side. Those that want more that a few bends of materials this post is for you!

[Levi_Darby]

I am definitely interested in eventually learning knife making and how to make Damascus in the forge as well. I don’t have a lot of free time myself but am willing to learn what I can over a period of time. I was also told that MIG welding would help a lot as well which I have already taken a class for it.

[coloneldan]

I concur wholeheartedly with Nick. I’m the vice chair and I’ve been in blacksmithing at Brookhaven College now Dallas College for 3.5 years. It is a GREAT place to learn blacksmithing.

Most projects in blacksmithing take considerable skill to get right. Most people assume that it is a quick way to bend and shape metal and it is after you learn how to do it.

For instance you need to learn to draw out, upset, bend, curve, shoulder and form metal to name just a few of the BASIC skills you need to learn. Knifemaking, which I know is a tremendous interest, takes planning, collecting the right materials, heating and shaping the blade and then grinding to the final shape, heat treating and finally sharpening the blade. Then of course there is a matter of making bolsters, scales and pins. Of which there are a million choices. Lastly, there are many many steels to choose from. All steels are NOT created for knife making.

Here’s a great book on the subject: Wayne Goddard’s $50 Knife Shop, Revised You can find it online at Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3L7295D4G5HO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bkiZyDIm9gAlWAahJ3fblM1EAcWgNd-SzXpUH4OZhL3OWXSI8IS51qEUbsm3C2-Uwm1W5NkzhVfuWST-gOehRQ0wdZP-I8gJRY5zkhIgvxzgiGiDoRjceNO5DSInxvJJzjKjXl2S5Pi7XclM8PelM0WAyM4Gih5dCw99Q6Nwa9Q.tk8el1vPxZXH0si9fCEy8SWl789xQlE3VKrGPWo4F_8&dib_tag=se&keywords=Wayne+Goddard's+%2450+Knife+Shop%2C+Revised&qid=1714580986&sprefix=wayne+goddard's+50+knife+shop%2C+revised%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-1

I also posted a PDF on our blacksmithing committee drive under the books folder. You have to probably go to the jump drive to get access to it. There is a lot of other good blacksmithing information there.

[coloneldan]

There are a number of ways to make Damascus. Here are just a few: 1) layered disparate steels such as 1084 and 15N20 2) Container steel using almost any steel and 1084 and 15N20 steel powders and 3) Wootz 4)stainless steel and 5)cast Damascus to name some.

Here’s a couple of great articles on making Damascus and the different patterns possible, too.

Types of Damascus Steel | Complete Guide 2024

How is Damascus Steel Made?

Here’s a quote from the article:

Can I make my own Damascus Steel?

Yes, you can make your own Damascus steel, but it requires advanced blacksmithing skills, specific equipment, and a deep understanding of metalworking. The process involves forge-welding different types of steel, followed by folding and hammering to develop the layers and patterns. It’s a complex and time-consuming process, so beginners are advised to start with basic techniques and gradually progress to Damascus steel making.

I encourage everyone to begin their blacksmithing journey with simpler tasks and expect to work up to forge welding and Damascus.

[raceman1590]

Glad to hear. This is just a talk about the evolution of the art. That way people know kinda what there going into. Also to share ideas and grow our committee some rather than continuing simple one day classes. While also not making classes to advanced and people bailing. Which is part of it and thats okay though. I will probably set up a class where we can just get together as a group and talk about more scientific and knowledge then make plans to build from there. More organized is what helps with long builds.

[raceman1590]

This is also a word of caution saying beginners are still welcomed. Just most of the classes you see from me will start to grow in these ways so if you take one of my classes that not an intro this will be the direction @Levi_Darby and others. That’s all!!!

[Levi_Darby]

I figured that there will be a laundry list of skills needed. Time to start learning the many basic skills needed then eventually attempt to make a knife. I did notice that Blacksmithing is also a good way to build up arm strength.

[raceman1590]

Most definitely definitely get strong while blacksmithing. Knifes are fun to build but take a lot of time and patience. I just want to step forward in the classes but don’t want people to fall behind if they truly want to learn. Getting everyone knowledgeable and build a safe and functioning shop is what I would also like to bring more than just shoot for the stars.

Yedi and I built this today aka cleaned and welded the pieces together. Each piece had a story behind it and putting it together made “Wendy” or “windy” come to life. This is what I’ve enjoyed and would like to build a fun crew that is also wanting to grow in the art work as any trade.