Blacksmithin'

Where you have metal on metal. . .Manj Jet is a good rod for build up, hardface with Faceweld 1.

Now. . .if you need a chisel, say a special shape, maybe flat on one side, all the angle on the other. . .or a punch, if you've got a forge (there's millions out there) or an ACT/OXY rig with a rosebud, an anvil or a chunk of iron to use as an anvil, and a hammer, and just a touch of blacksmithin' skill, or want to learn the skill. . .get a good piece of steel, I like older aged, work hardened steel, coil springs from under railroad cars are good. Packard car springs made some of the best forged knives I ever made. Cut out a piece you think will be long enough, heat it red and straighten. Heat it to an orange, hammer the point to the general shape you want, stop hammerin' when the red leaves, reheat as nessecary, grind or belt sand or file to the final shape you're goin' for. Get a magnet. . .heat the cuttin' end from the tip, up an inch or so. . .until the tip loses magnetism, get 50 degrees hotter, quench in oil for a few seconds. . .polish one inch or so from the point back, quickly, and watch the colors comin' down. when brown hits the point, quench again until cool. Might take a little time to get it right. . .You can do it over and over again. Smooth the end you're gonna hammer on, heat to a dark blue. You should have a good chisel or punch with a cuttin' edge that will cut steel easily and the end you'll hammer on will be soft enough not to chip and put an eye out or damage your hammer face. The end your hammerin' on should mushroom slightly. Grind the mushroomin' off ever so often

Thanks
Bill Caldwell
Wild Bill Caldwell Custom Weaponry

But I never forgot what he said when he found me trying to shape a piece of metal with a hammer and anvil, without the benefit of heat...he said, "Son, there's an old sayin' you oughta learn: You go straight to hell for cold blacksmithin'." Of course, that didn't stop me from trying it; it just kept me from doing it when I'd get caught.

• Centaur Forge

Thanks for the post.

Dug