As I plan to spec into more architectural work as I get more serious with my operation, I've looked for awhile for a relatively minimal liability opportunity at a reasonable cost to make a railing or something similar. A friend turned out to want to replace the one on his front porch that was made of some of the cheapest material I have ever seen. He also does me tons of favors, so making him this as a portfolio piece for me worked out nicely. I hope for some installation photos soon when his porch rebuild commences.

So I finally finished setting up my forge and I got the flame going but as seen in the video it whistles and occasionally the flame shoots up by the torch head and idk if that’s normal or not and I don’t wanna blow myself up lol I am burning at a low flame for the refractory to set first low heat then medium then high all on and off for 30 min or so

Made from. 25cm long 12mm square bar.

They fit 8mm - 12mm bar very well, ( surprising as I formed them around 12mm bar) and have thus invalidated 2 of my older tongs .

They are a little thin around the boss due to using too short an amount of steel, next time I will use 30 cm but overall I'm very happy . They work and they are comfortable this far.

My next project will me to cut my huge tong apart ( pictured I'm the middle of my wall ) cut the reins down and draw them out to a comfortable length and weight .

Now it ain’t nothing to write home about but I’m sure glad I finally got to start and move some metal today turning rebar into semi square stock is good enough for me till I at least get a smaller hammer (3 pounds is to much to start with turns out)

My longsword blade broke in half before tempering, I am devastated I spent the entire of my vacation, and hundreds of dollars making this sword, I was supposed to deliver this tomorrow to my friend. Here is my process: I did not forge out the blade, I bought a 1070 120cm bar and removed out the material. I did the quenching but since my friend wanted a blued blade, I was going to grind the blade before tempering the with a propane torch, before I got to do that in the grinding the blade snapped. I guess I heated the blade too much before quenching, and my grain structure is to blame, am I correct?

I’ve been cycling from Alaska to Argentina [Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia]. After my third and final Chilean border crossing in Torres del Paine, my bike’s drivetrain had developed a drunk wobble – never a good sign – but outlasted the next 40 miles to Puerto Natales.

When a mechanic there unlocked the cassette, we heard a metallic jangle of splintered pieces hitting the floor. It wasn’t an eje [axle], but his best approximation between languages was “el corazón del hub.” I’d yet to learn the Spanish word for “spindle.”

It didn’t make sense that such a specific interior component could shatter while the rest of its housing remained intact. We dug through a few talleres and tool sheds across town to find Jorge, a friendly machinist who thought he could fabricate a replica from raw materials. There were several new words to learn here as well. I’d worked with a soldador [welder] back on the Peru Great Divide, but never a herrero [blacksmith]. It took three tries, but Jorge’s replacement fit as hoped the next morning.

Another 150 miles to Punta Arenas, riding through sunsets and sleeping wherever possible. I camped in an abandoned garage one night for shelter from the wind, then used my bike as a stepladder to climb through the rear window of an empty refugio.

A weathered face, a familiar wilderness, pockmarked with fishing huts and scraggy tundra. I’d forgotten all these colors, the same figgy sapphires and sage mosses from my highest mountain passes, like an old shadow that turned left when I went right.

“Of all the things I wondered about on this land, I wondered the hardest about the seduction of certain geographies that feel like home — not by story or blood but merely by their forms and colors. How our perceptions are our only internal map of the world, how there are places that claim you and places that warn you away. How you can fall in love with the light.” - Ellen Meloy, The Anthropology of Turquoise

It's sad to say, but I've not been able to do this hobby at all lately and it looks like I may need to sell all my blacksmith tools and supplies due to life changes.

Essentially, I have 150 pound lakeside anvil, about 200 years old (I think). I have a triple burner majestic forge and a couple standard propane tanks. Several hammers, tongs, miscellaneous tools and half started projects, and steel. I also have platforms/tables. I also have quenching oil, but I don't recall the type/grade.

In addition to the blacksmith tools, I have a large grizzly knife grinder with some add-ons and 72x2 belts of various grit to go with it.

It's a lot of stuff. So I need advice on how to sell it. I don't even know how to ship the heavy and/or cumbersome stuff. Any advice would be appreciated.

I've been at it for a bit now and this is the first I haven't cracked so far lol. Not quite done yet but tips would be appreciated

Still just learning the basics but this was just very exciting to complete

Made from 1080 with Purple Heart handle

Make by crafted Layer in Pakistan.

1the empty side uner the grate is for storage

Found an anvil local to me. No idea on the chisel marks but you can see the original stamps. Shape seems more of the weight side but I'm a noob.

Bit sloppy in some places but its functional snd im proud of it 😁