c/blacksmiths

Serious question, has anyone else had a propane forge just quit on a big project?

Mine cut out halfway through a commissioned Damascus billet last Tuesday, right at the critical weld stage. The regulator froze solid in my 40-degree shop, and I lost the whole piece. What do you all do to keep your gas flowing when it's cold?

2 comments

morgan_butler•2d ago

TIL my neighbor thought my anvil was a giant doorstop.

He tried to use it to prop open his garage door and bent the hinge.

2 comments

spencer_chen6•3d ago

A bakery wanted a fancy dough scraper from my forge

Lately, I've seen more food places order custom metalwork from blacksmiths, which is neat but leads to some odd jobs. This local bakery asked me to make a steel dough scraper, which sounded easy until they wanted it engraved with tiny leaves and super light. I had to explain that too light means it might flex and not scrape well, and we went in circles for a bit. In the end, I forged a sturdy one with a simple leaf design, and they were thrilled because it outlasted their old plastic ones. It's funny how blacksmithing is sneaking into kitchens now, with people wanting pretty but practical tools.

2 comments

stellahart•4d ago

Steel Suppliers Changing Grades Mid-Order

Been buying from the same steel supplier for years, but lately I keep running into a real headache. They'll list a specific alloy, say 5160, and that's what I order for my spring work. But the last three batches have had slightly different stuff mixed in, nothing major on the sheet but it acts totally different in the quench. My normal tempering routine leaves it either too soft or way too brittle. Now I have to test every single bar before I even start a project, which adds hours I didn't plan for. It feels like they're just slapping whatever's close enough into the same bin to clear stock. Really throws off the consistency of my work, you know? Makes me not want to trust the label anymore, which is a huge problem when you're trying to run a shop.

2 comments

ben_hernandez•4d ago

Unpopular opinion: I'm torn over making sharp historical weapons for sale

A regular customer wants me to forge a working medieval mace for his collection. He claims it's just for show, but I've seen how these items can get into the wrong hands. Once, I sold a combat knife to someone who posted online about carrying it for protection. That made me question my part in it. Should I start asking for more details or just say no to such jobs? I need input from other smiths who might have faced this. How do you balance making a living with feeling responsible for what you create?

2 comments

joel685•5d ago

Watching an old timer shape a scroll changed my approach to decorative work

I always thought you needed special jigs or tools to make tight, even scrolls in ironwork. Tbh, I wasted a lot of time trying to set up complicated rigs. Then, at a local meet-up, I saw an older smith just use the horn of his anvil and a plain hammer. He showed me how to heat the metal right and use light, steady taps to bend it smoothly. After trying it myself, my scrolls came out cleaner and faster than ever before. Now I focus on getting the heat control and hammer angles right instead of relying on gadgets. It's made my decorative pieces way more consistent. Honestly, sometimes the old ways really are the best for a reason.

2 comments

paule53•7d ago

My boss okayed me running the weekend beginner workshops

Honestly, I've been helping out with demos for a while now. Tbh, having full say over the curriculum for new folks is a real confidence boost. We're focusing on basic hammer control and simple hooks first. Ngl, it's nice to be trusted with growing the craft.

3 comments

morgan.mary•7d ago

Update: That flea market find made tempering click for me.

A single twisted rod told the whole story.

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benk26•7d ago

Stop gatekeeping blacksmithing based on fuel type.

I see folks online saying projects made with propane forges aren't real. This snobby view pushes beginners away and misses the good points of new tools. Why can't we look at how good the work is, not how it was made?

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jackson.oscar•7d ago

Saw some strange hammers at a frontier forge last week

I was traveling through the mountains and visited an old frontier forge. They had hammers with two different sized heads that I've never seen in my own work area. What were these used for, and does anyone still make them?

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piperprice•7d ago

Why does my steel crack every time I try to forge weld?

I must be missing a key step in the prep work.

3 comments

cora_schmidt85•8d ago

My shop neighbor thinks hammer control is everything, but I've had better luck focusing on heat.

I find that managing your forge temperature matters more than perfect hammer strikes for consistent results.

3 comments

iristaylor•9d ago

Appreciation post: That old coal forge in the shed changed my smithing game

I finally fired up the coal forge my grandpa left me, and the heat control is so much better than my gas one. Does anyone have advice on sourcing good coal for forge work?

3 comments

jenniferj23•10d ago

Caught my brother eyeing the anvil last weekend

I taught him to forge a simple hook and he did a great job. His excitement after was really cool.

3 comments