c/blacksmiths

Caught a bad batch of coal last week - cost me a full day of work

Picked up 50 pounds from a new supplier outside of Pittsburgh and it was nothing but clinkers and sulfur. My forge wouldn't hold heat over 1800 degrees no matter how hard I cranked the blower. Had to scrap three blade blanks I was working on for a commission. Anyone else ever get burned by a bad coal supplier?

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andrew_nguyen64•12h ago

Picked up a trick at the Austin hammer-in that saved my anvil stand

Watched a guy weld angle iron frames filled with sand for his anvil at the Texas show last weekend, tried it myself and my ringing dropped by half, has anyone else messed with sand-filled stands?

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joseph_baker•1d ago

PSA: That forge welding trick I swore was BS actually works like magic

I've been hammering iron for about 4 years now, mostly making gates and railings on the side. A buddy from the local guild kept telling me to sprinkle a little borax on my joint before heating it up for a weld. I laughed it off for maybe 2 years, figured it was some old timer myth. Finally tried it last Tuesday on a stubborn lap joint for a garden gate, and dang if it didn't fuse cleaner than anything I've ever done. Has anyone else held out on a tip for way too long only to eat their words?

c/blacksmiths

Caught a bad batch of coal last week - cost me a full day of work

Picked up a trick at the Austin hammer-in that saved my anvil stand

PSA: That forge welding trick I swore was BS actually works like magic

Realized I was quenching in the wrong oil after 2 years

That one Tuesday where nothing went right at the forge

That old timer who told me my hammer swing was all wrong fixed my work in a day

Hit 5000 knives forged and it got me thinking about speed vs quality

Just realized my anvil work height has been wrong for 12 years

Burned $120 on cheap coal from a hardware store chain

Just wasted $150 on a fancy power hammer attachment, total regret

My grandfather told me to quench in old motor oil instead of water for tool steel.

Coal vs charcoal turned out to be a real thing

I think propane forges are overrated for what most of us actually do

Dropped $80 on a fancy coal rake and it was a waste

Picked up a 200 year old wrought iron latch at an estate sale in Lancaster PA last month

That old anvil I almost passed on turned out to be a gem

Bought a cheap propane forge off Amazon against my better judgment and now I'm worried it's going to blow up my garage

Burned $40 on a cheap welding helmet from the flea market

Hot steel flew off my anvil and landed in my boot

Tried a low-temp quench on a chisel and it came out way tougher

Overheard a guy at the guild meeting say he only hardens springs in canola oil

My homemade forge burner blew up in my face on Tuesday

That Wednesday I had 4 straight forge welds fail on me back to back

Went to that old forge museum in Colonial Williamsburg and noticed something weird

PSA: That fancy forge welding flux I bought was a total waste