Blacksmithing 2- Folding, Twisting and Straightening

[300spartanswin]

Really can't wait to set up my own backyrd smithy!

[monkeydog2332]

Ok, now I'm in the process of reading and researching, with the goal of ultimately setting up a little backyard smithy, so I'm no expert, but I'm wondering about the equipment: no shirt, shorts, and an adjustable wrench?  On to the next - cool stuff, but lacking credibility.

[epicfantasy]

@monkeydog2332 Keep moving forward! This is most important. Improvise as you can. THis is what I do. start out with a wrench and get better stuff as you can. You start out cheap and get stuff as you can. As long as you keep moving forward.

[VITATTA]

DID THIS IN 8TH GRADE. PLACE ROD INSIDE A SHORT PIPE TO KEEP STRAIGHT. YOU CAN TWIST IT COLD THEN.

[Mathaius833]

how do you put that stake that you hold on to into the metal you are hammering

[349duffman]

billet, its called a billet. lololol nice video

[SuperMETAZ]

no shirt and shorts thats smart near a forge

[Spart248]

The "impurities" is actually the metal reacting with the oxygen in the air to form an oxide, or formally known as a "rust" on the metal. The rusting outside acts like a crust and easily breaks off as you twist. This is the flakes of metal you see flying off as you twist or hammer the piece.

[epicfantasy]

@Spart248 Great comment. Thanks!

[lillybugg10]

You should show how to make certain things

[snowchamp21o]

no no no no when you have a twist in the metal you dont want to hit it with a hammer onto an anvil your going to want a wooden mallet with a wooden block to stighten it because youll leave dents and dings in the twist witch dosnt look to good

[epicfantasy]

@snowchamp21o Thanks! Great advice. 

[Rhandahl]

"look o the impurities cracking rite off o dat" well.. its just oxidised steel

[kingolaf99]

@Rhandahl Exactly. Every time the steel reaches a certain temp, the same process will happen. Lawn mower blades are already super refined and pure.

[fluffy1696]

2.20 the 'shell' is called scale, it is the steel oxidizing with the air and falling off, if you've seen a heavily rusted bit of steel it breaks away in layers, its basically that but on a finer level. the impurities are removed in the smelting process before it is rolled into its section in the foundry. :)

[epicfantasy]

@master3573 yes

[madproductions2819]

your right it about the impuretys its called scale.

[traditionalsmith]

@madproductions2819 no, the scale is not made up of impurities: it's made up of iron oxide which forms when hot iron comes into contact with the oxygen in the atmosphere.

[CaptainMcMuffin100]

The way I made a twist on my project was I tightened one end into a table-grounded vice and then I grabbed the upper end with a wrench and walked around in a circle with the wrench a few times.

[epicfantasy]

@CaptainMcMuffin100 thanks! great tip

[drason69]

on twisting...take the cresent wrench, grind a notch in the solid portion of the jaw, then add a bar. it gives a T handle effect, and makes twisting easier due to 2x leveredge. YIS, Ld Cailean MacGowen (aka "drason")

[epicfantasy]

@drason69 Great blacksmithing advice. Thanks!

[draconova777]

epicfantasy after you have twisted try heat welding a bar of carbon steel to either side of it and you have the start of a beautifully patterned blade for a longsword :)

[epicfantasy]

@draconova777 nice! Thanks.MOre blacksmithing coming soon!

[demolishionhammer]

cool

[necrobutcher]

Do i dip the newly made unsharpened blade into some hot molten steel to harden it?

[MrThahey]

the "shell" on the metal is called mill scale it's a form of oxidation, black iron oxide which forms at higher temperatures.

[feeshmaninpisa]

how the heck do you get shiping for an anvil?

[epicfantasy]

@feeshmaninpisa I bought it from a local source. Craigslist is good for this.

[StaefNguyen]

You REMIND ME OF RUNESCAPE, YOU ARE VINTAGE MISTER! AWSOME :D

[MrThahey]

@StaefNguyen check out purgatoryironworks, technicusjoe, etc. they are excellent blacksmiths

[jaxv94]

1 hater isnt straight while 31 people are

[blacksmither1]

dude gey a vice,its really helpful.

[epicfantasy]

@blacksmither1 thanks, I really need to get a vise!

[UnpredictableProduct]

@epicfantasy haha XD

You have a freaking anvil and a furnace, but not a vice. :P

[epicfantasy]

@UnpredictableProduct lol, good point. Been loooking at knee vises.

[TrueOutdoorsMan16]

Roflmao that cracked me up you are wearing gloves but you are shirtless..........LLLOOLLL :P

[Conan568]

Cool, you should lose the glove on your hammer hand though, better control.

That stuff that flakes off is fire scale, modern steel won't have too much impurities.

Good luck with the billet, if you get stuck check out my channel.

[huckleberry803]

what type of metal are you using? is it regular steel, wrought iron, or something else? Also where do you get your supply from?

[epicfantasy]

@huckleberry803 So far I have just been using various metal scraps. some regular steel and some wrought iron. Pretty soon I will be purchasing good steel. But for now just practicing and learning on scraps of metal. Got more blacksmithing vids coming.

[1003007u]

@epicfantasy hey when you twist the metal you can slide a piece of pipe(tubing) over the metal. once you have completed the twisting, the peice will remain relativley straight.

[epicfantasy]

@1003007u This is such a great blacksmithing tip. Thanks!

[KayvaanMatos]

@epicfantasy wow that's awesome that you live in New England, I myself live in MA. I want to become a blacksmith. I'm only 17 and want to participate in the SCA wars / duels / combat areas. I'll need to make armor out of 16GA steel and 20GA for flexible, but durable hands. Is it easy to get an anvil without having it shipped from overseas? I'm hesitant to get a used one as I figure it'll be warped, cast iron, or something else bad haha.

gloves, but no shirt, classic sir haha :P

[AaronAlso]

I didn't go through all the comments... The stuff flaking off is Oxidation! When the metal is heated red hot it oxidizes much much faster. Typically one would use a stiff wire brush to knock off the oxidation before working the metal, but it's only really critical with you are forge welding. Common household borax can be used to prevent this and create good solid forge welds.

[epicfantasy]

@AaronAlso thanks much for the help and advice. Learning as I go and been hitting the books pretty hard. Have plenty of borax now. I dress much safer now too :)

[ModernVikingSaga]

Epicfantasy, I love your videos and I am very great for for the info you give on many a topic! Thank you.

[mmorpgman]

Nice to see the art of topless blacksmithing isn't dead, just don't go to naked.

[epicfantasy]

@mmorpgman lol! I wear a long sleeve shirt now:) That stuff is hot!!

[TeddyTek]

Make a sword:)

[epicfantasy]

@TeddyTek Hi Teddy! I am definitely going to make a sword or two, there will be videos!

[prokopto]

post vise for twisting is a great help.

[epicfantasy]

@prokopto Thanks, I have been checking out the cost of post vises.

[epicspoofz]

i may be getting into blacksmithing... i have the right tools in my garage... all i need is for my grandpa to maybe try and find a n anvil and have it up at my cottage

[RingLord3]

Sorry about previous comment I now see someone answered it.

[epicfantasy]

@RingLord3 quite alright, thanks though. This blacksmithing is new to me. Hitting the books even harder than I am hitting the anvil!

[RingLord3]

@epicfantasy Yeah same here I was surprised on how many books my local library had on black smithing books.

[RingLord3]

You know how you said that the scale falling off the was impurities coming out of the metal. Well it's not....it's oxidization in the metal. So basically the metal is rusting as you work with it and as you twist it just knocks it off.

[RingLord3]

I here sheep =) Or maybe goats....... probably goats.

[epicfantasy]

@RingLord3 It's goats :)

[ArtistBlade1972]

The layer cracking off is called scale. It's an accelerated form of rust. Iron oxide. It's not impurities. Just a tip for you, quench the areas you don't want to twist with water to cool them off. Also, make sure the area you are twisting is heated evenly to avoid the twist being tighter in some areas.

[epicfantasy]

@ArtistBlade1972 Thanks, I am just starting out in blacksmithing and have a lot to learn. Just got my first two books delivered. Going to be a lot of interesting fun.

[ArtistBlade1972]

@epicfantasy Smithing is fun as hell. You'll love it I have a few smithing videos up If you're interested. I mainly do bladesmithing. Try to stay away from those fiberglass handles if at all possible as they don't absorb shock very well. Your wrist and elbow will start to feel it soon. Hickory is best

[TheGreenDragon90]

You know, I love all this medieval things and stuff and how fun is to make them, but then after all that joy I hate it because I can't do it myself at home. But I want it so bad!!!!

[epicfantasy]

@TheGreenDragon90 You definitely can do these things. You can do anything you set your mind to. Just make small steps, start with some vids, read some articles, get a book. talk to people about it, Before long you are doing it.

[TheGreenDragon90]

@epicfantasy Yeah, exept I don't live in a house, but in an appartmetnt (first floor however and do you think my parents (I'm 20 years old) will let me make my own forge?

[LordNyris]

Where did you get an anvil?

[epicfantasy]

@LordNyris craigslist

[KarelProject]

@LordNyris dude, is it so hard to get a anvil? why hole family have one xD

[MrGodOfWarful]

@LordNyris u can buy it from hardware store

[Drizzt234455]

@LordNyris you mean where do you get a cheap anvil lol

[MrGodOfWarful]

@LordNyris im not epicfantasy but you can buy them at hardware stores OR you could go to abandoned railway and take piece of the railway its very hard metal

[dragonheart96]

what kind of lisence do you need to make things like swords? Also if do you need a lisence to have a backyard forge?

[DeathlyCrunch]

Thats so fucking manly lol. Also, isn't the cracking laying just the oxidized metal?

De to the energy from the heat I'd think it would oxidize pretty fast like that.

Only an educated guess mind.

[MRn00blet]

i too have a backyard forge and would strongly suggest eyeprotection at all times

even the smalles hot fragment can cause huge amounts of damage

[kingsizecobber]

@MRn00blet couldn't agree more, use goggles, it only takes a tiny fragment.

[epicfantasy]

@MRn00blet You are absolutely right here. thanks for the reminder.

[Emohrbeckk]

can you show a video as to how you built your forge and what you use?

[epicfantasy]

@Emohrbeckk Sure, I can do a video showing a close up of the forge and the various parts, how it was built. Thanks for the idea. Probably have it done for next week. Got a bunch of other videos to do this week. But definitely will do that one.

[1guitarfreak4]

awesome! 3rd

[1guitarfreak4]

@1guitarfreak4 yes third, because 1st doesnt count lol

[peeeepsi]

@1guitarfreak4 4th actually

[1guitarfreak4]

@peeeepsi yea but did you read my other comment

[noonedude101]

I got to watch a blacksmith make a knife once... And quite often we have the blacksmith down here making custom fitted horse shoes.

[Aresftfun]

That's cool!

[southernwoman2010]

first