So
You Want to Forge a
Sword
Words for the "Wannabe" Bladesmith
Basic Ladder pattern Damascus blade by Dr. Jim Hrisoulas
The following information
is based totally on my own personal feelings and experience. I have
been
strongly criticized for the advice that follows. Others dissagree with
my
suggestions, the order I suggest to proceed, and how to get started,
but
that is unimportant. If you are doing your "homework" properly as
suggested
below, you will learn their thoughts too, and can then make an informed
decision
as to how you wish to proceed. Some guys suggest you jump right in and
start
hammering a blade, but in my teaching career I learned long ago that to
attempt
techniques that are way above a person's skill level usually results in
frustration and loss of interest. My comments below are based on this
premise,
and I therefore suggest a longer but surer road to the final
end.....that
of becoming an acomplished bladesmith.
A Note About Obtaining My Help
I am no longer
able
to offer my support to help solve problems you may have with your
burners
or forge. I have reached the point that something has to give. Two to
three
hours a night answering questions has brought my metal working each
evening
of the week to a stand still. I will continue to update my
blacksmithing
pages, and will now also have the time to clean out all the outdated
and
conflicting information in my pages, however, I will no longer be able
to
troubleshoot your system. I still want to receive your e-mails if they
do
not pertain to forge or burner problems. If you build your burner to
the
design specs and information shown and discussed on my pages, including
in
the Troubleshooting Document and FAQ, your burner should work well. If
it
doesn't, then its not built correctly, and you will need to make some
adjustments
after looking through the available information. The best thing to look
at
when fine tuning your burner are the various flame
images I have posted.
If yours looks like these images, you have it right. Here are a few
helpful
links.
Forge & Burner Troubleshooting Document
1) T-Rex Flame Image - Ideal Neutral Flame
2) Side-arm Burner Flame Using Temporary Cast Iron Test Nozzle - Slightly Reducing Flame
3) Another Flame Image - Oxidizing Flame
The bottom three
flame
images give you views of burner flames adjusted to 1) neutral, 2)
slightly
reducing, and 3) strongly oxidizing. The burners have nothing to do
with
it, just the choke settings. All of these images could have been done
with
the T-Rex, or Side-arm burners. At your high end gas pressure, if you
have
achieved a flame similar to the oxidizing flame shown in the bottom
image,
#3, you will then have full control over the burner flame across the
full
pressure range. This will allow you to achieve oxidizing, neutral, or
reducing,
flames as needed by simply adjusting the choke. You will then have a
properly
functioning burner.
Forging Swords
I assume the interest in
the SCA
organization, and the dungeons
and dragons games and activities, has created the elevated interest in
forging
swords that I am seeing. I have recently experienced a very large
increase
in requests for information about sword forge designs, and getting
started
in sword making. Probably the very best example I can think of
regarding
"putting the cart before the horse" would be a beginner trying to forge
a
sword, especially a laminated sword, before learning some of the basic
techniques
needed to work hot steel. If you want to make a sword, and have no
blacksmithing
or bladesmithing experience, I strongly suggest you delay attempting to
forge
one for the present, invest in a good belt sander, and make some stock
removal
blades while you gather resources to further your goals. The
techniques and hand-eye coordination necessary to produce a good stock
removal
blade are also required to make a fine forged blade. You will not be
wasting
your time by starting out in this fashion, but will be gaining the
knowledge
necessary for the completion of a blade after its forged. It is a lot
more
cost effective to ruin some plain steel bars while learning the
techniques
than to spend the time and money to forge a laminated Damascus steel
blade
and destroy it in a botched blade finishing process later. While you
are
actually making blades with your grinder, you can also be gathering the
equipment
and knowledge to begin your forge work. This approach will allow you to
start
working metal sooner, build your confidence, and will result in more
rapid
overall progress.
By starting out slowly you
will have the time available to investigate what equipment is needed,
preventing
you from wasting money on unneeded or poor quality tools, and to learn
how
the work is done to properly forge a blade. Bladesmithing is at the top
of
the list of difficulty in blacksmithing, not at the beginner's end of
the
list. You are simply not going to fire up a forge and laminate a fine
sword
blade as a beginner....it just won't happen. Even forging a non
laminated
solid steel blade is very difficult for a beginner. The thin edges of a
blade
are very critical to work with, and often will be burned away long
before
a beginning smith is able to reach the grinding and polishing stage.
Just
forging a straight shaft is a perplexing challenge for a beginner
because
the thinning and drawing of the metal on one side will bend the blade
in
the opposite direction, creating a hook shaped blade. If its a single
edged
blade, you have to carefully plan ahead to counter this bending problem.
Before you start
hammering
delicate blade shapes, you need to learn the nature and behavior of hot
steel
under the hammer, and gain the very fine hammer control necessary for
such
work. If you don't, you will end up with a very rough and dented piece
of
steel, instead of the fine blade that you desire. You have to be able
to
hit in the exact spot required every time, especially so during forge
welding,
and also to hit with a totally flat hammer face impact, or you will
just
dent and ding the steel, making it difficult or impossible to grind out
later.
So how do you get started on the road to eventually making that prized
sword
you so badly want?23 Nov 0723 Nov 0723 Nov 07
The first thing I
suggest
you do is join the
"knifelist,"
a free listserve
dedicated to making knives and swords of all kinds. Here is where you
will
be exposed to those with differeing thoughts to mine. There are some
extremely
talented bladesmiths on the list, and they can help you progress step
by
step in the direction of becoming a bladesmith yourself. Don't join the
list
and start piling on the questions however, just introduce yourself,
drop
back into the background, and be a "lurker" while you learn what is
going
on, and the accepted manor of posting to the list. Start gathering
information
and becoming educated in metal working techniques and termonology. The
experienced smiths on the list get tired of answering the same old worn
out
questions over and over again. Just wait and someone else will ask most
of
them for you. Another forum that may be of interest is the
Knifemaking
Forum. It covers all kinds of unusual subjects relevant and
irrelevant
to knife making.
The next step,
which probably
should be done concurrently with joining the "knifelist," is to start
building
your library of technical references, and the bladesmithing books by
Dr.
Jim Hrisoulas are about as good a place to start as you will find. You
should
visit his Salamander
Armoury
where you can see some of his excellent work, and some of the Damascus
patterns
that you too might be able to produce someday. You will also need to
start
collecting books and gaining knowledge about blacksmithing. You can
join
"theforge," which is another free listserve dedicated to blacksmithing,
and
hosted by ABANA,
"Artist Blacksmiths
of North America." You should join ABANA as soon as possible, if for no
other
reason than to receive their excellent publications about blacksmith
work.
Another good source for answers to questions is the Blacksmithing
Newsgroup,
"alt.crafts.blacksmithing," where a much smaller group of blacksmiths
resides,
mostly beginners, but there are a few very experienced smiths there
too.
The Sword Forum
is another Web
site that may be of interest to you. You should also
try to find
a local bladesmith or blacksmith who will agree to teach you some of
the
basic skills necessary to work iron. You will be way ahead by taking
advantage
of his/her knowledge and instruction. The above lists, newsgroup, Web
site,
and ABANA, are also your best sources to locate a local smith to help
you
get started.
At some point you need to
start gathering equipment, and that means tongs, hammers, anvil(s),
files,
grinders, sanders, drills, and a host of other tools. You can't use a
hammer
as it comes from the store, if you are so unfortunate as to have to buy
your
hammers new. Hammers have to be faced properly so they will not damage
the
steel, this is called "dressing the face," and is just another piece of
knowledge
you will need to obtain, and which can be found in the books you
collected
about blacksmithing. Additionally, you have to shape the hammer handle
properly
or your arm will not stand up to the work of hammering iron over the
long
term. At some point you will also want a forge, and that is when my Web
pages
may be of help to you. Please don't get the cart in front of the horse
and
start asking me questions about forges and burners before you even have
an
idea which direction to proceed, or have started your tool collection.
Your
blacksmith instructor should be able to suggest a good starter forge
design.
After that, when you have learned what features you want in your own
forge,
perhaps then you should explore the more sophisticated forge and burner
designs
I have on my pages. Certainly, your best source for information on
sword
forges are the guys who forge swords.....and I don't make swords.
Once you have learned enough
about the metal arts to give you some idea where you will be going with
your
project, then its time to start collecting the information that is
specific
to your needs. That means that you need to talk to to other
bladesmiths,
as well as to start downloading, printing, and reading everything you
can
find on the subject, and my pages are a good place to start, but
certainly
do not stop there. You should also read as many books as you can find
on
metalworking, blacksmithing, and bladesmithing, and often your local
library
will have some valuable books on the subject. A good source for old
out-dated
technical books that have been reprinted is
"Lindsay's Technical
Books." They
have a catalog that you may order from their Web site. The price of
their
books is a tiny fraction of the value of their contents. If you already
know
what books you want, the finest "metal-working book" vendor I know of
is
"Norm Larson."
Norm is as
honest and reliable a person as you will ever meet, and his service is
superb.
The last source for both books and equipment that I will mention is
"Centaur Forge Ltd."
You
can obtain their large and detailed catalog from the Web site, as well
as
explore some of their products. Be warned that they are expensive, but
they
have stuff you can't find new anywhere else.
Certainly your best source
for old tools, post vises, post drills, tongs, anvils, etc., is your
regional
flea market, but if you want new equipment, Centaur Forge may be the
answer.
If you join your local chapter of ABANA, you will have an excellent
source
for these rare tools through the member smiths in your local chapter.
This
is also the place to make that contact that will lead to your
instruction
in the metal arts. There are a number of companies who cater to the
bladesmith
specifically, and I do have many of their catalogs, but I will leave
that
to your research, and the "knifelist."
Blacksmithing or
bladesmithing
will take you a long time to become even reasonably
skilled in. Notice
I didn't say a long time to master, because to do
so will take many
years most likely. This is not a weekend project. You have to commit
yourself
to it. I am not a bladesmith, and actually have very little interest in
making
blades. However, I have a great respect for the spectacular work that
many
smiths produce in their shops, especially some of the beautiful
Damascus
blades, and that is because I know what is involved. I don't make
knives,
but I do make Damascus steel for various other applications, including
leaves,
dragon's wings, and jewelry. There is no limit to what this beautiful
material
can be used for.
If your only goal
is to
make forged swords, I suggest you put that on the back burner for the
present
and concentrate on learning how to forge iron, and that means begin at
the
beginning, forging tools, hooks, fireplace pokers, punches, and the
vast
array of other useful and beautiful items that can come from your
forge.
Learn how to forge weld expertly....no easy task. Learn the way iron
moves
and behaves under the hammer, and how to get your hammer to do exactly
what
you want it to, every time, and to do it for hours on end. Once you
have
learned and developed these basic skills, then you
will be ready to
attempt the much more difficult task of making forged blades, or even
forge
welded laminated blades, such as the fine Japanese blades. It required
years
of apprenticeship before the beginning Japanese bladesmith would be
considered
worthy of his own forge. Don't expect to do it in a week, month, or
year.
Don't rush it, just let it develop as it will, and perhaps someday you
may
be ready to make one of those truly legendary blades of your own, or
perhaps
not. Enjoy the art of working iron for what it is, not as a means to an
immediate
end, and you may arrive at your goal eventually. You will have a much
better
chance to achieve your goal if you slowly build your expertise and
confidence
to the level necessary to succeed in the more difficult techniques
required
for this kind of work. If you jump in and attempt the more difficult
techniques
before you are ready, you will most likely fail, and that may result in
a
loss of confidence and interest that would not occur if you worked up
to
it gradually.
There seems to be a
desire by many people to try to shortcut the learning process. Yes,
learning
takes work, but there are no shortcuts around doing your homework. The
road
to becoming an accomplished bladesmith or blacksmith is a long one. It
requires
dedication, and the willingness to "bite the bullet" and dig
out the
information on your own. I have provided a vast amount of information
in
my pages, and invested many hundreds of hours, and considerable
expense....just
for you. It is up to you to determine what sections of my pages are of
value
to you, study them in detail, and figure out how to apply the
information
to your own particular needs. Please don't ask me to do your research
for
you...I won't. My time is limited by the work I do to provide you with
this
information. I also need to spend time at my own forge, teaching,
running
my little blacksmithing business, and with my family. If you find it to
be
too much work to sift though the large volume of information I have
provided,
perhaps you are not yet ready to commit to a long term and demanding
art
form like metal art. Of all the benefits you will derive from learning
the
art of metal working, by far the greatest is the learning. If you place
"learning" at the top of your list of goals, all the rest will follow.
:-)
The Full Site Map - Lists All Pages on This Site
Page By: Ron Reil
Edited With: AOLpress
©Golden Age Forge
1 Mar 02
