Dec 30, 2013

Daniel the aspiring backsmith


Guest post by David Gibson

Here are pictures of my son Daniel's first blacksmithing project; a machete.  He's always been into knives and has wanted to make one. Now, he's actually doing it.

We will start with a picture of the Furnace, a B & O Railroad #29 Union Caboose Stove from his maternal Grand Father, that we fire by hard wood charcoal and Hickory logs from a neighbor's fallen hickory tree (no blower...yet!).


Then we have a Peter Wight 100 lb. anvil and our "willing donor," a bent lawn mower blade from his Paternal Grand Father's Sears Craftsman Riding Mower.  
 
 
 
Unfortunately, the current table is 30' away from the Furnace, but under the edge of the carport. (We are building a new 4' long table from 2" X 6" lumber from our old picnic table to hold the anvil, a Wilton Vise, a Quench Bucket, and his tools.  It will be kept about a foot from the Furnace.  We are also looking for a coal hod in which to keep charcoal and small pieces of wood and a small blower to the accelerate the heating process to the point where the metal is ready to be shaped.)

Here's a picture of the Forge heating very well, in the middle of a rain. 
 
 
 
 


Here he is shaping the handle (Yes, it's raining steadily while he is doing this.)
 
 


While we don't have any pictures of him shaping the blade, here is a picture of where he ended up.  He still needs to grind the blade, sharpen it, and make a handle and then quench the blade (after sharpening, so it will hold the edge and, yes, he's taller than me at 6' 3" and just 17 years old).

(His shirt is a nod to his love of "Dr. Who" and reads 'Bow ties are cool')