diy - DIY & Electronics

That's pretty cool. I don't know too much about BS besides you need a forge and some tools. expensive to get into?

>>634
If you want totally legit equipment that was specially made for it, then maybe. Just take a look at some of the PDFS.

>>634
The soykafty picture is what I made 2 years ago at an week long course comprised of like 20 14-17 year olds. It wasn't too hard to make. Pretty fun, actually.

That is all the PDFs I have.

>>637
What is that? Looks cool

>>638
It's a curlicue thing. You can use it for hanging things and stuff.

I think we made them because it took a variety of skills.

First we started with a long straight rectangle of metal. Then we heated it and cut part of it off to shorten it. Then we tapered the ends. Then we made the ends curl a bit. Then we use the horn of the anvil to put the curves in the two ends of it.

After that, it was done, except for one step; the twist in the middle. We heated 'em up, and then took it over to a machining thing that held onto one end, while we twisted the whole thing with our tongs. Then cooled it off.

All of that took a few hours of work because pairs of novices.

I've never done any actual blacksmithing but I've read a ton of books about it, my favourite being The Art of Blacksmithing by Alex W. Bealer which has some really nice illustrations.

Sadly I don't have the cash for much charcoal at the moment, but I've got a 70 lb anvil tucked away and made my own clay forge. Next I'll make a double-chambered bellows (I'll upload some images if I can scan them next week).
A good vice can also serve as an anvil, but they don't have the curved horns. Plus most of the hand tools you can make yourself.

If anyone here goes to renaissance fairs you can usually find a blacksmith or two doing demos. They generally enjoy helping people get started, at least in my experience. Last time I was there the smiths were hammering flat pic related into little swords for $1, and they sold close to three boxes of nails in a day! You can also find some clubs set up here and there, though there aren't many.


>>639
Did you get to see any big trip hammers at the class's workshop?

>>658
Cool! How did you get your anvil? And, if you bought it, how did that work out?

>Plus most of the hand tools you can make yourself
Have any PDFs about making said hand tools?

>>1225
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBVa2bw3r_k
Shows how to make kind of a forge. According to a blacksmith I met, the forge is totally ok (he used that for a long time), but his blacksmithing technique is soykaf .

I made the messer in this picture. It's crude but it was my first attempt at something that complex.
I was mostly making hooks, litte tools out of rebar and little knives out of nails before that.
You can see one of said nail knive in the picture.
>>637
I like doing this kind of twisted thing. It's not that hard but it's very satisfying.

I made a candlestick in high school who I gave to my parents as a christmas gift. Pretty awesome it was.