My first bodkins (pics)

[DBernier]

Nice looking JD and Kviljo, good luck on finding an anvil. They are scarce and I mean scarce.

Dick

[possum]

I've done some bladesmithing and I really enjoyed it.  I made a nice knife and a tomahawk.  I forgewelded the tomahawk using plain charcoal.  It does get hot enough!!  I have found melted metal in the bottom of my forge.  I have made some arrowheads but I'm still learning to get the same size and weight for some consistency.

possum

p.s.   I get so jealous when I see people forging.  I need to get mine set back up.

[Kviljo]

Got myself a nice 68kg /150# anvil yesterday
It says 1917 on the side

So I tried making this one:




Need to practise a bit more on those, hehe

[D. Tiller]

Check out "Secrets of the English Warbow" It has some pictures in it on how those ones are made.

David T

[SimonUK]

It's not too far off what you're aiming for Kviljo. I mean it's symetrical which must be very hard to achieve. And with a bit of grinding it might turn out OK.

I've never done any forging, so I'm only guessing here... but wouldn't repeated heating and hammering from various directions help to weld those bits together?

[Kviljo]

Yep Tiller! The bad thing is that I forgot to bring with me that book from where I study
I partly remembered the sequence where the type 16 or swallow-tail was made, but seeing it again would be a lot of help.

Don't think I will bother more with that point. I suppose it would be possible to use some borax and weld it better together, but I'd much rather start on a new one

[Pat B]

I'm not a blacksmith and what I know is from observation only. From what you have there, you need to get it hot enough so you "weld" the metal together into a harmonious mass then refine the shape. Those techniques come with experience. ...just like building bows.    That head on a 1000gr goose feathered ash shaft would put a hurtin" on you!     Pat

[duffontap]

That head on a 1000gr goose feathered ash shaft would put a hurtin" on you!     Pat

Or a horse.

        J. D.

[duffontap]

SWEEEEEEEET anvil!  Please put me in your will.  (It never hurts to ask  ). 

             J. D. Duff

[Kviljo]

I've been told that I do this the wrong way, because I split the bolt in front and make a T first, then make the socket, and then fold the barbs back. I may have confused the method of making type 16s with the cresent-thingy. I'm going to try to chisel the barbs out from the side of the point tomorrow. Sounds like the correct way to do it. Although large swallowtails must be hard to make that way.

[D. Tiller]

If i remember correctly from the book the tines of the swallow tail were cut from the sction that was to be maid into the socket for the shaft. They cut into them then bent them away from the material that would become the socket. Then roled the socket and then hamered out the pointe and formed them along with the tines. Hope that helps! 

[Kviljo]

Hehe JD   I'm pretty pleased with it, although it sings like mad.

Thanks Tiller! That confirmes what I've heard. And the way you said it, it really makes sense to me now! Think I will need a larger piece of steel then, to be able to draw the barbs out longer than the socket, and still be able to make the socket, hehe. I'll try it!

Pat, it's not enough to just heat the metal enough to weld it together. One needs some fine chalky sand or Borax to do that, but I haven't tried to forgeweld just yet

[SimonUK]

Tell us about using a hoover Kviljo, as I might have a go. Do you put the whole hoover in a bin bag tied to the exhaust pipe?

[Kviljo]

I'm as complete a beginner as you guys, but the hoover-thing is something that has been going on for a while, and I've only heard of it. Old hoovers is said to have a reverse-function, so that they blow.

If I had one, I probably wouldn't have built my little bellow.

But I suppose your suggestion would work just fine actually. Might be a good idea to take the bag and filter out first not to waste the energy, but other than that I don't see why it shouldn't work.

It is also said that the millitary has some handy compact forges.

[SimonUK]

I've been reading about making a forge. It seems a brake drum is one of the best things to use but you need to block off some of the holes at the bottom and that requires welding etc. which I can't do at present.

What about a flower pot? I mean a big thick earthenware one with a hold at the bottom to let in the air. Do you think it could take the extreme heat? My other option is an old barbeque but I have a feeling the thin metal would burn up.