No Bullshit Guide To Buying The Best Arbor Press Possible
What Is An Arbor Press? An arbour press is a convenient and (relatively) cheap tool that allows a person to press with incredible force. These tools are great for at home hobbyists as they are compact and not too expensive. This means that they will fit in your home or your garage, and you can […] Read More
Review of The Best 4 Needle Scaler Guns For Quick Cleaning, Best Practices, and More
As a blacksmith, I often find myself needing to clear away scale or rust on a piece of work. There are a lot of options when it comes to removing this scale, for larger projects, I tend to use a good needle scaler gun. These tools are great for quickly removing large flakey chunks of […] Read More
8 Items For Building A Beginners Blacksmithing Tool Kit Quickly
Blacksmithing is a rare hobby in that you can get by without really purchasing anything but your steel stock. You can make your own tools! The techniques are timeless as well, meaning the techniques you learned 10 years ago will work just as well today. But how do you begin forging if you have no […] Read More
No Bullshit Guide To Optimal Blacksmith Clothing (Gloves,Aprons, And More)
People interested in blacksmithing tend to have colorful personalities that are contained within a unique worldview. As such, you will see a tremendous amount of variability in what people wear while smithing. Some people are very practical, and will wear a long sleeve shirt with hearing + eye protection in addition to boots. Other people […] Read More
No Bullshit Guide To The Best 3 Refractory Bricks For Forging & Casting
Refractory materials are non-metallic (ceramic) materials that can withstand high temperatures. They are often used in a number of industrial applications such as furnaces, kilns, foundries incinerators, and reactors. As such, they are extremely useful to hobbyist blacksmiths and machinists who wish to build their own forge or foundry. So which fire bricks should you […] Read More
No Bullshit Guide to the Best 10 Anvils For Sale (Blacksmith,Bladesmith,Jewelry)
A blacksmith anvil is one of the most important and expensive purchases a blacksmith will make. The blacksmithing anvil is central to almost everything that happens in a blacksmith’s workshop. Whether you are crafting a sword, a knife, armor, tools, decorative scroll-work, or tools for your own use, you will need to use an this […] Read More
Best 16 Books For Blacksmiths & Bladesmiths – Become a Master
While it’s possible to learn a great deal about blacksmithing from online articles, YouTube videos, and personal experience, these things really can’t replace a compact reference written by an expert with decades of experience. It’s also incredibly useful to have a reference book nearby. I know I often find myself forgetting things that I once […] Read More
No Bullshit Guide To The Best Blacksmithing Tongs
Tongs are one of the most fundamental tools in the blacksmith’s workshop. A good set of tongs will effortlessly grip your stock and thus become an extension of your will. Experienced smiths will often hand craft tongs that are perfectly fitted for each project. They will bring years of expertise into the creation of each […] Read More
No Bullshit Guide To The Top 10 Blacksmithing Hammers
Technically you can smack your stock with just about anything. Hell, an old carpenter’s hammer will get the job done. However, using a sub par blacksmith hammer is tedious and it’s hard on your elbows. There is nothing fun or creative about elbow pain! So which hammer should you buy? There are a lot of […] Read More
What Are The Different Types Of Vise [Vice] Tools?
All vises serve the same function: to clamp an object in place and hold it firm while you work on it. All the different variations of vises accomplish this same task. The differences between different vises are there to help you, not stand in your way…so don’t over think it. You can use a metal […] Read More
How Does A Vise [Vice] tool work?
A vise has two parallel jaws that come together to clamp an object in place. There is a stationary jaw, which does not move and helps provide stability. There is a dynamic jaw which is moved away from or towards the stationary jaw along the length of a lead screw. The lead screw is turned […] Read More
What Is A Vise Tool Used For?
A vise (sometimes spelled vice) is used to hold objects in place so that they may be worked on. It’s pretty straight forward, you don’t want a work piece wiggling around while you are trying to cut it, glue it, sand it, file it, drill it, or otherwise modify it. You also don’t want to […] Read More
A History Of The Vise Tool
While screws and presses – the fundamental building blocks of a vise – have existed for thousands of years, the vise -sometimes spelled vice – as we think of it today did not come about until the middle ages. Before more modern designs were put into place, craftsman had to use a cumbersome system of […] Read More
What Is A Vise [Vice] Tool?
A vise [vice] is a mechanical tool that is used to hold an object firmly in place so that work may be done on the object. A vise may come in a number of varieties, usually specialized for some purpose such as wood working, machining, blacksmithing, and general shop work. Almost every commercial workshop will […] Read More
What Are The Different Vise (Vice) Dimensions?
A vise is not a complicated tool. You can get by without knowing all the various dimensions and measurements that manufacturers provide when selling a vise. Bolt a vise to a table, put something between the vise jaws, and turn the handle attached to the lead screw. VIOLA, your vise is working as intended. But […] Read More
I Tried The YOST 750-DI Vice – My Review
After deciding that I would rather buy one all-purpose vise rather than multiple specialized vises, I decided to purchase the YOST 750-DI Multi-Jaw Rotating Combination Bench & Pipe vise with a Swivel Base as it seemed to be the best built multipurpose vise I could find that was under $250. This is my review. Shipping […] Read More
Gifts For Blacksmiths – Buy Something Thoughtful and Surprising!
Do you want to support the blacksmith in your life by getting them a thoughtful gift, but are not sure what to get them? Then this is the article for you. I will go over great blacksmith gifts for new smiths and experience smiths alike. Beginner smiths are easier to shop for, as it is […] Read More
How To Efficiently Draw Out Steel Like A Blacksmith
Drawing out steel is the act of lengthening and thinning a piece of steel stock. The technique for it is simple once you know it, but drawing out steel the wrong way is a frustrating experience. Learn how to do it the right way below. First heat your stock to a nice bright orange/yellow heat. […] Read More
