Rugged As Iron Works Videos
Videos by Rugged As Iron Works. Self-taught blacksmith, metal fabricator, welder, machinist and leather worker. Commissions welcome.
Making another giant axe, can you spot which one it is?
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Bearded Axe Forging - May 25 – Jun 18, 2023.MOV
The steps to forging a bearded axe, by Rugged As Iron Works.
(These may get added as captions if FB ever finishes the captioning process)
Preliminary steps (not shown) :
cut out the pieces: approx 6" of 1/4x2.5"recycled leaf spring (5160 steel) for the blade and 7" of 1/4x2"mild steel or wrought iron (WI) for the body. WI explanatory post forthcoming.
Grind the inner side of the body and the upper part of the blade to bare metal.
Heat the body and forge it into a U-shape with a very narrow fit.
Prepare for forge welding:
0:01-12 trim and steeply bevel (45 degrees) the body ends, this makes for a smoother transition once finished.
0:12-16 Using a very-thin platen for the belt grinder, grind the inside surface that will contact the blade to bare metal (again). This ensures the forge weld will stick.
0:16-18 Hammer the blade into the body and hammer the ends of the U for a tight fit.
0:19-21 Tack-weld the blade so it does not move while forge-welding.
Forge welding socket to blade:
0:21-0:31 Heat the blade to forge welding temperature and apply borax as a flux at slightly-red and at bright yellow. Flip the axe like you would a steak to ensure even heating. When glowing bright yellow/white insert, hammer the bajeebus out of it from socket side to blade side, ideally using power-hammer with drawing (1/2 round) dies. concurrently, draw out the blade to near-final thickness.
0:31-35 End-results of forge welding.
Cutting and grinding the Profile:
0:37-38 plasma cutting the blade using jigs. Optionally, use an air-hammer to chip off the slag.
0:38-40 profile cutting all complete and slag removed. Optional but time-saving: grind the edge to a 45 degree.
Truing up and grinding smooth
not shown but very time intensive: Forge the blade again. Using an axe drift, true up the socket to have a slight hour-glass shape, and (optionally) draw down the cheeks of the axe under the power hammer. Also Straighten the blade, align the blade to the socket, tweak the profile, etc.
0:
Shop tour time. My workshop is almost always a cluttered mess, filled with projects on the go and littered with forge scale, metal pieces and sawdust. In other words, it’s a functioning blacksmith shop:p But, I had a request to take some shop photos awhile back and I’ve finally found time to properly clean the place. So, why it is still clean and less than fully cluttered, I figured I would take a video. For those unaware, my shop is located in my attached garage…enjoy!
Thumping Thursdays? It doesn’t have the same ring as forging Fridays :/ nevertheless today I ran the power hammer intermittently for six hours and started and forge welded 6 axes/hatchets, heat-treated a tomahawk (and worked further on two others) before running out of propane and spilling all my flux…time to call it a day.
Name that emotion: The feeling a smith has when they make something so great that they secretly hope the sale will fall through so they get to keep it! Is it envy? Jealousy? Sadness? I don't know, but I definitely felt it today. I finished my most complex and most beautiful knife this afternoon, a 10" overall length of 128-layer (or 8-bits for computer techies) Damascus steel (15n20/1080), full-tang, broad-edged knife with all-brass fittings and a natural cocobolo handle. This was a complex build with multiple curves, a riveted guard and handle scales (and glued) and double-sided engravings to boot. I am already sad to see these one go, but happy that its going to an appreciative client. I guess i will console myself by finishing the four other blades which are ready for final grinding, and then forge out some axes, tomahawks and hatchets. 🥹 #canadian #blacksmith #blacksmithing #bladesmith #bladesmithing #handmade #madeincanada #canadamaker #hobby #iron #steel #metal #art #artist #shop #unique #kingston #damascussteel #damascussteelknife #canadianknifemaker #maritimeknifesupply (steel supplier) #canadianveteranmarketplace
How a bladesmith removes forge scale the easy way. Are you a blacksmith or bladesmith who is tired of trying to remove scale using a wimpy 1/2hp bench grinder, when you’ve got a high-powered 2x72” belt grinder right next to you? Or you are getting sick of switching out your buffing wheels every time you polish a guard or handle? I was, so I took the obvious solution and created a modified belt grinder wheel that I can thread on and off bench grinder wheels of any kind. Now I don’t have to worry about them bogging down, because they’re powered by 1.5hp! And better yet, I can swap the wheels on and off in seconds! Available now, in my shop. Eye protection a must! Balanced wheels highly recommended. And just because you can, is not a good reason to mount three wire wheels on one adapter-#toastedmetalforge #canadianknifemaker #unique #bladesmithing #iron #blacksmithing #hobby #metal #kingston #blacksmith #bladesmith #handmade #canadamaker #madeincanada #steel #tools
Not full of beans! Heinz, a friend of any blacksmith who happens to need a ready mold for a 2 3/4” aluminum cylinder…no beans were harmed during the making of this video.
Are you going camping and need to know how to setup a camping tripod on a hard surface? cook a chicken (or banana?) on its leg, or transform it into a spit? Then this video is for you. (This is also my answer to a person who was gifted one of my camping tripods and reached out to me for further information.)