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Blacksmithing

Proposed Q&A site for the ancient art of metal work : topics could include bladesmithing, tools, annealing, Damascus steel techniques, etc.
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21 Example Questions

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up vote 12 down vote
What's the best annealing method for blades? I've heard slow cooling but have seen it in salt water and other methods using lime?
added by David Hall Oct 31 '11 at 17:10
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New followers: Be sure to upvote lower-voted questions: we need more 10pt questions to move forward. – luser droog Jan 25 at 9:44
up vote 12 down vote
Best methods for sharpening?
added by David Hall Oct 31 '11 at 17:11
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1  
New followers: Be sure to upvote lower-voted questions: we need more 10pt questions to move forward. – luser droog Jan 25 at 9:45
up vote 12 down vote
What level of carbon steel should I get for forging a kitchen blade?
added by Caedar Nov 21 '11 at 7:49
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up vote 11 down vote
How much cleaning / prep is required to melt down aluminum cans for casting aluminum? Will impurities be a problem?
added by dthorpe Dec 12 '11 at 22:15
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up vote 11 down vote
Does a coal- or wood-fired forge impart any qualities to the metal that a gas-fired forge does not?
added by dthorpe Dec 12 '11 at 22:19
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up vote 11 down vote
How in the world do you get started in blacksmithing? Seriously.
added by Daniel Fris Jan 25 '12 at 23:02
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up vote 11 down vote
how do i prevent steel from turning brittle but yet make it hard?
added by Ashu May 17 '12 at 12:14
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up vote 10 down vote
What are the pros and cons of a homemade forge?
added by David Hall Nov 4 '11 at 14:48
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Rephrased a negative question due to feedback -- thank you Anna! – David Hall Nov 4 '11 at 14:50
up vote 10 down vote
Can an electric kiln (such as for firing ceramics) be used as a forge to melt metals for casting?
added by dthorpe Dec 12 '11 at 22:17
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up vote 10 down vote
How to get clean edges when snipping rings off of a coil for chainmaille?
added by luser droog Jun 18 '12 at 1:55
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up vote 8 down vote
How many arrowheads a skilled smith can make in a day?
added by volkerjaan Jun 6 '12 at 19:17
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up vote 8 down vote
Should blades of farming tools such plough as be quenched/hardened? How?
added by jkj Aug 9 '12 at 5:48
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up vote 5 down vote
Can you control the shape of the curves in Damascus Steel?
added by luser droog Oct 27 '12 at 2:22
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up vote 3 down vote
What tools do you need to work with jewelry? Specifically, how do you work with small chains in your workshop?
added by David Hall Oct 31 '11 at 17:13
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2  
I wouldn't call that blacksmithing. Working on gold and silver and so forth is generally considered a separate art. – Justin Morgan Nov 29 '12 at 20:50
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@JustinMorgan Could the proposal be expanded to include finer metalwork? More == Merrier. – luser droog Jan 25 at 9:46
up vote 3 down vote
Alloy recipes from Ancient Egypt?
added by luser droog Oct 27 '12 at 2:19
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up vote 2 down vote
How to do a hardning just in parts of a knife, for example, just sharp edge?
added by woliveirajr Sep 20 '12 at 16:50
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up vote 1 down vote
Where do you get your steel from?
added by David Hall Oct 31 '11 at 17:12
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up vote 1 down vote
Ore-smelting recipes from Paracelsus?
added by luser droog Oct 27 '12 at 2:21
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up vote 1 down vote
Forging and testing the quality shock-resistant blades - armored combat swords and federschwerts
added by K.L. Feb 14 at 10:31
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up vote 1 down vote
Is it possible to temper/anneal complex shapes (like helmets or gauntlets) in an amateur workshop? How to do it in order to improve shock resistance?
added by K.L. Feb 14 at 10:53
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up vote 1 down vote
Methods for quick riveting of chainmail
added by K.L. Feb 14 at 11:41
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