10 year firefighter myself (2006-2016). You cannot stress enough the dangers of fires. Most don't understand that fire is like a living thing and eats everything in its path, assuming it has food (fuel i.e, wood, coal, paper, oil, gasoline, etc) and air. Just like humans, fire needs food and air to live. To anyone just starting out, study the fire triangle. Learn it, remember it and always refer to it when setting up safety parameters.

John is the bob ross of blacksmithing

"A fire extinguisher is cheap insurance." This is excellent advice - thank you, John.

Your fire safety is very appreciated,especially what to you said about placement of your fire extinguisher on the way towards an exit! my favorite quote of all time is "If commonsense were so common how come more people don't have it?"Thank you John for your awesome wealth of knowledge And just to let you know you your advice saved a few lives and is appreciated greatly sir.

I can never get tired watching this kind of thing. I don't have any of these kind of tools and equipment but would love to try this some day. Nice work on the hammer

I knew an old man when I worked in steel shop he would burn welding rods into the face of a forging hammer and grind it smooth

New subscriber, last time I forged something was high school class of 1967....Your videos are just what I need and like. No goofy stuff, or showmanship, just real down to earth practical stuff. Thanks

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you are enjoying them.

Good briefing on the synthetic clothing. We wore Nomex flight suits in the USAF (fireproof) and were warned in pilot training to only wear 100% cotton tshirts and boxers as the synthetic stuff could melt onto you even through the Nomex if you were going through a ball of fire.

I watch a lot of smithing related stuff. Daily. Anything from knife making, tool making to ornamental stuff. Often, I watch how to make the same item by 20 different people. Just to pick up on little tricks and shortcuts to achieve the best results with the least amount of hassle. I've found that the most valuable information that has helped me since I started blacksmithing is often found in the little offhand comments that other smiths make when talking about an experience when they were learning or about mistakes they've already made. Just little comments that get throne into the video. "Oh, and make sure you don't forge this down too far.." or "Whatever you do, don't get this all askew, cause one time I.." I'm learning a lot from your videos because of the bits of ramblings and small comments in between your demonstrations of the skill at hand. I think you have a great balance between concise information on the materials and skills needed, and demonstrations displaying your experience. "This is what the book says to do, but this is what actually works, or will at least get you by with the minimum amount of hassle and time." I think you do well with instruction. You clearly don't have a ton of experience with recording or editing media, and you don't have an extremely lively camera presence. I'm sure those things will come with time, though. Personally, I think your personality makes up for any downfalls your video quality or Professor-ability (just made that word up) might have. Above all else, your demeanor, attitude towards smithing and overall personality will keep me coming back to watch your videos. A side note: Those are some serious glasses, Man. Every time you look directly into the camera I can feel you staring directly through my soul. It's very impressive. Anyway, Good luck to you brother. I wish you and your channel the best.

@truegeekified

6 жыл бұрын

What a great comment. You have literally said what I have been thinking while watching all of his videos. John, the way you teach is perfect. It’s exactly how I taught and how I like to be taught. Please continue making these videos!

@tdo7d11

6 жыл бұрын

Could not agree more. There’s a common sense approach to the task with just enough wisdom of experience to back it up. Very nice and job well done John.

@adroaldoribeiro4529

4 жыл бұрын

Ungladly the most informative channels like this one, don't get the attention they deserve. People don't notice how awesome this guy is to be giving so much information here for free that you would struggle even to find on classes an still they would rather watch some short edited video of some damascus bullshit

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy your videos John. You are insightful and explain your process in a detailed and interesting fashion. Thank you for sharing your years of knowledge and experience. Being in the fire protection business I really appreciate you covering the fire safety aspects of this work.

Thank you, a fine job. Covering all the options and key points.

Damm that was a cool job in that chunk of metal.

Great video!!! no thumbs down from me 👍 I’ve been watching more of your videos. They are very educational and well put together keep up the good work.

Watched all the hammer videos great job, thanks

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Glad you like them!

I like your vids and learn so much,I do watch others but always come back to your (classes) as I like to call them. I have learned so much. Thank you for what you do.

that's a very good tip about keeping the fire extinguisher near the door. ill remember that

Great and process....I have never forged anything but it's very interesting. Just bought me an Anvil to help me in the shop. I just make brass knuckles and such and needed a solid surface to stamp and texture the brass and what a rabbit hole i've gone down just researching Anvils. 😂

I am in the process of setting up my work space and getting all of the equipment to start. These videos are great! keep them coming.

Great point on the synthetic clothing. I'm always wary of that, too. I grew up with scary stories about burn victims losing limbs due to skin getting emmeshed with melted nylon, etc. You have a lot of good safety tips, sir. Thank you.

Thank you sir for all information first aid and safety fanction

John i just want to thank you as a man thats been waiting 13 years to get a forge going and seeing it coming to fruition in the next month; you're content has been so very informative on the things ill need to know to create my own tools. The information is invaluable and very comprehensive. Keep up the fantastic work my friend!

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I am glad that videos have been helpful

Being a black smith seems like fun work.

This dude rocks, great info. It's also a little known fact that Bubbles learned to fix carts from his dad.

I dont reply to these videos But I really like this hammer it is just right, Good Job

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!

I agree with you 100%, "If you took the time to come up with a plan, you might as well stick to it". That's what I try and live by... Love your channel.

Thank you

Fire safety is no joke, there are many opportunities in the shop for fires to start but a little prevention goes a long way. I use a small family fire protection company, the kind that services schools and municipalities. They come out once a year on a schedule and check all my 6 extinguishers. I have two large ones in the shop and 4 on equipment. They are very affordable,

Very thorough. I appreciate that. I now understand the process step by step. Great video.

Very nice 👌

I really like the oil tank idea. I’m defiantly steeling it

I put the workpiece inside a short piece of water pipe when I heat treat something like this hammer head. Then, in the coal forge, for instance, I can use the blower to carefully heat the whole thing to temperature. I use a cheap Type K thermocouple/reader with a sheathed thermocouple. I find that it's not hard at all to control the temp within +/- 25° F..

Great series John.

Great advice on where to keep your fire extinguisher!

Another excellent video. Thanks John.

This is a super enjoyable viewing experience and I learned a great deal!

thank you sir for sharing your knowledge with us much appreciate well done

Bless you.

Top notch information and great safety tips!

I watch all three videos on this hammer build and enjoy all of them . great job on explaining every detail. Thank you .

looks amazing man

I have been enjoying your videos very much. Thank You.

thats briliant you are so skilled at it im getting hooked on your work sir thank you and vevor is going to get my money keep making the videos wish you lived in uk i would like a draw knife from you not keen on the modern ones

Thanks John!!! Great information!

I just subscribed to your channel! You are very instructive! I could watch you for hours

Nice job mate.

Really great series! Thank you

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

You are welcome

your awesome! thankyou for the knowledge!

That's a really good looking hammer. I may try making one for myself. Thanks for the video I really enjoyed it.

Great tips, again John your videos go the distance instructing, displaying good procedures, and your content is inspiring. Well Done Sir!!

Bless you. Alergies are a pain.

Hi! Just started watching your videos. One comment I wanted to add is, there can never be enough safety info for beginners. And, as my son has just started blacksmithing, Thank you.

bless you

Thanks so much John. I've watched many of your videos over and over. I really appreciate you and what you're doing for all of your viewers.

@BlackBearForge

3 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome

Watch alot of black smithing channel but seem to alway return to black bear Thanks for sharing your knowledge Having worked with metal since 1969 Ive just got my first anvil It is a little rough but hopefully i will get it back into service and be on my way using your methods Thank You Hooters Welding and Metal Works

Excellent work. Looks perfect. Great explanation of work threw out video. Thank you for sharing.

@BlackBearForge

4 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Great idea with the quench bucket. I have seen an oil fire up close and it can get out of control fast. The lid covering the 🔥 is the ants pants!

This is good to know.some people want to go to banging away.They don't think I'm going to have a fire till there shop is on the ground around them.gee wish I had lesson to you.

perfect smart and excellent answer thank you Im not a blacksmith not yet anyway wanted to be sure this is something I might persue so Im studying and paying attention, I like your program I think you do excellent work...

Greetings from Australia. Just found your channel and have devoured quite a few vids over the last day or so. Love your work and the detail of instruction and bloody envious of your workshop. I work primarily with wood but I've always had an inkling to make some of my own tools hence the interest in blacksmith skills. Some of my older tools that have been handed down to me from my grand father and great uncles were home made in a forge and those guy's really knew how to make a cutting edge that lasted. I hope I can do this too in the future.

God bless you... God bless you again. Lol

That just might the size hammer I need Mr John Hint Hint lol

I found your videos a few days ago, your videos are very informadable, I enjoy watching, Thank you sir

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome. I am glad they help.

Damn now THAT’S a belt sander !!

Hi John

That's a fine looking hammer John! Looks like it belongs in my shop with my other hammers lol

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks

Id be interested in a 22 pound wedge sledge hammer with a 18inch handle

I like how you tell everyone to use known metals. Wonder how many people knew that the forge would light by itself after its gotten hot?lol

Nice job, exactly what I need. It would save me making one if you send it to me. Thanks John.

This video was AWESOME as usual..... Ya did good . I want to be half of what you are. Ps. I love the oil tank idea. I hope you don't mind if I am a copy cat......🔨

I cant Express enough how grateful I am for your videos. You take the time to explain what your doing. Your constant emphasis on safety is awesome. Question for you. I use a homemade coal forge. I also use a lot of "mystery metal". By forging with coal, am I introducing carbon into the metal I'm forging? Thanks again.

Something I learned from experience, it pays to put the steel wedge (when you use it) in the same way you put in the wooden wedge, head down on the anvil and hammer on the butt of the handle.

A pays to be very safe!

you didn't need to tell us you were a fire fighter, your mustache told us already :D Great Video

A career firefighter? I knew I liked you! Thanks for your service. I’m a volunteer looking to turn career with the FDNY.

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

Best of luck. FDNY is a big place.

If your in or were in the emergency services put up your hand!!!

I wonder if you placed a torch pointing onto the punch you were using for tempering, if you would be able to keep a low cherry towards the area that is contacting the hammer. I know you are going for a slow process but this would keep you from have to place the punch back into the forge. If I ever get to temper something with a drifted hole like this I will try it out and let you know.

Perhaps a video on a good cowboy hat hook, I appreciate all your videos thank you

These videos were two very detailed explanations on the theme. I feel I need to share one thing about the metal wedges you put in the head-end of the handle: If you put the wedge in the handle diagonally, it'll inhibit the head from moving on the handle both ways, as the wedge squeezes the handle outwards diagonally. It means the head won't be loose on the handle as long as the handle keeps being sturdy.

From 1 John to another, thank you. Great video. Just as a note, your American viewers will know your fire extinguisher as an ABC, which is a solid, liquid and electrical fire extinguisher. In Australia our equivalent is th ABE. I am not surprised to learn that you were a Firefighter. I'm a Volunteer Firefighter in the Cfa on Victoria, Australia. In my workshop I have a fire blanket, a fire hose and an overhead sprinkler system. Probably a bit of overkill, but as you have said yourself, safety first. 👍 Again, great video and thank you.

@BlackBearForge

4 жыл бұрын

Interesting, it never occurred to me that the ratings were different

@stuffbywoody5497

4 жыл бұрын

@@BlackBearForge , just the letter I guess. I suppose 1 day codes for fire types and extinguishers could end up as 1 International standard.

Do you ever char the handle to install handles

Great video! Now did you do one in a diagonal pien hammer? Being left-handed, that is one I have a need for. There are several KZreads on this subject, however, the video is poor and/or the audio is un-understandable. Also, is there a complete list of the videos that you have published? With links? Sorry I missed you when you were in the neighborhood with your flaying banjo. I have never picked on the beach, but bagpipes, yes.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I will plan on doing one

never hurts to be safe

What length handle do you put on, and do you put a longer handle for a heavier hammer head?

What do you think about using an infrared thermometer to check the temperature when heat treating. I imagine with experience you can be pretty accurate by eye, but for newbies it seems it could be a good way to check your estimate when learning.

@BlackBearForge

4 жыл бұрын

The problem is that the sensing pattern is a cone and to be accurate it needs to be very close tot he piece which means you will likely damage the thermometer.

First off: great video...thank you. I’ve been planning making a few hammers of my own and this was very informative. Second: not sure if you’re aware, but it appears the audio sync is off by about a second after you lose your remote mic. Not that it matters much, just FYI.

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

It seems like the audio gets out of sync at times when I edit. but I can't figure out what I have done to mess it up. I am glad the video was useful.

Thank You John,Have you ever heard of useing Transmission Fluid to Harden and Temper 4140

@BlackBearForge

6 жыл бұрын

I have heard of using it for quenching, but I have never used it.

@garretttanner9788

5 жыл бұрын

Don't use trans fluid or motor oil for quenching. The smoke it produces is extremely toxic and they are both bad for the steel.

John You mentioned color changes in the forging process and in heat treating. Does this temp to color range include all steels or just the particular material you were using. In other words is cherry the same temp with all steel?

@ZekeWaters_

4 жыл бұрын

I know this is late so sorry, but every steel has a different hardening temperature, generally. 4140 and 1045 generally are quenched at a cherry red colour, but higher carbon steels, once again generally, quench at higher temps, around bright yellow. I recommend doing your research on your specific steel so you know what to do. Same goes for tempering, just dealing with lower temperatures and with ovens.

Do you know how to find an anvil? If not, could you show me how to build one? I really appreciate all of your videos, thank you,

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/nqh207SEe8WWf7Q.html

What is the name of the big vise that you had put your new made hammer head in? We're can we find one?

Great tutorial. Maybe you should have retired earlier from your former profession and start tutorials earlier 😉 Love your videos. Always very clear, to the point. Have a question… at around 24 mins in to your video, after water quenching the hammer, when you take it to the belt grinder, how come there are no sparks? I can see that it is grinding, became smoother but find it very interesting that no sparks were coming off.. (maybe speed of belt grinder was low?)

@BlackBearForge

Жыл бұрын

Hard to say at this point. But lower speed to avoid overheating certainly reduces sparks and some types of steel don't spark like others.

I had a hunch that you were a ff! What local were ya?

To fit handles, buy a spokeshave, for the type you need very cheap!

@BlackBearForge

4 жыл бұрын

I have about a dozen assorted spoke shaves and use them for some of my handle projects

Why would you not just put it in sand/ash and let it cool down slowly after tempering? Thanks for taking the time and making fantastic videos 👍

@BlackBearForge

4 ай бұрын

Tempering does not require nor benefit from slow cooling. Annealing does require slow cooling and that would be done after forging but before grinding. Then it would be normalized, then hardened and finally tempered.

@stephenwilliams1364

4 ай бұрын

@@BlackBearForge 10-4....I always viewed annealing as kinda making the steel loose it’s memory because I use old springs sometimes....then work the piece and harden....then Temper and watch for color bronze or sometimes blue tones.... just got in the habit of letting them cool n the ash bucket.....I really appreciate your time and I better understand the process now!

Dear John, your large belt sander intrigues me. It really rips through the metal and makes my bench grinder look incredibly slow and painful to use by comparison. Did you make it yourself? Does is have a variable speed drive or is it fixed? If so, what speed does the motor run at? Cheers.

@BlackBearForge

3 жыл бұрын

The big one is 3x132 single speed, it runs about 5500 sfpm. Shop built by another smith. I bought it used.

I want it

I wish I could apprentice with you

Love the videos, I have one issue with what I seen, Is that a "STORE BOUGHT POCKET KNIFE"??? looks like a blacksmith would make his own knives... LOL

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

Yep, I'm a blacksmith not a blade smith. Besides, sooner or later one of the knife makers out there will get tired of seeing it and send me a nice hand forged knife. 😜

Quick question about turning the forge off at the ball valve to let it soak up the heat... will that damage or harm the burner? I’m so scared with my single burner chili forge because the way the describe in the directions to shut down the forge... this won’t create a chimney effect? It’s a cool trick so I’d like to try it but don’t want to harm my burner.

@BlackBearForge

4 жыл бұрын

In theory it will cause the burner tips to wear faster. But I have noticed a problem and I do it quite a lot to keep the noise down during the videos. Doing it occasionally for heat treating isn't likely to be a big deal.

Thank you for your videos. If I temper the hammer in an electric oven, do I need to quench it? Or can I just take it out of the oven and let it cool at room temperature?

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

In theory yes, but i don't generally bother and I doubt it makes any real difference.

@andrewevans1658

3 жыл бұрын

@@BlackBearForge never ever quench after tempering, you are negating the purpose of tempering by quenching and hardening the metal. At some low temperature quenching will have no effect. You really need a Rockwell hardness tester to test the hardness at different stages of the process to see if you are accomplishing what you think you are accomplishing. With tool steels tempering needs to be done immediately after quenching to prevent cracks. I'm a machinist not a blacksmith but I do respect your trade/art and I really enjoy your videos.

Where do you buy your 4140? I make hammers and finding steel in the right size is pretty difficult in South Georgia.

@BlackBearForge

5 жыл бұрын

I buy lots of materials from McMaster Carr. Not the cheapest, but very reliable . www.mcmaster.com/grade-4140/4142-steel