Knifemaker Unplugged

[The Livelys]

I use natural lump charcoal made from hardwoods. Bituminous coal used by blacksmiths has impurities that can suck carbon out of the steel. It's creates a oily black smoke that sticks to everything. Coke is a product of Bituminous Coal. These fuels work great for blacksmithing low carbon steels and iron but for high carbon steels, I use natural lump charcoal. I emphasize the type of charcoal to separate it from briquettes. Briquettes have impurities in them too. They sell natural lump charcoal in stores throughout the Southwest US but I don't like it either. The store bought kind is made in Mexico ( El Diablo brand usually) by excavating large pits and burning mesquite and then covering the pit with dirt until the wood is charred. This "Bakes" the wood into charcoal and the resulting product sparks like the devil (pun intended). When I make my own charcoal, I make it by building a campfire and dowsing the hot embers with water. After you dry this out in the sun it makes a charcoal lump that doesn't spark and lasts longer too. I like using mesquite for my wood but any species you would BBQ on will work well. Wood species that you wouldn't BBQ on like Juniper or Cedar should be avoided for charcoal making as well.

 

[Gary68]

o.k. lets make this clear right here and now

NO,I DO NOT WANT TO ARM WRESTLE

cool stuff,ever try starting with iron ore?

 

[highdesertranger]

or a meteorite? lol highdesertranger

 

[Gary68]

or a meteorite?  lol  highdesertranger

meteorites are good money as is,keep an eye out when detecting

 

[highdesertranger]

oh I do. highdesertranger

 

[The Livelys]

I haven't tried making my own steel yet. There are other smiths that have focused on making high carbon steel blooms and forging them out. Google Wootz steel for more information.

The type of Meteorite used in knifemaking is high in Nickel. This is usually used in the making of Pattern Welded Steel or aka Damascus Steel. It's just the shiny layer in between the high carbon layers for more constrast. Plus it adds to the whole Cosmic BS appeal. Meteorite doesn't have the carbon content to be a quality steel on its own so you have to mix it in with high carbon layers.

 

[The Livelys]

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

I have so many questions I hardly know where to start.  I am a crafter and looking to get on the road.  I will be traveling and visiting as many blacksmiths shops as I can and documenting them as I travel.  With any luck starting in the spring.  I am a hobbyist photographer, leatherworker and blacksmith and I can't help but think I'm smart enough to make a living somehow doing something that isn't what I'm doing right now.

If you are on public land are there restrictions to useing it for commecrial purposes?  If I am manufacturing stock for sale for instance?

Where are you that you don't have burn restrictions?

I use coal mostly but could use charcoal.  Have you ever seen anyone have trouble for using coal in a situation where someone else might not if they were using charcoal?

I watched your video and it looks like most of your heat and beat gear is a bucket and that nice traugh forge.  I'm trying to figure out if I can manage to bring the rivet forge, railroad anvil block, leg vice w/ block and tools etc etc.  How do you pack and transport a shop to do that work on the road?

Do you do the shaping with any power tools?  Is all of that forged and hand filed?

I am veery curious to see more of your shop and how you pack and transport it.

I also need to figure out how to have a workbench for leathercrafting.  That is starting to earn me some money already and I hope to expand enough to help pay for my being on the road.

Zizzer

 

[highdesertranger]

I can answer a couple of your questions.

you CANNOT use public land for a commercial purpose, without a special use permit. the one exception to this is prospecting you DO NOT need a permit to prospect. however if you do one forging at a time and if you were to not advertise that your trying to make money on public land I don't see you having a problem.

I believe at this moment that most of the public land in the west is under burn restrictions. this means no open fires this include charcoal and coal fires of course campfires too. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

Welcome! While it would technically be illegal, would a Ranger fine an artist he found doing a painting to sale. I had a Ranger see me shooting a video and stopped and asked if it was commercial or for youtube, I said it was for Youtube and that was fine. So of he ever asks just say it's a hobby and you give it as gifts. It would be his obligation to prove otherwise.

Out West we seem to be in a perpetual drought so I'd expect fire restriction to be constant. However that isn't true of BLM desert land--I think you could do it there no problem. November through April is comfortable in the high desert, but after that it's pretty miserably hot.

If it were me, I'd look at a school bus or box truck. They are built plenty strong enough to handle any weight you put in it and you could turn half of it into a shop and live comfortably in the other half.
Bob

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

Welcome! While it would technically be illegal, would a Ranger fine an artist he found doing a painting to sale. I had a Ranger see me shooting a video and stopped and asked if it was commercial or for youtube, I said it was for Youtube and that was fine. So of he ever asks just say it's a hobby and you give it as gifts. It would be his obligation to prove otherwise.

Out West we seem to be in a perpetual drought so I'd expect fire restriction to be constant. However that isn't true of BLM desert land--I think you could do it there no problem. November through April is comfortable in the high desert, but after that it's pretty miserably hot.

If it were me, I'd look  at a school bus or box truck. They are built plenty strong enough to handle any weight you put in it and you could turn half of it into a shop and live comfortably in the other half.
Bob

Are you saying it would be OK on BLM but not Forestry land? And yes, I know that I should research the local authority on my own. 

It sounds like leather work inside the vehicle would be more discrete but setting up a travel forge and making product for two weeks would be pretty obvious. 

A handicap lift at the back of a full sized bus does seem like and ideal function to design a bus around.  Use it to load and unload tools or even band equipment on to the bus.

 

[highdesertranger]

technically it is illegal on both BLM, and Forest Service land. highdesertranger

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

technically it is illegal on both BLM,  and Forest Service land.  highdesertranger

Do I remember professional photographers having issues with this?  If they are having issues then I suppose someone rolling up and producing product like leatherwork or blacksmithing would certainly be illegal.

Hmmm ... puts a damper on part of how I wanted to try to make a living on the road.

 

[highdesertranger]

yes professional photographers were having issues. when you are on public land keep a low profile, no advertising. that means no signs on your vehicle too. seems to me it wouldn't to hard to get permission to set up shop on private property as you move around. highdesertranger

 

[The Livelys]

There are a lot of things technically illegal about working in a National Forest. Follow your heart and cover your ass.

 

[Raven+Squid]

You are just making the knives for your own collection.

 

[bullfrog]

Technically they are yours up to the moment of sale, so go off property to make the sale or do like lots do here find a gift shop, small store off property, furnish a display case with a commission to the owner when it sells.

 

[Gunny]

Have you made a Kukri? I've got a Cold Steel Kukri that I like but am looking at a true Nepalese made one. K-Bar makes a decent one, Ka-Bar makes junk. Not sure how they get away with stealing the name like that.

Rob