A fun thing to do for practice

[JTknives]

well i could not wait to get my stuff for my forge (next wen or thr ). so i started doing some forging in my apartment. i know your thinking what is he doing. I started forging clay into knives. its fun and goes quick, it alowes me to see how material will move under the hammer. you should try it now if there was a materiel like clay but not as soft.

 

[sulsaMatt]

That's actually a very valid practice method. It's cool that you're getting primed for the real thing. That's like me w/ my martial arts training; when I'm not practicing I'm reading about martial arts... total immersion is the only way to go.

 

[tmickley]

that's a heck of an idea. I'm trying to teach my 14yr old son to hit with the flat of the hammer and not the edge when forging. He doesn't see the dents he hammers in. I think some time with clay is called for.

 

[Burton Harruff]

I have been doing this as well while my new forge is in the works. I was visiting a maker here locally that showed me that.

 

[galadduin]

I've tried that clay forging trick to understand the damascus patterns with two different color clays. But I guess different clays doesn't weld as different steels do, they mixed and blended, after a couple of folds I had almost one color clay . (steel also does that as carbon migration but it takes more time and folds to do that)

 

[Cryptomecanic]

have you tryed polymer clay (sculpey you can get it at walmart) its not gummy like the kindergarden type modeling clay and doesent stain your hands

 

[Burton Harruff]

The polymer is what I have been using. Mine sticks to the anvil a bit but not too bad.

 

[scottickes]

I tried the clay learning technique once, but when I put it in the forge, it melted into a pile of goo.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

that's a heck of an idea. I'm trying to teach my 14yr old son to hit with the flat of the hammer and not the edge when forging. He doesn't see the dents he hammers in. I think some time with clay is called for.

Tracy, an anvil that is too tall will cause this.

 

[robinsteele]

Clay or Plah-Doh is also good for figuring out how much metal you need for a particular design. Shape your blank to your preferred size then re-mold into whatever shape your stock is. Helps me get the most out of increasingly expensive metal.

 

[JTknives]

Clay or Plah-Doh is also good for figuring out how much metal you need for a particular design. Shape your blank to your preferred size then re-mold into whatever shape your stock is. Helps me get the most out of increasingly expensive metal.

that is what i have been noticing. it does not take much clay to make a larger blade.

 

[scottickes]

Clay or Plah-Doh is also good for figuring out how much metal you need for a particular design. Shape your blank to your preferred size then re-mold into whatever shape your stock is. Helps me get the most out of increasingly expensive metal.

Now that is a spectacular idea!

 

[tmickley]

Tracy, an anvil that is too tall will cause this.

good point Karl. He is a few inches shorter than me. I looked at how he measured up once quickly but didn't pay it too much attention. I'll have to check that again and make a different stand for him if I need to. I'd like him to enjoy it instead of me saying "Hit it FLAT!" for once..
I bet he wouldn't mind that either...