Another mill minimum question

Absinthe makes an excellent point regarding the "maker movement" and the flood of new knifemakers in recent years.

Personally, I don't consider myself a knifemaker. I DO make knives sometimes, but I tend to forge more hardware and architectural "stuff".

A good example: One of my relatives has an old tavern that was built in the early 1800s (late 1700s? I forget). Finding original hardware like hinges and latches are hard to do. I can make that stuff.

Oh - and while I'm thinking about it, Smurf Masher, look up the hydraulic press build thread that @Gliden07 started. If you're going to be making pattern welded steel, you're going to need a press or a power hammer. Otherwise you're going to spend a LOT of time making your billets.

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Smurf masher said:
I'm very bitter about the corporate world and my current business has been utterly wrecked by corporate policy changes beyond my control. I hope that Blacksmithing will be truly a independent source of income so even if I ever do go fully back to working for the man, I can quit if I want and have some cash flow to keep me going.
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I can relate to that. The Corporate world is truly vicious at times. There are some good people, but corporations are only interested in one thing; the bottom line. In the long run absolutely nothing else matters.

I'm no Blacksmith, but with the right amount of fortitude I do think it's an avenue for possible independence from 'the man'. Though you still have to kow-tow to taxes and a few other things. But not as many.
 
52 Ford said:
Absinthe makes an excellent point regarding the "maker movement" and the flood of new knifemakers in recent years.

Personally, I don't consider myself a knifemaker. I DO make knives sometimes, but I tend to forge more hardware and architectural "stuff".

A good example: One of my relatives has an old tavern that was built in the early 1800s (late 1700s? I forget). Finding original hardware like hinges and latches are hard to do. I can make that stuff.

Oh - and while I'm thinking about it, Smurf Masher, look up the hydraulic press build thread that @Gliden07 started. If you're going to be making pattern welded steel, you're going to need a press or a power hammer. Otherwise you're going to spend a LOT of time making your billets.

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Click to expand...
He does make a good point. But compared to making games where 100k games are made a year and 80% make less than they cost. This is still a niche. I think programs like FIF have increased the number of makers, but I think the audience who want to buy such things has increased hugely because of it. Well fingers crossed.. But like you I want to make loads of things. Candlesticks, Hinges, lamps, watches (once I get my mill sorted I'll make a case for myself and see how it goes = not profit, just hobby build) firepits, even nails. And yes... knives. Diversify your portfolio or flounder. (especially at the start)

It's not easy to smith, and not many people living in a city have the space to do it.

The hydraulic press is for sure somthing I'm looking at. But I've bought a norton 6 fly press from here: https://www.usedflypress.com/bargin-deals.html

Hard work but it can apply the squish I need to get those billets forge welded, and yes, way better than trying to use a hammer.. I plan to make a mcdonald rolling mill with a winch motor, hardest thing I've found is getting large rollers for them. The jewlers rolling mill spares are tiny. If I can squish manually with a norton 6, and rolling to stretch out, I should be able to preserve any symetrical patterns I want to do. But twisted damascus would be my first port of call, and san mai.

For some reason I'm a bit scared of hydraulics ever since I heard stories of razor thin water jets from leaks severing fingers like a lazer. But.. I will give it a go, I'm sure I'll want it after hand flypressing 20 billets.
 
Sean Jones said:
I can relate to that. The Corporate world is truly vicious at times. There are some good people, but corporations are only interested in one thing; the bottom line. In the long run absolutely nothing else matters.

I'm no Blacksmith, but with the right amount of fortitude I do think it's an avenue for possible independence from 'the man'. Though you still have to kow-tow to taxes and a few other things. But not as many.
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It's a creative itch, and this is the first time in my life I have the financial independence and time to give it a go. Corporate is so full of back stabbing and the requirement to ass kiss and use machevelian strategies to get up the ladder, that I don't think I could go back, even though now, I have a great CV and could go in at a high end. I just think I'd throw up on the subway on my first commute.

I'd kick myself on my deathbed if I never tried. I work hard, manically in fact when I have a passion project. Let's hope the 99% persperation thing is true!
 
Smurf masher said:
He does make a good point. But compared to making games where 100k games are made a year and 80% make less than they cost. This is still a niche. I think programs like FIF have increased the number of makers, but I think the audience who want to buy such things has increased hugely because of it. Well fingers crossed.. But like you I want to make loads of things. Candlesticks, Hinges, lamps, watches (once I get my mill sorted I'll make a case for myself and see how it goes = not profit, just hobby build) firepits, even nails. And yes... knives. Diversify your portfolio or flounder. (especially at the start)

It's not easy to smith, and not many people living in a city have the space to do it.

The hydraulic press is for sure somthing I'm looking at. But I've bought a norton 6 fly press from here: https://www.usedflypress.com/bargin-deals.html

Hard work but it can apply the squish I need to get those billets forge welded, and yes, way better than trying to use a hammer.. I plan to make a mcdonald rolling mill with a winch motor, hardest thing I've found is getting large rollers for them. The jewlers rolling mill spares are tiny. If I can squish manually with a norton 6, and rolling to stretch out, I should be able to preserve any symetrical patterns I want to do. But twisted damascus would be my first port of call, and san mai.

For some reason I'm a bit scared of hydraulics ever since I heard stories of razor thin water jets from leaks severing fingers like a lazer. But.. I will give it a go, I'm sure I'll want it after hand flypressing 20 billets.
Click to expand...
Hydraulics aren't that dangerous. Pneumatics are MORE dangerous.

Air is compressible, so you're storing a LOT of potential energy when you squeeze all that air into your compressor tank.

With something like a hydraulic press, you have substantially less potential energy. Now, if you have a hydraulic accumulator in the loop, that's a bit different.

A pin hole leak in a hydraulic hose can cause what's known as a hydraulic injection injury. DO NOT LOOK IT UP if you're squeamish. It's NASTY. They have to clean the hydraulic oil out of ya if it happens. I'm not going to go into detail.

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How much shop space are you going to have? Talking square footage (square meterage? :) )

Also, regarding the press, see what components you can get before you settle on a specific design. Personally, I like the idea of a press that I can mount on a stand. The legs below the bottom beam (bottom crossmember(s) that connects the left and right columns together) shouldn't need to be very hefty. You could save a lot of money in material and cut the weight of the press down substantially by making it out of lighter gauge steel.

Instead of making the columns extend all the way to the ground like a hydraulic shop press (like in an automotive shop), you could probably get away with building some sort of steel cabinet out of square tube and sheet metal. It'd give somewhere to store dies and other press related stuff (pump, tank, etc)

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