Backyard Blacksmith Review

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Backyard Blacksmith ReviewI got this book expecting an amazing guide to help with my learning blacksmithing.
I was disappointed.
through my job at a Boy Scout camp i have been doing a small amount of blacksmithing with almost no training, I had read a little before hand but i was looking for a good book to teach me the basics.
this was not that book, she will tell you a lot of useful things, but more than once she would say "do _____" with the underline being some operation that she never mentioned and just assumes you know it.
BUT, the full color photos are amazing i can't tell you how long i've looked for a good picture of the metal heat colors before i found the one in this book.
in all the book is useful, though not quite enough info really for the starting blacksmithBackyard Blacksmith OverviewThe Backyard Blacksmith shows you how -- with some patience and a working knowledge of metals, basic tools, and techniques -- blacksmithing can be easy to learn, and a rewarding hobby. Through instructions and illustrations, readers will learn to make simple tools and useful items, such as nails, hinges, and handles, and also an interesting mix of artful projects, such letter openers, door knockers and botanical ornaments.

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Blade's Guide to Making Knives Review

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Blade's Guide to Making Knives ReviewIf you are new to knife making and want to make your first knife you are better off buying either the $50 Knife Shop by Wayne Goddard or Custom Knifemaking - 10 Projects from a master craftsman by Tim McCreight (both of which I own) or, if you can get an edition with clear photos How to Make Knives by Richard Barney and Bob Loveless.
If you have some experience you will find some useful tips that may help you.
In 6 of the 7 sections of Blades Guide the editor has assumed a fairly high degree of knowledge, skill and expensive equipment for the projects that it overviews. I say overviews as I do not think a novice could use any of the sections except one (and I will come to that one later) as a manual to successfully complete the projects descibed. The projects are the construction of a tactical folder, the construction of a simple hunting knife, creation of pattern welded damascus, elementary sword smithing, installation of fancy screw fixed bolsters, forging a damascus tomahawk and blade grinding on a belt grinder.
While the sections are well illustrated with colour photos and the text is easy to follow, the only section that a novice could use is Wayne Goddard's section on the creation of a simple hunting knife and even then large bits of this text and photos are lifted straight from the $50 Knife Shop. The book does not have any real commentary on knife format and design, steel descriptions, classification and choosing the best steel for the job or sheathmaking or sharpening.Blade's Guide to Making Knives OverviewFusing the expertise of seven of the best knifemakers in the world Guide to Making Knives is an unrivaled how-to for blade enthusiasts! In the rapidly evolving world of knifemaking, expert blade fashioning advice is essential for any serious collector or knifemaker. Knife enthusiasts gain professional tips about grinding blades, crafting hunting knives, forging pattern-welded steel into intricate designs, making folding knives, forging swords, creating a tomahawk and fashioning the important bolster between knife and blade, in detailed instructions and 240 striking color illustrations. Whether knifemaker or collector, expert guidance from the likes of Walter Brend, Joe Szilaski and other, in one outstanding resource, is a must-have.

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Gas Burners for Forges, Furnaces, and Kilns Review

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Gas Burners for Forges, Furnaces, and Kilns ReviewFirst, the good news:
Michael Porter's book is one that has been sorely needed by those of us who are experimenting with building our own propane burners, furnaces, forges, and kilns. It is chock-full of detailed plans, with gorgeous, carefully executed pencil drawings showing the parts and assembly of each item. Full parts lists and construction details are provided. Mr. Porter also begins the book as he should, with an extensive chapter on safety. Several burner designs, along with plans for forges and metal and glass-melting furnaces follow. A nice chapter on brazing is included.
And now, the not-so-good news:
I have to admit to some surprise upon seeing all the five-star reviews here. Perhaps it's because it's so hard to find the kind of useful detail one uncovers in this book. (It's certainly been useful for me.)
Unfortunately, the book appears to be rushed to print without proofreading for spelling or grammar, and could surely use an editor's eye to improve its organization and consistency of style. Nearly every page contains an error. In many places sentences are missing one or two words, words are just plain wrong, measurements conflict, chemical formulae are wrong, typographical style changes from page to page, etc. Examples: a project requires "3 linear feet (or 42 inches)" of refractory insulation -- which one is correct? Hydrogen is wrongly listed as "H3" (with subscript [which I can't show here], but on other pages, some chemical formulae appear without subscripting).
There are also frequent cross-references to other chapters, and to a "Notes" appendix so long that one wonders if some of the material would be better placed in the original chapters, either as part of the text, or as footnotes on the citing page. All of which is to say that I found myself constantly bouncing about from page to page or crashing head-on into another outright error, making comprehension of the text unnecessarily challenging.
A revised and corrected edition would be most welcome.
Gas Burners for Forges, Furnaces, and Kilns Overview"Gas Burners for Forges, Furnaces, & Kilns" is ado-it-yourselfers dream book, showing beginners how to make highlyefficient gas burners inexpensively. These burners use simple gasaccelerators as their central operating principle. All that is neededis a $2 MIG tip and some plumbing parts. This eliminates the need fora blower to supply combustion air, allowing the burners to be built inany size. Burners are featured, which are small enough to be used fora jewelry torch or large enough to heat any ceramic kiln. Becausethese burners are both powerful and portable, they can be combinedwith low cost space age insulating materials and common containers tobuild light compact heating equipment. Also described is ablacksmith's forge that can be carried anywhere and stored under aworkbench; a portable metal melting furnace; a portable farrier'sforge; a portable glass furnace/glory hole; and a mobile hot-workstation that aids in combining several crafts. The burners andequipment provide an inexpensive way to get started in blacksmithing,foundry work, ceramics, or glasswork. General information and specificdesigns are given, enabling the craftsperson to build equipmenttailored to their own desires.

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The Backyard Blacksmith: Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith Review

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The Backyard Blacksmith: Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith ReviewI have been to a blacksmithing rodeo or two and have seen most of the books intended for the beginner blacksmith. This one immediately jumps up to the top of my recommended list.
Ms. Sims is an artist and blacksmith who specializes in creating hand-forged functional ironwork. Her public art commissions include the Omaha Botanical Gardens in Nebraska, Lincoln Log State Historic Site in Illinois and Fordham University in New York. In additional to teaching blacksmithing classes and workshops, she has been a featured demonstrator for blacksmithing conferences throughout North America. She is the owner/operator of the Five Points Blacksmith Shop in Charleston, IL since 1993.
Folks, this is a get-your-hands dirty lady and in this book she shares her experience and expertise in the subject matter, but probably more importantly, has the ability to pass on just how it is done.
The Backyard Blacksmith will show you how, with some patience and working knowledge of metals, basic tools and techniques, blacksmithing can be easy to learn and a rewarding hobby. Through instructions and illustrations, readers will learn to make simple tools and useful items, such as nails, hinges and handles and also an interesting mix of artful projects, such as letter openers, door knockers and botanical ornaments.
In all over 20 projects are organized by difficulty level allowing new, novice or hobby blacksmiths to progress at their own pace and master/reinforce the skills they learned in earlier chapters.
The book is also sprinkled with safety and other tips and techniques.
If you are a beginning, hobby or want-a-bee blacksmith, this book should be read cover to cover several times.
Ken Scharabok, Poor Boy Blacksmith Tools
The Backyard Blacksmith: Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith OverviewThe Backyard Blacksmith takes the mystery out of blacksmithing, but not the magic...There is an increasing interest and revival in the art of blacksmithing as a hobby and art, and both men and women are becoming at-home blacksmiths. Blacksmithing is a simple, rewarding craft anyone can enjoy in their backyard or home workshop -- even beginners can produce useful and beautiful projects on their first try.The Backyard Blacksmith shows you how blacksmithing can be easy to learn, and a rewarding hobby, with some patience and a working knowledge of metals, basic tools, and techniques. Through instructions and illustrations, readers will learn to make simple tools and useful items, such as nails, hinges, and handles, and also an interesting mix of artful projects, such letter openers, door knockers and botanical ornaments.

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Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, Revised Review

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Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, Revised ReviewI bought this book to give me some guidance on making my first knife. I think that I am the intended audience for this book which stresses starting out and the $50 investement that making a knife can take. However, Wanye is too distracted by his 40+ years of knife making to be able to break down knife making for a newbie. He wants to tell you all sorts of little details that will not help you make your first knife. Like he gives you a history of what quench solutions he has used without telling you the proportions of the different ingredents in his current perfected mixture. So even if you wanted to duplicate his solution you couldn't. Also Wayne likes to scrounge yard sales and create grinders from old washing machines. So he spends a huge amount of time talking about all the gismos he has made and special jigs. Unfortunately he wants you to create all the stuff he has made over 40 years without any sort of details or dimensions. He just shows pictures and gives a few general comments about having found the parts at various yard sales and salvage yards.
He makes assumptions that you know things. Like he glossed over pinning a handle onto a knife by just saying to "pin it". I was left wondering, what is the pin for, what is it made of, how do you do it, ...
What I was really hoping for was a set of clear instructions to make "this" sample knife do 1, 2, 3, 4, ... but he does not give you that. I have been more helped by doing a google search and finding a few web sites that in just several pages tell you what to do step by step with enough detail that you can follow it.
I do not recommend this as your first book on knife making.Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, Revised Overview-Reveals secrets to crafting durable knives without spending a lot of money -Speaks to a ready audience: BLADE Show -- largest custom cutlery show in the U.S. draws 10,000 people each year -Presents simple, expert instruction in full color photos Knife-makers, veteran and novice, know and trust Wayne Goddard's techniques and teaching, and it shows in the level of craftsmanship featured at the nation's knife shows. The very book that changed the face of bladesmithing is revamped, with full color photo instructions and the tried-and-true format knife-makers will refer to for years to come. This page-turner covers: -Tools needed to make knives, and outfitting a personal workshop without breaking the bank. -Forging and heat-treating techniques, to help improve existing bladesmithing skills -200+ color photos demonstrate basic knife making techniques The easiest guide to making knives is Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, Revised.

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