Lovely ladle. The joinery at the bowl has a splendid medieval look. Your use of nails as rivets brought back memories. When I was a weekend Viking in the 1980s, we rivetted our helmets with 1" Galvanised roofing nails. Being soft they rivetted cold with no trouble. Good 'ealth, John Warner, Australia
I've been woodworking for fifty years. In doing restoration on old furniture I found that you have to stock up on old hinges and other hardware. Sometimes thats just not enough and you have to make your own hardware. Your videos have been an unbelievable help to me. Thanks for the time you've put into them. Please keep them coming. Thanks
Really great video. In the great sea of wannabe blacksmiths on youtube, it is gratifying to see one who actually has come real smithing skills and who does such a direct, clear progression video. Even your dialogue is clear in structure and clearly recorded. I use a ladle regularly at my coal forge but I kludged one together out of one of those 1 lb. propane tanks, the shorter, fatter kind often used for camp stoves, with a handle riveted on. Nothing as elegant as this simple forged ladle. Now I want to make one myself. I have been turning out mostly items for sale for quite a while now and it has been a very long time since I made something just for myself, and just for the pleasure of making it. I think I might make a different handle, something that would afford a little more rotational control of liquid cargo, but I love the matter of fact way you produce a double forge weld like that for your handle. Very impressive to someone like myself who still, from lack of practice, finds most forge welds tedious on a good day.
Again I am watching, This man knows what he talks about and is very skilled, I do say "Thanks for teaching and showing me the ropes. Very happy for getting to learn from you Sir. After my first year of mosty making tooling and some as you help me with Sir. Wish you good health and hopefully you will make a few more videos seems you make a lot of since you make it seem easy Thanks you sir
I’m about to make a ladle in my blacksmithing class. I like the idea of a wok ladle rather than a soup one. I’m have to ask my instructor if I can modify.
I can see why smiths were considered to have magical powers by earlier civilizations. Even with my basic grasp of metallurgy and limited forge experience, it's pretty amazing how you can manipulate basic metal stock into such a nice piece with a mastery of basic skills. I initially got interested in smithing with the intention of making a nice kitchen knife for my wife, who loves to cook, but I'm finding that the skill involved in making less sexy, utilitarian tools is much more appealing. I've actually found myself at my own DIY forge pausing, replaying and following your videos as if I were in the kitchen cooking along to a show. I made a pair of "all purpose" basic flat tongs through watching your video on their construction, and I'm almost done with a pair of tongs I'm making specifically for holding the head end of railroad spikes, which I have a whole bucket full of bent and damaged examples from a friend that works as a night engineer at the big yard just south of the city. I figure I can use them to experiment with mastering basic techniques and possibly make a couple chisels and tools out of them.
Awesome. I have had this idea in my head for some time after looking around for a ladle, haven’t started due to a need to tidy my work area, not from lack of trying, like moving everything outside to get rid of any rubbish and it all gets put back and All I have is a swept floor.
Subbed... What a lovely, elegant ladle design... Just more proof that practicality and beauty can easily go hand in hand, especially in the hands of a Master Craftsman.
The cleft weld is probably the most forgotten type of weld out there but when you look at old stuff it was used a lot. Wrapping the weld around something really increases the strength of even a poorly made forge weld.
When I had my forge going I made a watering tool for tending my fire. I made two ladle bowls about this size and welded the rims together to make a hollow ladle egg type thing, then I drilled about ten 1/8 '' holes in one side and put a half inch hole in the other side. I put a long handle on it and just kept it in my water barrel. When you need water on the fire you've got a little shower that comes out. I know I didn't describe it very well but it worked good.
I'd be honored, I'm surprised you knew what I meant, I can make things but I'm not very good at explaining myself! I had a big swedge block with the ladle and spoon molds so it was easy, you're a much better smith than I was, it would have taken me forever to get the ladles as even as you did with that big chain link. I made knives for years in the 90s and can probably still hammer out a good blade blindfolded but I met a real blacksmith and found out quickly that even though we used some of the same tools, I couldn't hold a candle to a real blacksmith.
I guess that tool has been around for a while. It started out as a rag on a stick and turned into a pop can with holes in it. I think your idea is a great example of a blacksmiths approach to the problem and I'd like to build one.
Your videos are fantastic - clear and precise. I am extremely impressed and have subscribed. I would love to see your take on a trammel hook to go along with all of the other traditional hardware that you have videos on already. Thanks!
There is no such thing as a clean anvil when you are doing hot forging. There is always a layer of scale between the work and the anvil no matter how much you clean around it. It is just part of the process. I brush it off once in a while but I don't get crazy about it. When I'm working my mind is on the process not housecleaning.
I noticed that, when shaping the bowl you were using a smallish cross pein hammer. Why not a small ball pein hammer? I would have thought that would have been easier but, I often find that what I thought would be easier is actually, harder to get the desired form! If you'd let us know why one and not the other was used it might be beneficial for some of us! Thanks, Dennis!
Any kind of hammer will do this just happens to be a cross peen. The important thing is that the face has been ground to a large radius so it will shape the metal without leaving deep gouges. The ball of a ball been is too small and will just dimple the sheet metal instead of forcing it into a new shape.
hey, new subscriber here, just getting interested in the idea of blacksmithing and your videos are truly fascinating! one question, how long did this piece take roughly? Keep up the great work! :-)
Yo Dennis, Thanks. As I watch you I see that there are many "RIGHT" ways of doing things. My only question is, Why don't you clean the top of your anvil? Every other Blacksmith I have ever seen, including my Grandfather, always kept their anvil top clean. Do think that it isn't necessary? Anyhow, your videos are excellent. Keep up the good work.
I clean it off once and a while but I'm definitely not a fanatic about it. When you are forging hot metal, above an orange heat, there is always a layer of scale on the work and you are hammering that scale into the surface. You can't get away from it - It is just part of the process. The only time I am concerned about scale on the anvil is when I'm hammer refining a forging and trying to produce a very clean finish. During that process you keep the work below a red heat so it stops producing scale and you remove the scale from the anvil as it falls of the work. At that point you can concentrate on removing any hammer marks and begin polishing the surface because you are working with clean metal on a clean anvil. It's very tedious and I don't have the time to do it very often but it produces amazing results.
When you are sinking a shape like this the outside diameter doesn't change much because you are stretching the material to make the bowl so the size of blank that you start with is going to be pretty close to the finished diameter. I wasn't after anything specific here so I just went to my scrap pile and found a blank that looked good.
great video, I had a question. I've had a lot of problems drilling forged steel, both in a press or with a hand drill, any advice? I'm assuming this piece was drilled, is that the case?
I'm assuming the drill bit is a good quality one and sharpened properly. Are you quenching the piece when it is still hot? If so let the piece cool to room temp slowly before drilling. Mild steel doesn't have enough carbon to use for tools but it will harden enough to make drilling difficult. Another reason may be an excessive amount of scale build up on the surface and that could dull a drill a little before you get to the steel. Centre punching tends to break through the scale layer and allows the drill to bite directly into the steel.
+DF - In The Shop bit was brand new. I think quenching the mild might have been my issue, I'd always heard mild doesn't harden appreciably, but coming from a machining history, drill bits aren't as good as they used to be at times, so Occam's razor makes me think that would be my issue, thanks. And by the way, I'm glad to see you putting out videos again!
If you would use a more round hammer you would have less chance of making a tear in your piece remember your metal will take the shape of your hammer . but also whatever works for you . looks good Andrew Soots
Lovely ladle. The joinery at the bowl has a splendid medieval look. Your use of nails as rivets brought back memories. When I was a weekend Viking in the 1980s, we rivetted our helmets with 1" Galvanised roofing nails. Being soft they rivetted cold with no trouble. Good 'ealth, John Warner, Australia
I've been woodworking for fifty years. In doing restoration on old furniture I found that you have to stock up on old hinges and other hardware. Sometimes thats just not enough and you have to make your own hardware. Your videos have been an unbelievable help to me. Thanks for the time you've put into them. Please keep them coming. Thanks
LOVE YA WORK MY FRIEND NICE JOB , i worked with forges when on precussion drilling rigs back in the 60.70,80. putting down water bores.
Once again excellent work. I have learned so much watching your channel. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills with us.
Really great video. In the great sea of wannabe blacksmiths on youtube, it is gratifying to see one who actually has come real smithing skills and who does such a direct, clear progression video. Even your dialogue is clear in structure and clearly recorded.
I use a ladle regularly at my coal forge but I kludged one together out of one of those 1 lb. propane tanks, the shorter, fatter kind often used for camp stoves, with a handle riveted on. Nothing as elegant as this simple forged ladle. Now I want to make one myself. I have been turning out mostly items for sale for quite a while now and it has been a very long time since I made something just for myself, and just for the pleasure of making it. I think I might make a different handle, something that would afford a little more rotational control of liquid cargo, but I love the matter of fact way you produce a double forge weld like that for your handle. Very impressive to someone like myself who still, from lack of practice, finds most forge welds tedious on a good day.
Glad to help - That's what I like most about blacksmithing. It give you the ability to take an idea and modify it into something that works for you.
Scott Rich ditto
Again I am watching, This man knows what he talks about and is very skilled, I do say "Thanks for teaching and showing me the ropes.
Very happy for getting to learn from you Sir.
After my first year of mosty making tooling and some as you help me with Sir.
Wish you good health and hopefully you will make a few more videos seems you make a lot of since you make it seem easy
Thanks you sir
Great video. Patient & clear. I enjoyed every minute. Thank you.....
I’m about to make a ladle in my blacksmithing class. I like the idea of a wok ladle rather than a soup one. I’m have to ask my instructor if I can modify.
I can see why smiths were considered to have magical powers by earlier civilizations. Even with my basic grasp of metallurgy and limited forge experience, it's pretty amazing how you can manipulate basic metal stock into such a nice piece with a mastery of basic skills. I initially got interested in smithing with the intention of making a nice kitchen knife for my wife, who loves to cook, but I'm finding that the skill involved in making less sexy, utilitarian tools is much more appealing. I've actually found myself at my own DIY forge pausing, replaying and following your videos as if I were in the kitchen cooking along to a show. I made a pair of "all purpose" basic flat tongs through watching your video on their construction, and I'm almost done with a pair of tongs I'm making specifically for holding the head end of railroad spikes, which I have a whole bucket full of bent and damaged examples from a friend that works as a night engineer at the big yard just south of the city. I figure I can use them to experiment with mastering basic techniques and possibly make a couple chisels and tools out of them.
Cool project! Thanks for always putting together such informative and well narrated videos!
Love that Ladel and the sinking tool, so simple yet very usefull. Thanks for sharing
Awesome. I have had this idea in my head for some time after looking around for a ladle, haven’t started due to a need to tidy my work area, not from lack of trying, like moving everything outside to get rid of any rubbish and it all gets put back and All I have is a swept floor.
This is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Looks great, thanks for sharing with us
Subbed... What a lovely, elegant ladle design... Just more proof that practicality and beauty can easily go hand in hand, especially in the hands of a Master Craftsman.
Truly a craftsman, its a honor watching you work, thanks for your time..
Thank you
Thank you for showing thoes welds, very interesting. I'll be practicing thoes for a while.
The cleft weld is probably the most forgotten type of weld out there but when you look at old stuff it was used a lot. Wrapping the weld around something really increases the strength of even a poorly made forge weld.
Well done, another great video.
Pretty nice,that will go on my project list. Thanks
When I had my forge going I made a watering tool for tending my fire. I made two ladle bowls about this size and welded the rims together to make a hollow ladle egg type thing, then I drilled about ten 1/8 '' holes in one side and put a half inch hole in the other side. I put a long handle on it and just kept it in my water barrel. When you need water on the fire you've got a little shower that comes out. I know I didn't describe it very well but it worked good.
That is a great idea. Do you mind if I turn that into a video?
I'd be honored, I'm surprised you knew what I meant, I can make things but I'm not very good at explaining myself! I had a big swedge block with the ladle and spoon molds so it was easy, you're a much better smith than I was, it would have taken me forever to get the ladles as even as you did with that big chain link. I made knives for years in the 90s and can probably still hammer out a good blade blindfolded but I met a real blacksmith and found out quickly that even though we used some of the same tools, I couldn't hold a candle to a real blacksmith.
I guess that tool has been around for a while. It started out as a rag on a stick and turned into a pop can with holes in it. I think your idea is a great example of a blacksmiths approach to the problem and I'd like to build one.
Looking forward to it. Your videos make me want to get my old tools together and start again
Nicely done!
Really nice work and many thanks for showing
Thanks - stay tuned
I like your work :)
I just came across your Channel today and I'm glad I did. I am now a new subscriber.
Thanks & Welcome! Any comments, questions or suggestions feel free send them along.
Thanks!
Very nice video.
Your videos are fantastic - clear and precise. I am extremely impressed and have subscribed. I would love to see your take on a trammel hook to go along with all of the other traditional hardware that you have videos on already. Thanks!
A trammel hook is one of the things on my list. stay tuned. Thanks
PROFESSOR, COM SEUS VIDEOS EU APRENDO CADA DIA MAIS . DEUS O ABENÇOE HOJE E SEMPRE POR COMPARTILHAR SEU CONHECIMENTO.
Great job. Thanks
love it. I'm making it
Thank you
that was great ty
It is a nice
lovely work thank you for up loading one thing why work on a dirty anvil thanks
There is no such thing as a clean anvil when you are doing hot forging. There is always a layer of scale between the work and the anvil no matter how much you clean around it. It is just part of the process. I brush it off once in a while but I don't get crazy about it. When I'm working my mind is on the process not housecleaning.
did you use borax for the welds on the ring and the cleft weld? when/where did you apply the borax?
Man I wanna make this :D
I noticed that, when shaping the bowl you were using a smallish cross pein hammer. Why not a small ball pein hammer? I would have thought that would have been easier but, I often find that what I thought would be easier is actually, harder to get the desired form!
If you'd let us know why one and not the other was used it might be beneficial for some of us!
Thanks, Dennis!
Any kind of hammer will do this just happens to be a cross peen. The important thing is that the face has been ground to a large radius so it will shape the metal without leaving deep gouges. The ball of a ball been is too small and will just dimple the sheet metal instead of forcing it into a new shape.
hey, new subscriber here, just getting interested in the idea of blacksmithing and your videos are truly fascinating!
one question, how long did this piece take roughly?
Keep up the great work! :-)
Thanks for subscribing. It would take about an hour and a half to make this
Yo Dennis, Thanks. As I watch you I see that there are many "RIGHT" ways of doing things. My only question is, Why don't you clean the top of your anvil? Every other Blacksmith I have ever seen, including my Grandfather, always kept their anvil top clean. Do think that it isn't necessary? Anyhow, your videos are excellent. Keep up the good work.
I clean it off once and a while but I'm definitely not a fanatic about it. When you are forging hot metal, above an orange heat, there is always a layer of scale on the work and you are hammering that scale into the surface. You can't get away from it - It is just part of the process. The only time I am concerned about scale on the anvil is when I'm hammer refining a forging and trying to produce a very clean finish. During that process you keep the work below a red heat so it stops producing scale and you remove the scale from the anvil as it falls of the work. At that point you can concentrate on removing any hammer marks and begin polishing the surface because you are working with clean metal on a clean anvil. It's very tedious and I don't have the time to do it very often but it produces amazing results.
man that is gorgeous! Would you do anything different to make it food-worthy?
Just treat it the same way as a cast iron frying pan.
Superb workmanship!!!
Can I buy one such ladle?Do you sell them?
This piece was made specifically for this video however I will be doing custom orders in the new year. This ladle would cost around $125 + shipping.
How did you make the holes for the two rivets closest to the edge of the bowl?😎
I drilled all the holes. I started with the hole in the centre of the bowl. I drilled and riveted each hole one at a time.
how did you determine the diameter of the blank? A portion of the surface area of a sphere of appropriate diameter?
When you are sinking a shape like this the outside diameter doesn't change much because you are stretching the material to make the bowl so the size of blank that you start with is going to be pretty close to the finished diameter. I wasn't after anything specific here so I just went to my scrap pile and found a blank that looked good.
Hi man! Loving your videos, and I am learning a lot! Do you think 16 or 17 gauge would be to thin?
16 is fine - I just have a lot of 14 gauge around right now
Thanks!
great video, I had a question. I've had a lot of problems drilling forged steel, both in a press or with a hand drill, any advice? I'm assuming this piece was drilled, is that the case?
I'm assuming the drill bit is a good quality one and sharpened properly. Are you quenching the piece when it is still hot? If so let the piece cool to room temp slowly before drilling. Mild steel doesn't have enough carbon to use for tools but it will harden enough to make drilling difficult. Another reason may be an excessive amount of scale build up on the surface and that could dull a drill a little before you get to the steel. Centre punching tends to break through the scale layer and allows the drill to bite directly into the steel.
+DF - In The Shop bit was brand new. I think quenching the mild might have been my issue, I'd always heard mild doesn't harden appreciably, but coming from a machining history, drill bits aren't as good as they used to be at times, so Occam's razor makes me think that would be my issue, thanks. And by the way, I'm glad to see you putting out videos again!
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Why dont you have to cover the welding joint with borax ? thanks
I do use borax but I don't always cover the whole welding process in every video because it is the same all the time.
Hi, what kind of metal is it? steel with % carbon?
It's just 14 gauge hot rolled mild steel. I'm not sure what the carbon content is.
Whats the knob sticking out the side of your anvil near the hardy hole???
That is a small square faced horn I added when I was doing a lot of tongs. See my Forging Box Jaw tongs video.
DF - In The Shop isn't it the knob of a coil making anvil?
Why weld a separate piece on for the ring instead of just bending the end of the handle around onto itself? Thanks!
There is no practical reason to do it this way. I was just showing you a different approach to the problem.
+DF - In The Shop I see. Well it was a cool weld that I hadn't seen before. Thanks
Do you have a Beverly sheer?
no I don't
Do you have a store, my good man??
No I don't. I can't get into the shop often enough to supply a store or take orders. I just do videos.
Why didnt you forge the handle into a ring?
Because I wanted to try out this idea. Next time I'll do something else
If you would use a more round hammer you would have less chance of making a tear in your piece remember your metal will take the shape of your hammer . but also whatever works for you . looks good Andrew Soots
I kicked the blacksmiths dog once and he made a bolt for the door
Smart dog mine used to just s**t all over the place.
Someone should of drilled it into you that you don't kick the bloody dog!