Moving Metal Magazine

by Joshua Frost, Forged in Fire champion For a budding blacksmith and bladesmith, one of the most important steps in the learning process is failure. From the tools you buy (or don’t) right down to the technique that is used to accomplish a simple shape or pattern. When our processes fail we may become frustrated with the process and give up altogether.  Think of when you said you were going to learn that new musical instrument, or language or craft. You likely expected to be playing a popular song, speaking fluent Japanese and throwing clay on the potters wheel in no time, like a pro. The sad reality, however, is that you usually only ended up learning the intro to Smoke on the Water, throwing a lopsided lump of mush on the wheel and saying sayonara to Japanese. Bladesmithing and blacksmithing are similar endeavors. It’s hard work. It takes hundreds of hours of doing it to become competent. Failure begins at the beginning and continues until you’re pushing up the daisies.  My...

Contributing smith and Forged In Fire champion, Derek Melton, writes to clear some of the confusion around the Chinese-made 15kw machines and to provide some guidance for those looking to add one to their shop. My first exposure to an induction forge was at the shop of Clay Spencer in 2019. I took a power hammer tooling class in which we used the induction machine to do some of the forging. I was unable to stop thinking about these incredible machines for months afterwards. I don’t pretend to know all there is about the science and technology behind an induction machine, but I can cover the basics. As I understand it, an induction heater uses electromagnetic induction to create friction in the molecules of a conductive material, such as steel. The heater is built with an electronic oscillator that sends high-frequency AC power through the magnet creating a magnetic field into which a steel can be passed. The resistance of the molecules of the steel causes it to heat from inside. Growin...

I’m a third-generation craftsman. For as long as I can remember, I’ve worked with my hands. My father has a background in construction and drywall that he learned from his father, and in the early 1990s he began refinishing and selling antiques. He launched into antiques full time and from there he developed an eye for old world European furniture and design. He used those skills to start a business reproducing architectural elements patterned after the old-world styles. Instead of taking old wood and refinishing it, he began building new pieces and distressing them to look centuries old. He builds book cases, tables, fireplace mantles and beams for high-end homes around the country. My brothers, sisters and I grew up working summers in his business. I remember when I was six my dad would sit me in his lap in front of the bandsaw and teach me to cut out shapes from the wood. At 14 I was introduced to the world of blacksmithing. Growing up on a farm I was always carrying knives in the w...