Be sure to check out Roys video on how he forges the skillet pan. His method results in a cleaner looking skillet. ua-cam.com/video/w8Y3h1IWV9Y/v-deo.html
@@noahnipperus7320 , very cool you're an instructor! Don't run across many of them these days. Best of luck and well wishes. Mind if I ask you what type(s) of course you teach? Knowledge is a gold standard no price can be set for. LoL 🙏 Blessed days Sir Crawford out 🔥⚒️🧙🏼♂️
Also……. I really LOVED “the hook of the week”. Are you possibly thinking of doing another weekly item? I really encourage this. Maybe making a tool of the week or something else that you could teach us that we could do to help us in ours shops….. love your work and your methods! You sir were the first channel that I started watching and is the first video I watch each week!
Hey John! I hope this year has given you a bit of a break and that life is treating you well. Dont forget to play that banjo and have a beer here and there 😁
Glad I saw this this morning. Time to go out to my shop and do some work. Im about to launch my first etsy store. I'll only have 4 items up but its a start and I wouldn't have gotten here if it weren't for your videos. You've been a big inspiration to me! Including all the other blacksmiths on YT. Love you guys.
Man that looks hot! Would have been a good wintertime project... ;) Thanks for educating us! I've used a folding 3-legged spider trivet at reenactments before that you can set different sized pans on over the coals. Very handy.
I just bought a 12" carbon steel skillet and can now really appreciate the time and work involved. Thank you for sharing your skills and tips on how you made this 'spider'!
Kool skillet, John. I like the long legs! BTW, because our nearby coal mine shut down I have started using lump charcoal and getting used to it (like it, too). I noticed the bricks you were using to help build up the fire...that's a great idea and I am going to start using bricks in my coal forge. Thanks for pointing that out in the video.
Awesome Job John it turned out very nice. hopeful you get great use out of it John. Keep up the Great craftsmanship and hard work John. Can't wait to see what you make next. Forge on. keep making. God bless.
Just finished my first skillet. It was a fun and interesting task. I really enjoyed this video and I like the spider idea. This isn't the first time I've seen one but it did refresh the memory
Great to see you back to making gear for the camp fire. It's been a while.This "spider" came out really nice. Looks like it wouls be a great addition to the camp fire gear.
We were under an outdoor fire ban from April into October last year. We have had more normal rain this spring, so I get to have a campfire for now anyway.
" I know I look hot, but try to control yourself " 😆🤣 you sir are great to watch for skills and humor. Also, adding or taking away the coals can control the heat better on something like this spider with static height. Be using a handmade fire rake for that. 😉
Excellent video John, many times on UA-cam someone shows how to make something and it goes so smoothly. Then when we try it at home we struggle because we do see all the little tricks. This shows that practice and technique make everything look easy.
Nice job John 👏 turned out gr8, I noticed a couple of big shrink lines in your apron, gr8 to see it protected you both would be not nice places for big burns. ⚒😎👍
I read a book from the late 1800's that said that charcoal was the premier choice for blacksmiths in England until they started having trouble with deforestation and had no other choice but to switch to coal.
Man I would have called it when you had It in the shape of a wok but I know you had something in ur head u were working towards. A freestanding stand would be really nice and then you could put any skillet on it! Thanks for the inspiration I will try to make one seems I always forget my grill piece!
I am really amazed the smoke drafted out of the chimney and not your shop windows. Great job! Need to find the video you explain how your chimney system is set up.
Great for campfire cooking up at your cabin! Bit impractical to be carting around camping unless you could find a way to detach the legs. Good pan however, I have tried a few but have the most success by cheating and using the bottom off an old LPG cylinder! Just have to flatten a bottom, work really well!
Have you considered a mix of lump and briquettes? The lump burns hotter but you'll get a longer burn with the briquettes. A good mix of the two will give you a little more of the best of both worlds. Great educational videos, it's always fun to watch a craftsman at work!
@@BlackBearForge Tim Dyck made a quick-and-dirty flypress die to shape some sheet steel for a tuyere protector for his sideblast forge. A design similar to what he made might work well to raise the edges of a skillet. It was basically just round bar stock tack welded to some plate scraps. ua-cam.com/video/uDHPmI1cyHk/v-deo.html
@@andrewtinker7537 This is kind of how I built candle cup dies. I use them in the hardy hole though by hand. Just a ring of round bar welded to a plate for the bottom and a smaller ring on the end of a 1 inch square bar to set the top.
I have a few questions for you, 1. what is it like being a blacksmith? 2. what cost does it take to start a shop like that? 3. how much do you earn typically? 4. where would someone who is interested in blacksmithing start? Thanks for doing these videos btw!
Make yourself a disco cooker, a Mexican wok on legs. Lol They are made from disc blades with horse shoes welded on for handles. Disc blades come in several sizes, I think. Hubby welded 3 1-2” bolt nuts on the under side of the disc blade so that carriage bolts can be screwed in for legs.
Good afternoon, John, Not quite twenty questions. Could you use a disk blade to make the skillet? How about coke instead of charcoal? Could you show the hydraulic press a bit more? Thinking of building one. Thank you, and stay safe.
The disk blade would have to have the hole welded up and it might not survive being forged at that point. But they can just be welded up and used like a wok. Coke would be a good choice if its available.
It's a very cool skillet, but I'd agree that it's probably not too ideal for camping/hiking kit, it'd be kind of a pain to stuff in a backpack, with legs and handle sticking out in just about every direction.
Have you ever tried to make a wok? I am working on one now and it is difficult to form the bottom without the hammer handle hitting the rim. So far it has been enjoyable making it. I have about 3 hrs in it. With my forge I can only heat about a 1/4 of it at a time. Plus tendinitis in my elbow limits how long I can swing a hammer.
I think you might need to turn down the blower a bit for charcoal it doesn't need as much air as coal. It will spark less with less air and will burn up last fast with less air.
John i understand striving for perfection in ones life. I have chased that goal my entire life. But now that i have entered well into my 50s i came to relies that hand crafted items need to have some minor imperfections to say it was made by hand and not some CNC or fully robtic factory that spits out 1000s of products everyday.
Im curious about the coal forge dose it build a hotter loger lasting heat with a hood or would that be just a in shop thing to keep the smoke going up ???
AS I mentioned these are mostly used in an indoor fireplace. But for the camp fire its much more stable than the other support and doesn't require the extra support.
Hi John, been watching you since before you got the 1K subccribe mark. Nice video, can I make a suggestion from one Smith to another? Make a skillet die. For that 12" disk, I'd suggest a 9" ring x 3" high the 3" is over kill but better to much then but enough. Then a 7" ring ( I know that's a huge gap) bit you could go 8 & 1/2 but I like wiggle room and a good slope, them weld a few layers of sheet metal or a heavy plate to match the 7" ring. Also attach a striking point. Heat your disc, dome it some as before, place in top of the 9" ring then drive it down with the 7" press die. Walla skillet minus handle. Just an idea, obviously math out the die size for other size disks. Thanks again John!!
If I plan to make more, I would look into it. But for a one off project, it isn't really worth the trouble. Although it might make a worthwhile followup video.
@@BlackBearForge I do understand that, but knowing you you have 2 more disks, making a tool for what might be a one off will insure you can do more faster and better if you decide to do more, plus I think the time to whip up that simple tool and use it for a one off might be faster and more skillet like. I love a wok, and basically that's what you made. Woks are great frying tools but they are not a skillet. Skillets have sharp defined angles with a very flat bottom, a wok has an either flat out rounded bottom with a curved slope to the outer edge. Both are good tools for cooking I actually prefer a wok for most frying. Just being picky and technical about the pan. It's wonderful and works well. Really I think the jig would be a good video and your have it for ever. Thanks John.
It sounds like you're ready for hot smith summer. Question: do you have any tips for keeping small pieces of charcoal from going airborne? I found I couldn't run as much air through my fire as I wanted to make it hot enough for larger billets without producing volcanoes of pea sized pieces of glowing charcoal. I love your work, you've been a big inspiration.
@@BlackBearForge yeah, I was afraid of that. Although maybe I could have rearranged my firebrick (my forge doesn't have a firepot) to divert the airflow and move my fire off to the side. Thanks so much.
Most of the heat is radiant -- have you tried light-colored gloves and apron? Or maybe powdering yours a bit, like with cornstarch or mineral-based like calcium-carbonate (if that's okay around the metal work)? Or some other white-wash method... whatever's safe.
I've never bothered to measure. For most normal blacksmithing its negligible. Big industrial forgings that have precise specs are a different matter and they do calculate for the scale loss.
So, what you were using to do the main shaping of the skillet was a base of an oxygen cylinder? Did you do anything to the inside of the cylinder to make it more solid or just leave hollow? Thanks
Comment on your chair used in the video. as far as I know, I was the original designer of this chair. working in the furniture factory in High Point NC. My foreman and I started with an idea and started cutting it out on the band saw. It had many functions at the time. when folded up it also doubled as a backpack frame at first so you might carry it out to your base came site while having your hands full of other items. at the time we also made other sizes, we had a child's chair and a loveseat in this same style. also made was around and square table made to the height of the chairs for some lounging around our campfire. Please enjoy our design Stan
Be sure to check out Roys video on how he forges the skillet pan. His method results in a cleaner looking skillet. ua-cam.com/video/w8Y3h1IWV9Y/v-deo.html
Great job John! Just finished the video and it came out great 😊 plus nothing seasons a pan better than Bacon 🥓🥓 🤤
Glad the skillets got to you John And thank you for The mention!☺️
Glad to do it. Its always nice to be able to buy things like this pre cut.
An appropriate project for Summer cooking.
Perfect example of how the second horn on your anvil can be more effective than just a single horn anvil
Oh boy, I could feel the heat from that pan back over here! It's hard to understand if you haven't worked with large glowing pieces of metal! :) :)
It always amazes me how much heat things like this give off.
Nice pan.
Nice skillet!! Goofy me though you were putting the handle on backwards until I figured out that it was a leg😂👍🇺🇸
At 5:20; nice wok good for making fried rice :)
PS. First time I see a skillet with built in trivet, he-he.
Nice job and great for the campfire. I like it.
Charcoal in the forge is great and you can also make lunch on it 😄
17:29 This is why I liked and subscribed brother, thank you for your videos and sharing your knowledge
(I'm a blacksmithing instructor in Arizona always looking for projects, now I'm convinced I need a coal forge as well.)
@@noahnipperus7320 , very cool you're an instructor! Don't run across many of them these days. Best of luck and well wishes.
Mind if I ask you what type(s) of course you teach?
Knowledge is a gold standard no price can be set for. LoL
🙏 Blessed days Sir
Crawford out 🔥⚒️🧙🏼♂️
Also……. I really LOVED “the hook of the week”. Are you possibly thinking of doing another weekly item? I really encourage this. Maybe making a tool of the week or something else that you could teach us that we could do to help us in ours shops….. love your work and your methods! You sir were the first channel that I started watching and is the first video I watch each week!
It won't be back as a weekly obligation. But there will certainly be some similar projects
You always make it fun to watch. Thanks John...
I would use it the way it is. It has personality
Giving a big thumbs up for the tie dye!
I believe it was something you built for the cooking fire that got me watching and subscribed to your channel. Please keep making noise.
This would be an awesome winter project when you don't mind it being so hot.
Rockin' the TIE DIE -- Love it! Nice skillet, too. ;-)
Hey John! I hope this year has given you a bit of a break and that life is treating you well. Dont forget to play that banjo and have a beer here and there 😁
Really nice. Super filming. Thanks
Definitely a funky one but I kinda like it well done John!
Glad I saw this this morning. Time to go out to my shop and do some work. Im about to launch my first etsy store. I'll only have 4 items up but its a start and I wouldn't have gotten here if it weren't for your videos. You've been a big inspiration to me! Including all the other blacksmiths on YT. Love you guys.
John you are really getting the feel for your new anvil
It is a really nice anvil!!👍🇺🇸
Awesome ! That pan turned out great !
Thanks 👍
Way to begin our Sunday morning, bacon in the frying pan. Thank you and God bless.
Wow, this is the first time I've seen a skillet being made. Thanks for the education!
Man that looks hot! Would have been a good wintertime project... ;) Thanks for educating us! I've used a folding 3-legged spider trivet at reenactments before that you can set different sized pans on over the coals. Very handy.
I just bought a 12" carbon steel skillet and can now really appreciate the time and work involved. Thank you for sharing your skills and tips on how you made this 'spider'!
Awesome project John. I really like making pans this one looks fun. Thx for sharing ….Paul🇺🇸💪⚒🔥
You might check out Townsends on UA-cam. They do a lot of 18 th century cooking. They use a spider, cranes, forks etc
Kool skillet, John. I like the long legs! BTW, because our nearby coal mine shut down I have started using lump charcoal and getting used to it (like it, too). I noticed the bricks you were using to help build up the fire...that's a great idea and I am going to start using bricks in my coal forge. Thanks for pointing that out in the video.
Skillet look cool. Love the shaping up of the skillet on cylinder base.👍👍🔥🔥🔥
Glad you like it
You should have just made a wok! ;) So awesome. Thanks so much.
Awesome Job John it turned out very nice. hopeful you get great use out of it John. Keep up the Great craftsmanship and hard work John. Can't wait to see what you make next. Forge on. keep making. God bless.
That's a handy skillet to have for the campfire, nice work John!
really fun looking project. nice job
Love the skillet!!! I also love cooking outside on an open fire... Awesome!!!!
Just finished my first skillet. It was a fun and interesting task. I really enjoyed this video and I like the spider idea. This isn't the first time I've seen one but it did refresh the memory
Great to see you back to making gear for the camp fire. It's been a while.This "spider" came out really nice. Looks like it wouls be a great addition to the camp fire gear.
We were under an outdoor fire ban from April into October last year. We have had more normal rain this spring, so I get to have a campfire for now anyway.
John, what about a coffee pot hanger/tipper? That would be a really useful item at camp!
Loved seeing you use it too. Thanks for a good video
" I know I look hot, but try to control yourself " 😆🤣 you sir are great to watch for skills and humor.
Also, adding or taking away the coals can control the heat better on something like this spider with static height. Be using a handmade fire rake for that. 😉
Excellent video John, many times on UA-cam someone shows how to make something and it goes so smoothly. Then when we try it at home we struggle because we do see all the little tricks. This shows that practice and technique make everything look easy.
Thanks 👍
I've used something similar. I found it at a thrift store in Kansas. It was fun to use when camping.
I'm really digging the tiedyed shirt.
Hi John I love your out door cooking system mate , I'm making a fire pit so I think I will give this a go , Cheers :)
Nice job John 👏 turned out gr8, I noticed a couple of big shrink lines in your apron, gr8 to see it protected you both would be not nice places for big burns. ⚒😎👍
I think I already said this on a different video but, this is my new favorite channel.
I love the fact that you mention the noise and grab you PPE. Great example setting!
Great job on the tall skillet John. Really enjoyed watching you make this. Turned out fantastic. Fred. 🙏🏻🙏🏻👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👋👋
Glad you enjoyed it
Been wanting to make a spider or trivet to make cooking over a fire that much easier thanks for the video keep up the good work
I read a book from the late 1800's that said that charcoal was the premier choice for blacksmiths in England until they started having trouble with deforestation and had no other choice but to switch to coal.
Its a good choise if you have it available. But it burns fast.
.Excellent work👍👍👍. Thanks for sharing
Your work is amazing 💪👍
I personally would do the smaller unit. For my use, more practical
I like the use of the dividers. They’re used a lot in hand tool woodworking.
Working on that skillet looked exhausting! Another great project, I think it came out really well, fantastic job!
Perfect first use, something that renders a lot of oil to season the steel!
Totally agree!
John, I always love to watch you do something new, and your thought process on how to make it work. Innovation!!
I appreciate that!
That looks Great!!!
Always enjoy your videos.
Man I would have called it when you had It in the shape of a wok but I know you had something in ur head u were working towards. A freestanding stand would be really nice and then you could put any skillet on it! Thanks for the inspiration I will try to make one seems I always forget my grill piece!
I am really amazed the smoke drafted out of the chimney and not your shop windows. Great job! Need to find the video you explain how your chimney system is set up.
Great for campfire cooking up at your cabin! Bit impractical to be carting around camping unless you could find a way to detach the legs. Good pan however, I have tried a few but have the most success by cheating and using the bottom off an old LPG cylinder! Just have to flatten a bottom, work really well!
Sounds like you need a bigger truck 😜. But I doubt we will take it camping either.
Have you considered a mix of lump and briquettes? The lump burns hotter but you'll get a longer burn with the briquettes. A good mix of the two will give you a little more of the best of both worlds.
Great educational videos, it's always fun to watch a craftsman at work!
This is a nice pan
I've been wanting to make these for a while. I think I'd make a top and bottom die to press them into shape maybe.
Dies would help. But unless your making a bunch, the dies may take longer to make than the skillet
@@BlackBearForge Tim Dyck made a quick-and-dirty flypress die to shape some sheet steel for a tuyere protector for his sideblast forge. A design similar to what he made might work well to raise the edges of a skillet. It was basically just round bar stock tack welded to some plate scraps. ua-cam.com/video/uDHPmI1cyHk/v-deo.html
@@andrewtinker7537 This is kind of how I built candle cup dies. I use them in the hardy hole though by hand. Just a ring of round bar welded to a plate for the bottom and a smaller ring on the end of a 1 inch square bar to set the top.
I've seen armories use a rosebud to spot heat and form. It all looks a bit tedious. Nice project!
I have used a torch on things like this. But it uses up a lot of gas.
Love the hippie shirt with the apron...
Thank you
Nice work. Great video. Thank you for sharing.
That's a impressive project! Love the videos!
I have a few questions for you,
1. what is it like being a blacksmith?
2. what cost does it take to start a shop like that?
3. how much do you earn typically?
4. where would someone who is interested in blacksmithing start?
Thanks for doing these videos btw!
Always appreciate your tutorial. Well done and thanks.
The fire irons, the take-down "X" chair, and the spider..... you have the appearance of someone who goes to rendezvous.
At one time we did. Its where I got my start selling my work. But it has been quite a few years since we have been to one.
Make yourself a disco cooker, a Mexican wok on legs. Lol They are made from disc blades with horse shoes welded on for handles. Disc blades come in several sizes, I think. Hubby welded 3 1-2” bolt nuts on the under side of the disc blade so that carriage bolts can be screwed in for legs.
I'd like to see a version of this which has hinged legs so it can fold somewhat flat, since this seems to be a good camping design.
I have never seen a historical example done that way. It would be an interesting project.
Good afternoon, John, Not quite twenty questions. Could you use a disk blade to make the skillet? How about coke instead of charcoal? Could you show the hydraulic press a bit more? Thinking of building one. Thank you, and stay safe.
The disk blade would have to have the hole welded up and it might not survive being forged at that point. But they can just be welded up and used like a wok. Coke would be a good choice if its available.
It's a very cool skillet, but I'd agree that it's probably not too ideal for camping/hiking kit, it'd be kind of a pain to stuff in a backpack, with legs and handle sticking out in just about every direction.
Have you ever tried to make a wok?
I am working on one now and it is difficult to form the bottom without the hammer handle hitting the rim. So far it has been enjoyable making it. I have about 3 hrs in it. With my forge I can only heat about a 1/4 of it at a time. Plus tendinitis in my elbow limits how long I can swing a hammer.
No, although this skillet is very wok like before it is flattened. Its hot work to be sure.
Nice
I think you might need to turn down the blower a bit for charcoal it doesn't need as much air as coal. It will spark less with less air and will burn up last fast with less air.
it also didn't get hot enough to heat the entire blank.
Those forearms!
Do you ever have a problem with the gas saver pilot ceramic nozzles breaking and where is a good place to get replacements?
Mine cracked, but it doesn't seem to have effected its use
The set up you have for your torch intrigues me. How about a short show and tell video on that? Otherwise great video as usual
ua-cam.com/video/2PngDKIcQ54/v-deo.html
John i understand striving for perfection in ones life. I have chased that goal my entire life. But now that i have entered well into my 50s i came to relies that hand crafted items need to have some minor imperfections to say it was made by hand and not some CNC or fully robtic factory that spits out 1000s of products everyday.
I rarely strive for perfection that rivals machine made tolerance. But some things like this skillet are just a bit too irregular to sell.
You almost need to do what one does when making sheet metal parts. Using a wood form you hammer on to get a copy of the shape
Im curious about the coal forge dose it build a hotter loger lasting heat with a hood or would that be just a in shop thing to keep the smoke going up ???
The hood is just to remove smoke and doesn't really effect the fire
Nice project, but seems unnecessary with a height adjustable support on the leg of the spit. 👍
AS I mentioned these are mostly used in an indoor fireplace. But for the camp fire its much more stable than the other support and doesn't require the extra support.
I've used lump charcoal for casting on many projects. It works great.
Do you get more or less clinkers using lump charcoal?
Less by quite a lot.
This skillet is awesome! Wish I had one to add to my backwoods Adirondack Spike Camp. Are you selling these?
Where do I get the tye dye?
I found this one on Ebay many years ago.
Hi John, been watching you since before you got the 1K subccribe mark. Nice video, can I make a suggestion from one Smith to another?
Make a skillet die. For that 12" disk, I'd suggest a 9" ring x 3" high the 3" is over kill but better to much then but enough. Then a 7" ring ( I know that's a huge gap) bit you could go 8 & 1/2 but I like wiggle room and a good slope, them weld a few layers of sheet metal or a heavy plate to match the 7" ring. Also attach a striking point. Heat your disc, dome it some as before, place in top of the 9" ring then drive it down with the 7" press die. Walla skillet minus handle.
Just an idea, obviously math out the die size for other size disks.
Thanks again John!!
If I plan to make more, I would look into it. But for a one off project, it isn't really worth the trouble. Although it might make a worthwhile followup video.
@@BlackBearForge I do understand that, but knowing you you have 2 more disks, making a tool for what might be a one off will insure you can do more faster and better if you decide to do more, plus I think the time to whip up that simple tool and use it for a one off might be faster and more skillet like. I love a wok, and basically that's what you made. Woks are great frying tools but they are not a skillet. Skillets have sharp defined angles with a very flat bottom, a wok has an either flat out rounded bottom with a curved slope to the outer edge. Both are good tools for cooking I actually prefer a wok for most frying. Just being picky and technical about the pan. It's wonderful and works well. Really I think the jig would be a good video and your have it for ever.
Thanks John.
It sounds like you're ready for hot smith summer. Question: do you have any tips for keeping small pieces of charcoal from going airborne? I found I couldn't run as much air through my fire as I wanted to make it hot enough for larger billets without producing volcanoes of pea sized pieces of glowing charcoal. I love your work, you've been a big inspiration.
You have to keep the blower turned way down. I think a side blast forge would be better for charcoal.
@@BlackBearForge yeah, I was afraid of that. Although maybe I could have rearranged my firebrick (my forge doesn't have a firepot) to divert the airflow and move my fire off to the side. Thanks so much.
I think your touch mark should have been on the Handel if not realy bold maby kon the underside of the Handel 👍
Most of the heat is radiant -- have you tried light-colored gloves and apron? Or maybe powdering yours a bit, like with cornstarch or mineral-based like calcium-carbonate (if that's okay around the metal work)? Or some other white-wash method... whatever's safe.
How much total thickness is lost when all of the scale comes off?
I've never bothered to measure. For most normal blacksmithing its negligible. Big industrial forgings that have precise specs are a different matter and they do calculate for the scale loss.
When and why are skillets made with high carbon steel in stead of mild steel?
No idea. Mild steel works just fine
So, what you were using to do the main shaping of the skillet was a base of an oxygen cylinder? Did you do anything to the inside of the cylinder to make it more solid or just leave hollow? Thanks
Nothing but a bar welded to it to form a hardy shank so it doesn't slip off the swage block
Comment on your chair used in the video. as far as I know, I was the original designer of this chair. working in the furniture factory in High Point NC. My foreman and I started with an idea and started cutting it out on the band saw. It had many functions at the time. when folded up it also doubled as a backpack frame at first so you might carry it out to your base came site while having your hands full of other items. at the time we also made other sizes, we had a child's chair and a loveseat in this same style. also made was around and square table made to the height of the chairs for some lounging around our campfire. Please enjoy our design Stan
Is the skillet to thin to keep a welding heat long enough to forge weld the legs on?
Probably not to thin. But none of the old ones I have seen were welded. Rivets seem to be the usual method.