Meteoric Patrem-Made In England...

lemmythesmith · 24th September 2007, 10:59 PM

Hi Michel, Hope your patrem forging is going well!! I'll have to weigh the blade and let you know-got to do it for my own records, but it's not very heavy. I don't tend to do too much stock removal as my forging background is more orientated to the Japanese sword which are wholly forged so I set out to make keris the same way (fool)...MUCH harder than forging a wakizashi!!

Hi Richard, I'm afraid I'm not the smith you've heard about with the Windsor iron! I got the piece I have from a guy I knew who went to Ironbridge looking for some iron to make tsuba. He was directed to a pile of twisted, blackened and corroded girders which he managed to beg a piece of-half of which he ended up swapping with me for some damascus.... Tried the site with the pics but can't access them, only just registered with that forum so I'll take a look at them when my details are processed.

Hi Alan, thanks!! (always nice to get another smiths praise!) I must have a go at further refining the meteorite, I've tended to take it to welding heat and consolidate it into a bar, draw it down and layer it with terrestrial wrought. Does weld nicely though, I prefer it to welding pure nickel even though it's not as bright. Sounds like you've used Canyon Diablo from Arizona, that one does tend to have a lot of silicate inclusions in it but it really impresses when you can show people a photo of that hole it left in the desert!! Campo Del Cielo seems to take a bit of beating before it disintegrates- Much cheaper too.

Thanks David and Raden!!

A. G. Maisey · 25th September 2007, 12:26 AM

Yeah, it was Canyon Diablo, and it cost me a fortune. Back then there was no internet or ebay to buy from, so you hunted the stuff from mineral dealers who charged and arm and a leg for a handfull of tiny little bits. I didn't ever start with one lump of the stuff, it was always a handful of little bits , the biggest maybe half inch square, that I brought together in the forge until sticky, then gently tapped together.Finished product was OK though.

Never ever found welding nickel difficult, even in coke. Second bit of damascus I ever made included nickel.

With meteorite and also with any old iron, I always like to wash the material until I get no sparks off it.With the meteoritic stuff this was around 7 or 8 welds, with hot short old wheel rims its probably about the same, but with good quality wrought iron from carriage strapping, or similar , three or four welds might be sufficient.

PenangsangII · 25th September 2007, 03:13 AM

Dear Lemmy,

The the forging process, did you also imbue the keris with the spiritual contents?

24th September 2007, 10:59 PM	#1
lemmythesmith Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 93	Hi Michel, Hope your patrem forging is going well!! I'll have to weigh the blade and let you know-got to do it for my own records, but it's not very heavy. I don't tend to do too much stock removal as my forging background is more orientated to the Japanese sword which are wholly forged so I set out to make keris the same way (fool)...MUCH harder than forging a wakizashi!! Hi Richard, I'm afraid I'm not the smith you've heard about with the Windsor iron! I got the piece I have from a guy I knew who went to Ironbridge looking for some iron to make tsuba. He was directed to a pile of twisted, blackened and corroded girders which he managed to beg a piece of-half of which he ended up swapping with me for some damascus.... Tried the site with the pics but can't access them, only just registered with that forum so I'll take a look at them when my details are processed. Hi Alan, thanks!! (always nice to get another smiths praise!) I must have a go at further refining the meteorite, I've tended to take it to welding heat and consolidate it into a bar, draw it down and layer it with terrestrial wrought. Does weld nicely though, I prefer it to welding pure nickel even though it's not as bright. Sounds like you've used Canyon Diablo from Arizona, that one does tend to have a lot of silicate inclusions in it but it really impresses when you can show people a photo of that hole it left in the desert!! Campo Del Cielo seems to take a bit of beating before it disintegrates- Much cheaper too. Thanks David and Raden!!

25th September 2007, 12:26 AM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,762	Yeah, it was Canyon Diablo, and it cost me a fortune. Back then there was no internet or ebay to buy from, so you hunted the stuff from mineral dealers who charged and arm and a leg for a handfull of tiny little bits. I didn't ever start with one lump of the stuff, it was always a handful of little bits , the biggest maybe half inch square, that I brought together in the forge until sticky, then gently tapped together.Finished product was OK though. Never ever found welding nickel difficult, even in coke. Second bit of damascus I ever made included nickel. With meteorite and also with any old iron, I always like to wash the material until I get no sparks off it.With the meteoritic stuff this was around 7 or 8 welds, with hot short old wheel rims its probably about the same, but with good quality wrought iron from carriage strapping, or similar , three or four welds might be sufficient.

25th September 2007, 03:13 AM	#3
PenangsangII Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 401	Dear Lemmy, The the forging process, did you also imbue the keris with the spiritual contents?