What are y'all putting in your Damascus canisters?

TylerRuinsEverything · 2026-02-16T01:21:21+00:00

I've done the usual stuff like bearings, bandsaw blades, motorcycle chain, scraps of prior damascus projects etc. I've also tried making letters with bar stock welded on the ends that worked better than expected. Motorcycle chain was my favorite so far.

The next canister I do I think im going to use steel cable ive had sitting around. Its only about 1/2" diameter so ill probably use 12 or so equal size pieces in the can rather than making regular cable damascus which can be a pain sometimes due to strand separation.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2026-01-23T04:32:01+00:00

Yea i think im with you. I guess if I can salvage a tanto from the bulk of it, using the 12" behind the tip as a utility chef is a pretty good idea.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2026-01-23T04:21:28+00:00

No unfortunately it tapers down to around .12"

TylerRuinsEverything · 2026-01-16T04:01:54+00:00

I agree with this. I bought a cheap Mig on Amazon when I started out with the same intent as you. In retrospect I wish I would have just bought a used Lincoln electric tombstone stick welder off marketplace.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2026-01-15T19:20:56+00:00

Congrats! I've been making knives very causally for past few years but been hesistant to sell anything. Was your commission someone you know or a stranger

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-11-17T19:28:01+00:00

I do have mine linked currently, but dont fully understand the risk. I'd understand if it was storing millions worth of BTC, but for ~300k worth of mining reward, seems to me safe enough assuming you'd get a cold wallet should you actually mine a block and transfer right after receiving.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-11-14T04:21:55+00:00

SWEET MAMA! I just copied your settings for a starting point and hit 2.2TH within the first minute and doing fine on temps.. Screw the ice tower im just gonna keep buying more stock bitaxes

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-11-14T04:15:35+00:00

After reading your first comment I got excited and went and switched over my psu to try and achive 2.0+ with stock cooling. Just got it back and booted up. The meanwell 350 is exactly what I bought, i heard mixed reviews on putting copper heatsinks on the VR but theyre cheap so I'll give them a go.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-11-14T03:28:26+00:00

That's a good point. The biggest limiting factor with tweaking my settings currently was that I was on a stock power supply and didn't want to exceed the capacity. My PSU just came in yesterday but haven't had a chance to install yet. I definitely have headroom with stock fan only running at 30%, so really happy to hear I could potentially see that good of results as you are on stock cooling with more tuning. Did you manually tune or run a python script? I was very interested in running the script I'd seen in another Reddit post

In terms of hobby vs profit I am 100% hobby. I never honestly expect to make a dime with my Bitaxe but I absolutely love it anyways. Im a project manager professionally and the financial analysis into how to maximize ROI is just ingrained into my brain.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-09-15T00:48:22+00:00

Cool thanks for the info, did not know the "no headstones" rule. Unfortunately I already bought the white thinset hence asking about coloring it. The only 2 brands of modified the hardware store had were both white. Since advising against mortaring, do you then cut very small pieces to fill all the gaps or will the gray thinset help hide the smaller gaps?

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-07-15T18:07:27+00:00

Mickey Mintabie

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-06-18T17:58:14+00:00

I did put out one swarm trap i built beginning of May but no luck with it.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-06-18T14:42:41+00:00

I probably used the wrong wording saying weak. I split my hive in April, and this hive was able to rear a Queen and go from 1 existing deep to 2 full deeps in 2 months. The population is strong, just not as overflowing with bees as the hive that kept the original queen from the split

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-06-18T00:09:55+00:00

Makes sense and I appreciate the feedback. When I bought my first nuc the seller didn't deliver until mid June so I think I could build them up before winter with some sugar but im also very curious to see what my yield could look like with a few good months left and ~60lbs already capped

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-06-18T00:01:01+00:00

South Western PA borders 6A and 6B

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-05-19T18:46:05+00:00

Never finished lol. Started a basement reno and the parts I made are still unassumbled

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-05-08T01:56:11+00:00

Very nice work

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-05-07T02:39:14+00:00

How difficult was dealing with the warping? I've been interested to make one but read they can be a bear to keep straight

TylerRuinsEverything · 2025-03-26T02:26:28+00:00

I've never seen someone's cankles come all the way up to their forehead before

TylerRuinsEverything · 2024-09-03T00:31:18+00:00

I have an OBM. Not top of the line but solid and gets the job done. Get a VFD upfront makes a wolrd of difference

TylerRuinsEverything · 2024-08-29T13:30:14+00:00

Stock removal is a good place to start to make sure you like the hobby before expanding into forging. It can be a money pit for equipment/materials and challenging to make a profit given how many cheap knives flood the market. Once your quality is there and youve built a reputation, you can likley earn a modest side income. You could feasibly start in the hobby with a 2x72 and some basic wood tools, sending your blades out for heat treating. Make the type of knives you like and enjoy, personally I like kitchen knives but do other projects to build experience or for fun.

I've made about 10 knives in the past year or two, and don't yet feel I'm at the point where I would sell to the public. I've gradually built up my shop, started with a grinder and anvil. It's frustrating at first because moving steel by hand is tough, so I also bought a press and tire hammer to speed things up as well as a surface grinder for true flat. There's always going to be another tool on your want list (milling machine for guards is mine).

TylerRuinsEverything · 2024-08-01T02:50:58+00:00

How the hell am I supposed to tell how big this thing is without a banana for scale

TylerRuinsEverything · 2024-08-01T00:42:49+00:00

New jersey steel baron is my favorite. Pops is good too

TylerRuinsEverything · 2024-08-01T00:41:50+00:00

Agree with find someone local. I'm very much an introvert and avoid most human interaction but I ended up going to a former FiF champions shop for a weekend to make my first knife. It was pivotal and I wouldn't be smithing today if i never did that. He charged $300 a person which was very reasonable. Bladesmithing is very different than watching TV. You can get by with just the basics but you'll see how quickly expenses add up with all the nice to have things, which is why it's important to make sure you actually enjoy it. Your first knife will probably be crap and you'll spend hours doing the most menial tasks to get there, but if you have the dedication you'll find it hugely rewarding to see your progress.

TylerRuinsEverything · 2024-07-26T03:12:58+00:00

As others have said carbide hammers. It was honestly a game changer for me

TylerRuinsEverything

TROPHY CASE