LDW

We had our March meeting today and all went well. Ricardo demonstrated how to make a knife sheath, and the different tools needed. After explaining the process all the way through he then offered to make a sheath while everyone watched. I was glad to offer a knife that needed a sheath. We had several new faces and they all seemed encouraged. The new roof on the blacksmith shop looks great. I am assuming we will need more than one day to get the stacks back up and the shop ready for the conference. We are going back up with some side draft hoods. Hope everyone is doing fine and will be looking forward to our next meeting/workday.

This is a website that may have some ideas, I have gotten finials from them before. Tennessee Fabricating

Thanks Glen and Jim, This is a real treat. I would like everyone to know that for the last 8 or 9 years I have looked forward to our monthly meetings with the MFC and will continue to, but the IFORGEIRON site has been a great buffer between those times. It is full of knowledge and once you start navigating around you can't help but pick up on it.

Your friend will be proud.

In-line Clay Spencer style, Built at a MS Forge Council function, it has plenty of "wallup".

That was a good observation Farmer Phil, indeed I do draw out the handle prior to hammering the lines prior to twisting. The transition from the handle to the blade was fullered on a treadle hammer. I have some one inch round stock as a top and bottom die to fuller with. I also use this to help draw the handle out, makes it easy not to destort the head of the spike. After twisting just knock the edges of the twist off on a belt sander. The blde was shaped on a 2 x 72" belt sander. Then hand sanded to 1000 grit sandpaper. Apply mothers car wax to help keep from rusting.

We all live and learn, I really appreciate the help. This one was made with that accordian fold I really like that pattern. Time to start over.

Thanks fella's, I will never make that mistake again. I think I had about 6 hours in that blade. Here is a little better picture of it.

I had sharpened this knife prior to etching because I did not want the whole edge a different color. I know not to sharpen prior to hardening. I guess not tempering caused this crack. Do ya'll normalize after grinding? I never have.

I do not worry about tempering railroad spikes but I do normalize two or three times after forging. I had a cable knife crack yesterday and I think it may be because I did not temper it. It cracked when I etched it.

I made this knife from a piece of 1 1/4" cable. Normalized it three times after forging to shape. Did not normalize after grinding but have been told this was necessary. Sanded to a 1000 grit finish, did the file work, hardened in oil that I pre-heated till it was hot to the touch. Brought it back to a 1000 grit finish then grinded the cutting edge into the blade without overheating it. I did not edge quench it I just submerged the blade only, straight down in the oil. There was not a crack till after I etched it in 140 degree F muriatic. While I was hand sanding with 1000 grit to highlight the etching I saw the crack. I am assuming this would not have happened if I would have tempered immediately after hardening. But, I am not sure. any suggestions would be appreciated. The crack is in the curve about an inch from the end

This one was hardened in salt water with a little dawn dishwashing liquid to break down the surface tension of the water. I think you can see where it is hard.

Just figured out how to link to photo

Do you have the plate that bolts in front of the area where the spacer would go? Looks like the spacer would go under the adjusting screw and the plate holds it in. The better the fit the less slack you will have. That spacer should not be as hard as the adjusting screw I would imagine.

I get it locally. If you can find someone that sells it they usually have the ends of rolls. You can pick it up a lot cheaper that way. They know the high strength stuff. I harden it in oil then temper at 370 degrees F. I hardened one in water one time and it cracked in 2 places half way up the blade.

On this web page there is an article I wrote a while back on forge welding cable. MEMBERS I am not using ferric chloride anymore just using straight muriatic heated to 140f degrees.(with plenty of ventilation)

See if the duty cycle meets your needs. If it has a 40 percent duty cycle then you can only weld for four minutes then let it rest for seven. Fine for small jobs but wouldnt last on bigger ones. If you forget then burn a bunch of rods and you start smelling the varnish burning off the windings its time to sell it and get one with a longer duty cycle. I'm sure this has happened a lot of times.