JimCrawford

Does anyone know, offhand, what steel these are typically made from? -Jim

I have the delta already, but the aluminum disc backer seems to be fused to the shaft. I can't get it off in order to replace the belt that broke, so I'm thinking that replacement might be in order. Life is grand sometimes. -J

Anyone have any suggestions for which gauges of copper sheet work well for someone that's teaching himself repousse? I'm having a ball with copper flashing, but would like to try for something thicker. -Jim

Anyone have any suggestions for a bench mounted belt sander for a small workshop in my basement. Grizzly looks good, as do Kalamazoo, but I've no idea which is a better bargain for quality. -Jim

That's what I'm calling this one. Why? You can't see it in this photo, but the blade has silver on the surface behind the cutting edge. Other than that, it is a small everyday carry chisel-ground, kiridashi sort of thing. It's small, only 4.375 oal. It cuts like a xxxx. O-1 tool steel, differentially hardened. If I can get a hold of some ferric chloride, I'll probably etch the hamon. Sorry for the photo quality. -Jim

I'm not sure if this is the place to discuss this, but here we go! I've been fiddling with coin mokume, and I only get partial welding between layers. There's also an issue where layers that appear to be welded, de-laminate while the billet is being hammered. Does anyone have any helpful hints about this, or more reliable ways to do mokume in a home workshop? -Jim

This is my most finished knife to date, and I'm mighty happy with it. 7 and three eighths inches OAL, 3 and three quarter inch blade. O-1 tool steel, with (I'm guessing) an RC of around 62 at the edge. There are a couple of other things in the works as well.

What would be a decent way to create a hardie tool that functions like a silversmith's mushroom stake? Forge weld mild steel to a tool steel head, shape it, and then quench? Or just forge the whole thing from solid tool steel? I'm trying to design a tool to help forge fuchi and kashira for any Japanese style blades I may end up making. Any ideas from more experienced people would be really helpful! -Jim

Actually, I'm a member of BGOP. I've yet to run into any of the knifemakers, but with my schedule, that's no surprise. Thanks for the pointers!

Ok. I'm ready, but the Teacher has yet to appear. I think that it is time to find one instead. Does anyone know of any knifemakers in Virginia? Preferably closer to Washington? -Jim

There are people that need to see this more than me, trust me. I'm a newbie. The gang at the Blacksmiths Guild of the Potomac are the folks. I'll have to pass along the info.

Oh dear. That's about 20 minutes away from my house. -J

Are these steels forgeable, or would one be better served by grinding? -J

Is it possible to ADD carbon to a lower carbon steel without re-smelting it? I know that there are legends floating around about this, but am wondering if there's any fact to the fiction. -Jim

Does anyone have any suggestions here? A side question: can one use abrasive cut off wheels with a hand held drill? Thanks, Jim