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

Here you go, Victor. -Jim

I'm not surprised to read that the forge floor would need relining. Luckily, I've got supplies for just such an occasion! Thanks for the help, J

I had two blade blanks in the gas forge at the shop yesterday, and I slid a piece of brass flat stock in so that I could anneal it. I turned around to place a hot cut hardy in the anvil, and when I pulled the brass out, a substantial part of it had melted off onto the blanks and the floor of the gas forge. The brass appears to have fused to the blade blank surfaces (W-1 + heat scale + propane + brass), turned red, and doesn't seem to want to go anywhere without grinding and filing. Can someone tell me what I've done here and whether or not I've got two letter openers, or two blades that might feature "unique decoration" once I grind the brass off the blade surfaces? Thanks, Jim

Does anyone have a tip or two about getting out micro scratches without resorting to a buffer? -Jim

Now, if I can just manage to make one that's LARGER. -Jim

Does anyone know what steels are used in BMW Mini clutches? A friend of mine who regularly burns out his clutches gave me two of his old ones. There's quite a bit of metal there, but I've no idea what it is. -Jim

Does anyone know what they use? I reforged one of two blades I bought on ebay, and the stuff hammered like soft cheese. Either my heat was just right, or the steel is very forgiving. It seems to oil harden. Not super hard. I may have to beat the other one into new shapes. -Jim

H, I think the amount of stress in a new knifemaker/blacksmith can be pretty significant, too. I'm beginning to think that God is telling me to be patient. -J

A good question. I'm inclined to think that the forging errors are mine. One set of the cracks, a little spider web, corresponds to an area that wasn't completely heated when I quenched the steel. The other crack is a mystery. Thanks for the thoughts!

Ok. Do stress fractures come in groups, or can you just have one? I've got a blade with some cracks that appear localized, and I was considering drilling them out in a decorative manner. Should the crack be considered a harbinger of a larger flaw in the steel, and the blade pounded out to scrap or practice metal? Thanks!