DocBlacklight

Thank you all for your prayers. Its been rocky and aggravating but I finally made it back to the forge. Still trying to figure out how to do things properly, but its good to be back at it. You are all great and I appreciate the prayers more than any of you could ever know. Almost a year so far, and Im down to a limp, and some ongoing nerve damage in my eye. Its good to be back among friends. Thank you all, and bless you. -Tzelik Randell Jerry Gilmore (Now you know why I go by Doc)

Hey guys, I wanted to share my latest knife with you. Despite the stroke im still working, haha. This one is all file/handtools. No power tools at all, even for the polish! -Doc

Hey guys, thanks for the warm welcome here at IFI. Unfortunately Ill be out for a while following a recent stroke. Hope to chat with you all soon! -Doc

Thanks Phil.

Thank you Steve, I have actually made it over to those sticky's. A very nice read and quite informative on the topic, unfortunately I was asking more in the hope that someone might know a commercial facility that can heat treat blades for me until I can get my shop completed (or at least functional). Thomas, I am very familiar with Socorro, I actually went to college there and worked at the Walmart for a while. The SCA chapter on campus was one of my first forays into reenactments and helped shape my armoring skills considerably! I intend to join the SWABA as soon as I can, and I may even manage to get to that meeting on the 14th if I have completed the entry requirements. As to steel, I am lucky enough to be situated less than a mile from Huey Manufacturing Company, a rather large distributor of raw steel of various grades. Knowing the proper grades will go a long way towards helping me choose the right product, and I even get a discount for being a local. haha. -Doc

Thank you Mr. Powers. I had thought my profile filled out, but apparently neglected to save the changes. Sorry if my questions seem redundant, but I have barely managed to scrape the surface of this lovely website and needed a more timely response. My ignorance of steel grades and the chemistry of metallurgy (I was shown temper by color and it was never explained further) prompts my question about the stainless grade, and with that dismissed I would ask what grade steel you would use if you were to begin crafting a longsword of the specified dimensions. thanks -Doc

As a fairly new member to the site and in the interest of not just lurking, I thought I would direct a couple questions at you fine fellows (and lasses if there are any). 1) I am currently involved in the process of making a sword via stock removal (yay files!). It is 5160 steel and I do not currently have the ability to heat treat or temper this sword because my forge is out of commission! Any suggestions on heat treating vendors that handle oil quenching? 2) Having read several other posts this morning and still finding myself lost, what grade stainless would you folks recommend for a sword (longsword style) around 36" (30" blade). I need it to be light but still hold a good edge. 3) I was looking around on the internet for heat treating services and came across an interesting term I had not read about. I am accustomed to the usual methods of quenching or air cooling so this was fairly suprising. To get straight to it, Cryogenic Quenching. After reading about this method (found here at the bottom of the page) I was wondering if it was superior to normal quenching or hardening methods traditionally used. As a three time college failure, the chemical conversion makes little sense to me and I was hoping someone might be interested enough to explain its effect on a finished project for me. 4) Is there a portion of the Forum dedicated to sketches or plans for projects seeking review? 5) I have made a number of stock removal method knives from Chainsaw bars, but I must admit to being lost as to the type/grade of steel they are made of. Anyone know off the top of their head? 6) Any advice or tips on balancing? Last one! I promise. I try to balance my blades about 1" from the hilt, blade-heavy. Not pocket knives and such of course but longer work. I prefer the blade heavy balance personally and none of my customers have complained but I love to hear from others about their preferences! Knowledge is meant to be shared. Thanks -Doc Edited: Clarity

1) Randell or "Doc Blacklight" 2) New Mexico 3) Primarily cold forged armor for reenactments or decorations. I also do stock removal knife work and have recently started forging the steel for my blades from scratch. I also craft leather accessories (like sheathes) and sometimes even jewelry on special request. 4) I was 6 and beat some copper tubing into a sword and was promptly banned from the activity. 20 years later, the ban is ... still as ineffective as ever 5) A pinon pine stump. 6) First time I used heat to shape steel it was a blowtorch, first real forge was firebricks and 2x4s... till it caught fire. 7) An old man everyone called Grizz had a forge just outside of the town i grew up in. He showed me how to do something other than beat metal on metal. 8) My forced removal from the rest of the working world via personal injury. 9) A railroad spike in a vice. 10) Earplugs. Wear your xxxxxxx earplugs. Also, put that ball peen down and watch until you know how the metal works. 11) Don't stop, the world needs to remember what real art is. Pour a little of yourself into every single item you make, and know that when it leaves your hands its the best you could humanly make it. 12) Rabbit lined half plate corset. Hardest and most fun project I've ever made. To get it out of the way, I'm not a doctor. Doc Blacklight is a friendly nickname from the days when I worked on motorcycles and used a blacklight in my final inspections before we let em out of the shop. Anyone associated with bikers can tell you they all have nicknames and if you hang around em long enough, so will you. I believe that blacksmithing is an art, and that the people who do it are artisans. I believe that nothing manufactured in the modern world can come close to the satisfaction of knowing that the blade on your belt or the one you just handed a customer will always be there to do its job. In a world of cheap imitations and garbage metals, people who know how to make sturdy and reliable - and even aesthetically pleasing items, should. I wish that the knowledge that has been lost because of our lazy reliance on automation could have been avoided, and I think the only way to prevent further loss is by learning as much as humanly possible, and dispersing that knowledge to as many people as are willing to learn. Though I have been tinkering with armor and knives for the majority of my life, I am not in the possession of photographs from most of my creations due to... pyro girlfriend issues. Nonetheless, my more recent disasters are usually posted.