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I Forge Iron

nerdsmith

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Everything posted by nerdsmith

  1. Nice blade ^^. The handle is very nicely done. My fav part.
  2. Havent been at the forge lately, the location of it + begining of summer = miserable place to forge. It was fine in the winter when the direct sun would warm me up but now I need to get away from it as it is too dam hot, plus the lighting is messing up heats. Last thing i forged was a few bodkin type arrow heads. In the process of moving my anvil/forge to a more cooler and darker place, and itll prob be one of the first things ill be forging after its set up. My neighbor does have a plethora of welding apparatuses maybe i can get him to fill the gaps and save some fuel/time, just have to pick up some rods if i do that route.
  3. Thnx yah that is my fav part too. It turned out to be a mistake, I was testing these metal cutters on that piece of Alumn and i didnt realize it was too close the holes i drilled out, So i just replicated the pattern and bam. My fav feature on the knife. Scabbard coming soon.
  4. I just ordered some 5160 from Jantz knifemaking: http://www.knifemaki...asp?Search=5160. From the other retailers this one was the fairly priced and only $10 shipping on orders under $100. Also they have been very quick to process my order. I was going to go with NJ steel baron like above but jantz had some other knifemaking things i ordered as well. 2 Cents...-Tim M.
  5. This is my first seax, after researching a little bit of these knives i wanted to make one so here it is. Its made from reclaimed RR track which i according to machinist handbook is around 1060. Its the same stuff my previous knives have been made out and they have performed really well. Handle is made from Juniper/Cedar, alum band, and some white ash to finish it off. Making a matching scabbard soon. The blade was polished to 1000 grit. My first attempt at polishing anything to this level it was a rewarding experience. I havent fully sharpened the blade yet, I am waiting for a whetstone i ordered. I will definitely be making more of these. Here is some really large photos(will edit smaller later).. Enjoy -Tim M.
  6. Rebar is only their because its just abundant. Its just their for experimentation. I guess i havent used it enough to know the crap quality that its infamous for. I did just get my order of 5160 bars so dont fret their is good metal here for when its appropriate. Yes woodworking by far is very expensive, but making the tools for wood is the huge chunk of the price. Just made an ash flat-bow carved with a draw knife i forged, the price of the draw knife's alone are shocking. But i found a place with fair prices for White Ash at least...(off-topic).
  7. Thnx for the reply guys, I forgot to mention the spring type fuller ive been studying on anvilfire how-to's, the problem is the lack of rod for the spring fuller. I can beat out a 1" thick rebar down but id rather just avoid that all together, But i just recently got a hold of some coil springs so it looks like it all came out in the wash. Cheers.
  8. Yah I'm thinking about just reforging the guard.. I do have a drill press. the problem was my impatient filing and also i did not compensate for the amount of filing and sanding of the blade. It was very thick at one point i dont know what i was thinking while forging but the result being a huge gap in the guard. not knowing how to fill it with blaze rod, seems like welding involved. So just going to forge a new guard same style maybe bit thinner to cut the weight down, and reforge the pommel to fit the end of the tang better. Thnx for the interest and advice.. CHeers. -Tim M.
  9. Very nice stout looking blade! Hopefully one day ill be able to match the craftsmanship, well done. -Tim M.
  10. Hello craftsman, I have a few fullering tool ideas that i would appreciate some feedback. First of all the main goal of this project is to make a fullering tool for the anvil without the use of welding. My ideal setup would be a guillotine design with different bits, but i lack the material or welding capabilities for such a tool. So i Have numerous amounts of 1" rebar, and a few pieces of scrap that i will include a picture of. I have drawn up a few designs of how i think will be the best solution for my situation, and need. The drawings pretty much says what I need to accomplish. This design is based off of a piece of scrap in the last image. Scrap... Potential tool ideas?
  11. Thnx for the reply guys, yes that cross guard looks worse in the photos, was thinking about maybe forging a replica tang and then try to reforge that guard to close the gap.
  12. Here it is up for judgement/admiration whatever you want. Just had to share this enlightening experience with everyone especially new smiths looking to do this type of stuff. I first of all only have about 5 months of experience, so please excuse the craftsmanship and the willingness to go ahead and do what all of the forums say not to do. But I like to think i am a responsible person but I couldnt resist making one of these. It started with a piece of T25 "S" of rebar, its the 1" stuff. I was flattening it with intention to make some stock for whatever reasons, but when it started to get flatter it started looking like a sword. To excited to stop I just kept going with it and its been a blast. Learned a lot from doing this project, especially about file work and how important good quality sandpaper(also Draw filing with sand paper+1). It is made out of T25 "S" rebar which would mean its just a little better than a xxxx, but it have a lot of these suckers i just decided to go with it because it would be good exercise in hammering, guard/pomel creation, and finishing. So tempted to try to heat treat this but I have put in way too many hours filing and sanding to stick it in the flame, and since this is just a wallhanger and not for use it was a mute point anyway. I did a hardening test on the material and it snaped so it has some carbon in it but whatever ill just order stock when i feel im ready. Anyway enough of the essay that is my post. I chose to make a langes messer or "Long Knife" because it has IMO the simple design that doesnt require fullering, that and I am really into European martial arts, especially the manuscript of Talhoffer. It is just a long knife with a sword like guard essentially. I also like how there is no specific design in the blade but have a few guidelines according my research. Its still a work in progress i have everything mocked up just waiting on sandpaper i ordered so i can finish the blade before i work on the rest. Well enough of the talk, here it is. Total Lenghth = 34" Blade length = 24" Cross Guard = 8" Dont you hate it when things like this happen..... Shitty guard work... I will be forging it to the blade next time..... Checking the balance.... Been balancing this thing since its creation. Just practicing for the future. Ps. The scales for the handle are not finished it very very rough. Made out of cedar/juniper smells goooood. -Tim M.
  13. The one on the right is 13.5" and the other is 12", The one on the left has been a great tool for me since. They are addicting, I made these two at the same time. And after having 3 hawks to throw, I wanted more to throw, but ive been looking for the "HC" spikes so that the edges can have a better lifespan. -Tim M.
  14. Few more RR spike hawklings to add to the list. Handles are fashioned out of ash, and they are really deadly on target at close range when thrown. Enjoy
  15. nerdsmith

    Tongs

    Great looking tongs, you just made me realize how much i really need a new set of tongs since my first set i made and first thing i have smithed are starting to hold me back. I really like the curly end ones, next time i think ill try to make something like that but for thinner/narrower stock. Cheers -TIm M.
  16. Very beautiful work, i like the simplistic cotton twine handle.
  17. Made this in order to replace my flimsy imported one i purchased from my local korean market. Blade is junkyard pavement breaker bit and very rough finish, still honing the cutting edges, and the handle is laminated redwood with alum dowels. The redwood is all i had around and its light and rugged enough to be swung at evil overbrush. Enjoy. -Tim M.
  18. It's the best type of steel i have worked with so far in my little experience. After softing it up it does take a few good hits to get it going but after a while it is really nice to work with because you can work it at forgiving range of heat. The first blade was a really hard to work with because the steel would crack whenever it was below orange. Even more difficult to figure out how to heat treat without cracking. But the RR steel was very easy to forge after it took a few beating and i just did a quench in oil, My first knife is holding up really well esp after carving all handle and wood work ive been doing since its creation. If i had propper sharpening tools i believe it would hold it's edge very well. I only had to resharpen my first once for the month and a half of carving wood.
  19. Thnx for the feedback. I have considered that with this hawk but the eye is too narrow and my handle would be just as narrow. I think i will implement that into my next RR hawk. Also what about the thickness of the eye? would it help stability if it was was wider? im talking about the lenth of the eye, the part that steel and wood meet.
  20. Thank you sir. Machinist handbook says its around 1060. but i cannot confirm because there's different types of track.
  21. Dont scorn me to much hehe, this is a total experiment of trying to figure out how to make an axe without any piror knowledge into proper axe making technique, much like my budding smithing skills. Its a RR spike, with a piece of douglas fir that i am using temporarily until i get a piece of something better. After a very careful and timid test the head was imediately loose so i tried to drive a nail in there but i went over board and hit it to hard and slightly split this crappy wood. So it now has a wedge of metal in it with some hemp rope reinforcing to make it look primal. But i do enjoy making axes so i think ill do some research next time. Enjoy. Before and after pics of failure. sorry bit blurry.
  22. Just finished up my third knife. Made from junkyard pavement breaker bit and a piece of birch. Currently designing a matching birch scabbard. The second knife i finished is a mini chef chopper that works great, made from a piece of RR track. enjoy.
  23. I was in the same boat, but keep youtubing and googling to get some of the basics down.. But I can share is what not to do. Anvil - If your going to use the track i would suggest getting a bigger piece than 12". It is what i am using now, i wish i would of had a bigger piece than 10" so I could of set it up vertically so that the striking surface may be small but it has a lot more mass underneath it. It is good for the shaping the blades, but when you start getting bigger and thicker pieces of material this is where it doesnt do so so well. I got mine for 10 bux at a local scrap yard pre-cut. Instead i would highly recommend contacting your local scrap yard or maybe even forklift repair shop and getting a Forklift tine. My local place offered $50 for one of the bigger forklift tines.. not the common ones you would see in like Cosco for example. That was for the tine and for them to cut it for me. I wish i would of went this route when i first started. Forge - Brake drum - Good if you can find a breakdrum for free, but the only thing I do not like is how deep the well is and the diameter of the drums.. Good for smaller knives and tools and what not, but you will need to pile that thing up with fuel in order to heat longer bars and material. I ended up cutting a section out in order for longer things to be heated, for example making TONGS! So what i use now is a break disc, that sits on top of my old break drum. I used a salvaged catering tub thingy and cut it so that my fuel has a place to rest. Most people say to use 2" piping for the air delivery system, but 2" piping is expensive compared to 1 1/4" so i went with that instead. Here is what im using currently: Tongs - If you can, try to look for some used tongs somewhere because this was the biggest hassle/headache/obstacle in my experince. I bought 5 dollar long locking pliers from harborfrieght. Dont get those. .they are terrible. Instead i would suggest for now the biggest set of channel locks you can get/afford. And before making any blade i would suggest making a couple of tongs first, esp ones that can hold Rounded items, and another that is used to hold wider flat material like blades. I do not know the proper names for these. Im still trying to make better tongs, because that is my biggest struggle with smithing. Some other essentials that I found to be important in the begining stages are: Files - For shaping Hot cutting Chisel - for cutting your material. Vise - Hold material, Knives for finishing, handles, etc. I hope this helped, not a complete guide but this will help get off to a good start, and my reasoning is to make the forging process as effecient as possible so that the work put in is not harder than needs to be with the lowest budget possible. One last thing. Dont put your workshop outdoor with no roof.. Been raining for 3 days and I need to pound!
  24. No I haven't tried to do a distal taper yet. I do all the shaping and descaling with hand tools so it is hard to get details like that. Only way i can think of doing it is by forging but I lack the skill atm. Still learning about forging from the ground up with no mentor, and with limited resources, other than the most richest resource (Internet). Haven't been doing much lately, as from forging 12 hours a day left my hands in a tender state hehe, but next project I will take that into consideration thnx!
  25. Thnx for the feedback, The scaling was left on by choice, only for aesthetics.. but I do realize now that It is not the best for a blade. I think I might have properly harden this blade because the file was skating off like glass, But i think i messed up the tempering at one point. Anyway yes i do have a few things in the works. The next is little chef chopper made from the other piece of the track. As well as a full tang blade I am working on made out of a Jackhammer bit. Any tips or insight on hardening the jackhammer bit will be greatly appreciated.
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