lukebailey

This may be stating the obvious, but... you tried getting it hot first?

Lol I should have mentioned I dont plan to use the forge. The purpose of getting spring steel was to already have good temper, and not have to re-create it.

Ive hit it with a hammer. Ive tried bending it. Now this is the current strategy:

I am starting to think the junkyard gave the leaf springs from an armoured personell carrier. I would like to turn it into a sword, the steel is amazing. However, I simply cant find a way to bend it. And something tells me that a few hundred pounds of prolonged force on something used to holding up a car isnt going to do the trick. Has anyone else ever straightnened out one of these before? It has proven more resilient than anything ive seen.

Heck, it looked like he couldn't even afford a hammer handle!

Its amzing he didnt burn himself!

YOu see it about 7 minutes into this video. It is a method of differential hardening. The Samurai used it for their sword blades. Anyone done this? Has it been used for purposes other than swords?

YouTube - The traditional Making of a Samurai Sword (Katana)

One inch thick leaf spring, WOW. I wonder what a spring like that came from. As Rich says, try to find some thinner spring material. You should be able to find something that is more like 3/16" thick without much trouble.

Lol well my current plan is to hammer the heck out of it while it is red-orange until it gets thinner.

The problem for me is that I do not live in an area where a forge blower is easily accesable. If anyone could get me a link to some places to buy online, or even a place to get a bellows, that would be cool. But otherwise I think im stuck with a hair dryer.

Thanks yall I appreciate the advice. I will stick to my guns here.

I am in the process of learning the art of the blacksmith. My main interest is in blades. I would like to make knives, and then, after ALOT of experience, a sword. I went to the junkyard and got some leaf spring.
My forge has handled everything well, thin carbon steel knife blades getting to forge temps very quickly (If i get it heated up right. That is quite the project itself ) However, these leaf springs are THICK, almost an inch. I find the task of getting them very hot rather difficult. I have only been able to get them in the red-orange area.

Is my failure to get them any hotter a result of the harder steel or the thickness?

I run a basic forged powered by a blow-dryer and the fuel used is cowboy charcoal. I would love any suggestions or sage advice.

About a month ago, I decided to sell my xbox360. I set up a deal with a classmate. I would sell the whole system for 205 dollars. (About half the value)
On the night before the sell, I give the console a quick check to see if there was anything wrong with it. I had never had any problems before: It had run like a charm.
So I meet this guy in the morning. He asks before he takes it: Whats the warranty on this thing? I say: There is still 6 months left on the microsoft warranty. You can send it in for a free repair if you have any problems. The transaction is completed. He has my number in case anything comes up immediately.
First Week: Reports no problems, except for a button on the controller that sticks once in a while. In his own words: "Not a big deal I don't use that button anyway." We have a class together and that is when he mentioned it.
Second Week: No problems
Third Week: In class, he states: Your xbox is really loud and once when I moved it it scratched up the disc inside. I say that it is strange, but he does not pursue the conversation. Note that he has owned an exbox360 before, and understands what is normal and what is not.
So yesterday, 3 and a half weeks after his purchase, he calls me while I am at the computer. He says: "Luke, your xbox keeps ruining my cds and making a noise, and I just learned (note that he has had an xbox before) that thats not normal. I tell him to send it in for a repair. He hangs up.
Two Seconds Later: Calls me again. "No luke, im not gunna get something repaired that I payed money for. My dad thinks you scammed me and I want my money back. I say no way, I had told him the warranty was through microsoft, not me, and that it was working perfectly when I sold it to him.
Today, I get a text message: "Luke its not right for you to sell me a defective product. It was broken since day one. My parents are getting involved."


I am very stubborn. I do not intend to budge on this. Does anyone think that I am being too harsh? I have already spent most of the money, and would go into debt If i repaid him. If he had called me with problems the first couple of days, perhaps, but three weeks is to long, especially if he is saying it did not work since day one.

K back to the drawing board...

55 LB ANVIL FOR SHOP BLACKSMITH FORGE METAL WORKING NEW - (eBay item 200172220318 end time Nov-16-07 09:46:59 PST)




Ive been looking for anvils on Ebay and they either seem to go for 20.00 (Im sure not something that is worthwile) or in the 160 or over range. Would this one, a 55 pounder, work for knife-making, etc?

Speech is prolly the best way to go. You could also explain that its perfectly legal.

Im lukebailey, been reading Charles McRaven's "THe Blacksmith's craft" and decided to get started. Well, hello everyone!

Lol sorry i meant the working with your hands sort of thing, not neccesarily historic authenticity:D

I originally rested my forge on a piece of wood. I learned somthing that day when i lite a fire that not to every rest my forge on wood it. Once i set the fire it lite the peice of wood on fire......!!!!!:rolleyes:

uh-oh thats what ive been doing

Nope sorry bud I live in Florida. THere do seem to be a lot of baileys out there its surprising.


Yeah the hair dryer would be a good idea. But then it would lose it's old-fashioned feel :)

I will have pics soon. Basically it is the top of a charcoal grill, with a three way pipe coming from the bottom (I cut a hole). The air source is a basketball pump, secured to the metal tube with duct tape (It melted.) Basically it looks like this. Any critique? I manages to get a stainless steel wallhanger katana red hot after a few minutes. A good sign, no?