jmccustomknives

I don't recall the name of the company, the file had a horseshoe on the logo and was made in the U.S. As to what steel? IDK, I like to tinker around, my guess would be W-1 but I'll admit not having mess with that steel a whole lot so I don't have much to compair it with.

Well, the top three would be 5160, 6150, 9260 and 1095. The age of the spring will rule out the first two if they are older than like 40. 9260 would get ruled out if older than 50 or 60. Do a spark test and compair with steels you know.

Howdy from the "Heart of Dixie".

Nice. If I made the news it wouldn't be a good thing. Headline; "Neighborhood Complains About Crazy Blacksmith."

It aint perfect, but it's ready for the woods.

Well, your forge just needs to get hot enough to move the metal, my first wasn't much different. As far as hardening, sounds like you've done a little homework but I wouldn't quench in water. A water quench can come back to haunt you (experience talking). After hardening I would put it in an oven for an hour but since you are dead set at doing it the old way heat up a peace and lay the back of the knife on the hot metal (cleaned up of course). Your temper colors are delayed so don't rush it or you will over heat the piece before you realize it. It takes a lot of practice to do it this way, that's why I don't use it as the primary method of tempering. Good luck.

I can tell you what my customers prefer, the Weber Tiger Disk. They ask for them by name. Really, the ceramic abrasives are the best and the aluminum oxide are the cheapest. I haven't checked the online price, but the Airgas p/n 64000834 or 64000870 (with nut) are ok and cheaper than the tiger disk.

Welcome and ask away, don't forget to search older strings. Get lots of steel as there is nothing like practice.

The steel is a file, the etchant is Ferric Chloride. Hand sanded down to 1500gr. I used refractory cement as the insulator. I did several etching and sanding cylcles with relitivly weak mix. I always see the hammon on others as being darker while when I clean mine up they are alway lighter and not as dramatic.

First time to weld was in jr high. Later got a job with a welding supply. I am now an expert gorilla welder. The expert part means I can tell you how to do it. The gorrilla because my welds are always big strong and UGLY!

I'm having trouble getting a distinct hammon. What do you guys do to get them to really stand out.

It looks like a single stage compressor, as such don't expect much as far a cfm. The tank size will make a differance. It's kind of hard to judge the size, my guess is it's 20 to 30 gal. Enough to run tools, but don't expect to do much 'blasting with it.

There are lots of good books out there, and a little search through the countless posting will probably get you where you want to go. I'll tell you my experience with RR spikes. I had never worked with them, mostly I forged either 5160 or mild steel. With experience you will get well aquanted with the fact that differing cabon/alloys forge differently. I heated that spike gave it a few whacks and through it to the side. I wanted to make a superior knife, as such RR spikes just aren't good enough. A friend gave me some really old ones, so I made him a knife as a thank you. They acted totally different from anything I'd ever forged before. After some research I descovered that RR spikes before 1926 were wrought iron, between 26 to the '70's low carbon after that they were marked HC (high carbon) but the carbon content was still relativly low. As far as equipment goes, you are using pretty much what I use. I don't make the prettiest stuff but they are functional.

Greetings from the "Heart of Dixie". In one book I've got a bladesmith from Isreal was featured. The only power tool he had was a hand drill. He did everything with files and sandpaper. His knives were well done. You have heat treaters up that way you could send your stuff to (mandatory if you use stainless.) It doesn't take a lot of fancy equipment to make a knive, just lots of patients of which I don't have much of.

What about a manganese steel like is used in rail roads? This is a work hardening steel and if any of you have a piece of modern RR you know, it can be quite tough. Other than that, the Vanadium steel isn't specific enough and of the rest the 4140 would be the best. Just my opinion, does't amount to much.

Depending on your local welding supplier they may not touch it, or they may trade it out for the same type of bottle with a different gas in it, or an oxygen. If they wont go for an oxygen but will trade for a bottle that has a different gas with the same fittings you can get argon/argon mix for a mig. Our company wouldn't trade for an oxygen but will for different gas (has to do with the empty cylinder p/n and inventory). If you haven't got an acetylene get the o2, you'll need it.

Nice stuff, my inlaws once ran across a mexican iron worker who was welding up pieces....without a hood. I guess he had shade 9 cateracts.

Don't fool yourself, you can build a functional forge for nothing. That's exactly what I've got in mine, minus the electricity it took to weld it up. It's not pretty, most here would laugh at it, but it works. Heck, my first forge consisted of an old brake drum welded to the bottom of a metal wheel barrow. Made a lot of stuff in it until it rusted through.

Thanks for the feedback, I ordered a gallon off ebay. I would rather do buisness locally, but sometimes you just can't.

On old power tools, oh yeah and accompanied by the smell of ozone B) . If they are really bright and irratic and/or the tool is loosing power the brushes can be going bad. Had that happen to my Dewalt chop saw :( , ruint the armiture.

Airgas.com, pn rad64051205, clear lens clear frames. Nice and cheap. Buy a box and share them.

Radio Shack here will not even talk about ordering it for me. They'd rather sell phones. I'll check ebay.

Ok, it seems our local Radio Shack has stopped selling ferric chloride. Do you guys have any good recipes for alternate etching solutions that will work good on crane cable and for bringing out the hamon on 1095?

For welding it, 3/32 nickle 99 rod. Preheat the iron, use short (1") beads 6" apart to help even out the heat. Normally peining is necessary, but that may cause further cracks and brakes. After you are finished bury it in something to slow the cooling rate (sand, ashes, vermawatsits :wacko: ). It's a 50/50 shot that you'll put it off. Those rods run 25 to 30 a pnd.

Mitch, it was just what she wanted. It doesn't exactly go with the "Hello Kitty" motiff of her room, but she's proud of it when everything else us parents do is an embarassment. Thomas, her boyfreind is terrorfied of it. :D One bonus of, "Yeah, my dad makes knives".