i did.. i wanted to try using a plunge router to cut out the space for the tang instead of burning in the tang. It was more for the learning experience than anything else. I ended up with one side a little thicker than other in the end which i didnt like but again it was a learning experience from start to finish
Finished up these 3 knives this week.
This blade was from a rasp. The handle is micarta with stainless hardware and blue liner
Another rasp blade with brass hardware, cocobola, and spacers
This blade was forged from 2 forge welded pieces of cable with 2 pieces of bandsaw blade seperating it. The handle is ebony, malachite spacer, and stainless hardware
My brother came up for the weekend and wanted to forge an axe. I had a really old, large bush hog blade that my dad had given me so i cut off a section and forged welded the head after drawing out the metal some. Came out ok and I learned a ton as this was my first attempt at any type of axe/hatchet.
This weekend I forged a hammer with my Dad. This was the first time I have forged a hammer solo ( without someone more experienced at least watching ). It turned out great. The final weight was around 3lbs 8 oz and was forged from 4140 truck axle that was 1 7/8 diameter and about 4 1/2 inches long (if my memory serves me right ) This could not have been possible without the great mentoring I have recieved from Lyle Wynn, Ed and Brian Brazeal and David Gaddis.
Myself and Stan Bryant spent all day saturday making a pair of striking anvils. The striking plates were cut from a couple of old fork lift tines. They were 2x4x12. We drilled a 3/4 hole and then drifted it to 1 inch square. We actually assembled the stands first using 2 pieces of 1/2 inch plate welded together for the base and 2 inch thick walled square tubing filled with sand for the legs. We used a torch to cut a squarish hold slightly larger than one inch to drift through.
I realize that the iPhone camera isn't the best but you should be able to see the etching on the blade easily. The etch is nice and deep on the blade. Maybe just a crappy picture.
i ended up heat treating my flatter. I positioned the flatter in my gas forge so that the face of the flatter was facing the burner and the striking end was actually sticking outside of the forge. I was able to get the face non magnetic without getting the rest of the flatter even to a cherry color. After confirming that the face was non magnetic i quenched the face in peanut oil. After letting it quench for about 10 sec or so i removed it and ran a file across the face to test hardness as well as knock the scale off so I could see the temper colors run. The residual heat was such that the colors ran pretty quick and I was able to get the face a nice brown temper color before quenching the whole thing in oil. The end result was a flatter with the face still retaining some extra hardness but the struck end was still soft. I am happy with the result.
I started blacksmithing 6 months ago and made my first knife about 3 months ago. I've had some good teachers including Lyle Wynn and Brian and Ed Brazael. I've made about 10 knives so far and one sword. I tend to bounce back and forth between blades and more general blacksmithing.
Ive only been making knives for a few months so Im still a complete newbie. This is my latest attempt. The blade is forge welded cable. The handle is bone with stainless steel pins and thong hole. This was my first attempt at vine filework as well. I think it came out ok
the admins on IFI seem to be a little over zealous when it comes to moving posts. I had a crane in cattails i posted under member projects that was rudely moved to this subforum.
Great video btw
I attempted to reproduce Brian Brazeals Crane in Cattails yard art. It came out ok however I was not able to successfully forge weld a collar around the base. I was able to forge weld the pieces together after tack welding them with a mig welder. I ended up welding a 3/4 stake on the bottom as well.
I scored the bottle with a scorer from home depot. Then on the advice of David Gaddis I heated some water in a kettle and alternated hot water and cold tap water over the scored line until the bottom just fell off. This method worked beautifully and only took about 3 rounds of hot then cold.