tompdw

You could use any common steel wire but it would bring the carbon out of the stainless and cause it to rust. 309 is for stainless with dissimiliar steels and 308 is for stainless to stainless and I think you need a trimix gas. Not positive though.

I am a regular customer of my favorite scrap yard and I am able to wander around anywhere I choose. I started by talking to the foreman and telling him what I was looking for and he would point to where I might find something and I haven't had a problem. It probably doesn't hurt that I made him a knife before last deer season.

Welcome aboard. I enjoy making knives but for just starting out I would suggest working with low carbon soft metals and just experiment. It is easier to pound on hot roll steel than hi carbon. If you want to make a knife shaped object out to soft steel to practice with go ahead. Be safe, enjoy your self.

Old files and leaf springs. Every shop should have some. Good stuff.

Hello Black Maple. I noticed you are in Ohio. Where at? Atwater here.

Tompdw is what I use for just about everything online. The pdw is from a Heckler & Koch firearm that I own and really like. My real name is Tom Wayner.

I have a bucket of used motor oil and a toaster oven. Works great.

Hello, five alarm. I use a lot of leaf springs also. How did you harden and temper them. Did you have a specific blade shape/purpose in mind or did you let the steel decide what shap it was going to be? for now you could cord wrap them.

Nothing wrong with stock removal. You are still making your own knives. Anyone with a checkbook could buy one. Welcome aboard.

I like it. Primitive is a good thing.

My latest project. A Hawaiian friend jokingly asked me to make him a coconut knife. I have no idea if there is a specific type but here it goes. This is as far as I have gotten. The black majic marker on the edge is where I am going to have my grind. I hope to keep it more even than freehand and eyeball.

The blade looks like a skinning knife. Do you hunt?

What kind of steel is it?

My girlfriend's father is a retired welder and he gave me a well used apron when I started welding and I use it for blacksmithing as well.

1/2 in square stock. The BBQ fork is 25 inches overall. It was an end cut from a plant hanger I made for the girlfriend.

I'm not sure what style the knife is Frosty. I just kept pounding until I got a shape that I could live with. I wanted to see how thin I could get the leaf spring without getting too brittle. I guess the knife is kind of like a big cooking knife. I got the idea for the fork from a book. I'm giving that to the father in law.

These are my latest projects. A large knife that I'm not sure what for and a barbeque fork.

Good to have you here Ken.

She sure does. whenever I am pounding, she's close by.

I got rid of my flimsy, too high stand and found a good stump. I used the former stand for my forge. Things are much more comfortable now. Also pictures is Harley, My shop dog/ helper.

Do you have access to a plasma cutter?

Glad to meet you. Good luck with the plasma cutter. I have a thermal dynamics cutmaster 81 and I really like it.

I use car wax.

Here is my lathe. Smithy 13x39 with a belt drive and a threaded headstock.

I heard about knuckle height but my stand isn't adjustable but the guy down the street recently cut up a tree and there looks like some promising chunks of wood about the right height.