Dan C

Don't rule out anthracite. I recently got some cheap and have been mixing it with homemade charcoal with good results which includes forge welding.

Thank you again, and I like the warnings about things going boom and not touching the metal. Testing it with your tongue like a popsicle is apparently a bad idea. I found additional explanations of the steps in the threads below. '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> You didn't mention a preheat or heat soak prior to hardening though. Would you normalize 2x, heat to non-magnetic then do the oil quench followed by the subzero quench?

Time to finish old projects, make new tools that will make you more efficient, try a new challenge you didn't want to start when you were busy because of the learning curve and time involved. Prepare yourself for the next busy time of year.

Excellent suggestion!

Thanks Steve. For HT'ing 440C can you follow a similar process as 1095 which I could do myself with the equipment mentioned above, quenching in warm oil and tempering in a kitchen oven for an R/C of 57 or 58? Looking at this it would seem so. http://www.admiralsteel.com/reference/sstltech.html

Bumping this thread as I was recently asked by a regular customer if I could make a fillet knife for him. It would be a gift to his uncle who skippers an ocean charter boat so I felt if I was going to put the time & effort into one it should be made from something that's rust resistant and holds it's edge. Online research points so far to either ATS34 or CPM154. Am I leaving out any other type of steels that I should consider? And am I right to be excluding high carbon steel because of the user's environment? Up to this point all of my knives have been forged from old files, coil spring or mower blades, so my heat treating experience and equipment is limited to a coal/charcoal forge, water or oil quenchant and then tempering either in the oven, stove or forge. Unless anyone knows otherwise, from what I've read this means I would have to send out any blades to be HT'd and that it makes sense to have multiple blades HT'd at the same time. I'm assuming a project like this is mostly stock removal, grinding and the handle. For the knife's profile I was planning on borrowing one of my dad's fillet knives and find out what type of profile would be best suited for his uncle's type work.

Here's a thread I think you'll find useful, '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>

I'm using an 11" brake drum forge and it's served me well w/ a 2" pipe and 3 bars of 1/4" sq welded across. A larger and deeper drum may very well suit you if you're using charcoal, but not so much if burning coal. Do you know what type of fuel you're going to use?

I don't remember where I found the following so I can't give credit where credit is due, but this is something I found when trying to look up my 194 lb PW. The wording on mine was very hard to discern, but if the sunlight hits it at an angle I'm able to see more than using any other method. Mine falls into the 1860-1880 category. Enjoy putting it back to work, she's a beauty! "It is difficult to age a PW after 1860 when they went to the now classic London pattern. If it just says PETER WRIGHT PATENT, then likely 1860-late 1880s. If ENGLAND is added, then late 1880 to early 1900s. The logo was stamped on in parts. Perhaps when someone did your's they simply forgot where to put the SOLID WROUGHT circle or the weight. Occasionally stamps were put on upside down. Yes, on Peter Wright anvils. Might be an inspector mark or perhaps it meant it was approved for export. A classic sign of a post-1860 PW are small ledges on the front and back feet. You may have a very early PW since in 1860 on their typical logo was (stacked): PETER WRIGHT PATENT. Then SOLID WROUGHT in a circle usually with the middle weight number stamped in it. About 1910 they added ENGLAND under PATENT. A way to help bring out lettering is to lay on side and dust with flour. Brush off excess. What is left in depressions sometimes make stampings very easy to make out. If you do this I'd like to see a photograph of markings. Just click on my name and send as an attachment. It is not in Anvils in America but I am fairly certain Richard Postman told me Peter Wright did start putting serial numbers on their late production anvils. They started putting ENGLAND on their anvils about 1910 and are thought to have gone out of business about the 1930s. Peter Wrights seem to be about the most common old anvil in the U.S. judged by the amount which show up on eBay. They must have been exporting them to the U.S. in great quantity. "

Check out this thread, it should be very useful to you. ?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent> Another suggestion would be to google " sword forge stormthecastle" though I would look up a brake drum forge and start with that to learn basic blacksmithing. Good luck!

Would it be possible to have a sort of probationary period for newbies with the explanation that before you are able to post a question we'd like for you to take the time to review the site and search what's already out there? Otherwise I think you're up against human nature to look for quick, easy answers by excited new members who haven't yet learned how to use the site and are bound to ask repetitive questions. Then unfortunately when they do (especially if they ask about swords) it's like they stepped in a minefield. Other smithing sites that aren't interactive don't have this problem because you're forced to dig thru the material already there to find an answer.

You can always use your vise to straighten the handle as needed.

Wow, the difference is night and day, the new one looks fantastic!!!

What about something like this? This was my first anvil and I still use it today when I need a sharp edge. Hindsight I should've welded the plate directly to the rail, but this has so far held up under blows from an 8 lb sledge when flattening the head of a spike that I'm making into a cross placed in the "hardy hole"

Maybe you could do something similar to the process of turning a RR spike into a cross but an angel instead?

I saw in a book whose name escapes me, the ability to whittle or shave a curl off of a nail. Seems like that'd be a good indication of hardness. I do a chop test as well and also hammer the point into a 2x4, then make sure you can wiggle the point out w/o it breaking.

Good looking forge, I like the use of the storage racks and the pan under the dump gate. What sort of fuel are you using and would you include a pic of the tuyere/grate?

Thank you for this post Rich. I was curious about what sort of destructive testing you might suggest and found this thread which is proving a very good read.

I emailed the company w/ the same question, it's a 3/4" inner diameter.

Check out the knife making classes, bolsters & handles are all covered there. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/148-knife-making-class-101/

Very nice beammeupscotty and this forum should be a place where honesty is valued. If not how else can you improve? How did you get the dice to be copper? I'm assuming you didn't just wire brush them w/ a brass brush.

I've got some of those clips, haven't played with them yet though. I haven't had a hard time transitioning from spikes to files or better steel. Time spent on IFI was well worth it as I've had a good idea of what to expect. See if you can get your hands on some old rasp files as the teeth when partially ground down leave a striking pattern on both sides. These two knives were cut from the same file.

I make them, sell them and have fun doing so. They don't hold the best edge, but then quenched in ice water and then baked in the oven at 325' for an hour to relieve forging stresses I've had the HC ones I've made stand up to gutting a hog. Anyone that hunts hogs can tell you they have an extremely tough skin. Is it the best of steel no, do I prefer making knives from old files or better steel yes and I'd also recommend forge welding in a piece of old file so that becomes the cutting edge. That said people ask for them because they recognize it as a railroad spike and I get many requests for these. For those of you that don't want to make them, good DON'T! Here's a picture of the last one I made for someone that has an old file forge welded in. I only slightly used the grinder to clean up the profile and sharpen the edge, much faster & fun to hammer in the profile and bevels.

Thinking about it, if the post vise is a decent size and in good condition $150 isn't a bad price. Search online for a brand new post vise and you'll find they go for ~$800.

Probably not, if someone doesn't offer what I consider a reasonable price in the first place I don't waste my time. Doesn't sound like he really wants to sell anything. When I'm on the fence about selling something I might price the item high enough so if some actually does buy it I make a killing. Then I feel better about selling it and have enough $ to replace it or get something else I really wanted.