eseemann

Anyone ever forge Bushhog blades? I just got 4 old used blades that I plan to normalize today and then cut in to bars to forge in to knives and such. I have read that the Bushhog brand is 5160 on Tractor Supply web site and on another site that "Mower Knives" are 10XX (1070-1085) steel. Any thoughts?

I think we need a new sticky some place on the site. Everyone get a bar or 2 of known steels and with the same wheel do some spark tests and post photos of them. If someone needs a question like this answered then have them find a leaf spring or something and do a test posting mystery steel and leaf spring. Now I know that you will never KNOW 100% what the leaf spring is made from but it will be a walk like a duck type test to some degree.

So this is like the 88 magnum of swords. XXXXXXXXlink removedXXXXXX Nice blade!

That is one nice bit of work.

Maybe a Radar from MASH type!

"bursty sparks" that sounds like a golden age or silver age funny book name. Maby a side kick or cub reporter.

I met a guy in May that told me he got a bunch of the metal tines used by the street sweeping truck and they act like high carbon steel. In their normal state from the street sweeper they are like springs. The soften to wire and harden to snap like a twig.

It is a mix of lead free solder and lead free pewter. I melted the solder and pewter in a steel spoon and poured it in to the void in the antler.

Lead Tin solder melts at arond 350. Tin/lead solders, also called soft solders, are commercially available with tin concentrations between 5% and 70% by weight. The greater the tin concentration, the greater the solder’s tensile and shear strengths. Alloys commonly used for electrical soldering are 60/40 Tin/lead (Sn/Pb) which melts at 370 °F or 188 °C and 63/37 Sn/Pb used principally in electrical/electronic work. The 63/37 is a eutectic alloy, which: has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361.4 °F) of all the tin/lead alloys; and the melting point is truly a point — not a range.

JMC, I will take your suggestion, sounds like just the thing. How could I attach the brass to the tang, JB Weld? Where in Alabama are you, I am in Huntsville.

Good Eve all, Still trying to work the kinks out of the mounting of blades in to antler. Here is one I did today. I am not happy with how much I ended up grinding off the tang. Please take a look and let me know if you guys think this is too narrow and may not be a strong enough tang. The blade is pinned in with a brass tube and the void, after the pith was drilled out, was filled with poured pewter. thanks for any suggestions or feedback.

If you still have the template and do not mind please post it. Also, what book was that? thanks

I hope you sent some cards with that guy, you know how re-enactor love to share sources.

Yup sounds like just the thing. looks very nice, Next time you make one put up a picture of the blade before it goes in the scale so we can see the shape of the pivot end. thanks Ernest

just dumb luck, lol. I melted the solder in a spoon and poured it in. it helps (I Think) this was from a drop (shed set of antlers) that I picked up last December 2012. So if it was shed in early 2012 and I have had it sitting in my garage since then maybe that helped. Thanks for the feedback.

I took the advice to pin the blade in to the horn. I have also filled the void up with lead free solder. I coated the scale with linseed oil.

Well I think it is time to make some film and let the IFI folks get a look at it. I have some known 5160 and some suspected 1045 for control samples. Thanks for the info.

That is VERY nice work. What kind of bone and what did you use for glue or is it just the pins holding it in?

I need to make some like this. I live next to Redstone Arsenal and you can not bring any fixed blade on post or any folder over 3". I want to make some thick (1/8" to 3/16") broad bladed folders to go in my OCK (Oh Crud Kit) that will have most of the functionality of a fixed blade.

Thanks for the heads up. I will pin it in place and I will (planning to) fill up the void with lead free solder or pewter. I will post once that has been done.

I have some 5160 that came from drops at an auto spring fab. I want to make some hunting knives but I wondered if they are "safe" to use as, for example, a camp eating knife. Sounds like they are. To sum up what I think I know as long as it is not something like easy machine able steel that has lead in it or it came from some other downright poisonous type of manufacture it should be fine with the right care and seasoning. Is that about right?

Tonight. This is a gift for the scrap yard owner that hooked me up with my rail section.

Let's see if this picture is any better.

The info from the knife making lessons was a big help. I also have used the ref list to find belts for my sander. thanks