Dodge

Stephen, can you explain what you mean by "pin". This is a term in relation to files I have not heard before. Thanks Scott

There was quite an extensive test panel done on glues on a blade specific site several years ago. I don't recall if it was BritishBlades or BladeForums. May have even been linked here at one time or another. Anyway, I have had good luck with JB Weld but not on light colored materials. Devcon, 3M and Loctite may good products but I have been warned away from the fast setting stuff from any of these companies. If its a project I have already put weeks, months, longer, I can wait one more day for a good set :)

I never really liked files. They seemed like an antiquated finishing tool to me. Don't ask me why, maybe I thought electric and air tools could to better faster work than files. Anyway, that was just the way it was and before I learned their value in blade work, my files were stored in and old metal box that once held a socket set. Small files were kept in the tapered tray designated for standard sockets while the larger files were kept in the large main area of the box. Neat, huh? Even had a label on the end of the box that said "Files". Now, I didn't throw the files in the box carelessly, but I wasn't that careful either. Never crossed my mind the stacking and laying face to face, edge to face, etc., could be harmful. I had quite a large collection of files but they were all used and many quite old (Many, my dad's) I just assumed that was why I had to use a little more force than a new one I had just bought. (Much of my reason for not caring much for files, I suspect.) Then, recently, I started reading posts about file care and and their wide use in blade work and it opened my eyes. I have recently bought a few more new files, but they don't go in the box. I don't have an empty drawer to devote to single layers of files yet but I have isolated some bench top near my vise where I have laid out a piece of leather and new files reside there until I can justify the purchase of a new tool chest with a drawer I can devote to my new respect for files

I don't know a lot about electricity but seem to remember something about dimmer switches and electric motors (one certain breed; brushless? or with brushess??) not playing well together. For long anyway...

Beth, as I understand, most use full length through the knife/tool/ect handle, then grind, file or sand down and finish with rest of the handle. Initially I assumed they would be sliced shorter and inlaid over a securing pin. Personally this is what I would consider, simply to stretch materials further ;) BTW, this is my first attempt

I got nuthin.......but WOW!!

Wrap around(?) hawks and axes (not sure of the proper term; wrapping a flat piece around a mandrel or drift and welding the two sides together) are a good candidate for adding a HC bit to also

Pretty much what these guys have said. Re-visit instructions and confirm nothing was over-looked. Are you sure your gas supply orifice is aimed exactly down the center of the pipe? If it isn't it can make it difficult to hold and keep. a flame. Also could, as others have said, be getting too much air. Ron Reil's site has suggestions for choking the EZ Burner.

I got a 400 error code on that link: Bad Request Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand. Client sent malformed Host header Web Server at metalravne.com

Torin, that first link was the inspiration for me to cut my anvil ;)

CNC is another option. There would be setup cost of course, but still more economical.

I'm a little late on this and maybe I'm miss reading, but 1" pipe? for your air supply?? That's kinda small IMHO. I don't run solid fuel but have an old coal forge I'm setting up and the tuyere on it is a good 3". Most of the set ups I have worked with have at least 2". If I am missing something, forgive my ignorance ;)

Flares also gets burned up faster when they are too close to the inside of the forge. Hence the beauty of molded in flares. How close is the end of your flare to the inside of your forge Adhamh?

On the flare topic, if you mold a flare into your liner (if you use a blanket and rigidisizer type or castable or rammable refractory ) or carve into fire brick where the burner enters, you don't have to worry about the flare burning up. OTOH, as I understand it, (and I really don't understand the science behind it) you don't necessarily need a flare unless you are running the burner outside the forge. Many burners won't keep a flame outside the forge but work fine inside. In fact, I have found that the "T" burner really doesn't need an actual flare shape to run outside. Just a larger diameter tube on the end of the burner tube to change the pressure (and I think it mimics the back pressure that would be present inside the forge) so it will hold the flame. E.G. The short piece of pipe isn't even welded on. I wanted to be able to slide it back and forth to get the best flame.

I'm afraid I am at a loss here. I seem to remember posting to this thread, and I apparently must have based on your post, SJS. Unfortunately that post seems to have vanished and I don't remember what I said (I sometimes post late at night when I should be sleeping. :D ) That being said, after some though on a comparison study on my particular forges I could safely say they would not be the same consumption as the burner tubes are not equal in size. The blown, or gun, burner is 1.25" while the "T" burner is only 1". Furthermore, when I use the gun burner, while it uses the same gas supply tube as the "T", I generally change the mig tip orifice to a larger size for the larger burner tube; about .05" for the gun and .035" for the "T". Another factor is the size of the forge chambers themselves. They both have 2" of ceramic blanket (I used Inswool) covered by a refractory mortar for a rigidisizer. That is where the similarities end. The forge the gun burner was made for has an inside dimension of just under 15" long by 6" diameter. The forge chamber the "T" goes in is about 9" long by 5.5". In the end, it wouldn't be an equal test, however, I believe the gun burner, for the factors just mentioned must use more gas than the "T" burner.

The important concept that they unfortunately don't spend the time explaining in that video (If its the one I am thinking of) is that the fullering, be it hammered in or machined out or even scraped out, is done BEFORE heat treating which includes the heating to harden the metal and tempering to toughen and remove the brittleness of the hardened steel. Not after as the video seems to suggest. And as Thomas implies above, the heat treating is not simply an outer surface treatment. Heat treating, when done properly, is all the way through the blade. Furthermore, if machine fullering was to be done after hardening and tempering (difficult as it may be) there should still be hardened and tempered steel underneath. As Steve mentioned, the History Channel is wrought (pun sort of intended) with inaccuracies when it comes to metal smithing. They gear the programming to the general audience rather than experienced smith. I remember one show on blade smithing (could be same one) that referred to the heat treat process of hardening (heating to non magnetic and quenching to cool quickly) as "tempering". This is a very common misunderstanding. Hope this helps. Scott

Respects to those affected!

Thanks Matt

By finish, I think steve meant the cutting edge. Leaving hammer marks yields a cool finish but without a cutting edge, a knife is more or less useless. Even a stabber/dagger tends to need some sort of edge and sharp point, but these shapes appear to be cutters. Keep up the great progress :)

My 2¢: If you coat your blanket (and it should be coated to prevent particles from being breathed) you can actually form the flare into the refractory itself. Its the way I have done it with good results. I use refractory mortar over my blanket and mold a tapered flare in the hole where the flareless burner pipe enters. Bada bing, no more burned out flares :) As for the metal flare, it should just meet the inside of the forge but not protrude into it. even a 1/4" recessed is good

I have had this in my "tongs" file for a long time. Great reference. There is another page that has dimensions for goose neck/bolt tongs as well I'm not sure I can post it however as it was from another website that posted it from the Machinist Handbook with permission. CR rules can get ugly but here's the drawing:

Yeah, it was the title that gave me my clue ;)

If you are intent on using the chainsaw chain you could box it in with fine metal shavings or powdered metals; high nickel or just plain high carbon woks nicely. Google "canned damascus". Read the safety procedures for sure. Mainly about venting the can!

I like Rich's idea with a footnote: If you over sized appropriately, the inside silver layer could then be machined to the proper fit. Perhaps you could even go a step further and make the inside thick enough to create a two tone ring i.e. inside a different color than outside maybe machining the edge to a dull bevel (so it won't cut the wearer) to show the two layers better. Just a brainstorm worth approximately only 2¢ Scott

If you're ok with that....I won't suggest King Metals then :D Also won't ask if you were looking for the actual newel post itself or the finial that goes on top. Pics don't make that very clear....