Bo T

What is the weight on that beauty?

Having googled timber framing slicks, it seems that they are not impact blades (ie axe), but more like scrapers. So maybe a little harder than an axe, if you have made one with a similar rasp as a bit? Also, you don't need a softer back for pounding on so a uniform temper?

Don't bother... I set up due north a couple of times just to find the floor of the shop has moved and its not pointing the right way anymore. You'll just have to paint a new arrow....time and time again. As far as the series goes, I found it interesting, and somewhat informative. Their cast lead bullets were made out of old wheel weights (getting harder to find) instead of pure lead and the Smith seems to be using really poor coal with an excess of Sulphur and phosphorous in it. Come on Frosty, you forgot about the surfactant effects of the urine, allowing less vapor formation at the quenchent/steel barrier. Allowing for more rapid, uniform heat transfer with less likelihood of warping. Jeesh...wood ashes work too and the Smithy doesn't smell like a skunk factory.

Happy birthday smithatheart. Being a smith and woodworker at age 13 is quite an accomplishment. I'm guessing that learning how to post pictures won't be that big a step for you. Your cast iron anvil, might it be grey, white or ductile? Ductile iron can make a good anvil.

Considering the prices that many want for these, it beginning to make the new ones (light weigh, inexpensive) coming out of India appealing. Heck, they may only last 20 or 30 years but... Course they have some out of China that have been reported as pure junk. Do you have any way to polish the races (High Speed????

Cold treatment acetone/dry ice will sometimes increase the conversion of austenite to martensite (for simple high carbon steels). You just need to get the blade to temperature as this conversion is almost instantaneous. Certain alloys (D2 in particular) benefit from cryogenic treatment. The growth of carbides and eta-carbides takes a while and is dependent upon the alloy. Some papers indicate 24-48 hours at temperature. It depends on the alloy. Lots of papers available on the net. At least one good website.

Free shipping! Better get 2. Or more.

Wayne, Does it matter how many points of carbon in the spike (HC or standard)? I read a paper put out by some researchers in China who used SuperQuench on 1020 steel for farm implements and they were hardening to mid 40's. HRc.

You might find a good but used up file laying around one of the shops. You can do regular stock removal after tempering the steel softer of annealing the steel even softer. If you anneal, you will need to re-harden and temper the blade.

How do you think drywall plaster over screen mesh would work on the inside for sound dampening and spark abatement? I worry about wayward sparks finding their way into little nooks and crannies in a typical wood shed. I'm thinking about the fiberglass screen mesh as it is pretty inexpensive although the metal might be a little more heat resistant.

I have read that there are differences in 'wrought' iron. I am not sure what those are. I do know the difference between mild steel (ie 1006) and wrought. If the body is indeed wrought iron then a smith might be able to cut it up for salvage and use it for whatever smiths use true wrought iron for these days. As true wrought iron seems difficult to come by.

Charlotte You are the first person that I have known to have tried these types of oils. Don't all oils, brine, and water have some difficulty wetting the surface of the metal due to a vapor jacket at 1500 - 600 F temperatures? This is the first time I have thought about part of quenching.

Pesky e. Runs off if I don't keep a leash on it. Yep - silicone based. It does have a slew of methyl groups attached to it, but I think it is considered non petroleum based, synthetic....

A quick question. Has anybody tried silicon transformer oil? This would be a non petroleum quenchant. And a quick comment - many a chemistry text book define hydrocarbon as a molecule consisting of just hydrogen and carbon.

You might just use 2x4" construction on 4x12" skids. No floor (ie dirt floor). Use fire resistant batting for the sound abatement. You could use fire resistant paint for the interior if you wanted. You would probably need stringers across the skids to move it, but steel stakes on either side would stabilize the skids when in place.

Gambions should help, although you might as well use something, as was mentioned, that could be load bearing. Perhaps concrete block or slipform?

Thanks. Someone posted a link on a different forum that led to a description that indicated they were high carbon nickel steel. After reading this I tried but couldn't step back from that link until I got to the original website that sent me in a different path where the description from BIGGUNDOCTOR was shown.

I can get some JD lawn mower blades which are purported to be a high carbon nickel steel. Anyone got better specifics on them? Thanks.

Don't ruin your Weber. Check the forums on solid fuel forges. Make a side blast out of an old (whatever will hold it and isn't flammable) some sand, and clay. Focus on ones designed for charcoal. If my memory serves there are some threads on these older type of forges.

Isn't S7 a couple of steps up in difficulty (forging, heat treatment, and machining) from the simpler steels? I'd think something like 1075 or O-1 would be a better choice in this case.

Thanks everyone. Merry Christmas, joyful holidays, and a great new year.

It depends on the steel, but say 1500 F to 2200 F for forging. Generally, your eyes will be as good as a hand held temperature meter. If you want to maintain your gas forge at a given temperature use a thermistor inside the forge. It will be much more accurate than a hand held at the same price point.

Grain refinement is more difficult to achieve without a programmable oven where the temperature can be held at a relatively stable temperature for extended periods of time. (I am guessing that this is what Nicholson uses for their heat treatment of their files). If you are trying to accomplish it by 'eye' you may have reached a plateau that is difficult to cross. Using a baffle to help control the temperature of the steel is a good start. Flatten your test pieces out to @ 0.1", do your grain refinement, harden, then temper at increasingly higher temperatures. When you get a test piece that meets your requirements for hardness and flex (without taking a set or breaking) use that treatment for your next knife. You might explore differential tempering on some test pieces as well.

I have read of similar problems in the past. Heat it to 1550 F and quench, then test. If that doesn't do the trick, bump it up another 50 F and try again.