NickOHH

Hey bud , welcome to the site. There are a bunch of smiths all over PA.  I'm out by philly daswulf is on the other side and there's people spread out in between.

Hand truck then you just have to lift it into the trunk unless you use a ramp then just wheel it up.

Nice , I have a 3# drilling hammer that I modded into a rounding hammer, it's my go to unless I'm forging bigger stock then I go for my 4.5# cross peen. I cooled in water while I was shaping it on a 6" disc grinder running 60 grit paper, but only a few times, it would take a good bit of grinding to over heat it I do believe even hot to touch isn't all that hot in the realm of steel. 

Yea they pretty much all have a number marking minus the last digit so 8 = 80# in your case or a 15 would be 150#. I'm sure Njanvilman will jump in here soon. He will have all the details for you.

Sweet, can't wait to see I mess around with wood but nothing like relief carvings

I'm not sure about age but that looks like an 8 to me so that would put it at 80# at the start of it's like, in real nice shape

yea I am still trying to forge an adze that will carve it for me no luck yet 

yup that's all ya need, wear your arm out though. That's all I can figure she wanted to do

Now I am pondering how you would use that on a lathe and why not a gouge. A nice adze none the less, and still sold so it worked out

I see plenty of good edge on either side. I wouldn't try fixing the edges until the clean ones look like the worn ones in a "few" years lol

well ya learn somethin new everyday... Did not know that don't use many spikes, but that would make sense.  

It won't harden up like 1095 or tool streel or anything but you should be able to harden it up a bit. You can cut the plunge lines toward the handle with a file and I use a disc sander, but a grinder belt or disc sander/grinder hand file will work , don't take it to sharp leave a bit of a flat on the blade edge this will help prevent warping when you quench , bring to it up til a magnet won't stick anymore give it a few to make sure it heats even then quench I use warm veggie oil . Can temper in oven 325-375 for an hour cover it up if u can to help with temp fluctuation from the heat source. Then finish grinding/ sharpening.  I am no expert but this is what has worked for me so far there's much better ways but it should get u goin .

That looks good for your start I would finish it for sure... Spikes don't harden up the best but it will still harden a bit and it will be good practice for heat treating . And in 10 years you can compare your knives with that and see how far you've come.

gotcha , working 4 sides is what screwed me up, and I suppose how you keep the cable intact on the top of the blade. I will be on the hunt for cable, lol

I suppose untwisting is not what happened because the tongs would had to be turning with other side stationary. Good chance I just didn't get it tight enough, and a good chance I just accidentally drew it out to much. While your welding the blade do you slowly turn it or just work. 2 sides and make it flat from the start?

I stand corrected I had a feeling I may have been wrong after I said recycled. I did forge weld the ends and twist, may have not twisted it enough not wanting to break strands or is loosening up while I worked it possible. Probably just didn't get it tight enough. 

I just heated this til the blade wasn't magnetic let it get a bit hotter not much though and gave it a minute the quenched in room temp brine. The coil spring ones I've been quenching I'm warm oil. Either temper em in the oven(not ideal) or on the forge while the fire is dying out.

well get on it!! I have made several since my first attempt at a knife about a month ago. It's addictive, now I just need to find about 100' of cable

Yea the rope squishes slot it was 1 inch, recycled. I'm gonna look for some bigger rope but that would work again now that I'm aware of how much size I will lose.

Yea it did compress a good bit welding still now I know for next time, and there will be a next very soon

Jws gave me a peice of cable when me and Marcy went to visit.  The cable got a bit drawn out while I was welding it so I ended up welding the whole thing and forging a tang. Heated a bit over non magnetic and quenched in brine then tempered at 340. Ground on a disk sander up to 220 then etched in ferric chloride for 30 mins. Handle is zebrawood.

hey spaz , which side of the state are you on? there a bunch of talented people spread all across this state. i am just outside of philly, as well as some others on here, and a few guys out toward lancaster and a few from out on the other side near pittburg. the only thing you need to do is get the metal hot and hit it, preferably in that order. You should also add your location to your profile so we can see where you are from, we will definetly forget lol.

yea i do owe you a some, had full intentions to lol i swear, next time i will come prepared! 

sorry iwf....we get easily distracted around here! 

yea, how come you didn't have any delicious Amish pies when we came to the shop