Mbmul175

Those are amazing , where did you learn to make your razors ?

I haven't shaved for 6 months, but I promised myself that if I sucsesfully make a razor that I'd at least shave a portion of my face 

Can you forge a singe piece of steel too many times ?

Thanks snail forge, I saw that you need up to a 12000 grit sanding stone. if I don't have that , should I rather not attempt it ? 

If I get some O1 or something, will I be able to forge it an then use files, stones and sanding paperon it instead of a grinder ? I have the patients to do it if it's possible.

Thanks, 

Michael

Thanks , I'll keep an eye out for it , it will come in handy one day 

Where can I read more about this ? It sounds interesting and helpful .

How do you test for the metal type ?

Hi guys

, anyone out there making straight razors willing to give some tips on metal and tecneaques .

Will I be able to make a razor out of an old woodworking chisel ? 

Thanks 

Michael.

Correction, 3.2 inch ( I'm used to using the metric system not imperial )

How did you attatch the post to the log ? Just spike it in or did you thread it and bolt it from beneath ?

Wow! That's really nice. was the hammer rounded like that or did you round it ? How did you attatch it, just mushroomed the metal through the hole or did you forge weld it in place ?

I have some 2" 3/4' mild steel square bar at my shop, and a bunch of old railway hammers. But alass I won't be able to heat such a piece of metal ... Yet ... 

Thanks a lot for your willingness to help, I really appreciate it.

I'll be sure to contact you guys in the future 

Michael.

Yeah, I'll be able to make quite some nice stuff

Yeah sorry these are new terms for me and yes, that's what I did .

What where you making there ? Any social advice for particularly large metal ?

Thanks

Michael.

8 hours ago, littleblacksmith said:

I was meaning the thickness of the actual bar.

                                                                                                             Littleblacksmith

I measured and they are 16.3 mm wide 

I'm busy with a small forge, I already have the plans and everything, I just need to wait till the 6th when I go on vacation, then I can build it.

Kyalami is about 1200miles away from where I am, but its closer than most other people on this forum , lol

Thanks

Michael.

6 hours ago, littleblacksmith said:

well I wasn't exactly sure what you meant by this. If you meant that it was to bright or to dark. It is easier to see the colors in a dark room rather that bright room.

                                                                                                           Littleblacksmith

I was working in a dark room, but the sun shone in my eyes through the top of the window, the rest of the windows where blocked by a cattle truck, so one moment you see fine, then you move 1/16" in any direction and the sun blinds you .

5 hours ago, rockstar.esq said:

I find I use wolf jaw tongs the most.  They're not as good as a job-specific set, but they're handy for most stuff.

I recommend you consider practicing with either a welded rod, or long parent stock until you cure the bouncing stock problem. Even excellent tongs won't stop a piece from slipping out of their grip if you're hamming it loose with poor technique.

 

What do you mean by a welded rod ? I don't know any tecneaques by name , I just use the hammer to move the metal in a way that I believe it will.

But I can hit a bee with a long axe, so aiming a hammer is no problem .

Thanks

Michael.

Thanks, that will be great, where in south Africa are you situated ?

By what means do you prefer i contact you ?

That is very true, regional language ruins a traviler's day ...

I'm trying to find out where in south Africa people are situated so I can maybe see how someone else works , but I've come up empty so far 

My home language is Afrikaans, by I'm fluent in English, that save for is more of an regional thing, like how people in different parts of my country call the same tools different names , like I have had 6 totally different screws that people call pozzies ... 

So key steel is bad for blades?

We get up to 50°c in the summer, so I can just leave the metal out in the sun to forge it .

Were in autumn now and get about 15-25°c, will I be nessecary to heat the anvil and vice ?

Thanks

Michael.

I live in the breerivier western-cape, about 20km from Worcester and 30km from Ceres 

It was high orange , but then again I did have bad lighting, so I could have been mistaken ...Ten I'll spnd my next free Saturday from forging tongs, since I only have 1  ... Any types you'll recommend as must haves ?

Thanks for the feedback

Michael.

Oh, I misread your "save for" as an " except for "... I like curiosities. I also have shaved sincs my school days ( given I finished last year ) ... I have a buddy who is a beard enthusiast / hair dresser, so he'd go nuts for them. but if I can't, then I shan't  .

Will spring steel be okay for chisels and punches ?

Thanks for the info

Michael.

While on this topic, will key steel hold up a fine edge or also not ?( I don't know any other names for it) 

Yusss, I was eyeing on making some straight razors with them, so that's awesome to hear , 7x thumbs up ! Any special tecneaques I should consider for straight razors ? 

Thanks a million

Michael.

So what youre saying is

1: no quenching 

2: heat errything that will touch it 

3: keep hot, not too hot 

Can i grind it normally or is it also different?

Will I be able to forge a blade out if spring steel or is that not a good idea ?

 Thanks for the help

Michael.

3 hours ago, littleblacksmith said:

about what's the diameter of the springs?

                                                                                                                   Littleblacksmith

The entire spring or the bar that the spring is made of ? They are at my shop, so I'll measure them in the morning 

What is planishing ?

I'll see if I can find out what alloy I is, if not, then I'll just go at it and see what I get,

Thanks

Hi guys,

the other day on an auction I got 2 boxes of oldmanemu suspension springs for 50ZAR ( that's about 4 USD ) , I read that spring steel works differently, so I don't wanvto start on those and just end up o wasting them 

How does spring steel forging differ from mind steel. Is the heat treating process the same ? 

Thanks for any advice

Michael.