Hello, I am a new member and the name says it all. I'm worse that rust when it comes to my skills in smithing. I have a small forge with hand cranked blower and a decent but not great anvil. I am interested in many projects but I wanted to make some wood working tools first. I would eventual like to make chisels and plane blades but for now, I need a little guidance on making scorp and spoke shave blades. These would be the old style blades that look like a big staple with two sharp points extending through the handle or inserted into a turned handle and the blade would be the center of the staple. Some are curved blades and some straight. So, i am assuming that I would use a type of tool steel. I have some railroad metal that is "supposed to be" 1060 which seems like it would be OK for this. I am red green color blind slightly. What color should I look for when heating a steel with higher carbon content than mild scrap? After forming the piece, would Pig lard be an OK tempering agent? If the metal I start with has been cut by a torch, are there any steps I need to take prior to shaping?
I have tried to read all I can but I apologize if my questions are silly. Thank you for your help