Lou L

WHEW! You had me both worried that I had learned everything wrong and excited I might learn something new. But here's my secret:. Even if you gave me a list of ten good reasons the steel I used was bad for the purpose I would have used it until I proved all ten of them right or wrong. I find that pain, suffering and conflict is the best teacher. That's how I'm learning to make the tongs I need rather than using the wrong ones.

Thanks JLP, I'd like to think that, while I haven't acquired all the skills I need to really call myself a blacksmith, I just might have the mentality down! I'm completely experimenting it's these bolts. They are a medium carbon alloy steel designed for toughness...loads of tensile and shear strength after heat treat. I opted to not heat treat my cut off yet just to see how the metal handles the abuse..(also to save my hammers from my forthcoming mistakes). I'm curious to know why alloy steels are less desireable. In this particular case I'm not bothered it it has a low useable life because, either way, I'm quite certain that I'll be making another one!

They'll see the light at the end of the tunnel one day and find their own.

I just saw the hardy tools made from the RR track and got jealous so I've decided to try to make it pretty. I'll grind it down a bit and make the shoulders symmetrical. I believe the cold shuts will come out. I just gave up on avoiding them at the very end. If they are deeper than I thought I'll run a bead of 7014 and grind again. Thanks for the idea. Next time I'll be more patient and round off the head of the bolt more before I flatten it.

Wow. It's a graveyard of immortal steel.

Okay, perhaps I should have worried about the aesthetics of the cutoff I made. Yours look nice and symmetrical. I am rethinking my beliefs about the balance of form and function.

I like that idea! I see axes and and sledges for sale cheap at flea markets all the time,. Now I have a new reason to pick up every one I see.

I would just put this problem in my rationalization routine for convincing myself and then my wife that I need a power hammer...and a big tarp....and a suit of mail.

Let me just add to the "that is awesome" pile....

It's a small cold shut on both sides because the head of the bolt was so square. Despite my best attempts I couldn't get it to draw out without developing a fish mouth on one side or a cold shut on the other. I worked both sides and settled for a balance between the two. The line you see is a very shallow cold shut that defines the line between the outside edge of the head of the bolt and the original shaft that I upset. It is maybe 1/64th deep and isn't a structural issue. Honestly, I could have spent more time trying to make it perfect but I figured that it wasn't necessary for a hardy tool. If it cracks I will learn how foolish I was and then I'll make another! If you look at it once you'll notice that I didn't even bother making the shoulders of the cutting end even. I didn't think it mattered. The cutting edge itself is straight and true and it fits tightly into my hardy hole. If it works well and seems to last maybe I'll make a pretty one out of another bolt. Honestly, I'm waiting for some one to tell me those bolts are no good for hot cuts. I haven't found anyone using them for tooling and figure I'm missing out on some basic information.

GlennA, be careful taking advice from me...I'm an idiot! ....Seriously though, thanks for the heads up. I'm a newb to smithing but I'm a newb who has at least 1000 hours of study beyond my hours of practice at the forge. I generally only respond when I think something I've learned might be helpful but I like to warn people that the regulars here have forgotten more than I know. So far a curmudgeon hasn't jumped in and explained why I'm off here so I feel good! If it wasn't so late I'd go light up the forge and smack some metal to celebrate.

Well, to counter all of the beautifully crafted items on display in this thread I'd like to offer up the hot cut hardy I made with an A490 structural bolt. They are an alloy steel with specs that makes them good for tools...plus I can get them cheap. This bolt was 7" by 1" and I upset it, fit it to my hardy and then pounded the bolt head into a cutting tool. I figure it's about time something ugly gets posted in this thread!

I've come to grips with the fact that misinformation is the norm in this world. All humans suffer from the affliction of "confirmation bias", which means that we tend to seek out and readily accept ideas and information that confirms our previously held beliefs and we steadfastly deny (or at least ignore) information that threatens our world view. So, people who came up learning that RR spikes are a source for decent knife steel will be hard pressed to change those beliefs even in the face of scientific analysis. You are the newb the way they see it. Put into the context of politics and religion, confirmation bias becomes a serious social toxin...but, sadly, it's how we are made. It takes a rare combination of intellect and personality to create an individual who takes on new beliefs and ideas easily and is willing to toss out their old beliefs. The irony is that society tends to label those people as "wish washy" and they are often considered suspect or unreliable. Example: Americans, in general, are uncomfortable with the fact that scientists often toss out old models in the face of new discoveries. Google up some "confirmation bias" and read a bit. It is a depressing topic to me but is infinitely interesting.

Glen, I think you are going to have a hard time keeping anthracite burning with that Champion 400. It needs constant air with some decent static pressure. You may have one heck of a versatile forge there if you drill a hole with a hole saw in the side of the forge body, through the clay and right into the heart of your duck's nest (about 2 inches from the bottom). Feed some schedule 40 pipe in and use a blower to feed air. The 400 blower will be your secondary blower for when you need more heat and the electric blower will be your maintenance air when using anthracite. You could still burn bituminous and charcoal with the 400 alone. It would be one heck of a flexible little forge that way! I have that exact same forge but am waiting for my chance at a 400 to get the complete set. I, too, burn anthracite because of availability but I use a side blast. Chandler on YouTube burns anthracite in a bottom blast though, so it does work. But he runs a blower into the intake of his hand crank blower and uses the blower as a booster (another option for you). either way you do it you will definitely find that you need constant air.

It was a good video. I think Chandler was quite clear that it still wasn't a good steel for knives. What I took away from the video was two different messages: 1- He offered an great example (spastic cursing included) of the pure joy of experimenting at the anvil, following a plan and learning. The excitement of smithing was palpable. 2- his final judgement was that it's not the material, it's the smith that matters. I personally like the message. I find myself wasting too much time worrying about getting the "right" tool, material, etc... when I should just be heating, hammering and learning. In the end, his knife most certainly passed the test and he was more surprised than his viewers were. The best part is that he did it with heat treat advice from posters on his YouTube channel! It was a group effort in the digital age.

Looks great Ray! I guess that, at some point, you will decide to turn one of those narrower edges into a bottom fuller. You could move steel fast with a nice radius on the spine of that thing. Let us know how the steel smashing went!

That's a sweet deal nkearns. I would have grabbed that one in a heartbeat. Enjoy it!

While I might enjoy Florida in the winter I think I would have to pass on that trip. It would be one-way as my wife wouldn't allow me back home.

Fool that I am I would likely get lazy and run out to the landscaping company and buy a load to be dumped in my truck. Though, I do have a seemingly endless supply of clay 2"+ under my entire back yard.

If you feel like stopping by my house on the way down I'll pitch in gas money!

Having just hung out for a few at Notownkid's CT residence and heard some of his stories I can safely assume that he is an expert at the aforementioned technique... Thanks for the horseshoes Dale!

I could have come up with Manet jokes but none would have compared...

You win. That was awesome! You have officially created the most perfect pun ever. I bow before your genius while desperately trying to work a Cezanne joke in somehow.....

I get the Impressionist that this thread has derailed...

Cool project! Thanks for the inspiration.