gearhartironwerks

Another fun project. The client is into dragons.

had fun making this door knocker for a client whose house is near the ocean.

Or, you could make one. For the cost of the jig, you could waste a lot of steel learning how to freehand, which you'll most likely have to master in the long haul. Just sayin. John

Greetings to Everyone, I've been out of the action for awhile as I had a heart issue, but am back making blades...and it feels good! Here are some pics of recent work. This one is from the end of last yr. Will post some newer ones as soon as I can process the photos. Comments and critiques are always welcome. Thanks for looking. John Gearhart Ironwerks

Fwiw, here is my suggestion for grinding: Never, ever use 36 grit even for rough grinding a blade. It will leave micro scratches even after going thru the various smaller grits. I know it doesn't sound logical, but believe me the 36 grit belts leave nearly invisible micro scratches that after heat treat are nearly impossible to get out. I like to start at 50-60 grit to rough grind, then move thru the grits to 220 prior to ht. After ht, I go back to 220 to clean up where I left off, then start on higher grits from there. Recently, a maker in Mn. introduced me to 3M film backed belts that go from 60 down to 9 micron film backed belts. They are strictly used for polishing and not stock removal. 9 micron is equal to 1200 grit. After pretty much wearing out the 9, I load it with polishing compound to get a near mirror finish. The 3M belts are purchased thru Trugrit and cost $4-5. ea. Hope this helps. John Gearhart Ironwerks

You have to start thinking about the usage of the knife being in water and rust because of that. L6 saw blade rusts easily. Most fishermen don't care for their blades as a chef would. My suggestion would be to buy a stainless blade and handle it. I know this is anathema for this site and bladesmithing, but unless you have experience with stainless blades, you may want to consider it. John

What a beautiful blade, and love the bolster! Keep em coming. John

Just a guess, but you're probably using a "J' weight belt which is extremely flexible. They work fine on a wheel, but not so well on a platen. I might suggest using Trizac gator belts. The numbers don't correspond with what we associate with various grits. You'll have to look up the differences. John

MC I use a pid reader from Auberins (www.auberins.com) #SYL 1512AR. It requires 120v power. The K thermocouple rated up to 2350+ can be purchased from Ebay , Omega or McMaster-Carr. McM-Carr #562-692-5911 is the one I usually use but you'll need to buy a ceramic head to connect the wires. You have to be certain the thermocouple you buy is rated for the temp. John

If you want to get serious about forge welding damascus/pattern welding with consistency, you need to have forge control. You can do that for about $60. Until you make that commitment, you're just going to guess and most likely waste material. The key is to eliminate the variables, heat being a major one. I wish you the best. John

What I've found is that most weld failures come from a lack of adequate temp and soak time. You didn't mention the temp you attempted to weld at or your soak time. For me, I usually weld at between 2315-2330 and soak anywhere between 10-15 mins depending upon the material thickness. I heat the forge to welding temp, put the billet in and wait for the forge to come up to temp, then soak. Do not remove the billet after you put it in and turn it frequently. Steels with alloys require more soak time than the simple 10 series. When you do take it out, tap lightly at first to stick it, then back into the forge and hammer a little harder on the next trip to the anvil or power hammer. Try this method and please tell us how that works for you. Btw, I don't use flux, but you may need it with chain saw and cable. There isn't much along the lines of what you are trying to do that can't be welded. John www.gearhartironwerks.com

Time to do some experimenting. John

Excllent! Got a cure that's fun for moles? I like things that go boom. John

That's a beauty!

I'm guessing your soak time at welding temp is not long enough. I weld in a gas forge and control the temp, welding at 2315 to 2325 after an adequate soak. A thermocouple and a pid reader will pretty much guarantee success. Control of the forge, and clean steel is the key to consistency welding and may save you some $ at the liquor store. John

I'm all for guys doing it by hand should they chose to do so. But, that being said, I like to play with various patterns, and as such, being 67 with sore everything, I like to get things finished w/o Aleve and scotch to sleep thru the night. Therefore, power is good for me.

nice pair. congrats! John E.

Maybe a convert to the DARK Side???? Probably not, but got him thinking about forge welding high carbon steel in the gas forge...

Now, if he'll just make another before he forgets how to....just sayin. JE

Fatal? Yep, pretty much so. I have a drawer full of pieces that I'd really not like to discuss, and worse, no longer care to deal with. Someday, I may stack and weld them just because I hate to throw them away. Weld, twist, weld, draw out. What will be will be. It's the last chance saloon when you can't find a date. John

I'm thinking a simple steel like 1095 which is easy to ht. John

you definitely need an oiler. also, that's a lot of valving weight hanging on the top of the cylinder considering the amount of vibration the hammer generates. i'd mount the valving on a seperate plate and use soft hoses. Check out the valving on the youtube.com New style Kinyon hammer head redesign. We never had a problem with that mounting. John www.gearhartironwerks.com

Incredibly elegant! John

While I admire those who build their own as I've built 15 plus grinders for personal use as well as for others, I stumbled across a very reasonable and well made grinder on Ebay for a good price. Some background...I asked for and was tasked with coming up with a 2x72 grinder for the Weaverville, Ca. museum. There is a terrific hammerin there every March during which about 70 smiths show up, many bringing their own coal and gas forges to hammer away for the weekend. Mark Aspery, along with others, generously donate their time and expertise demoing for the weekend. We needed a belt grinder. So, being tasked, I headed to the web. I found (surprisingly) a grinder maker about an hour away from me and called and asked to see his product. I am impressed by the workmanship and quality of the product. The price point is excellent. That being said, I have no vested interest in the product, but intend to buy one for myself in the near future. For info, go to Ebay and look up 2 x 72 belt grinder. The basic grinder sells for $495. John

the choil area is tough unless you have a wheel to get into and work it. nice job on the blade. john