Rich Hale

Thanks Roy that does help a lot. It also tells us that the water was the right thing for B to quench inAccording to the folks that sold it. Being a bit set in my ways I would try oil for a quench before water but that is just me being cautios. No back to the question of why it cracked I really don't know why but I think I can duplicate it if I really want to. If we agree that heating the metal too hot to forge and seeing the little sparklies start is not a good way to work the metal then lets go the other way. A piece that small of a diameter does not retain heat very long, even if you have been working a while and the anvil and hammer are pretty warm. If I bring it from the fire I must start forging reall soon, I think I remember hearing that a piece loses heat at the rate of 10 degrees f per second. May be a bit more for small stock. So if we have the piece to about a temp that a magnet will not stick to it,,that is around 1500f, in ten seconds it will be down 100 degrees f. And remember the anvil, tongs and hammer will take heat from it also. IF I take it out and have to readjust my hold with the tongs and have a couple of steps from the fire to the anvil I can lose a lot of heat. Now I do not have much time left to forge, I can be below forgeing heat before I can get much done to alter the shape. I think if I do all of these things as described I can make the little cracks. To avoid the cracks I would get the correct heat. Use a magnet and see what color the steel is when it no longer sticks to the magnet,,that is the color you want to work with, not a lot brighter and not much darker. Make sure you can get from the fire to the anvil in one motion. Have the hammer ready to work. I hit really fast work on that if you need to watch the color take as many heats as you need to foregg the shape you wish. AFter forgeing bring it up to heat again and let the color go out of it to a black , do this three times to let all the forging tensions go away. Then bring back to non magnetic and right into your quench,,WAter if you like I would try oil. I use oil at between 110 and 120f for this. and I measure the temp. The check with a file and see if it is hard. If a file kind of slides over and does not cut it is hard and needs to be tempered,,follow the data with the steel for that. Or just stick it in an oven for a half hour at 400f and test again with a file, if it cuts it but not easy it will be alright for most things. But would need to know what the use is to be sure. have fun

Do not drive the limo into the MINE

I was just thinkiong the nurse had an accent maybe NORSE

An update from the nurse; she said I should not worry so much about not being able to find words that work in this game, it is likely that I am in a battle of wits and have no more ammunition. No there are no words that fit the game in this update

I have forged in the bitter AZ cold and have done a bit of research on the matter I cannot find that working on a cold anvil does any harm in the 40f temps here

HOpe the Limo would be for a long TIME

I don't have an enco catalog in the desk here but my guess uis that enco can give you the heat treat instructions. Some tool steels, and one in particular , M-2 is bad about cracking when being forged. I dont forge that one as it is easier to forge materials like the 0-1 that enco sells. Yes there is a big difference in oil and air hardening steels. If you have a steel and are not sure what to harden in then heat it and let air cool and see if it is hard. If not repeat and use oil. Water is to me a last resort as almost everything I use I oil harden. It would also help if we knew what your intended use is to be. There is a lot to forgeing steel and that is complicated a little with the addition of carbon. However all the high carbon steels I use have information readily availeable for heat treat. Tell us more and maybe we can help more. Good luck.

Rt has a great point and for most smithing it is not a left brain kind of analytical need for most things...But for knives it seems that if I work in an orderly manner it helps and makes me walk around less.

If it is in myhead I may LIMP

Thought I smelled a WISP of coal smoke

I will WIRE the UK and find out

Maybe I can kind of help. There are formulas somewhere on here thata help you determine how many btus youi need. and how to determine the area and then find out how many of what size burners you need. The maybe part is because I do not remember where I saw the information. But this I do know, If you have not used a gasser before and especially if you are new to forgeing you will be better off buying a forge new and ready to put to work. I have had the opportunity so many times to speak with folks with home built forges that do not get hot enough that is leads me to this thought. Buy one and go to work. If you choose to build I really do hope all works out well Follow all lpg safety precautions and have fun. Some home builts work really well. Rich Hale

Maybe there is HOPE

If someone in your area inhales the smoke and especially if they have some previous lung damage you may be liable for damages. As said above not worth it get a good tank or build one...then no worry...

I have been a user of this site for as long as it has been going. I enjoy the folks and the knowledge I have gained. Recently there was a little bit of a money bind to keep the site going and several folks stepped up with donations. It is my turn to put something in and I have put a knife up for Glenn to auction. http://www.iforgeiron.com/forum/vbay.php?do=cat&showcat=4 That should take you to the IForgeIron auction site and you may bid or not. If you enjoy the site as much as I do maybe you could do something big or small to lend support. And No Glenn did not ask me to hit you all up.

Wish I could TYPE

YOu must have the FORCE with you

It would be TOPS

It is almost time to hike the GORGE

Word may even get to the POPE

Word may even get to the POPE about this game

I like every part of that piece, It looks good and all the parts work together. Workmanship is right on the button, thanks for sharing.

I hate to post this and move the 5160 knife down so I will post a note on that to keep it up. Thought I would share some things that have made my life easier. I got in kind of a rut and just did things the way I learned them. It was working and why change? I ave a lot of thought as to how this was really working and had not really decided that I needed to change much. Then I got a milling machine and had to change the lay out of the shop as it did not fit without moving alot of things. That started it. As long as the equipment had to be moved why not take along look at how it would be placed and how I would work? First thing that I noticed is the workbench just was not right. It was about the stanard height for a bench and that meant I found myself bending over more that I needed to. The storage underneath was not useable and just gave me a place to put stuff I did not need. A new taller bench with out storage gave me a reason to get rid of a lot of stuff. I can work comfortably either standing or sitting on a tall stool. Both put me at about the same height. I use drill presses a lot so I put four of them in a row on one end of the bench. For storage on top of the banch I bought an old snap on tool box and the drawers and the top provides and efficient way to find tools and supplies. I have a nice belt grinder and attachments for a small wheel grinder I use the small wheels on every knife, but to do so requires a change of wheels and then back to the first set up when needed. Yesterday I started on a new grinder that will just be used for the small wheels. And that will require moving things a bit for the space needed. I expect those changes will open another door for improvement. I hope. Along with the changes in the shop I have made some changes in the way I look at my work and how I can improve not only they way I do thing but in the fit and finish of the end product. In addition to the physical things this require some additional knowledge in knife making. Now to the overall plan for me that has worked in the past and will be part of the future: Look at what I do on a regular schedule, see what can or should be changed, find out what I can change on the money I can commit to it, further my education, examine new techniques and or materials, and set aside part of each week to either maintain equipment or improve in some what the work area or how I use it. These changes have helped me I hope some of you will find some value. Rich Hale

Sorry, I had to COUGH

Like others that have answered this I use my birth name. I could never understand why folks use an alias on here as like it was said above. I want my name on my work and if I meet someone I met on line I want them to know me by name. But that's just me and we live in a country where we get to choose who we are and how we do business and pleasure.