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I Forge Iron

KLO

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Posts posted by KLO

  1. On ‎10‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 3:04 AM, anvil said:

    The other is bottoming taps. The "usual" kind you buy are starting taps and the working end is tapered.  They do not cut threads all the way to the bottom of a blind hole. Bottoming taps are flat cut and will cut threads to the bottom. 

    we call these plug taps and starter taps, we also have intermediate taps, plugs are for finishing a thread, starter taps are for starting, and intermediate taps are for rough cutting where it will be temporary. I absolutely hate taps and dies because I always learnt with plug taps and cheap dies that would not cut for the life of them.

  2. I have to keep my files out of the hands of everybody, I once caught my brother using one of my favourites as a chisel and pry-bar. he then went and used my favourite wood chisel but left it in my tool box with my spanner set. I trust nobody with my tools now, even hammers cant be left around as my brother will start smashing two together. these idiots are the reason I have severe trust issues and only allow them to use the cheapest files from a $2 store.

  3. I personally dislike a perfect mirror finish, this is down to the fact that a mirror finish will rust after a day, a week. but a forging that is left rough but still well done will always be my preferred style. I don't care for the mirror finish because it provides no real protection to the bare metal. I will always prefer an axe with a patina over the mirror finish. the patina will protect the blade or metal. I don't mind a small hammer mark here or there as long as it doesn't reduce the effectiveness of the tool or piece. A door handle will always do the same job hammer mark or not. the same goes for everything. but there are exceptions like if the tool was for use in the food industry you would clean it up so that bacteria could not build up, or if the prospective buyer specifically asked for a mirror finish, these are the times where I will accept the mirror finish.

    A finished forging is one that does its job, that is if its a door handle all it needs is a coat of some anti-rust agent, if its a knife for a buyer then its up to them.

  4. On 9/7/2018 at 12:35 PM, SLAG said:

    In North America,  pallets are usually made of hardwood. And, your use of a piece of it was a good move.

    ah yes I assumed it was pine because of being so cheap and being treated, but as you say the wood could be hardwood, it was used to carry animal feed. that I recall I didn't put a wedge in it and just soaked the head in oil.

  5. Old Nicholson files and some good Wiltshire ones get me around, I also have a few rare "diamond" tool co files which are almost impossible to track down. I get old ones mainly but also some $2 file from reject shop that I use to knock off scale.

  6. I will put my 2 cents in, I have a lot of ball peins, and I started taking a liking to an older 3 pounder, but needed a smaller hammer for lighter work around the place so I dug up an old 1 pounder that didn't have a handle. I was in a fix and had no access to a lathe or any hardwood, so I got an old pallet, (you know the kind they use to haul xxxx around with), and I broke out a foot long piece and started to shape the handle to the head very roughly and just sort of well, pounded it into the eye and I couldn't remove it, so I left it in there, this was about 2 years ago, the head hasn't flown off yet and the handle is still rough as guts, but the hammer works well and the handle hasn't cracked yet, so im happy. this is just a cheap pine wood btw.

  7. it is at the very least 20 years old I will throw it in the forge and see how well it hardens. The eye and tips are terrible but the rest is still usable, I will probably just use the leaf spring I scavenged for knives at the moment. I don't have access to/don't know how to use electrolysis but the spark test will tell well enough. I have learnt something new today and will think more about future projects. Also what would the carbon content on newer mattocks and pickaxes be.

  8. I have an old pickaxe that I was thinking of cutting up into 3 inch pieces to use for knife making or something like that. It would be great if I could know if it would still be usable. its in terrible condition so I cant restore it, It was sitting under the earth for a few years but it still has some usable steel on it. There was also, in the same general area, 2 axe heads in rough shape and most of an 8 pound sledge, which I know I can use.

    I will get pictures week after next, or when possible.

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