Albert Botha

On 8/26/2021 at 3:51 PM, ThomasPowers said:

If you are thinking about marking blades, then you might be able to have your cast thumbprint in the guard.  Most blade steels will not cast a great blade.

Most blade steels wil not cast a great blade ,interesting ,care to explain a bit or point me in the direction to read about this?

On 8/26/2021 at 5:00 PM, Glenn said:

You may want to reduce the number of lines in the fingerprint so it still looks like a fingerprint but is much easier to work with.

Noted ,thanks! 

9 minutes ago, JHCC said:

As ThomasPowers notes above, electrolytic etching is worth a try; the method is detailed elsewhere on IFI (e.g., HERE and HERE). If I were attempting a thumbprint, here's what I would do:

1. Create an image file of your thumbprint on your computer. Edit the image so that it's (a) the size you want, (b) halftone (black and white only, no gray), and (c) a mirror image of the original.
2. Print that image with a laser printer on glossy inkjet paper. The laser toner will transfer to the paper, but it won't bond to it.
3. Clean your workpiece thoroughly.
4. Place the printed paper on the workpiece, image side down.
5. With a hot iron, press the paper against the workpiece. This should melt the toner so that it transfers to the workpiece.
6. Soak the paper with hot water to soften, and peel back gently. This should leave the toner image behind.
7. Proceed with etching.

Remember that the stencil acts as a negative; that is, where the image is black, the workpiece will not be etched, and where the image is white, the workpiece will be etched. If you want the lines of your print to be etched into the blade, you might want to edit the stencil image to be a negative of the original thumbprint.

Hope this helps.

"Saved" thank you very much.

5 minutes ago, JHCC said:

Pressing your thumb against the red-hot metal is NOT recommended, as this is more likely to remove the print from your thumb than it is to impress it into the workpiece.

This my second plan ,i had doubts thou.

Maybe i should have added that i want to use it to mark my art,knives and items i forge.

Hi there folks ,im always trying to do the impossible ,to my own frustration most of the times ,but this idea came to me after many thoughts of what i can use as a unique touchmark ,so i thought what if i can use my own thumb print?as a touchmark (Not sure if this can be possible) so the only ppl clever enough to help me find a way ,if there is ,is here on iforgeiron .What about casting it ? Was my first thought ,and in what type of steel ? Melting sping steel maybe ? Any help would be appreciated,maybe there are other ways like machining or lasers that I didn't think of ,cant wait to hear from you ,cheers from South Africa 

O yess ,that could work..

I don't have a belt grinder.

What if i make it square? Will it be stronger than the available punches they buy at tool stores?

I am in South Africa, the person that asked me to make these punches , don't want the punches that you buy at the tool store ,he wants me to make them, i now have an idea of what steel to use ,my next question is ,do i just hammer the steel to 3mm thickness!!? Phew! Can it be done? 

Forgot to add. The point of the punch has to be round and 3mm in thickness and about 5cm long ,this is for a mechanic to punch pins out on cam shafts.

Hi, I am a blacksmith. I want to know how to make a punch tool, with what material and what is the hardening process? The tools I have available is an anvil, coal forge, hammer and grinder. Any ideas please?