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chuckster2.0

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Posts posted by chuckster2.0

    I know this probably gets old but...spike knife

    in Knife Making

    Posted

    In case you are wondering McMaster-Carr is what Donnie is referring to. Btw what you have there looks good. What scales you planning to use?


    I am leaning towards denim micarta since I want the handle to have a high polish and I don't have the money to get the wood stabilized. I will always stabilize the wood because I don't have the patience to care for the wood in the dry Colorado air. Micarta is cheaper and something I can make. Not only that but it is much stronger than wood.
    http://www.fendleyknives.com/micarta_tough.htm
    I also find it as beautiful as wood.

    I know this probably gets old but...spike knife

    in Knife Making

    Posted · Edited by chuckster2.0

    16962.attach 16963.attach

    This is what my first railroad spike knife currently looks like.
    I went to a local railroad and found 20 spikes lying around or so loose in the track that a toddler could pick it out. This actually is not my first attempt. My first attempt ended up melting slightly which I did not believe could happen with the forge I had built. I also had help from a friend since I do not have tongs that allow you to hold in one hand with out the blade slipping out. He held it and I hammered out the shape and told him where to move it. I still have to harden the blade a bit and put a handle on it. I am going to try to make my own stablized wood but what kind is proving hard to figure out.
    any criticism would be appreciated as I have much to learn. Also, handle material suggestions would be helpful
    Sorry obout the picture quality, but all I have is my laptop webcam.

    Ruining the heat treatment

    in Heat Treating Knives, Blades etc

    Posted

    Chuckster when I read your reply above about the heat treat I kind of thought you were a bit testy in response. I thought aboiut it a while and realized once again that with a multi-national site we have done really well with the language problems that brings. Some areas of states countires even continents have different terms for the same thing.
    Thomas reminded me that heat treatment does mean alot of things. And that makes your thought that RR spikes can indeed be heat treated a valid one. Looking at the geneeral tone of the answers I think wot folks are saying is that you can spend a ton of time on a spike knife and when you are done you will have a well done spike knife. My thought is that if you spend the same time with better steel you may even spend less time and have a really nice knife when finished. And the beauty of all of this is it is your choice. Make wot you wish from wotever you like.


    I am sorry sounded testy Rich. I just have spent a lot of time on the knife and hoped that I could heat treat the knife and make it hold an edge for awhile, though probably not as long as a good quality steel knife such as that created from a leaf spring . I have spent months doing preliminary research that suggested that it could be done but since I am such an inexperienced bladesmith I became anxious when Pete said that it could only be a letter opener since that was not it's intended purpose. I also have 19 other spikes that I intended to make into knives not letter openers. I want to be able to say that I made a knife. I want to be a bladesmith.

    Ruining the heat treatment

    in Heat Treating Knives, Blades etc

    Posted

    I am in the middle of making my first knife out of a rail road spike and am about to heat treat the blade. after that is done I am going to hand sand the knife until I reach 1200 grit when I have nothing finer. But to me that is not shiny enough. I would like to buff it but I am afraid that if I get it the blade too hot, I might ruin the the heat treatment. Is this possible?

    A couple new ones.

    in Knife Making

    Posted

    I'm sorry but I have never liked cord handles. To me they look dull and boring. I like vibrant wood handles or carved antler. If I had made those beautiful blades (I'm not that skilled yet) I would have stuck tiger wood on them and stained them red, and then buff them to a high polish. But that is just me.

    Temporary tongs

    in Tongs

    Posted · Edited by chuckster2.0

    I am a new bladesmith and have very rudimentary equipment. In my first attempt at forging, I found that the tongs (a.k.a. the longest pair of needle nose pliers I could find) I found that they are in fact ill suited to the task of grasping the hot metal without two hands. So I have been forced to ask for the help of a friend to hold the metal while I hammer out a blade. But sometimes he is not available. So what can I use to hold the metal by myself until such a time when I have the ability to forge my own tongs?

    To clarify, I with am making blades out of rail road spikes which are pretty thick. Also, I can't make tongs unless I have good ones. My friend and I are still having communication problems (where to put the blade, how to turn it, etc.) I've looked at GS tongs but not nakedanvils. But I guess I'll try GS tongs when I get the money.

    Newb needs help

    in Knife Making

    Posted

    make a wash tub forge Charcoal Forge
    As far as metal goes. Start out with a railroad spike then move on to leaf springs. After that, started pattern welding chainsaw blades. After that you can start to make anything you want. All the plans for those things are online.

    Impossible to sharpen knife

    in Knife Making

    Posted

    Over $600 for limited use, IE one radius hollow grind only and limited supplier for their stones
    ---vs---
    a belt grinder that can use any manufacturers belts, various diameter sheels, platten or slack belt use, with any grit... hmmm


    its all point of view


    Belt grinders are good but they generate a lot of heat which can ruin the temper. If you aren't good at controlling the edge you have to put more effort into building jigs. I'm not saying that people should use it to make a blade, but it would be a convenient way of putting the finishing touches on it. Plus, you have to buy all the belts and then replace them when they get worn out. A stone will last a long time and you can get replacements for them when they get worn out. yeah it does only do hollow grinds which decreases the edges durability but he just wanted to sharpen his blade.

    My first Forge

    in Solid Fuel Forges

    Posted

    yea sure

    First fire be careful if you used cement it may explode.

    Mine did but i was expecting it too, so i stayed back when i didn't have to be near it. When it exploded it just kinda blew off like slate didn't deform the forge. after that i ran it for about a hour and a half with no trouble.


    I used clay and sand but I have not done it's first fire yet because it has not dried. I moved it to my garage to today from my basement. I'm afraid to move it outside because I has been raining frequently where I live. The concrete exploded because there are air bubbles in it. Same thing happens with clay but I'm hoping I packed it in enough for it not to explode.
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