new guy Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 i want to make an axe and i am wondering if a rr spike forge welded on as a bit will be hard enough. Or will i need a better steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 will a giant bolt do the trick? when i spark tested it the sparks were a whitish yellow color. or is that too hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 is anyone even gonna respond? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 well if your forge welding on a bit go for a spring steel or file steel... rr spike is way to low carbon for any serious edge ... especially if your building a axe with inserted edge... good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 ok thanks. it is just going to be a first axe though. i'm not ready for welding. can i use an old crowbar? will that work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatamax Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Why aren't you ready for welding, I learnt forge welding on my beginners course with Steve Hopps and Peat Oberon also teaches it almost at the start of his beginners course. If you can get metal hot enough give it a go its the only way you'll learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 ya old crobar will probably work... that will have more carbon than a rr spike ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 except this is less than a month into my smithing experience. and i have no blower. just me fanning a fire with a metal snow shovel. so i am just going to go for a crow bar. thank you new guy JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fe-Wood Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Do you have an old hair dryer? Yes, you say... then you have a blower. Just hook it to a section of steel pipe. With a little practice and experimentation you will be able to forge weld. Use RR spike for the first one...Practice, then use the better steel once you get the hang of it, just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 good idea. currently i have a stash of 300lbs of rr fasteners, spikes, and bolts! this will be a good source for when i start to fforge weld, bolts for bits and spikes for heads! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 If you are lacking pipe for the hair dryer, try walmart, they have flex pipe in various sizes, would last for a little while before it burns up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Be very careful grinding on bolts, anything but black (oil finished) are plated, the least dangerous being zinc. The pretty gold ones are chrome over cadmium plated and the dust from grinding and oxides from heating are extremely toxic and carcinogenic. Stay away from plated steel. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 to frosty: i filed off the finish and swept up the waste and threw it away. i used a hand file so as to not get it airosolized. and plated steel is something the whole family has warned me about. i am half way through the throwing tomahawk today. although i got a nasty burn/cut when i hit my knuckle on the threads of a bolt when i was hammering it to shape to make a punch. Note to self: don't miss with a hammer. New guy Jr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 new guy, i gotta say kudos for goin' at it w/ a shovel for an air supply !!! that takes some tenacity and desire. good job and keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I hope you wore a mask and gloves while you were forging, filing and sweeping. I know I seem to be coming down pretty hard on you but this stuff is DANGEROUS. Not just plating, all of it. Everything we do is hot, hard, heavy, sharp and dangerous. Things you get away with tens of thousands of times can take you right out. Just because you get away with something once or thousands of times doesn't mean it's alright. Believe me, I'm still recovering from a fall I took two years ago last September. I slipped doing something I'd done a zillion times and I'm still paying. Will pay the rest of my life for not doing it right. How about this. Before you jump into something you've never done ask us first. I can guarantee you aren't going to like the answer very time, heck maybe most of the time but you won't be diving into shallow water without knowing first. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finnr Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Check out the information given on heavy metals in the stickies. Paw Paw Wilson was a very experienced and well known smith who died from complications of heavy metal poisoning. I DEEPLY regret that I never met him for I have found the things he wrote to be truly inspiring to me as I was learning to blacksmith. Please don't become the fondly remembered New Guy. Finnr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 the whole part about dying is low on my to-do list. and due to house rules the mask and gloves are standard clothing if i work. i don't have a choice. also frosty i know what you mean about paying for your mistakes. i blew my knee out in 7th grade and am still paying for it as a freshman in highschool. and i have read up on the dangers and do what i can to be protected. ANd Rob G. the shovel was being lazy. i used to use a folding camp chair! still though it is a pain in the but. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangcrazy85 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 (edited) hey new guy i used a torn apart sweeper for a blower in my forge it even has a on/off switch it also took a little duct tape to mend some holes but hey it was a freebie and it worked try the local goodwill salvation army or just a thrift store for a old sweeper happy hammering Edited April 9, 2009 by steve sells language edited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 i found a shop vac today and it is amazing! i got to forging heat in 5 minutes and was able to heat metal to a red heat vivisble in broad daylight. also i now am only a step away from a ligiamate smithy. now i just need to make tongs and some hardy tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwill Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I saw in one of your earlier post you said you had a surplus of rr spikes. Look on the head of the spike to see if it has "HC" marked on it. The "HC" stands for high carbon. It has enough points of carbon to harden and take an edge. While there is definitely better steals to use, this is as good of place to start as any since you have them in surplus. You can also make knives from these spikes as well. Good luck and hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 We try to keep factual here, Bigwill. This has been covered many times in the forums, and our sticky's here. In summary, there is 30 points of carbon at best to a HC rr spike, they will never get hard enough to make a good blade, the edge will never hold up to much use, they are merely a novelty. the HC is a relative term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Welcome aboard Will, glad to have you. I won't repeat what Steve said but will confirm it. Letter openers and novelties is about it for them. Good practice though. If you'll click "User CP" at the top of the page and edit your profile to show your location it'll make a big difference. IFI is represented by members from more than 50 countries and a lot of info is location specific. Also if local folk know you're there they can tip you to get togethers, tool deals and offer hands on help. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 yeah i have to agree with frosty. the spike knives i am making as throwing axes for my boy scout troops hatchet throwing. they are going to be used by some 6th to 9th graders. i am hands down the oldest to use them (15) and they need to be soft so they don't shatter or chip if they hit a rock. and they do make good practice thingimigummies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new guy Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 wait on a previous post frosty, you said that everything we smiths use is either hot heavy sharp or dangerous. i disagree on only have a 110lb anvil set up and a 3 and 4lb hammer, plus a vise grip saftey glasses an apron and welding gloves. none of the above is all that heavy. you know just a thought. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 wait on a previous post frosty, you said that everything we smiths use is either hot heavy sharp or dangerous. i disagree on only have a 110lb anvil set up and a 3 and 4lb hammer, plus a vise grip saftey glasses an apron and welding gloves. none of the above is all that heavy. you know just a thought. ha ! tell that to your foot when you drop the 110 lb anvil on it!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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