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I Forge Iron

a new piece


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i'm almost ready to temper a blade i'm working on and i was going to clay temper it, but what i need to know are two things...
1) do i normalize the blade before clay tempering
2) should i polish it before clay tempering

i'm new at this obviously from my other threads and i would like some advice. when i'm done with the piece i'll upload a pic.

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Read alot about heat tempering and using clay. Good practice to anneal first after you forge..it is easier to sand or grind everyting to shape and smooth then. Then it needs normalized. Then it needs to be hardened ,,then tempered. What you do with your piece is very dependant upon what kind of steel it is. Some steels can be hardened with oil some air some water. To use the wrong quenchant will ask for a failure up front. If your steel has too little carbon in it you can go ahead now and finish your letter opener as it will not harden to make a useable blade. This is minimal thoughts..everything you need to know is on this site. just search a bit. That is except for your blade steel,,only you know wot you used. Have fun

Edited by Rich Hale
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