NRunals Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 hey guys i have a question about a froe that i'm about to make. i saw a few threads about making froes but they were like a year old or more... i don't know the proper protocol on rezing dead thereads or starting a new one so i'll just start a new one. anyhow...i'm making it out of a leaf spring. i plan on forge welding the eye, however i don't have 100% faith in my welds... so i thought riveting it after i forge weld it would be a good precaution to take. so my question is.... if my weld fails will the rivets be enough to keep a good solid connection? thanks p.s the picture in my mind of a froe with rivets looks pretty cool.... anyone think it's gonna look awful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Tool steel welds at a lower temp than mild so don't over heat it. It also seems to weld much easier than mild. If you're worried about making a sound weld and are thinking about rivetting it after you try and forge weld it, why not rivet it first and then forge weld it. I think a rivetted froe would look good also without atempting any weld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRunals Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 if i rivet before forge welding will the scale still be able to shoot out? and do you think a purely rivet connection will be solid enough? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 As Brian pointed out, you don't need any fastening at all. I always made them that way. I like the way the eye can spring open a little when you drive in the handle. If the material around the eye is 3/8 thick you'll never pry it open with that short handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Use borax. It will dissolve the scale and float it out. If you do a good rivet job and a good job forming the eye, I think it would be fine for most froe work. I would suggest that you try the more traditional approach first. If your weld fails, try again. If you want to give up on that, if it doesn't work, don't rivet the failed atempts because you probably will have already compromised your material. Then try the other suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRunals Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 alright cool thanks a lot. that project just got much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBBrauer Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I made a couple of bark spuds out of a leaf spring and slowly tempered it till the sharpened part just started turning blue. That combo of steel and temper seemed to hold a good edge and stand up to being rammed against pine knots without loosing the edge. And like other dude says, letting that socket stay under tension will help hold the handle in place. I'm pretty sure the handle would break off before tempered leaf spring. You making shingles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRunals Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 yeah i've read that froe's need not be hardened at all... but i was gonna temper it to a blue anyway i'm not the one that'll be making shingles a guy i used to live with wants me to make him one. hes siding his art studio with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Welding leaf spring to itself can be a bit more of a problem due to the alloy content. Slipping in a piece of medium carbon sheet (10XX) can help. As has been mentioned froes traditionally were not carbon steel items to begin with. We tend to go that way as leafspring is often about the right size and with an eye already there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 From my experience, I'd have to say that spring is one of the easiest materials to forge weld, just don't over heat it. I've welded barbs for fish hooks and frog gigs with it, and the material was first forged down to less than 1/8" round. You are not likely to be that successful with mild steel of the same profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker72 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I've been making some froes from leaf spring and I find the steel curves away from where I'm hammering out the bevel. Is there a way to correct this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsaxon Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 bevels do that. if you're doing a double edged blade, it cancels itself out, but you have to work each side progressively as you go along. What i tend to do is curve the blade downwards over the bic, witha gently curve nearer the eye and a steeper curve towards the point, as that is the end which will curve upwards the most. or, you can rectify it as you go along, so forge the bevel, and straighten the spine, before forging more of the bevel and straightening the spine again, though this method can cause "waves" in the bevels, which you then have to work out. easiest way is to curve the blade downwards before doing the bevels, and work from there. hope this is of use :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker72 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Yeah, I've been correcting as I go. However, if I go a bit too far and try to straighten it can be a real work-up. I'm starting to leave a slight curve on the splitting edge as I'm sure it helps feed in the wood easier, and it looks a bit nice. I guess I just want to be quicker at making them. Thanks for the tip, I'll try bending first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsaxon Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 i use a technique Owen Bush showed me, whereby i don't forge the bevel to its whole depth. i'll just start the bevel on the edge and do the whole length of the blade, then straighten the spine, and make the bevel a little deeper, straighten the spine, etc. i think he called this the micro-bevel technique. i find that it helps to keep control of things a little easier good smithing :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker72 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I tried that yesterday to good effect. Much less straightening required, or so it seemed. Quicker too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBrann Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I have made a froe from leaf spring pieces.. from a spring shop. I forged down one end, slit and drifted the eye so it had a slight taper to hold the handle better, then forged out the rest of the froe. To start the bevel, I bent the blade towards the side of the socket that was larger, then worked down the bevel carefully. I have never had luck welding high carbon steel....the piece I stated with was about 3 1/2" x 6"x 3/8"... forged down to about 1" square.. then forged out to about 16" long The I let it cool slowly, then filed and ground the edge sharp ish, basically to make the edge even, and convex like a samurai sword for better splitting action .... the guy I made it for uses it often... and hasn't had to sharpen it yet.... Good luck and post pics.... Cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker72 Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 That's some work there Cliff. Do you have a power hammer? Sounds like a great way to make one, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsaxon Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I tried that yesterday to good effect. Much less straightening required, or so it seemed. Quicker too. Glad I could help! post us some pictures :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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