Forging Brass Knuckles

[highwayman]

Hey Everyone,

I am trying to figure out the best way to forge some brass knuckles for a motorcycle accessory. Has anyone ever done this before?

I have a few ideas, but not sure which way is best. As you may have guessed already, I am a newbie.

Here are the different ideas I have:

1) Cut a rough cut out of 1/4 or 3/8 plate with the oxy/acetylene torch and forge down from there.

2) Forge 4 small hoops and weld them together with a palm rest. I am not sure if I could hide the welds and don't think I could manage a good forge weld on all of them.

3) Punch and drift the finger holes and then forge around them. My concern here is that I will end up with uneven holes and too much mass in the wrong places.

My other concern is what order to forge different sections in so that I can actually get the hammer in certain places.

Any ideas or suggestions??

Thanks in Advance!

Bob

[easilyconfused]

Depending on how fast you need them, this would be a good practice for punching/ slitting and drifting. You should be able to get the right amount of metal where you need it if you place your holes right. If you need them fast, drill the holes so you have the right amount of material between and then rough cut with a torch or chisels and clean up with a hammer after grinding out the sharp points that would cause cold shuts

[Rob Browne]

Before even starting that project, make sure you will not end up in trouble with the law. Those things will get you a trip to the cops VERY fast here.

Cheers

[beth]

i would be thinking about casting too if it were me...

[tooter]

Highly illegal in US too.

[Don A]

So are you actually using brass?

If I wanted an accurate reproduction of some originals I would cast 'em, but the easiest route for a newbie is going to be to lay out the pattern on a piece of flat stock then drill and file to shape.

If you intend to use steel, all that forging- welding little rings then welding them together- sounds good in theory, but it probably won't go as smooth in the real world. Punching large holes close together in thin stock should be interesting as well. Even the torch is going to be tricky. You're welcomed to give it a try, but if you need a part for a job in a timely manner, I'd go the simplest route. Four strokes with a 3/4" bit and most of the work is done. Grind, file, polish, done.

Unless you have a friend with a plasma cutter or water jet...

Don

[Don A]

Highly illegal in US too.

Yeah, but add a 1/4" nub, call it a belt buckle, and it's legal.

Go figure...

[highwayman]

Thanks for all the input. I think I might go the route of the drilling and filing.

I have not been able to find a 3/4" bit, however. Any suggestions on where to buy one?

Just to clear up any confusion, they will be made from steel and used as an emblem welded to the backrest (Sissy Bar) on a friends motorcycle. I have no intentions on re-aligning any jawbones with them!

Also, since they will be permanently attached to the motorcycle as decoration, they are perfectly legal.

[Don A]

I have not been able to find a 3/4" bit, however. Any suggestions on where to buy one

Fastenal, Enco, Granger, etc. probably have them, but they're probably expensive.

I've got a 9/16 and several 1/2" bits. I'd probably use the biggest I had and open it up with a large round file.

Or, you could perforate the inside perimeter with a small drill, cut the web with a small cold chisel, and then clean it up with a file.

Poor folks got poor ways!

[Bentiron1946]

Having looked at the attached photo you should be with the use of a vise, drill, files and saw be capable of roughing that out in a few hours, then finish it with emery and polish. Not a very difficult stock removal project. <_<

[Sukellos]

Brass Knuckes? Why don't you just wallop the dude with your 2lb hammer?

Knuckles is illegal, hammer ain't ...yet!

Ever seen one of these?

[highwayman]

Having looked at the attached photo you should be with the use of a vise, drill, files and saw be capable of roughing that out in a few hours, then finish it with emery and polish. Not a very difficult stock removal project.

Sounds good. Do you have any more input about the process?? What should I do first?

[youngdylan]

Hey Everyone,

I am trying to figure out the best way to forge some brass knuckles for a motorcycle accessory.

1) Cut a rough cut out of 1/4 or 3/8 plate with the oxy/acetylene torch and forge down from there.

Bob

plasma/laser/water cutting maybe, I'm none to sure brass will oxy fuel cut. It needs the carbon in STEEL to burn to generate the heat, the fuel gas just provides the initial preheat. The heat from BURNING the carbon in the steel more or less makes the process self sustaining. Metals with no carbon won't burn too well; life would be so much easier if stainless would oxy fuel cut. You might be able to MELT a path through brasss, wont be too pretty though.

Hey, why something so agressive. Nice flower or fluffy cloud or cute pussy perhaps!

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Actually it ain't carbon that's burning, it's the iron. In fact higher carbon is tougher to burn. The milder (less carbon) it is the easier it flame cuts. Don't think steel burns? Light some steel wool!

[highwayman]

plasma/laser/water cutting maybe, I'm none to sure brass will oxy fuel cut. It needs the carbon in STEEL to burn to generate the heat, the fuel gas just provides the initial preheat. The heat from BURNING the carbon in the steel more or less makes the process self sustaining. Metals with no carbon won't burn too well; life would be so much easier if stainless would oxy fuel cut. You might be able to MELT a path through brasss, wont be too pretty though.

Hey, why something so agressive. Nice flower or fluffy cloud or cute pussy perhaps!

As I stated before, I will be using steel , not brass. I only wrote brass in the original post so that people knew what I was talking about.

[youngdylan]

good point Grant, explains why cast iron won't oxy fuel cut. What stops stainless from cutting .... or is it just my ineptitude!

[John B]

Sounds good. Do you have any more input about the process?? What should I do first?

Start off by drawing out the shape the actual size on the steel you are going to use,

You can then decide how you are going to remove the cut out areas you have marked.

Then remove these areas with whatever tools you may have, oxy/acet, drill and jigsaw, or chain drill with smaller drills around the inside of profiles and use a chisel to remove the centres,

Then you can dress the edges with files, dremel, air grinders or whatever to the shapes and contours you require.

That is not a shape that easily lends itself to forging, it is more of a bench fitting exercise IMHO

[youngdylan]

As I stated before, I will be using steel , not brass. I only wrote brass in the original post so that people knew what I was talking about.

...oops, silly me. I should have realised when you said brass you really meant steel, easy mistake to make.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Some materials like aluminum cannot be torch cut due to the oxides that are formed. Aluminum oxide melts at a higher temp than the torch puts out. As for stainless, probably a similar occurrence due to the low amount of iron, and high amounts of chromium, etc.

Steel is actually burned in oxy/acet process, not melted like with a plasma cutter. Very large chunks are cut with an oxygen lance. The steel is heated then a separate lance is used to feed pure oxygen into the cut to keep it burning.

[youngdylan]

Some materials like aluminum cannot be torch cut due to the oxides that are formed. Aluminum oxide melts at a higher temp than the torch puts out. As for stainless, probably a similar occurrence due to the low amount of iron, and high amounts of chromium, etc.

Steel is actually burned in oxy/acet process, not melted like with a plasma cutter. Very large chunks are cut with an oxygen lance. The steel is heated then a separate lance is used to feed pure oxygen into the cut to keep it burning.

Yo BigGun

yeah kinda makes sense. From my (very) limited metallurgy knowledge, most things that are special about stainless come from the chromium oxide layer on the surface.

[Bentiron1946]

I got a piece of mild steel that is about 10mm (3/8" I think) thick here that should work. The first thing to do is lay it out, you know draw a picture of it on the steel, sharpie ought to work fine. Center punch & drill the holes to start working on the finger holes. You don't need to drill a hole the size of your fingers but the bigger the better. I'd start off with a die grinder if you have one, if not a big old rat tail file will do just fine. File the finger hole to size. Now start roughing the outside shape with a disk grinder to match your photo that is posted, not too difficult. Should be looking somewhat like knuckles by now, right? OK, Everything is all roughed out now and you get to start work with a little abrasive wheel on your die grinder or a finer cut round file on the finger holes and a finer flap wheel on the disk grinder for the outside finish. Now it just time to sand it smooth. See, no need for a plasma cutter or o/a cutting torch, no expensive tools, no lighting up the forge, just about four to six hours of good old fashioned grunt work, good for the soul. Have fun and send pictures. :blink:

[highwayman]

I got a piece of mild steel that is about 10mm (3/8" I think) thick here that should work. The first thing to do is lay it out, you know draw a picture of it on the steel, sharpie ought to work fine. Center punch & drill the holes to start working on the finger holes. You don't need to drill a hole the size of your fingers but the bigger the better. I'd start off with a die grinder if you have one, if not a big old rat tail file will do just fine. File the finger hole to size. Now start roughing the outside shape with a disk grinder to match your photo that is posted, not too difficult. Should be looking somewhat like knuckles by now, right? OK, Everything is all roughed out now and you get to start work with a little abrasive wheel on your die grinder or a finer cut round file on the finger holes and a finer flap wheel on the disk grinder for the outside finish. Now it just time to sand it smooth. See, no need for a plasma cutter or o/a cutting torch, no expensive tools, no lighting up the forge, just about four to six hours of good old fashioned grunt work, good for the soul. Have fun and send pictures.

Thanks so much for the step by step instructions. I think I can handle this process. Hopefully, I will have it done over the weekend and have some pics up by Monday.

Thanks so much for everyones advice!