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I Forge Iron

Some old tools I just made


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I didn't enter them into the Devon County, mostly coz I forgot it was on until I turned the breakfast news on this morning! Also I'm supposed to be at a wedding in Guildford tomorrow, so wouldn't be around anyway

I've got to be elsewhere on the sunday, but I plan to make the time to come along on saturday to the iForgeins next week. I'll bring some of the bits with me then :) I'm happy to do a demo, but what would you like me to do? Don't want to be teachin people to suck eggs!


We are cooking 'em. not sucking 'em, along with the bacon.

We have not had a brilliant response yet, but do something you are comfortable with, simple blade? or tool? No doubt questions on other areas may be asked but we can deal with them when they arise.

Look forward to seeing any of you guys from out there.
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That's cool, I'll see what the mood is on the day and make whatever folk ask (within reason ;) ). What sort of time do things kick off btw?

Thomas, thanks for looking. I've only found a few references to iron age or roman drawknives and the picture below seems to be pretty representative. The cross section of tee blade was on a part of the image that didn't download to my computer properly, but it shows a V shape that is widest at the top where the tangs stick out from. Since the scant accounts I've found tally with the picture I'm guessing that they were either dicey to use in a pulling motion or were pushed instead? I should make one and see what its like :D
draw-knife.gif

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Fire up about 9.00 am on. I have got a young man and his Dad who are keen to make blades coming. Anyone else out there want to come along, please do, if you can let me know you are coming, I will get the bacon and cobs ready. Should be a good couple of days,

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  • 6 months later...

Those are some nice looking tools Dave, I'd like to try to make a saw sometime as most of the "woodworking" I do is cutting up small scraps for fuel...how did you make the teeth ? Forged in over a butcher style hardy ? Cut out with chisel or file ?

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I filed them in. Using a three square file (as I would for sharpening a saw), I cut them in just before I went to HT the blade. then once the HT was finished I went back over and sharpened them. They could've been filed in post HT, but it was going to be much harder work ;)

Traditionally teeth were/are mostly chiselled in from the side, so you punch out a triangle of steel. Presses and hand held punch/bolster sets were both used. I guess odd shape/sized saws and early saws were just filed like mine, its just slower if you don't have the tooling set up for punching.

cutting the teeth is the easy part. forging the blade thin and straight (its V shaped cross section) with no twisting is the tricky bit! I could've made life easier for my self by cutting the teeth into a flat bar, heat treating it and then grinding the taper in I expect.

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I filed them in. Using a three square file (as I would for sharpening a saw), I cut them in just before I went to HT the blade. then once the HT was finished I went back over and sharpened them. They could've been filed in post HT, but it was going to be much harder work ;)

Traditionally teeth were/are mostly chiselled in from the side, so you punch out a triangle of steel. Presses and hand held punch/bolster sets were both used. I guess odd shape/sized saws and early saws were just filed like mine, its just slower if you don't have the tooling set up for punching.

cutting the teeth is the easy part. forging the blade thin and straight (its V shaped cross section) with no twisting is the tricky bit! I could've made life easier for my self by cutting the teeth into a flat bar, heat treating it and then grinding the taper in I expect.

Cool thanks, but by V shaped cross section you mean the spine or back of the saw is thinner than the cutting area ?
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