dperk Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 I'm still learning and I'd probably have a better handle on this if I had more experience, but since I dont: What size stock should I be buying? I'm making knives no more than 1.5" tall, mostly smaller. I'm interested in buying flat and round stock. I have already bought some 1/4" by 1" flat and some round that is 3/4". Are there any guides out there that show what you should expect size wise from a 3/4 round compared to a 1" round? I'm just looking for suggestions or what you guys/gals do (or order most often). Thanks! -darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s meyer Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 It depends on your experiance moving metal. How mutch forging your going to do to the stock you have. If you don't have a press or a power hammer I would not go to big on your round bar 1" is probabley max. and would get you to 2" wide no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 1/4"x1" and 1/4"x1.5" are the most common sizes, occasionally 3/8"x1" or 3/8"x1.5". If forging from round bar 5/8" or 3/4" is common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperk Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 Thanks for the quick reply guys! I have been using scraps from my stock removal work to learn on, and it was mostly 1/8". I'm finding out that it just too thin to work with and I think it's making it more difficult. I have some 1/4" by 1" now and I think I'll get some more of that and some 1/4" by 1.5". I also have some 3/4" round now, so I'll add some 5/8" also. I will stay away from 1" round for now since I do not have any power hammer or press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy seale Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 or some 3/16" also it depends on what your making....and your finishing capabilitys and your hammer control and...the list goes on but, play with what you can get and go from there,have fun, jimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 The unknowns here are how much metal you will lose to scaling as you heat to forge and How much metal you will remove after forging to remove hammer marks and get things trued up. Both of those will change as you develop skills in fire management and forging skills.If you are new to forging and starf with quarter inch stock you may find that by the time you get a nicely finished blade it is too thin for the size you wished to make. I do not see a valid reason for buying rouind stock and forging to flat. All of the carbon steels suitable for blades are available in flat. Now if i were to come across a real cheap supply of a steel I normally use and it was round I would get it. But then I have a 50 little giant power hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nc_cooter Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 When forging knives, I teach my students to think in terms of volume. It's not that hard to figure the approximate volume of the knife. Then choose the appropriate size of stock. My knife stock is 1/4"x1 1/2" x 48". I just cut off a piece and forge to shape.You can always give yourself a little wiggle room. If you are doing only stock removal, then you will have a problem with this approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Good Morning, When I teach a Blacksmith class, the first thing that I give the students is a container of Play-dough, clay or plasticene. It is easy to manipulate with your fingers and a hammer. It moves exactly like steel but you can hold it in your hands. Take a piece of play-dough and make what you think you would like, a finial, a tool, a knife............ When you are finished, roll it up in a ball and then form it into whatever size material you have available. That is your minimum size stock. Learn to work with a forge and you will learn the plasticity of steel. Don't put barriers on learning, enjoy the journey, there is no perfect way. Neil Gustafson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dperk Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 Excellent feedback! I like the clay idea. I will try to get some clay like substance from the craft store. As for the round bar, I just wanted to use it for fun. I like the idea of taking something that doesn't resemble a knife and shape it into one. I'm sure I'll mostly use flat stock, but I wanted to try round and learn what finished size I can get out of it. I have noticed how much you loose to scale and grinding and that's why I realized my 1/8" stock was way to thin. I do have a nice 2x72 grinder to work with and adding more tools as I can. I'm very happy I found this site. Once I saw a forging demo, I was drawn to it. So far I haven't forged a decent knife, but I have made some nice leafs and hooks for the house. Everyone on this site is great, and I sincerely appreciate the responses! Thanks! -darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 I tell my students to to practice knifemaking they can get a pickup coil spring and slit it down opposite sides and get a dozen or so C pieces to practice on. It will alloy you to forge blades from that alloy and then test your heat treating and designs to destruction. Springs that have not been fatigued are the best! Forging is very much a constant volume process. I have taken a patternwelded billet and forged it down the long way into a disk something many people would never think of as a shape possible from a rectangular solid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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