Bowmaod Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Hey everyone. How close can you guys get to a finished product using just a hammer and forge? I'm just curious more than anything. bowmaod Edit: I know that a lot of the work is done with grinders, files, and sanders, etc. Edit II: I'm talking about making knives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Wot matters even more is how close you can get,,,,,Forging to patterns is a skill that takes an indefinate amount of time and effort...Are you set up and forging yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry H Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 from bare steel to the customers home....hammer, forge, anvil, we do it all the time. If you have to grind it or file it you didn't forge it good enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowmaod Posted September 15, 2012 Author Share Posted September 15, 2012 from bare steel to the customers home....hammer, forge, anvil, we do it all the time. If you have to grind it or file it you didn't forge it good enough Wow, that's impressive. I had no idea that was possible. Wot matters even more is how close you can get,,,,,Forging to patterns is a skill that takes an indefinate amount of time and effort...Are you set up and forging yet? Right now about all I can do is forge a lumpy piece of stock. (I only tried once, though...) I'm still in the "figuring things out" and "making really bad tongs" stage of blacksmithing. bowmaod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Your question could be answered many ways. People who make hooks and candleholders often do very little grinding and filing... or even none at all. Anyone who makes edged tools will need to do at least some grinding, filing, honing. Most hammer makers do some grinding and polishing of the working faces. Most tongs are "as forged" finishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loneforge Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Look at any of the work posted by Stormcrow! This will answer your question! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowmaod Posted September 15, 2012 Author Share Posted September 15, 2012 I guess I should have clarified - I was asking about bladesmithing (that's why I'm posting in the knifemaking section). I realize that tongs and artwork are usually finished straight out of the forge, but I was wondering how far along in the bladesmithing process you guys can get with just a hammer, forge, and anvil. Sorry about the miscommunication. bowmaod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Many items can be forged to size with no extra processes such as filing or grinding, from fireplace tools to entire gates. Industrial forgings are regularly dropped to size within +- .005. You just have to possess the skill set and knowledge to do it. Edit: Since you meant blades specifically, the answer is still yes - look at forged shredder blades, they are dropped net shape and taken straight to H/T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 You name wouldn't be Dan would it? If so why not just give a call and ask, your Mother would love a call. You're suffering a typical beginner's misunderstanding. Bladesmithing isn't fundamentally different than any other blacksmithing. Specifically you must perform to your market or you're a hobbyist. If the folk willing to pay you enough to make blades for them want precision and high polish you're going to be doing some stock removal. If on the other hand they want to see scale, as forged is the ticket. In a practical universe where we live you'll be a lot better off learning to forge precisely before you start forging blades. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowmaod Posted September 15, 2012 Author Share Posted September 15, 2012 Nope, not Dan. The reason I asked is that I tried to hammer out a knife-shaped thing today on a whim and found it was much harder than I thought. It's not really my intent to get into bladesmithing until, like you said, I can get better at blacksmithing. I was just curious at how well the experts could wield a hammer. bowmaod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aden Cassidy Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Depends on the person, when I first had a go the blokes at the local club showed me how to make a leaf, suprised at how similar I made mine to his. When I first tried to copy a knife blade design but with different handle style, they were withing 20-25mm of each other in length. Maybe less, same basic blade shape, mini kukri style, one of my favourites. Took me less time and I also tamp the edges on each side as I find this curves as well as widens the blades. It also makes beveling easier as you will already have a pattern to follow on. Usually I need to do very little profiling unless it is a very thick blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Look at Tim Lively's knives: http://www.timlively.com/bowies.htm Forged all the way to being ready to be sharpened on a whet rock. That's some skill! He's a meticulous craftsman. His video is very much worth buying. Buy from his website directly as he has been ripped off and had his video copied. Also check out Tai Goo, who is a master with a hammer. These two men are the biggest influence on my work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Yup you can take it from the heat treat to the sharpening stone *IF* you are good! Most beginners have too rough a hammering and too thick a decarb layer to make that a good idea. Several hundred years ago they had the saying "If a good blade you will win you must forge thick and grind thin" to deal with those sorts of issues---and they wanted smooth shiny surfaces... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormcrow Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 And I have had the saying for years, "A shiny finish doth not a good blade make." :D With a forge finish, one of the biggest areas that takes concentration is getting everything straight. The thinner you go forging, the more difficult it is. I used to go closer to the final edge than I currently do. I forge close, but leave me enough thickness to get everything as it needs to be at the edge via stock removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I like your saying Stormcrow! Not that a shiny blade can't be a good one... but often the makers of very shiny blades are really after collector type appearances and not even concerned with unimportant issues like "sharpness"! I have seen such blades with all of the cutting edges softly rounded by the polishing process... this does not fit MY idea of "a good blade". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aden Cassidy Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Got calala off of here always telling me I need to make my blades more shiny and polished, like it sometimes but also go for the slightly unfinished look. Gets up me about putting a guard on ecery knife to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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