Forging a handled hot-cut

[Ridgewayforge]

Hello,

 

I have a length of medium carbon steel (I believe it to be 1060) that I cut from a Railroad rail anchor, and want to forge a hot-cut out of a piece of it. I was wondering if this is do-able, especially becuase of its size: about 5/8", slightly rectangular. Also, if you have had experience forging a handled hot cut, could you give me some pointers and perhaps a picture of what I should be going for?

 

Thank you all,

Ridgewayforge

[Rich Hale]

Forge the end then weld a mild steel handle to it.......

[swedefiddle]

Punch the hole for the Handle first, then you can index it for whatever orientation you want for the blade. Straight with the Handle, 45 to the handle or 90 to the handle. I teach straight to the handle, so then you can follow a line with your eye. I make the blade with radiused corners so you can walk it down a line you are putting in, without making chop lines.

 

Neil

[DanBrassaw]

Here's Plain and Ornamental Forging, a great book IMO.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=PjpVAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=ornamental+forging&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UU3UUI7-G6-F0QGQl4GoBA&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Look for page 165 (two thirds down the scroll bar), the author shows a good diagram of the steps, as well as nice simple instructions. He starts with 1.5" square bar, but theres no reason you can't make a smaller, lighter duty hot cut, though 5/8 may be pushing it. Try it and see!

[MOblacksmith0530]

jump it up until it is about 7/8" in the area  you want the handle which I usually make about 2/3 along the length of the bar. Punch and drift the hole for the handle. Index your cutting edge the way you want it to be and round the striking end. Since it is 1060 and you are making a hot cut normalize it a couple of times after you have forged it and TADA you have a hot cut.

[Ridgewayforge]

Thank you for your input- I'll go ahead and try my hand at slitting and drifting, and thank you MOblacksmith- you answered my non-asked question about heat treating 1060. I should just normalize it several times? Any other ht I should be aware of? Thanks!

[ThomasPowers]

Handle does not mean wooden handle---just forge the hot cut and put a dent around it and wrap your steel rod around it and twist it tight.

[MOblacksmith0530]

Thank you for your input- I'll go ahead and try my hand at slitting and drifting, and thank you MOblacksmith- you answered my non-asked question about heat treating 1060. I should just normalize it several times? Any other ht I should be aware of? Thanks!

I presume "ht" means "heat treat" not "hat tip" <_< Like I said before since you are using it for a hot cut any other heat treat will be wasted effort since you will remove the temper when it goes into hot steel, so normalize alone should be good enough. If you have a concern about the struck end getting too hard then after the second normalize, heat just the struck end and put it in a bucket of wood ash or vermiculite overnight. I usually do this with the cutting end out in the air so it doesn't anneal.

[homeshow]

Handle does not mean wooden handle---just forge the hot cut and put a dent around it and wrap your steel rod around it and twist it tight.

That's how I make my hot cuts.