forging problem

[Shamus Blargostadt]

I'm still trying to work through how to forge and move steel correctly and there is one area I'm struggling with.. well, several but was hoping to get advise on one.  The piece I was working on developed a crack around where the tang ends and the blade begins.. so this is much smaller than I wanted it to be. The blade is now just around 6" (excluding tang) and I'm hoping to salvage.

I want the blade definition to be sharp by the handle but could not get rid of this curve. The spine is curved so it rocked when I tried to hammer it. Trying to put the curve on an edge of the anvil didn't help much either. Is there a method to forging this curve out or did I make a error in process by letting it emerge in the first place?

I was going to just cut it out with the angle grinder.. I'm just going to loose mass and will probably have to chop the tang off so it's not too long. Aside from those problems, this is the best I've done so far forging to a shape and consistent thickness.

 

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning Shamus,

Drill a 1/4" hole at the root of your two lines, this will leave a radius corner and it won't be weak when you cut it. you should be able to use a hack saw or band-saw to make the cut (more control than with a grinder). Radius/bevel all the edges with a file. leave the tang for your handle and trim to suit.

Generally a crack is caused from forging when too cold.

Neil

[Shamus Blargostadt]

I will do that! Thank you Neil!

[ThomasPowers]

I could dress that down with a hammer using the cross peen side *IFF* I had a set of tongs that would hold the blade securely.  A two steps forward, one step back process as you have to keep flattening the sides as you work the mass back into more tang. Another method is to use a piece of round stock and push it into the mass leaving the side bulges to end up with a finger stop.