TwistedCustoms Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Busy week so far. I'm playing hooky from the shop this morning hoping my arrows will be delivered today and sipping coffee so I thought I would put up some pics. The knives are forged from coil springs, 5/8" diameter. Forged, normalized, heated to non magnetic and quenched in automatic transmision fluid, tempered at 400f for one hour and rubed with vegatable oil. The sheaths are 6oz veg tan tooling leather made by my Pop. When dad retired he took over the leather work for me and he does a much better job than I ever did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 You have been busy! How many hours do you think you have in the 18 knives in the second picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 GottMitUns, I forge five of those at a time. A few weeks ago I purchased and set up a Kalamazoo 2x48 grinder sans motor. I set it up with a 1/2hp Dayton motor and I love it. I know its not the best knife grinder made but my blades are forge finish, hammer marks left on except for the bevel which is a convex. Anyway, the 2x48 has been a big time saver, knives go in the oven by 1pm instead of 3pm. Pop usually has the leather done for each batch by the following morning. We each get a lot of down time throughout but we manage to complete five a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 I ran a Kalamazoo 2X48 for years! One thing you might want to look at on it, is the drive wheel domed or flat? Mine was domed and if you left a belt on it, it would start to put a bow in the grinding surface of the belt if you left the belt on long enough the bow would get bad enough to start grinding away at the platen. Very nice work! Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 That little grinder is an evolutionary leap forward from my 3x21 floor sander. I'm using Norton Blaze 120 and I'm still on my first belt, (light grinding an approx 20 blades). My drive wheel is flat but there was a pea size inclusion in the surface of the wheel when the rubber was vulcanized. Its a little crater right in the center of the wheel. Where its located I doubt it would affect hollow grinding but only do flat and convex so no worries. I'm hoping to make a trip to Cow-town this winter, any advise for blacksmithing related events in the DFW area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 wow Great use of an old coil spring I have always liked that design you must just about able to make one with you eyes closed what vehicle did the spring come from? A couple of years ago I came across a burn out car in the bush and grabbed two coil springs the fact that it was a Saab made me think about the quality of the steel say as opposed to a coil from a Korean car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 Hey Stan, I use coils from American made trucks, mostly for the diameter. 1/2 ton truck springs tend to be around 5/8" and bigger trucks have 3/4" springs. Those are a good volume of steel to make a knife blade. Car springs run approx 1/2" diameter. I don't think there is a big difference in the quality, they are just smaller. I make some of my tongs from car springs and some smaller knives too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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