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Cutting car springs - do not when not clamped!


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13 hours ago, Shalev Zohar said:

I've made stuff before

Strongly recommend that you attempt to make a double edged dagger with a blade that is at least 6" long with a correct distal taper and hidden tang before attempting a sword.  Whether you forge it in or grind it in, your rapier will need a distal taper to not only be functional, but typically safe to use as well. There is a huge difference between the relatively simple grinds you are currently doing and getting a matched double edged grind the length of a blade (not to mention the fuller you show in your drawing).  As previously noted, with a very good job of annealing, the best way to accomplish this as a beginner may indeed be to draw file for the bevels (with good quality files and a file card) and a sen for the fuller.

As regards the potential of forging the sword, based on your chalk drawing, I don't see why you would have any need to upset the stock in any unusual way during the forging process.  You appear to have plenty of steel there to execute your plan, if you know how to forge a decent taper.  Actually I saw a demo of a very celebrated sword, and rapier, maker and he advised making a preform for a rapier blade as  just a long square taper close to the length of the planned blade, then turning it on the diamond and forging down two of the corners of the square to widen the blade and make the final rapier shape/crossection.  

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22 minutes ago, Latticino said:

I saw a demo of a very celebrated sword, and rapier, maker and he advised making a preform for a rapier blade as  just a long square taper close to the length of the planned blade, then turning it on the diamond and forging down two of the corners of the square to widen the blade and make the final rapier shape/crossection.  

Genius is making the complicated simple!

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On 14.3.2018 at 4:04 AM, genesaika said:

Don't, however, assume that you need those tools in order to work on anything.

I never assumed, I need to use these tools to cover my lack of experience and free time, I want to try larger things and don't have the patience to wait until I can do it with what little tools I have now

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5 minutes ago, Shalev Zohar said:

I want to try larger things and don't have the patience to wait until I can do it with what little tools I have now

I hope you at least have the patience to learn to use bigger fancier tools properly before using them to make something that can kill you if not used properly. Patience is important when using tools of all kinds. 

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On 3/13/2018 at 9:56 PM, JHCC said:

I think there are some threads in the Heat Treatment section of the forum about using kilns. I’m just guessing, here, but unless it’s suspended vertically or lying perfectly flat, there may be an increased risk of warping. Good temperature control, though. 

Rapiers tend to go bananas (literally) by the slightest mistake before the heat treat, that's why mine will be extra thick and short.

The main problem probably is that a Rapier won't fit in your average kiln... That is unless you bend it in two while in the kiln and straighten it back right before the quench! (A terrible idea for many reasons)

SWORDS DO NOT MAGICALLY TURN INTO FRUIT

 

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9 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Patience is important when using tools of all kinds. 

I'll be happy if the sword is made in less than a year, I take that as a long term project (like all my projects. my first knife waited a year until I put a handle on it) , I'm in no rush.

Although I like to take shoutcuts I won't risk my health for a sword, at least when I know there is a risk...

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25 minutes ago, Steve Sells said:

you say you are ready to make swords but dont know enough to make the tools you need to make them ?

 

Can't make a belt grinder, it will be practically harder than a sword for me. I'm also less interested in messing with electronics and such. Building a gas forge that will let me get even heat will be less practical than finding one that already exists. I forge on my free time and give away forged stuff to my friends because I just enjoy forging. My free time is very limited and I won't use it for stuff I don't enjoy. I will however try making simpler tools that require only forging, maybe some tongs and hammers. Don't know how practical it'll be because the shop I'm intending to join will probably have both them and the heavy tools.

9 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Well now you know the dangers with getting springs off of a strut assembly. ;) 

The more mistakes I make the more dangers-to-avoid I can put into my glossary :^)

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Yup, what he said. Have a read through the safety section. 

I have probably avoided being severely ill or dead from a couple informative threads in the safety section. And a couple of them like accidentally making Phosgene gas or dealing with hexavalent chromium or zinc fumes have really helped me stay on the safe ( alive) side. 

Have a read through. Might be surprised how many times you were close to playing with death. I was. 

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You dodged a bullet with a strut and lack of knowledge but still want to buy and use larger more powerful equipment without the patience to learn to use it. If all goes well what you're going to learn is big tools make scrap oh so much faster. 

Ask us questions then argue with the answers. Refuse to learn from more experienced folk and you wonder why local blacksmiths don't invite you to use their shops and tools?

Just like a kid. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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