Weekend RR Spike Knives

[Jonathan Smidt]

Was able to get out to the forge for a few hours this weekend.  Hadn't been out in a while, so decided to mess around with some RR Spike knives to get the rhythm back and just work on some rough shaping etc.  Below is the result!

 

 

[ThomasPowers]

drawing them too far back; a light bronze is all that's needed as they are at the upper end of Mild Steel.  Super Quench is also suggested.

(Actually I suggest to practice making knives on auto leaf spring or coil spring as they are cheap, easily found alloys that will make a decent blade and you can practice your heat treat on them as well as your hammering.)

[Jonathan Smidt]

I purposely was adding the color after I had finished with.  I forged them, quenched em, then cleaned them up a bit.  After that, I reintroduced the head of the spike to the heat, to playwith letting the colors creep on it (something I would never do to a high carbon blade, would ruin my heat treat)

[Frosty]

Not if you heat from the spine and stop the colors running when the edge is straw +/-. Depending on the alloy of course. It's fun playing with temper colors try shining up a piece of thin plate or sheet. Then move onto copper sheet, soft flame for wide or general colors, hard small flame for details.

It's fun. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jonathan Smidt]

Ive actually been trying that in my jewelry class! 

 

[Frosty]

Cool, have you worked with reactive metals yet?

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jonathan Smidt]

7 hours ago, Frosty said:

Cool, have you worked with reactive metals yet?

Frosty The Lucky.

which metals are you referring to? I staysway from zinc lol, and the only thing Ive used Aluminum for was a piece I was riveting lol

[Frosty]

Niobium and titanium are the most commonly used though there are others. Riogrande carries them, the books, equipment, etc.

It can be spectacular ad makes nice jewelry. Reactive metal mokume gane is wildly spectacular stuff.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jonathan Smidt]

9 hours ago, Frosty said:

 

I was thinking of trying some simple copper/brass mokume gane to get the process down.  Will keep those others in mind for when I feel my skills are ready haha, still learning a lot, taking it slow

[Frosty]

Coloring reactive metals is more like electro polishing than mokume, they're two different processes. Making mokume with reactive metals is pretty advanced. I played with patination years ago, read about and know people who make  reactive metal art but have never messed with it myself.

When doing mokume gane remember never put brass and silver together they're eutectic alloy is silver solder. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jonathan Smidt]

Thanks for the advice!  I'm sticking to mostly copper right now anyways for nonferrous, in order to keep my production costs down.  Don't want to ruin the pricy metals due to inexperience (already accidently melted some silver bezel wire.... oops).  Mind you, while I have really enjoyed the jewelry aspect here (and will likely continue it), the main purpose I have for learning all of these tricks is to enable me to transfer the skills over for some finish work on future blades, really enhance the guard/hilt, etc

[ThomasPowers]

I have a friend who had hallmarking privileges  at the Worshipful Company who once told me that old British silver coins could be used as a Medium silver solder in a pinch...

(He was helping me make a pectoral cross from 30 pieces of silver---all old worn silver coins from all over the world bought from a pawn shop some around 150 years old!)

[Jonathan Smidt]

8 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

I have a friend who had hallmarking privileges  at the Worshipful Company who once told me that old British silver coins could be used as a Medium silver solder in a pinch...

(He was helping me make a pectoral cross from 30 pieces of silver---all old worn silver coins from all over the world bought from a pawn shop some around 150 years old!)

^Buying old silver coins from pawn shops seems like a great idea!  I know my jewelry teacher mentioned she would go to yard sales/pawn shops and look for old pieces to either melt for metal, or harvest good stones from etc.  My blacksmith instructor also mentioned finding scrap sheet metal for copper working etc could be a potential cheaper way than buying pristine sheet metal from jewelry supply shops.  I'm all for anyone's old handy ways of tracking down materials at a cheaper cost! 

[ThomasPowers]

I once bought a tupperware container of sterling scrap from an amateur jeweler's estate at a fleamarket.  Sold for way under spot and a lot of usable material in it. (A lot went to a college student who was getting married and wanted to forge copper wedding rings as he couldn't afford store bought ones.  I made him make a simple petrobond mold, cast two blanks and forge the silver toroids we cast from that scrap into rings to fit him and her.  I was married with silver rings due to poverty once too....A couple of years later he showed up and paid for the silver we had used---I never asked him to; but think a lot more of him for having done so.)

[Jonathan Smidt]

9 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

There is no need to quote the post you are following

That was definitely nice of him to do!  I don't know why, but I've felt the breed of individuals who chase after and show an interest in these older arts/crafts, have a level of appreciation/respect I suppose, than most individuals do these days.  I haven't met anyone in the metalworking world yet, that has left a bad taste in my mouth

[Frosty]

What goes around comes around Jonathan and the worthy and unworthy get to be known, far and wide. Warnings usually get made quietly in private via PMs when necessary. I have almost nothing but warm feelings towards my IFI family and the metal working community in general.

Frosty The Lucky.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

For jewelry that is worn tight like rings be careful of some scrap copper alloys as they contain upwards of 5% lead and or nickel for better machining and hardness. Mostly the round stock used in screw machines . Although a lot of mills are shifting to lead free alloys due to environmental, and worker health concerns.

[Jonathan Smidt]

Thanks for the heads up!  Wouldn't want to make anything poisonous to the wearer haha

[Frosty]

If you're making copper jewelry you're better off buying safe stock, I believe copper ground wire is pretty pure but check it out. Jewelry suppliers carry clean stock but you're close enough to check out "Alaska Copper and Brass" based in Seattle Wa.

Frosty The Lucky.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

The nickel is an allergen and makes some wearers itch.  Some brass alloys also have lead. 260 brass is lead free.

[ThomasPowers]

To really put a scare in you: look up beryllium bronze!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Everything I have shows beryllium as an inhalation hazard ; dust, fumes.

[ThomasPowers]

The ancient, (dated to the ACW), huge old steel casting company I used to live near also did some brass casting.  If they got one piece of Be Bronze in a load of scrap they would reject the entire railroad car of scrap and shut down and clean their scrap area.  Meanwhile they killed a worker every year or two on the steel casting division.  Gave me a feeling about how they judged the relative hazards.  As I came into smithing through blade making I would be prone to grind/sand/buff brass for knife fittings and I did not use top end  industrial grade safety equipment back then...I did purge my brass scrap as I had a bronze wrench that a beautiful honey colour I had planned to make fittings from...

Now Be Bronze is wonderful stuff; great properties; lots of uses!  I just don't feel that it's a suitable material for amateurs to play with.

[Frosty]

6 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Now Be Bronze is wonderful stuff; great properties; lots of uses!  I just don't feel that it's a suitable material for amateurs to play with.

Yes it is and it's strong enough to be a structural element but not for amateurs is a bit of an understatement.

Cadmium is beautiful too just sort of potentially lethal.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Jonathan Smidt]

"Just sort of potentially lethal"

Lol is that all?  yeah, I'm just going to stick with the basic nonferrous metals that I've learned on now, and be really careful about getting caught up in anything that might make my health go south haha.  I started this bladesmithing thing a little later than I would preferred anyways, don't need health problems slowing me down!