Dwithrow84 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 So I finally made something. I have had no training and the only thing I know about forging is learned from videos and a couple of books on blacksmithing. I dont think its complete garbage and know I have lots of room for improvements needs more refinement and has a horible grind. I just wanted to make something. Anyways here it is try not to laugh to hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I've seen worse. How about buying knife blanks to hone your grinder skills, either send them out to heat treat or practice yourself. Then finish them for gifts, sale, etc. Only climbing one or two learning curves at a time has strong advantages. Trying to build skill at the anvil forging knives tends to run you afoul of heat management issues involved in high carbon steels. HC steels have a more narrow and often unforgiving working temperature range for forging. HC steel fights the hammer more, it's harder to move so requires stronger blows and you don't have as much working time. You can't be getting it HOT and not working it either, see grain growth. So, if you become proficient forging mild steel, when you start forging blade alloys all you need to learn is THAT heat management for a short easy learning curve. Seriously, you'll already know how to make hot steel go where you want it, a little more fight is just a matter of adjustment not a new skill. Make sense? RR spikes are good stock and make very marketable product, they just aren't any good for knives. The steel is too low carbon so unless you want to weld in a high carbon bit they're good for letter openers and knife shaped objects. Wall hangers. However spikes make good garden tools, BBQ steak flippers are very marketable. Coat hooks, drawer pulls, etc. etc. What makes them so marketable as stock is most everybody recognizes a RR spike for what it is so when you forge it into something else they can SEE the plastic transition you have wrought with fire and hammer. Yes? RR spikes also twist wonderfully. Check out the section of twists here, some are spectacular. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vern509 Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Not laughing at all, looks solid for a first project. My kids love making RR "knives". The steel moves well under the hammer and grinds easy; and all of it builds skill and muscle memory. Keep at it sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Have you tried making a split/ Franklin's cross? Maybe the next time you light up the forge? Good job fullering the transition from blade to handle material. Many spike knifes do not really have that. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwithrow84 Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 Pnut I dont know what a franklins cross is but ill look it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Try "spread cross," for search terms. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpearson Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 split cross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwithrow84 Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 do you guys think it would be okay to use a low carbon steel to practice on. For blanks if I only plan to practice grinding and stock removal I thought maybe I could use like rolled steel from lowes to keep the cost low since I will most likely jack it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 You mean rather than pay Lowes excessive prices rather than using free leaf springs which are a decent blade steel? This lowers the cost how? And if you have one turn out alright you can practice your heat treat as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Sure, practice is practice though it needs to be GOOD practice to improve yourself. No matter how you make the preform, buy blanks, cut them out with a torch or forge them you MUST practice stock removal to turn it into a knife. Even if you're using: scrapers, files, stones and sand paper it's stock removal. And there's Thomas, I won't repeat him. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Search split cross. The steel suppliers near me has twenty foot bars of 3/8 hot rolled 1018 for about 20 bucks. TSC has 3 foot sections of hot rolled mild steel for about 5.99. look for a steel supplier near you or a scrap yard or mechanic to get leaf/coil springs for cheap to free. Hot filing is your friend if you don't have power tools when making stock removal blades, but as previously stated heat and no hammering equals grain growth in high carbon steel. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwithrow84 Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 I've got a few coil springs and I can get leaf springs from the shop but i'd have to cut them, heat and flatten them. We've got a few steel places here in town but they only sell mild steel. we have a TSC too. I thought buying the cheap hot rolled steel would be a low cost way to practice without having to fire up the forge and waste the gas. I mean I don't mind firing up the forge I enjoy it but if I'm just practicing stock removal and bevels and not producing finished products i'd rather not waste the fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 A steel supplier will have mild steel for about half the cost of the big box stores. You might have to buy twenty feet of it depending on if they sell off drops,or remnants. The place by me will sell to the public in any quantity. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Find a spring pack that uses flat springs. Preferably a small one close in size to what you want to practice on. Or if you are really feeling your oats try a double edged blade and practice grinding 4 good bevels---bwahahahahahahahahaha How is your draw filing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 On 6/7/2019 at 5:02 PM, Dwithrow84 said: if I'm just practicing stock removal and bevels Unless your grinder has a gasoline engine practicing stock removal doesn't burn anything but lunch. I'm in Alaska and a 20' stick of 3/8" sq. HR runs about $23 last I bought. The guys in the yard will cut to transport for you. do NOT ask at the counter they have to charge by the cut. The guys in the yard just do it. If they won't get out your hack saw and start cutting, half way decent technique will part it in maybe 30 seconds. However if you're parked at the loading dock and using it as a table to saw on, the guys will whack it to get you out of the way. Be sure to say thank you sincerely. I start folks on 3/8" sq. HR. it's large enough to hold heat for a little while and a student's mistakes aren't permanent with the first blow. 1/2" HR sq. is 2x the stock and work per inch. Why sq. rather than round? forging sq. is a good way to practice your 90* wrist turn as square is already established to help you out. Hmmmm? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwithrow84 Posted June 11, 2019 Author Share Posted June 11, 2019 Cleaned the blade up some with the Bader BIII i picked up the other day. I can see how a grinder like that is worth the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vern509 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Yup, saving my pennies for a grinder upgrade myself. But honestly, the best investment is using your time to practice with a purpose. Besides, my harbor fraud 1x30 hasnt wore out yet, and a new tool wont make me grind my bevels any cleaner. But it does look like a knife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwithrow84 Posted June 12, 2019 Author Share Posted June 12, 2019 Working on a little stock removal knife now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vern509 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Nice! What kind of steel is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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