Alfie Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 I think I am going o have a go at making some woodworking chisels with the japanese style laminated construction. My plan was to use some thin L6 from a coping saw blade, laminated to some bright drawn 1018 by cutting both into equal and appropriate blanks, fixing together with wire after thourough cleaning and application of flux, heat to a bright orange heat and smack'em together. I would then follow this by forging to shape, arc welding on a tang etc. Please point out the schoolboy errors, and any tips would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Jim Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 You might have an easier time arc welding the ends of the stacked blanks together instead of wrapping them with a wire. Otherwise, sounds like fun :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 If you have not forge welded before I think you should expect a LOT of failures; it's not as easy as your description! If you can get someone who does it often to coach you through your first one it should save you weeks of trial and error. Here in the US a coping saw is a blade that is extremely small like a couple of mm in width that uses a sprung frame to hold it taut. You would need a bunch of them to make a chunk of steel big enough to weld on for a chisel edge. Different usage over there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyshackleford Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 the coping saw blades i've seen are pretty small. is there a picture you can show me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Why weld on a shank when you can forge them down from the stock you are making? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 Sorry; fleeing the country; back in the USA and online Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 "smack'em together." If you hit the stack too hard the pieces will simply bounce apart. The idea is to tap on the stack when the surfaces become liquid so that the pieces stick together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfie Posted December 5, 2008 Author Share Posted December 5, 2008 thanks for the advice sorry, my bad. I meant panel or tenon saw on the welding, i will probably practice with some mild steel to get the hang of it before using the high carbon. I am presuming they weld the same? thanks again alfie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Sells Posted December 5, 2008 Share Posted December 5, 2008 not at all. the mild is harder to weld, and needs more heat, basically after you understand mild, the Higher carbon will seem easy I start my apprentices on mild. its a good way to begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 i would probably just make the whole thing out of steel ... lamanateing blades are neat but not really nessary .. make sure you harden and temper it properly and you will probably end up with a better chizel... forge welding steel has a tendency to burn the steel especially starting out..good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaverDamForge Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 Laminating was done a lot when high carbon steel was hard to get. I'd just use good steel and selectively harden or temper so the edge is harder than the shank. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 a wrought iron shank with a pice of steel shut on the underside at the tip etches up well ,and makes a nice tool ,when we made sets of wood chisels i made a birds mouth weld with the steel in the middle and forged out thick, then ground back to the steel on one side and the bevel on the other ,it was a quick way to make a tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted December 6, 2008 Share Posted December 6, 2008 Laminating was done a lot when high carbon steel was hard to get. I'd just use good steel and selectively harden or temper so the edge is harder than the shank. Good Luck! There's also the matter of tempering accuracy -- both in consistency in steelmaking and in tempering methods. Backing dead-hard steel with iron makes for a tough tool which can hold an edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfie Posted December 7, 2008 Author Share Posted December 7, 2008 Why I fancied having a go at making a laminated chisel was because the blade could be ground all the way up to the hilt, while staying tough and hard, without re tempering and other related nonsense but i think I will wait until I have a more reliable forge my setup is currently just a massive torch on a firebrick hearth which can get to welding heat - i tried with some success welding very small bits together, but not with any reliablility at any useful size but i am making a #proper' forge, so may well reawaken this when it's finishes thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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