Forge Finally Running

[Gwion]

After a few issues building my home forge and needing to re build it after about 3 blanks were hammered out, it is finally running well and i've started on some new knives.

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above: My first knife in forge #1. Bit rough but it works. Used it to skin a steer a few weeks ago and it stood up to the task just fine.

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above: The forge. Made out of a stainless steel rubbish bin. First time 'round the burner wasn't sealing properly and heat got in between the casing and the lining/refractory and burnt it out quickly. I had a plate made up to properly seal it, relined with refractory (home made castable variety) and now it's much better. There are plans to build a bigger one for long blade like machetes etc and maybe a more open one to make tommy axes. I have a second burner and with the plates i had made, i will be able to fit the burners to what ever forge i need for the job. They'll just bolt on/bolt off.

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above: Before and after of last nights session. The chopper i've been trying to get right for a while. It is now at its final dimensions and has been hardened. The big skinner i just started on Tuesday. It's probably had 2-3hrs work on it so far.

Back into it today. We'll see how far i get.

Cheers

[bigfellascott]

Nice one G - looks like a great little hobby to have mate.

[Gwion]

Thanks Scott. It's something i've wanted to do for years and years, so it's good to finally be able to get into it.

I need some practice with the hardening process but met a guy a while back who can probably give me a lesson or two.

[KWhorenet]

good work. you saw that video on barrel making didn't you?

[Gwion]

Nope. Which video is that?

[KWhorenet]

How REAL guns are made...with grace and style viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4314

I've only ever seen horse shoes and yokes get hand made. I'm always amazed at about the half way mark in the forge process thinking no way that will ever turn out any good or uniform in shape and neat...

but the results usually blow me away to be honest. Especially sword making and now knife making

[Gwion]

Oh yeah, that one. I saw it a few years ago. Pretty cool but a little nuts as well. The amount of work is incredible.

[Rakk]

Cool to see it coming together noisy

[Prios]

Got some nice timber set aside for handles?

[Noisydad]

Doing well, keep it up! Love seeing shed projects coming together

[Gwion]

Yesterday's result.

Spent a heap of time trying to get the hardening right on the chopper and big skinner. Had a slight disaster when the skinner came out a bit warped. I tried to tune it in the vice and the tip snapped off. At least then i knew i had gotten it as hard as i was likely too.

I reshaped the tip and tuned out some irregularities in the belly then followed the same hardening process; this time, no warping at all!

After cleaning up, i tempered to a nice blue in the cooling forge. Hope i got the differential hardness right with my quenching and tempering. Seems to have worked as the knife has a really nice sustained ring to it when you ping it!

Today is a day off, so i'm brewing a batch of beer (all grain and about 65lt so takes most of the day) and in between will work on my knives. Each stage of the process of brewing has about 1-1.5hr of down time between but i still have to stay close enough to watch temps, etc.

The first knife I made will be tinkered with a little and re-hardened. The chopper will be rehardened because i can't remember if i did it right yesterday. I'll continue with a through tang small clip point i started yesterday and keep polishing the big skinner.

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[Gwion]

Just got to fit scales to them now (with out buggering them up!).

Hardened, tempered and polished (as much as they are going to be). I'm leaving the odd file mark, etc in because they are my first knives and it shows the full hand made effect. As i get better with my forging process i will take more effort to run out all the file marks and take more time between grits on the polish.

Final edge will be worked when the scales are finished.

PS: the small one is the same knife as the black rope handled one at the top of the thread; it has just been tweaked and re-hardened/tempered. They both give a nice ring when pinged.

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[Rocker]

Taking requests guys?

[Gwion]

Taking requests guys?

Think i need a bit more practice first!

Just took me 4 hours to fit scales to one knife and they are pretty average. Need to sort out the work shop better.

[1290]

You're a handy kind of guy... blade making, beer making..

How are you firing the forge? gas or solid fuel, what kind of steel?

[Gwion]

It's gas fueled and i'm just using the springs from my boat trailer at the moment. Got plenty there to keep me practicing for a while.

[Gwion]

One knife as good as it's gonna get.

Quite happy for the first knife i've ever made. Shaving sharp and stood up to a few whacks on the corner of a bit of blackwood; not that i'd recommend using it to chop wood or pries anything open. It is purely a skinning knife.

Going to a mate because he needs one and has helped me out on the property quite a few times.

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[1290]

Nice... good work..
No rivets ? Glued or epoxied perhaps...

[Gwion]

Epoxy. This knife may get a working again in future. Easy to pop the scales if need be.

Also, first try at knife making so keep it as simple as possible.

Cheers.

[Bourt]

Don't sell yourself short, looks great for a first effort.

[Gwion]

Don't sell yourself short, looks great for a first effort.

Hey, thanks Bourt. I'm very happy as a starting effort, for sure.

Knife number two is in the finishing stages now. Just needs a polish and final edge.

Knife number 3 is quenched and tempered. It will be a simple thing with a 3/4 tang.

Working on some choppers and they are looking good for shape and weight. Problem is, although i have had good success hardening the knifes, i am having a lot of trouble with the choppers. Not sure if i'm getting them too hot, not quenching quick enough or quenching too quickly.

I found the best with the knives was to get them just over critical temp; so heat them until no magnetic and then test them on a magnet and when it starts to pull again give them a little boosting heat and then quench quickly and briefly. Then allow the belly heat to work out to the edge. You can almost see the martensite forming on the blade.

Unfortunately, this isn't working so well with the heavier, thicker choppers. If anyone knows about hardening and has some tips, i'd be grateful.

Oh well... back into it. Need to get the current ones finished this week because the next month or so is going to be flat out with side jobs (to pay for my rifle builds).

I'll post some pics as i finish each blade.
Cheers.

[Ariat]

Are you just polishing with lapping powder to bring it up good like that?

[Gwion]

I work from 80grit wet&dry down through to 1200. 7 grits all up and then just use cut & polish on a leather pad to final polish and strop the edge.

[Gwion]

Finally finished knife number 2 and made a basic scabbard for it.

Also got the big chopper quenched right but not the small chopper. Maybe i've wrecked the small chopper because i thought i quenched them the same way and one worked and the other didn't.

Pic below of knife #2.
Fiddle back maple handle. I have acres and acres of this timber. Enough to make a gazillion handles!

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[agentzero]

Cool scabbard too

[Gwion]

Thanks A0.

[Elek]

Looks real good mate.

If not for the little bit of pitting you wouldn't know it wasn't a pro made knife. You'll only get better too I'm sure