The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need. |
02-25-2015, 06:20 AM
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Skilled
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 591
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Quote:
If one has hammer control to do it, why not.
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^That might be the primary reason I do... I enjoy forging far more than grinding. If I've got control of my forge atmosphere, I'm not really worried about decarb, and sometimes take my edge down to approximately 1/32". I prevent scale and deep hammer marks, so it only takes a few minutes with the grinder to have them ready to heat-treat, and that makes me happy... I also make quite a few 'brute de forge' knives, and find it absolutely necessary with this style of knife to forge as smoothly and close to shape as possible. I also do quite a few composite multi-bar patterned blades, and with these I have to leave the blades much thicker and spend far more time at the grinder than I'd like, perhaps I'm seeking a balance between the two extremes by regularly visiting the extremes... more likely it is just stubbornness. I like playing with fire and beating stuff with hammers, it is a form of meditation for me.
To get back on subject, Kelly Cupples also sells 1080, and I believe he still has free shipping on orders over $100.
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A good friend told me one time about forging "What is there not to like, you get to break all the rules you were told as a kid, don't play with that it is sharp, don't play with fire, and don't beat on that"
Wade Holloway
See some of my work.
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02-25-2015, 08:17 PM
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Steel Addict
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 133
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One thing overlooked here is that you CANNOT grind your material into spreading out. I can TOTALLY see running it through the forge to spread it for a wider blade, you can hammer a curve into it for a chopper, it really does what grinding doesn't. I enjoy both equally for different reasons which is why I'm working on learning more about both processes.
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02-25-2015, 08:41 PM
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Founding Member / Moderator
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wauconda, WA
Posts: 9,840
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If it works for you don't let anybody talk you out of it. Eventually, you'll settle down to a certain way of doing things that make sense to you relative to the time, effort, a cost of making a particular blade. You're a smart guy, you'll figure out what's cost effective and what isn't in the long run.
Generally speaking, I'm pretty sure most of us are more interested in being sure you make the best blades you can rather than exactly how you manage to make them ...
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02-25-2015, 10:08 PM
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Steel Addict
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 133
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Rogers
If it works for you don't let anybody talk you out of it. Eventually, you'll settle down to a certain way of doing things that make sense to you relative to the time, effort, a cost of making a particular blade. You're a smart guy, you'll figure out what's cost effective and what isn't in the long run.
Generally speaking, I'm pretty sure most of us are more interested in being sure you make the best blades you can rather than exactly how you manage to make them ...
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And that's exactly what I'm after. Consistent high quality blades, and learning all I need to do proper forging and stock removal with a respectable degree of proficiency.
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02-26-2015, 05:54 AM
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Skilled
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Alabama
Posts: 554
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I suppose my experiences just effect what I do. Once I took a piece of 3/16 stock and forged a blade out. Up to the point of getting ready to grind it I had 20 min prep time, 20 min forge time. Then the anneal time. It took another 20 min to grind it out. Now on the second knife I started with slightly larger stock: 10 min to cut the billet out, 20 min to grind. Now it's ready for heat treat. So up to the point of heat treat I had at least 3 hours in the forged blade, 30 min in the stock removal. And the stock removal used half as many belts and no gas or coal. For me time and material is money.
Like playing a guitar, when teaching someone I'll never tell them they can play like Chet Atkins. Most will never have that talent. Forging is the same way. I don't want to set up unrealistic expectations that will frustrate someone. Sorry to hijack the thread. Cant wait to see your progress.
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02-26-2015, 06:28 AM
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Steel Addict
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Roswell, Georgia
Posts: 133
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmccustomknives
I suppose my experiences just effect what I do. Once I took a piece of 3/16 stock and forged a blade out. Up to the point of getting ready to grind it I had 20 min prep time, 20 min forge time. Then the anneal time. It took another 20 min to grind it out. Now on the second knife I started with slightly larger stock: 10 min to cut the billet out, 20 min to grind. Now it's ready for heat treat. So up to the point of heat treat I had at least 3 hours in the forged blade, 30 min in the stock removal. And the stock removal used half as many belts and no gas or coal. For me time and material is money.
Like playing a guitar, when teaching someone I'll never tell them they can play like Chet Atkins. Most will never have that talent. Forging is the same way. I don't want to set up unrealistic expectations that will frustrate someone. Sorry to hijack the thread. Cant wait to see your progress.
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No worries. Anything that makes you stop and think is a good thing. No, I'm not too likely to throw thin flat stock into the forge right now. Once I get a good set of skills built on the anvil it may be a different story. Today the goal is to narrow everything down to the most reliable and simple process I can in the absence of working in the shop with an expert. I'll get there sooner or later.
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1084, advice, art, bee, blade, bowie, common, flat, forge, handle, heat, heat treat, help., hunter, hunting, knife, knives, make, post, problem, products, simple, small, steel |
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