Metals

[Foxjaw]

Somebody just gave me a large farriers rasp. Really wide and thick. I thought Hmmmnn ? wonder if this is an antique ? Sure enough. Made by Heller Brothers out of New Jersey in the late 19th century. Just wondering if the steel this thing is made of will make a good knife or not ? Any guesses ?

Also, Does anybody know where I can get brass cheap for making guards and fittings ? Seems like there should be some clandestine source out there. I checked Good will but didnt see anything suitable.

Thanks
Foxy

PS: Thanks for bearing with me. I know I ask a lot of questions

[Woodchuck Forge]

Foxy
There is a good chance the rasp is goo steel. I am not sure when they started case hardening them but probably not until later. If you can save pats of some of the teeth it can make for a neat looking blade. Cheap brass hmmmm. Try a scrap yard. It has to be a good scrap yard but they would have the cheapest prices. If that fails try Enco (www.use-enco.com). They have reasonable prices but like all metals the price of brass is going up also.

Chuck

[Foxjaw]

Hmmmnn ? Goo Steel doest that have anything to do with Tai ?

Thanks

[skipknives]

I have a 18"X18" inch plate of brass that is about 3/8" thick stashed in my shop somwhere.
and I don't plan on using it for anything,,what do you have to trade??

[Foxjaw]

Hmmmnnnn, let me look around. I may have something around here

[Matt22191]

"Cheap brass" is kind of an oxymoron. Copper alloys aren't cheap these days. You can find scrap brass plumbing fixtures if you keep your eyes open. (I take walks around my neighborhood on nights before the garbage man comes. I've found all sorts of useful stuff that way. Brass cartridge cases arent too hard to come by, either. Cartridge brass isn't necessarily ideal for fittings, but it's brass.) Most of this stuff won't be in shapes you can use, but you could melt them down to ingots and work from there.

[skipknives]

Brett i returned your email with a photo of the 1/4" thick plate.

[Woodchuck Forge]

Originally Posted by Foxjaw

Hmmmnn ? Goo Steel doest that have anything to do with Tai ?

Thanks

Tai got me completely hooked on steel so most definitely.

Chuck

[metalbender]

shear steel mayby?

[Martin Brandt]

Our local scrapyard has a non-ferrous section that will let you pick through their bins of sorted non-ferrous metals. They usually sell it at a good markup over what they pay for it, but much cheaper than new costs. I got a used grave plaque made of 1 4" red brass that I've cut into strips for a slightly redish brass color, thin trophy plaque pieces for spacers ( about .020), naval brass, aluminum bronze, and yellow brass, some bronze, sheets of titanium, and lately 3-14"x2"x1/2" bars of new copper for thick sculpted guards. Oh yeah and a nice nitrogen dewar that I hope to use someday for stainless blades. Got that for the price of the aluminum weight. Got enough big 1x1x6" magnets to make a mag sweeper bar to clean up our yard after a roofing project, and the gravel alley of all it's old nails, and scrap steel bits. Next to a dump the scrap yard is a scroungers paradise. Martin Brandt

[Foxjaw]

Thanks for the tip !

[metalbender]

when you see ppl throwing out doors, look to see if any are solid ones with kickplates, usually made from brass.

[Matt22191]

You know, it kills me to see you guys talking about scrap metal dealers who'll let you pick through their stuff. I hear this all the time, but every scrap dealer I've talked to in my area just collects the stuff and passes it up the chain to the refiners, or whoever the heck the big commercial buyers are. None of them sells to walk-ins, as far as I can tell. So I'm reduced to picking through my neighbors' trash! What a pain in the butt.

[Woodchuck Forge]

Matt

I have a scrap dealer that separates everything into areas. He has new and used materials. Used steel runs .40/lb. Picked up 2 wrought iron wagon wheel rims. He even has hydraulic cylinders for sale and old equipment. Unfortunately he does not sell the non ferrous stuff. I am drooling over a 2 ft section of 12 inch shafting. It would make one heck of an anvil. 800lbs worth. Need to sell a couple more knives.

Foxy,

Found any cheap brass yet?? If not let me know and I may have a deal for you you can't refuse. need any 15N20??

Chuck

[Foxjaw]

Skip Slocum over in Phoenix has a nice piece of brass for me but I keep getting "cant deliver messages when I send him an email :-(