Todd Gdula

Thanks, Bruce! I'll start exploring, but I do believe it's all here: http://web.archive.org/web/20130806062850/http://dfoggknives.com/index.htm

Howdy! Back when this site was http://www.dfoggknives.com/forums, Don kept a buncha how-tos, WIPs, tutorials, and resources at the parent site http://www.dfoggknives.com/. Does anyone know if they still exist? Where they are? (I searched, honest I did ) Thanks!

Logan, I apologize for answering late. This thread is not notifying me when there's a new post. I used most of a full roll. Your math is probably right.

Thanks, Jake!

One more question on this topic... I'm researching them also, and I can't find anything written, but the pictures seem to show a full convex grind. Anyone have input on that?

John, thanks for sharing the pictures!

That reminds me... Tim (and Nathan) won't be there this year. It'll be strange without him.

I'll be there!

Niiiice. And your little'un was right about the pointed tip - it looks good!

Guys, sorry to get back to you late - the site didn't notify me there were more replies. Stewart, I know of guys who have used 100# bottles but I have no personal experience. I've heard they work fine. Brian, I haven't dropped a blade yet but the burner port is big enough to give pretty good access to get a dropped blade out. I temper big blades in my propane grill - I have a big Weber with a thermometer and good temp control. It'll run steady at up to 600F in hot weather, 525 in cold weather.

Tyler, it's pretty close to "right" the way it is - it will pull a slack yellow flame in, but resists a little with a blue flame till it gets warmed up. A little tuning will get it perfect. Alan, the temperature differential appears to be pretty small (remember I'm going by eye) and like I said it's actually a little hotter at the bottom - probably because of the huge burner. I wanted to go vertical to avoid sag in the workpiece, but the beauty of this design is if it doesn't work out (It looks like it will) it can be made horizontal with only minor adjustments. I'm probably going to increase the size of the slot to accommodate axe heads, which may require I close the port... we'll see.

Tyler, I noticed that it needs to be in the forge until it gets hot and then can be backed out. I stopped backing it out at about 1" inside the forge - but I'll try your suggestion tomorrow and see how it goes. Thanks!

Just for heat treating. It heats way to long a section for forging - a long blade would flop around like spaghetti. That's an ACE Red Dragon burner. They go for ~$70-80. You can get one cheaper, but they won't last as long. Oh, BTW, the $100-150 cost estimate is without the burner.

George, it's about a days work and ~$100-$150 in materials. Not a big deal.

Good tip, thanks. I fired it tonight and thermal cycled a katana - HT tomorrow. So far so good - everything is working right and staying together.