Jump to content

What did you do in your shop today?


Joshua States

Recommended Posts

4 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

You took the billet up to too many layers before turning 90 degrees (called forging on the bias) and stacking. You need to forge on the bias after the initial billet is welded together. Then forge it out flat, cut and stack, lather, rinse, repeat. 

Thanks, I will try that next time, appreciate the help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Joshua States said:

If you forge what you have out flat, you will distort the pattern and stretch it out. It will still look pretty good, but it's probably going to end up looking more like random Damascus than anything else. 

That is what I did with this block, and not only does it look random, I am afraid the joints will be obvious. Oh well, every mistake is learning!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, Conan Dunlap said:

every mistake is learning

There are a lot of pinned topics in the Beginner's Place forum boards. They are pinned for good reason. Reading them, and following the guidance provided, will lessen the learning curve considerably.

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Attended a new market Saturday morning, shared a stall with my "neigbour" Mike who had a small forge & anvil setup, he spent the day forging nails to the great amusement of some people, and I actually sold a cleaver, almost 2 cleavers!

 

Somehow managed to make myself light the forge later that afternoon, need to get making because my stock is very low.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not really knife related, but I'll call it forging practice and hammer control. (OK, not knife related at all...:wacko:) Anyway, a fellow artist at the space I rent asked if I could help trick out a bike for his kid, and have it finished in a week.  Here's what we came up with.  I wish I had more time to plan and forge, would have done it in fewer pieces so as to avoid having to weld and grind the joints. 

 20220315_180323.jpg20220315_180440.jpg20220315_175745.jpg

Edited by billyO
  • Like 7
RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I took a piece of 1095 flat bar, 19" long, 1.5" wide, and .25" thick. I forged 3 kitchen knives.

 

forged blades.jpg

 

Rough ground them to 220 grit (after dismantling part of my surface grinder and fixing it) and clayed them for hamon.

 

clayed blades (1).jpg

 

Then I quenched them and cleaned them off. Edge is over 64 HRC according to my testing chisels.

 

Hardened blades.jpg

 

They are in the temper now.

 

8 hours ago, Christopher Price said:

I forged a damascus screwdriver last night,

Awesome! Can't wait to see the finished product.

  • Like 2

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Joshua States said:
On 3/16/2022 at 4:39 PM, Christopher Price said:

I forged a damascus screwdriver last night,

Awesome! Can't wait to see the finished product.

Ditto on both

"The way we win matters" (Ender Wiggins) Orson Scott Card

 

Nos qui libertate donati nescimus quid constat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Basket hilts roasting on an open forge.....

 

basket roast.jpg

 

This is the kid I'm helping with his project.  You may remember the sword blade from last fall.   We did HT last weekend, and we did the basket today.  Smart guy made a 2-D paper pattern, adjusted for fit, and had it laser cut.  All we did was heat and scroll/bend/form over stakes.  He's going to fit the hollow spherical pommel during the next week and we'll put it all together after that.

 

small basket.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got bored. This is the first thing I've forged in well over a year. This stump anvil is one of the last things I forged before my little break. I might get it out of the stump and forge weld a high carbon face on it and it might become my KITH project for this year.

20220309_093827.jpg

20220309_094226.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got a wild hair and decided to make a bit. The knife maker in me messed it up and made it super straight, thin, and light. My horse said the mouth piece needs some slight adjustment too. 

I lost count of how many times I sanded the shanks and mouth peice and then soldered or welded something to it and had to resand. Or I melted the copper inlays out and had to redo those. I had to make the shanks twice too. Learning new processes is always fun. It makes me appreciate making knives.

20220308_174301_HDR.jpg

20220311_153430.jpg

20220313_181536_HDR.jpg

20220321_093458.jpg

20220321_093514_HDR.jpg

20220321_093527.jpg

20220321_093559_HDR.jpg

20220321_141041.jpg

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, here's a knife post of a recent completion (just got pics back from my neighbor).

6" Chef's knife with 225 layer (maybe 300?) raindrop pattern in 1084/15N20 with stabilized Big Leaf Maple burl handle and African Blackwood bolster.

46.jpgEDIT_IMG_7499.jpgEDIT_IMG_7532a.jpg

Edited by billyO
  • Like 7
RIP Bear....be free!

 

as always

peace and love

billyO

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Faye said:

I got a wild hair

That's an understatement.....:D Nice work.

 

9 hours ago, billyO said:

6" Chef's knife with 225 layer (maybe 300?) raindrop pattern in 1084/15N20 with stabilized Big Leaf Maple burl handle and African Blackwood bolster.

That looks mighty handy

  • Thanks 1

“So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.”

The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing.  

 

Josh

http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg

J.States Bladesmith | Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@billyO……the handle and blade compliment each other. Really nice work!

@Faye…….this bit is something else Faye, most impressive work.

Gary LT

  • Thanks 1

"I Never Met A Knife I Didn't Like", (Will Rogers)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, since it's steel related :) Last couple of weeks I've been busy re-restoring my antique cargo tricycle. Stripping down all the bits, and hopefully doing a better paint job this time. I restored it befor 10 years ago, when I didn't have a clue what I was doing and very much learning as I went. 

 

Coincidentally, similar leafsprings have been my main source of steel during the years I was actively forging. Though those leafsprings were even older, of the hand carts that predate these cargo tricycles. And the mud guard brackets were made in my force 10 years ago :)

 

 

bakfiets2.jpg

bakfiets.jpg

bakfiets3.jpg

Edited by Jeroen Zuiderwijk
  • Like 3

Jeroen Zuiderwijk

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/barbarianmetalworking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...