New Knife Made

[Bandaid]

Cool knife Al...I like the shape of the handle, looks like it would be a comfortable grip. Good job!

[AlArchie]

One Brick Forge: not my idea, but it sure works.

Take a firebrick (i'd suggest the harder kind) and drill a 3/4' hole lengthwise about halfway through. Then from one of the narrow sides, drill a hole just large enough to let a propane torch tip in (size depends on torch tip), to meet the bottom of the lengthwise hole.

A lit propane torch held to this hole will put the full flame into the brick, and the heat is contained enough to work the metal easily. You will have to figure out how far into the hole to place the flame (not the tip) for optimum efficiency.

Hold your metal in the hole with a pliers or tongs untill the proper temperature indicating color is reached. Cherry red for annealing and working, straw colored for hardening.

Check with Bandaid or Rick for GOOD advice on the heat treatment. They are a lot more savvy there than I am.

Someone had some pictures posted of this.

Al

[Captain_Bandaid]

If there is sufficient interest, I might be able to take some photos of how to forge a small blade and mount it in a handle. I could post it on Picture Trail. It is not particularly difficult IF you have the right equipement. The drawknife is mine and I forged it out of a single twist of a large railroad car spring. However, I do have a proper gas-forge, a 170# anvil and all the tongs, fullers, hammers, etc, needed to make it. I would not recommend starting your blacksmithing career with a drawknife! LOL!

[dart]

HI Al and Captain Bandaid, I'd like to see how you make your knives too. I'm sure we all would. I have everything but a 'brick'. Is that brick a standard one or is that some kind of a special brick? Must not have any holes in it? The two holes that are drilled in it must meet at right angles to each other? What kind of drill do you use? Does it have a carbide tip or just a regular highspeed steel bit? Then the brick itself holds the heat and also lets the flame come out of the hole on top for heat treatment, or am I all wet about it? Thanks, Jim

[AlArchie]

Jim, first, there are two types of firebrick, soft and hard. Even the hard ones are far softer than regular building bricks. You can get them at most building supplies.

Second, you will need a masonry bit with a carbide tip, but you don't need a drill press, a hand drill will do. Drill press is better, but the hand drill will do fine.

You can get by with 5/8' holes, so if you can't find a 3/4 masonry bit, use a 5/8.

First hole is drilled along the center longitudinal axis (lengthwise) about halfway down.

Second hole comes in from the narrow side and meets the vertical hole at 90 degrees.

You pretty well got the concept down, but hold the steel you are treating IN the hole with a tongs, this will heat the whole piece evenly. It takes a bit of practice to get the temps right, but it really isn't that hard. Just takes a little experimenting, and unless you get the steel white hot, you probably won't damage the carbon content.

Al

[dart]

Hi Al, thanks for the reply. I think I've got the basic idea. I want a 3/4' hole drilled halfway down thru the brick as it would be laying for instance like bricks are laid in a common wall. Then drill a hole into the side of the brick so that the two holes meet. Then put the torch into the hole on the side of the brick which will shoot the flame into the 3/4' center hole and that's where the heating and tempering/annealing is done. Is the brick supposed to hold the heat and center the flame? Or maybe I have it just the opposite? Wish I had a picture of it. I'm not too good with written instructions.

[AlArchie]

OK, I just posted a picture of the brick and how it's drilled. Â*This one has a 5/8th inch hole (s). Â*The flame from the torch gets directed into the hole on the long side. Â*Don't put the torch tip into the hole or it may overheat the tip, and sometimes the flame needs surrounding air for proper combustion.

It's on the carvers-R-us Picturetrail site under other stuff.

Hope this helps.

Al

[dart]

Hi Al, thanks for the pix. I'll have to get a firebrick and give it a try. Jim

[dart]

Hi all, here's a website with my knife and bird pix if you care to see them? Jim

http://thumb4.webshots.com/s/thumb1/...4EzkLfZ_th.jpg

http://thumb4.webshots.com/s/thumb1/...4ZUCIWa_th.jpg

Let me know if you can see the pix. Thank you, Jim

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Too small for for me! 8)