Tutorials (metalworking)

more junkyard steel info

feeds@yuku.com (The Dad One) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:48:52 GMT

This isn't really a tutorial, but I want the info to remain readily available for posterity.

I sent off another batch of junkyard steel to my buddy with access to the mass spectrometer. Here are the results, some of which are very interesting:

Torsion bar off a Ford pickup:

C:0.60 | Mn:0.85 | P:0.030 | S:0.025 | Si:0.28 | Cu:0.01 | Cr:0.80 | Mo:0.02 |...

Cheap Knife Tutorial Question

feeds@yuku.com (RockyBlue) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:37:30 GMT

Hey Guys! I`ve read the cheap knife tutorial about 5 times and i just don`t get it! The one part where he explains about making lines with a 1/4 drill after coating the edge..I get all of it except that part I don`t see any marks on the blade.Since i`m a pure greenhorn can anybody explain this process to me where i can understand it?All help is greatly appreciated..............Rocky

making an archers thumb ring with a silver spoon

feeds@yuku.com (fiddler49) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:37:04 GMT

The other day I had a spoon in my pocket and it felt just like one one my thumb rings so I thought why not
make a thumb ring from a spoon. I chose a sterling silver spoon that was big enough to hold one of my
horn thumb rings. After drilling a half inch hole I rat tail filed it out oval. I keep the size smaller than would fit
so I could hammer out the band on a steel mandrel. Now I'm not a...

Hamon Tutorial

feeds@yuku.com (Knifesmith) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:11:01 GMT

Ok. For those who requested it, here's a brief tutorial on how I do the clay quench to make a hamon blade:

First and foremost, your steel choice is extremely important. As a general rule, the lower carbon and lower alloy steel you have, the more shallow hardening it'll be, and the flashier hamon you'll get. Unfortunately, this also means that it's usually a lower performing steel. You can get lines on steels like 1080 and 1095, I've seen some really straight...

heat treating 101: the bake sale

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:04:05 GMT

If Life's a box of chocolates, then heat treating is baking cookies for a bake sale. There is a specific recipe to follow for best results.

Knowing what type of steel you are using is important... The chemistry of the steel will change the baking instructions just as much as changing from chocolate chip to gingerbread will in the cookies analogy.

The methodology is simple... Heat to the correct temperature, gench, heat again to temper,...

Lined wooden sheath tutorial

feeds@yuku.com (Knifesmith) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:16:25 GMT

Well folks here it is. This is the way I do a lined sheath. As I pretty much exclusively work with really oily hardwoods, the basswood insert is a real lifesaver (ever try to carve blackwood, lignum vitae, or ironwood?). You can do it with or without the shaved fleece lining. I do it with, as I can saturate the fleece with an oil/beeswax mixture that will help prevent rust, and on blades with a really specialized finish (high gloss buff, or etched to show a hamon), the scratch...

mystery steel test results

feeds@yuku.com (The Dad One) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:04:02 GMT

As I mentioned in another post recently, I'm friendly with a guy who works in the lab at a steel mill in Ohio. He told me months ago that he'd be happy to run some samples of unknown steels for me. Last week I finally got around to sending him pieces of some mystery steels that I'd been wondering about for a while. Of course the nature of junkyard steel being what it is, you cannot validly generalize from any of these results. But I think some of you may find them...

MAKING A CENTER SEAM SHEATH

feeds@yuku.com (LRB) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:51:08 GMT

To get started you need vege-tanned carving leather of 5oz, to no more than 7oz. I generally use 6, to 7oz. Any heavier, and it does not work well. You need to make a pattern of heavy paper. Common posterboard is my choice. The pattern is fitted to the knife as you would a side seam, but leaving only about 3/16" extra at the edge for the seam. The leather is cut, then folded around the knife blade to see how much extra you really have for the seam. The seam will be sewn at about...

Sanford & Son bandsaw

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:06:26 GMT

In my continuous search for cheap tools, I came across this the other day for 5 bucks.

Now this seemed a bit too good to be true, so I asked if it worked... yep it worked. seems the problem the guy had was that no where around here sells blades for this off the wall sized bandsaw. So I bought it....

I took a trip to Lowe's, and asked...

Hinges

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:25:25 GMT

Practical blacksmithing 101

Lawn Mower Blade Hinge...

Casting in Graphite Tutorial

feeds@yuku.com (Knifesmith) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 16:41:24 GMT

Okay folks, this is just the way I do it. I am in no way a professional foundry guy, or even a jewelery maker. Disclaimers aside, it's a really easy way to make easily machined simple molds that you can cast in, and don't even have to do a pour (melt directly into the mold). I bought my graphite as scrap from some guy selling blocks of it on eBay. The pieces are about 6"x6"x1" or so, and I got about 6 of them for somewhere around $25 or so total a few years back....

Air Tank Forge Build Along

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:27:33 GMT

We are gonna builld a usefull size, fuel efficient forge, that is small enough to take along with you to where you need it. We are gonna do this with the stuff I can scrounge from my stash of junk. This puppy will get the steel hot enough to forge weld.

Ok, this is the victim, an old air tank that dont hold air anymore. 'Round here, there are one or two of these in 'bout every garage, carport, and toolshed. Brand new they are like $24 from Harbor Freight....

Twisted sister dagger tutorial

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:29:07 GMT

Y'all should know by now that I rarely work on one thing at a time. so while I was workin on the ULU, I started this one too.
I started with a square stock spike (they use them to hold down speed bumps). Since I ordered then, I know that they are 1060 steel. Unfortunately, they are also Galvanized, so those of you that don't have an open air forge, grind it off first! (metal fume fever is no fun)
Here's the victim

Sawblade Funky ULU finished

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:02:18 GMT

Let me start by saying, this is the way I do it. There are many other styles and methods, but this one is mine.

I chose this old dewalt thin kerf model, 'cause I already know it will harden. The edge is 1/16ths and the center is 3/32nds.

First we anneal it. Heat it up to red, I left it in the forge to cool overnight.

Controlled Hand Forging Lessons from ABANA

feeds@yuku.com (John B) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:02:29 GMT

This program is a progressive set of lessons which emphasize ten forging fundamentals: Fire maintenance, drawing out, bending (including straightening), upsetting, punching (both through punching and ornamental punching), slitting, drifting, welding, twisting and joinery.

LINK

Sawblade knife tutorial finished

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:29:17 GMT

First we select the victim. You'll notice that the blade has carbide tips…Hmm better check to see if it's hardenable

...

Basic blacksmithing texts and resources (Public domain)

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:54:28 GMT

Here's a few Blacksmithing texts in PDF format for everyone.

They are free to download, and answer many of the Oft asked questions. I particularly liked the "Forging Iron and Steel" PDF
Let's keep this thread clean (Post comments about it in another post) so that Matt can sticky it.

Making Bolsters from Plumbing Caps (Pic Heavy)

feeds@yuku.com (Orien M) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:54:45 GMT

I had to make up one of my copper plumbing cap bolsters, so I took some pics of the process. It's really very easy, and makes nice looking bolsters for small blades (up to about 3/4" wide at the handle junction).

Tools and 'raw materials'. I get these caps for 21 cents each at my local hardware store:

Basically we will be cold-forging the round cap down to...

Making Bolsters from Plumbing Caps (Pic Heavy)

feeds@yuku.com (Orien M) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 08:54:45 GMT

Pipe hawk Forge-along Day three to finish (Warning, lots of pics)

feeds@yuku.com (Phoenix 1967) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:18:05 GMT

I was asked to describe how to forge a pipe hawk recently, so I'm gonna do one better. I'm starting with 7/8ths hex bar, (like a crowbar or chisel)