la bala Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Got me a billet of cutting edge material of uknown origon, if it was Caterpillar i would know it was Manganese steel. It was hard on my 9 inch grinder to cut but I would have liked to have seen the sparks a bit whiter, hopefully there will be enough carbon in it for a knife. Will weld a handle on the workpiece as these wrists are by there sell by date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Forge hasnt been lit for a while, here we go up and away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 13, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Lets heat some iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 ooohhh yes im liking this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 ah the damp coke popping and spitting always ending up down your neck 🤣😂 Great project looking forward to seeing your finished knife All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigman Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Watching with massive interest buddy , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Another great thread,love these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBeaky Posted September 13, 2017 Report Share Posted September 13, 2017 Tea - check. Biscuits - check. (Settles down to watch this one) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 14, 2017 Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 Great, another thread to follow with interest, looking forward to the developments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 Well what a disaster, did that billet want to draw out did it heck. I think after four or five heats i had gained about 5mm in length. Let me just say i no longer have an anvil and smiths hammers, thats half an excuse . I had that billet white starring almost at burning point but it didnt want to draw out, god knows whats in it. Anyway moving on, one of my grandsons came round, he,s built like a you know what and waitng to go in the paras. Right young man says I, you can be my striker, pointing to some chalk marks i had put on the makeshift anvil i instructed him to strike that spot and that spot only. Whats this he said, and i introduced him to a 7lb sledge hammer. . Off we go, him striking, me moving the billet, well after several heats and a few choice words from me when he hit the handle i was holding we had drawn it out about 45mm longer.. I just couldnt believe the 7 pounder was struggling on it. Ok i thought we will increase the width a litte, maybe that will help. I welded a piece of round bar to the makeshift anvil to act as as a fuller and off we went again. This operation went a little smoother but nothing as it should have done. Well after much thought lads i am sorry to say i am going to cheat, well i call it cheating, I am going for a shorter knife blank, and i am going to reduce material by grinding. I much prefer shaping by hammering, but with this material i could put a lot of hours in for not much return. Well the grinding isnt going any better, why should it you may ask, you are trying to grind a abrasive resistent material . I have almost reduced the thickness to 6mm, when i have an even 6mm i will attempt to heat treat and oil quench. As you can see in the pic i have picked up a warp and have a couple of hammer marks. After heat treat i will grind ageain, hoping for a spine around 3-3.5 mm. Dont know about handle yet. The warp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 14, 2017 Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 I wonder just what that billet is made of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 I wonder just what that billet is made of? I too am wondering TIGHTCHOKE, Manganese steel by its nature will work harden by impaction, I have used it before with good results, but whats added to this lump I dont know. Hope i am not on a hiding to nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigman Posted September 14, 2017 Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 Some crazy high speed steel maybe You could get that warp out using three nails and a vice , or clamp it straight to that bit of angle and bang it in the oven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 14, 2017 Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 is it a bit off the cutting edge of a grader or dozer ....or maybe a hammer off a vwirtegan.road / concrete killer......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2017 is it a bit off the cutting edge of a grader or dozer ....or maybe a hammer off a vwirtegan.road / concrete killer......... Cutting edge off ditching bucket, make unknown Simon. Its def not Cat so its inferior Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 15, 2017 Report Share Posted September 15, 2017 Some crazy high speed steel maybe You could get that warp out using three nails and a vice , or clamp it straight to that bit of angle and bang it in the oven A sound technique as long as you have plenty of hands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 Had a bit of time on the belt sander today, not my idea of knife making but may aswell try and finish it. I need to reduce the width of the tang and draw it out an inch longer, I will do this when i crack the forge up for heat treatment. I am still puzzled about this bit of metal, its such a problem working it hot, yet if you run a file across it, the hardness isnt anything like you would expect, just hoping the heat and quench will sort it out without problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 I wonder what a metallurgist would make of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatchap Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 How did it spark on the belt grinder? Long sparks or fluffy short sparks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 this all looks terribly hard work.......................shud have stuck to an old rusty landrover leaf spring.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 How did it spark on the belt grinder? Long sparks or fluffy short sparks? Short and too yellow for my liking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 this all looks terribly hard work.......................shud have stuck to an old rusty landrover leaf spring.... You are so right ditchman, when i get this out of the way its straight on to the Landy spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted September 16, 2017 Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 I'll wager that there's a high %of stainless in it Try heating it slow As you know stainless is surface heat first and takes a lot of time to get the centre of the work hot and you won't move it until it is Just a thought Always a problem when working with unknown materials Anyway looking good even with too much hard work 🤣your almost inspiring me to crack out a couple of bits I've stashed away a bit of progon tool steel and a few other bits I've had put by Looking forward to seeing the finished product All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2017 I'll wager that there's a high %of stainless in it Try heating it slow As you know stainless is surface heat first and takes a lot of time to get the centre of the work hot and you won't move it until it is Just a thought Always a problem when working with unknown materials Anyway looking good even with too much hard work your almost inspiring me to crack out a couple of bits I've stashed away a bit of progon tool steel and a few other bits I've had put by Looking forward to seeing the finished product All the best Of Thanks Old farrier, its certainly acting like you describe stainless, but on saying that, its got a fair pull on the magnet. I will see it out anyway. Hope to get you going on your projects and look forward to seeing them. I think a lot of my problem is, these 74 year old arms and wrists just dont work like they used too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted September 18, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2017 Well hotmail is up and running so i have the pics i emailed myself. Todays job was to draw out the tang a bit longer, and to heat treat and quench. Now the material is much thinner its so different to work with, and the extra length on the tang came easy. One more heat and the quench went well, i actually lost the tiny warp i had. Running a file over the cooled blank sounded good and no cut. After a bit of a cleanup it looks a bit like a knife blank again. Next the grind and edge work, fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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