A Bowie

**stimpsonjcat** · December 03, 2017, 20:13

Not yours Paladin...I have an axe to grind before I get to your knife.

**stimpsonjcat** · December 03, 2017, 20:15

**stimpsonjcat** · December 03, 2017, 20:16

**stimpsonjcat** · December 03, 2017, 20:18

0302 · December 03, 2017, 20:25

time to cut back on the firewater there stud

**stimpsonjcat** · December 03, 2017, 20:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0302

time to cut back on the firewater there stud

Wut?

**stimpsonjcat** · December 04, 2017, 00:06

yovinny · December 04, 2017, 06:28

Nice work stimpy, looks great...

SWOHFAL · December 04, 2017, 07:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0302

time to cut back on the firewater there stud

You first, chief.

slavicshooter · December 04, 2017, 15:12

Awesome Stimpy.

~ss

KoKodog · December 04, 2017, 16:19

making knives from discarded tools becomes a form of art

this guy seems to be working from a clean slate,

doesn't look too difficult to replicate

you just need to be set up for the job

kotengu · December 04, 2017, 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

doesn't look too difficult...

That's because you aren't looking closely enough.

KoKodog · December 04, 2017, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by kotengu

That's because you aren't looking closely enough.

use my entire statement if you want the proper context,
cherry pickin' skews everything

Quote:

doesn't look too difficult to replicate

you just need to be set up for the job

**stimpsonjcat** · December 04, 2017, 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

doesn't look too difficult to replicate

Agreed. pretty straight-forward assuming the metal is agreeable.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

you just need to be set up for the job

You just need a heat source and a hammer, right?

KoKodog · December 07, 2017, 16:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

Agreed. pretty straight-forward assuming the metal is agreeable.

thats a big assumption, a leap of faith before starting

You just need a heat source and a hammer, right?

not quite ....... proper tooling will make a big difference

if you do not have a decent anvil it will take considerably more effort to pound out the steel and form it the way you wish

looks like he has several large belt grinders, a forge furnace, oil bath and more

**Texgunner** · December 07, 2017, 18:05

**Sagerider** · December 08, 2017, 22:10

Ol Jim there sure likes to give his freakin sword to any yahoo that comes along.

SawbriarRips · December 09, 2017, 00:01

Great work, approximately how many hours did this take?

"Don't you know cartoons will ruin your mind? Look what its done to your brain!" Ren Hoek (YOU IDIOT! THAT'S HOEK, NOT HWWAAARRRK!)

SR

**stimpsonjcat** · December 09, 2017, 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by SawbriarRips

Great work, approximately how many hours did this take?
SR

Hmmmm...

1.5 initial forge to bent.

1.5 forged to grind start.

2 hours total grind time.

2 hours total time on furniture.

2 hours buff/polish.

1 hour on the scrimshaw so far...

SawbriarRips · December 10, 2017, 00:05

The residual file/rasp surfaces give the blade great character.

Up the Irons

SR

**stimpsonjcat** · December 12, 2017, 10:09

tac-40 · December 12, 2017, 23:05

What material did you use for the pommel and bolster? The first pics looked like a white metal, but the finished product looked to be brass or bronze. Or was that just the camera lighting playing tricks? And last but not least, did you use your power hammer for the forming of the base blase or hand hammer it all the way?

Anyway, that thing looks good for the first attempt at a big knife. Scrimshaw was pretty good too.

**stimpsonjcat** · December 12, 2017, 23:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by tac-40

What material did you use for the pommel and bolster?

Technically there is no pommel, as it is a full tang design.
But all the bits, including the rear bolsters, are O-1 tool steel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tac-40

The first pics looked like a white metal, but the finished product looked to be brass or bronze. Or was that just the camera lighting playing tricks?

It's O-1 tool steel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tac-40

And last but not least, did you use your power hammer for the forming of the base blase or hand hammer it all the way?

The power hammer never touched this blade. It would have served no purpose as the power hammer is for billet-shaping and folds, which this knife needed neither of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tac-40

Anyway, that thing looks good for the first attempt at a big knife. Scrimshaw was pretty good too.

This is hardly my first big knife.

This...

Is considerably more formidable at 2lbs+10oz and 20" overall.

tac-40 · December 13, 2017, 20:13

You did well attaching the rear bolsters. Since I didn't see any rivets like the the front, I assumed it was a pommel.

And right after I posted, I did recall you have produced other blades.

In any case, I , along with others, are impressed with you metal working skills. I could only wish that I had you shop, time to practice, and a modicum of you skill sets. I truly believe you are the epitome of a Renaissance man. Kudos to you, sir.

**stimpsonjcat** · December 13, 2017, 21:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

not quite ....... proper tooling will make a big difference

if you do not have a decent anvil it will take considerably more effort to pound out the steel and form it the way you wish

looks like he has several large belt grinders, a forge furnace, oil bath and more

So, Kotengu and I may be guilty of a little bit of tongue in cheek here.

The video reveals some not insignificant issues.

-He hits the metal a lot when non-radiant. A major no-no as it introduces unwanted stresses
-he makes a great bent tip, but then works the wrong side of the blade IMO. Maybe he wanted a cavalry sabre, but if he wanted a straighter blade form he needed to bend the blade the wrong way before working the edge to form to bend it the right way (see my pics above)
-the point of maximum flex is right where there is a left in place indented line across the blade. This area is right where the guard would be if a guard were included. I am guessing he did this to keep the section with the text intact. I get it, but it is structurally a problem.

I suspect Kotengu spotted some of this and that was the point of his comment.

**stimpsonjcat** · December 13, 2017, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by tac-40

You did well attaching the rear bolsters. Since I didn't see any rivets like the the front, I assumed it was a pommel.

None of the pins are truly invisible, which, I have to admit, was a bit of a let-down, as I tried to peen them out to match the bolsters.

It's tricky business, trying to work steel bits inside other steel bits so they fit while the epoxy hardens. I think this is the reason so many smiths are going to ornamental pins and such. Slather everything in epoxy and screw the pins in and grind off the flat-head portions...it's so pretty!

KoKodog · December 14, 2017, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

So, Kotengu and I may be guilty of a little bit of tongue in cheek here.

The video reveals some not insignificant issues.

-He hits the metal a lot when non-radiant. A major no-no as it introduces unwanted stresses

-he makes a great bent tip, but then works the wrong side of the blade IMO. Maybe he wanted a cavalry sabre, but if he wanted a straighter blade form he needed to bend the blade the wrong way before working the edge to form to bend it the right way (see my pics above)

-the point of maximum flex is right where there is a left in place indented line across the blade. This area is right where the guard would be if a guard were included. I am guessing he did this to keep the section with the text intact. I get it, but it is structurally a problem.

I suspect Kotengu spotted some of this and that was the point of his comment.

possibly he wanted to form small stress cracks in order to induce more carbon into the steel, unless you ask him we will not know

I suspect he was going for the classic samurai profile for the blade

I belive you are correct about the line, but something tells me this is not a work blade, but a show blade

**stimpsonjcat** · December 14, 2017, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

possibly he wanted to form small stress cracks in order to induce more carbon into the steel, unless you ask him we will not know

That's not how this works.

KoKodog · December 15, 2017, 12:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

That's not how this works.

Well then you had best teach him

**stimpsonjcat** · December 16, 2017, 01:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

Well then you had best teach him

That is not my purpose in this world.

I'll make my things, and he will make his, and some will make nothing...and yet comment on those that did.

**brunop** · December 16, 2017, 03:09

KoKodog · December 16, 2017, 12:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

That is not my purpose in this world.

I'll make my things, and he will make his, and some will make nothing...and yet comment on those that did.

yeah, a box of old rail spikes does not count I guess .........

**stimpsonjcat** · December 19, 2017, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

yeah, a box of old rail spikes does not count I guess .........

I read this as you have made some spike knives? Got pics?

Do you have a forge?

I am not your enemy, and it is clear you feel attacked in this thread. But for me, at least, it is odd to be getting lectured about this art about things it should be clear I already know. Not annoying, just odd.

KoKodog · December 19, 2017, 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

I read this as you have made some spike knives? Got pics?

Do you have a forge?

I am not your enemy, and it is clear you feel attacked in this thread. But for me, at least, it is odd to be getting lectured about this art about things it should be clear I already know. Not annoying, just odd.

no pics, it was a time of little spare coin, a steep learning curve and no idea of what I was doing, learned thru the school of hard knocks on my one buddy's grandfathers equipment, lots of old home made one off items, but he did have a nice hand crank blower that was old back then, his grandfather showed us the easy way to start our fire w/ little wood, a few charcoal pieces & then start feeding it coal

all the rail spike knives were swiped by my buddys cousin, a real asshole, could not prove he took them, but he was known for doing that kind of shit, they were just basic, nothing like you see today w/ twists and loops, they were never fully finished, I considered them part of my learning curve

about 20 years ago I took a walk and picked up about 2-3 dozen spikes, they're still in a corner of the garage, a friend has been bugging me to give them up, 'cause he wants to make some rail spike knives like you see being made today they were supposed to be for a home made rake/harrow/ ? for landscaping the yard, but never got that far

**stimpsonjcat** · December 20, 2017, 16:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKodog

no pics, it was a time of little spare coin, a steep learning curve and no idea of what I was doing, learned thru the school of hard knocks on my one buddy's grandfathers equipment, lots of old home made one off items, but he did have a nice hand crank blower that was old back then, his grandfather showed us the easy way to start our fire w/ little wood, a few charcoal pieces & then start feeding it coal

all the rail spike knives were swiped by my buddys cousin, a real asshole, could not prove he took them, but he was known for doing that kind of shit, they were just basic, nothing like you see today w/ twists and loops, they were never fully finished, I considered them part of my learning curve

about 20 years ago I took a walk and picked up about 2-3 dozen spikes, they're still in a corner of the garage, a friend has been bugging me to give them up, 'cause he wants to make some rail spike knives like you see being made today they were supposed to be for a home made rake/harrow/ ? for landscaping the yard, but never got that far

I have an ancient hand-crank, works great, but I have never connected it to anything.

kotengu · December 20, 2017, 17:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

I have an ancient hand-crank, works great, but I have never connected it to anything.

Back in the good old days when we did primitive skills training we started with a human breath powered (via rivercane stalks) forge. Once we were able to make basic tools with that setup they let us "cheat" with a hand crank forge, and we thought we'd died and gone to heaven.

**stimpsonjcat** · December 21, 2017, 15:04

You couldn't make bellows out of a shirt?

kotengu · December 21, 2017, 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

You couldn't make bellows out of a shirt?

Never thought about it. He showed us the Rivercane method, then we went to the hand crank.

Kind of like how we started off making a fire with a hand drill, then moved on to the bow drill. The bow drill was GREAT after learning the hand drill!

bouncer50 · December 29, 2017, 22:05

You do some really nice work. Question i have i seen a few file knifes That broke that guys. using them as pry bars You must have heat treat them so they hsve some give to them. I seen a home made Bowie made from a semi leaf spring. Made a really niice knife

**stimpsonjcat** · January 02, 2018, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by bouncer50

You do some really nice work. Question i have i seen a few file knifes That broke that guys. using them as pry bars You must have heat treat them so they hsve some give to them. I seen a home made Bowie made from a semi leaf spring. Made a really niice knife

Yes, this is an issue, and an unknown with this knife.

I tried several different heat treat methods on several files to see what worked best, but even the best was too brittle for me to sell someone as a 'working' knife. The owner was OK with taking possession of it as an 'art knife'.

The metal can be made soft from an abrasion standpoint, but is still brittle in that softened state.

I have a plan to make a mock version using real tool steel and pressing it on both sides with rasps. This gets the 'effect', but in a functional steel.

tac-40 · January 03, 2018, 14:01

Wouldn't a long tempering period between 500° and 600° reduce the brittleness while still maintaining the hardness? I know when I am making springs, the tempering time, as well as the temperature, is key to get the spring to perform correctly. Too short and the metal is very brittle and prone to breakage.

Of course this would require you for figure out if you could use your forge to hold the correct temperature or if you would need a separate tempering oven.

**stimpsonjcat** · January 04, 2018, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by tac-40

Wouldn't a long tempering period between 500° and 600° reduce the brittleness while still maintaining the hardness? I know when I am making springs, the tempering time, as well as the temperature, is key to get the spring to perform correctly. Too short and the metal is very brittle and prone to breakage.

Of course this would require you for figure out if you could use your forge to hold the correct temperature or if you would need a separate tempering oven.

You cannot both temper and maintain hardness. Tempering, by definition, is the conversion of Martensite to something softer, either a less hard martensite or austenite if too much heat is allowed. You are allowing carbon to escape. The time factor is really a penetration issue, not a temperature issue. Once the piece is all the same temp, nothing new is going to happen to it if you kept it in the oven for days.

"I tried several different heat treat methods on several files" Sort of hurt you think I wouldn't attempt an abnormally long temper. Hell I did 5 full normalizing cycles on one of them. That's 2 days of just heating that one up and letting it cool as slowly as possible. Tempering doesn't mean squat if the metal is never Martensite, which can't happen without a quench.

Tempering merely removes the stresses that cause a (carbon) metal to be 'hard'. As mentioned, I was able to get it plenty 'soft', but never 'pliable'...in all cases it was still brittle, even in a state where it was easily filed.

I don't think they are carbon steel.

In the end it doesn't matter, as I don't intend to replicate this experiment. I am moving on to pattern-welded stuff from here.

STGThndr · January 18, 2018, 11:57

I'm not real sold on large file knives. Smaller ones work well tho, IME.
So, ummm, Stimpson, How much and how long to make a large bowie full tang BLADE if I were to send you a 2' length of leaf-spring? Thanks, Dun
DunRanull@AOL.com

**stimpsonjcat** · January 18, 2018, 16:56

Just the blade?

Gonna need more details to offer a price.

**stimpsonjcat** · January 25, 2018, 12:16

kotengu · January 25, 2018, 16:00

Very nice!

December 03, 2017, 20:13	#1
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	A Bowie Not yours Paladin...I have an axe to grind before I get to your knife. __________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 03, 2017, 20:15	#2
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	__________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 03, 2017, 20:16	#3
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	__________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 03, 2017, 20:18	#4
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	__________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 04, 2017, 00:06	#7
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	__________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 03, 2017, 20:25	#5
0302 Registered FALaholic #: 348 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: New Mexico Posts: 8,713	time to cut back on the firewater there stud

December 04, 2017, 06:28	#8
yovinny Registered Bronze Contributor FALaholic #: 7679 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: NY transplant to central Illinois, Now in Kentucky Posts: 5,502	Nice work stimpy, looks great...

December 04, 2017, 15:12	#10
slavicshooter Registered Contributor FALaholic #: 74022 Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hannibal, Mo. Posts: 3,342	Awesome Stimpy.~ss __________________ " In truth there is only one freedom - the holy freedom of Christ, whereby He freed us from sin, from evil, from the devil. It binds us to God. All other freedoms are illusory, false, that is to say, they are all, in fact, slavery."~St. Justin Popovitch " Slavs are fueled by booze. I thought this was common knowledge."~lew юродивый

December 04, 2017, 16:19	#11
KoKodog Registered FALaholic #: 31665 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: on top of a wind swept ridge Posts: 4,928	making knives from discarded tools becomes a form of art this guy seems to be working from a clean slate, doesn't look too difficult to replicate you just need to be set up for the job __________________ Far better it is to dare mighty things, than to take refuge with those timid spirits that know neither victory, nor defeat. Teddy Roosvelt Pray for peace, but prepare for war. Winston Churchill

December 07, 2017, 18:05	#16
Texgunner long-time Texas taxpayer Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 4653 Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Brokenoak in central Texas-Milam county Posts: 7,119	__________________ My daddy was a cowboy in his younger days, wild as the west Texas wind. He once told me, "Son, death is a horse you got to ride. So you better get your saddle ready."

December 08, 2017, 22:10	#17
Sagerider Curio & Relic Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 66564 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Montana Posts: 3,095	Ol Jim there sure likes to give his freakin sword to any yahoo that comes along. __________________ The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Matthew 25:1 thru 25:10 Be ready! The written word sometimes like poetry is never really finished but merely abandoned. I live alone in the middle of nowhere with two dogs and a cat, what do you think about that. The wind blows, the rain falls, the flag snaps its bravery in the dark as two dogs boil for attention at my feet. Of course it is a true story. You just couldn't make up something like that, no way.

December 09, 2017, 00:01	#18
SawbriarRips Registered FALaholic #: 63304 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: New Level Posts: 175	OUTSTANDING WORK Great work, approximately how many hours did this take? "Don't you know cartoons will ruin your mind? Look what its done to your brain!" Ren Hoek (YOU IDIOT! THAT'S HOEK, NOT HWWAAARRRK!) SR Last edited by SawbriarRips; December 09, 2017 at 01:50.

December 10, 2017, 00:05	#20
SawbriarRips Registered FALaholic #: 63304 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: New Level Posts: 175	THATS QUICK WORK The residual file/rasp surfaces give the blade great character. Up the Irons SR

December 12, 2017, 10:09	#21
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	__________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 12, 2017, 23:05	#22
tac-40 Moderator Armed Curmudgeon FALaholic #: 12090 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: SC-Low Country Posts: 7,421	What material did you use for the pommel and bolster? The first pics looked like a white metal, but the finished product looked to be brass or bronze. Or was that just the camera lighting playing tricks? And last but not least, did you use your power hammer for the forming of the base blase or hand hammer it all the way? Anyway, that thing looks good for the first attempt at a big knife. Scrimshaw was pretty good too. __________________ Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Schools uses to start with the "three R's". Reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now they start with the "three D's". Dipshitery, Dumbassery, and Douchebaggery-Retired Bum If you do in fact have a problem, you have the rest of your life to solve it. How long your life lasts only depends on how well you solve it.

December 13, 2017, 20:13	#24
tac-40 Moderator Armed Curmudgeon FALaholic #: 12090 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: SC-Low Country Posts: 7,421	You did well attaching the rear bolsters. Since I didn't see any rivets like the the front, I assumed it was a pommel. And right after I posted, I did recall you have produced other blades. In any case, I , along with others, are impressed with you metal working skills. I could only wish that I had you shop, time to practice, and a modicum of you skill sets. I truly believe you are the epitome of a Renaissance man. Kudos to you, sir. __________________ Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Schools uses to start with the "three R's". Reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now they start with the "three D's". Dipshitery, Dumbassery, and Douchebaggery-Retired Bum If you do in fact have a problem, you have the rest of your life to solve it. How long your life lasts only depends on how well you solve it.

December 16, 2017, 03:09	#31
brunop Refresh Key Masher Platinum Contributor FALaholic #: 17136 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 12,444	__________________ Warning to all FalFiles members who may ever want to do business with me on the FF Marketplace: I support any person who steals 3% from PP by conducting business transactions as Family & Friends transactions. This may impugn my character, and, according to Mark Graham of Arizona Response Systems, means that I'll lie, cheat, and steal from people here if there is anything about you that I don't like - or possibly even disagree with. You may not want to do business with me. In case you forget this, this warning will appear in any future advert in the Marketplace. Consider yourself duly warned. http://www.falfiles.com/forums/showp...7&postcount=89

December 21, 2017, 15:04	#37
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	You couldn't make bellows out of a shirt? __________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

December 29, 2017, 22:05	#39
bouncer50 Registered FALaholic #: 10039 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 2,851	You do some really nice work. Question i have i seen a few file knifes That broke that guys. using them as pry bars You must have heat treat them so they hsve some give to them. I seen a home made Bowie made from a semi leaf spring. Made a really niice knife

January 03, 2018, 14:01	#41
tac-40 Moderator Armed Curmudgeon FALaholic #: 12090 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: SC-Low Country Posts: 7,421	Wouldn't a long tempering period between 500° and 600° reduce the brittleness while still maintaining the hardness? I know when I am making springs, the tempering time, as well as the temperature, is key to get the spring to perform correctly. Too short and the metal is very brittle and prone to breakage. Of course this would require you for figure out if you could use your forge to hold the correct temperature or if you would need a separate tempering oven. __________________ Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Schools uses to start with the "three R's". Reading, writing, and arithmetic. Now they start with the "three D's". Dipshitery, Dumbassery, and Douchebaggery-Retired Bum If you do in fact have a problem, you have the rest of your life to solve it. How long your life lasts only depends on how well you solve it. Last edited by tac-40; January 03, 2018 at 21:24.

January 18, 2018, 11:57	#43
STGThndr Registered FALaholic #: 14583 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Southern Colorado mtns and desert Posts: 3,714	I'm not real sold on large file knives. Smaller ones work well tho, IME. So, ummm, Stimpson, How much and how long to make a large bowie full tang BLADE if I were to send you a 2' length of leaf-spring? Thanks, Dun DunRanull@AOL.com __________________ Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. W.B Yeats

January 18, 2018, 16:56	#44
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	Just the blade? Gonna need more details to offer a price. __________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

January 25, 2018, 12:16	#45
stimpsonjcat I wasn't talking to you Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 470 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Dawsonville, GA Posts: 6,465	__________________ peace! Happiness=UPS+ORMD "Your 8mm FAL is like a deuce coup with a Ferrari pancake 12 under the hood and a Jaguar rear end. It just kinda transcends cool into fantasy."- USMC 0341 "The stimpgewehr is the reason Waldo is hiding."- Kotengu "The game is worth the candle...always been."

January 25, 2018, 16:00	#46
kotengu Registered FALaholic #: 1594 Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Baxter, TN, USA Posts: 7,665	Very nice! __________________ "The way is in training." - Miyamoto Musashi

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode