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Well, I've been looking for a project to work on this summer, or at least next month. I finally got my hands on a set of old leaf springs from a truck and have decided to make a few knives out of it. A few little ones and probably a machete or two. Now, I've never even attempted to make a knife before and was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to proceed with this. Thanks!!
We've got some pretty good knife makers here. I'm just learning, so won't offer any advice (gotta see how my temering comes out).
I don't know. I don't have enough experience to give any advise about knife making. I was thinking about a leaf spring hawk.
I would love to do a hawk out of the leaf spring. Lord knows I've got enough to do a few knives, couple of machetes, and a hawk. Haha!
Hey C.J. Sounds like a nice project you got going.. I'd like to be able to help ya out, but my knife making experience is limited as well.. I've only done a total of two blades before.. I'd really like to make a hawk though.. But I figure I need to give my shaping and forging skills a bit more time to develop a style first.
What are you using for a forge? Also make sure you got something nice to hammer on, a round edge like the hooked end of a anvil is also really handy to have (doesn't have to be a anvil, but the strong curve is what you want) to get the curve in your blades hammered out nicely.
Tommy,
I think my brother in law and I are going to make a forge out of whatever we can find. Basically we're going to assemble the forge and the "anvil" out of whatever we can find and put together. We're pretty inventive like that, lol! I'll let you know how they turn out. Gonna be a slow project though, probably take all summer to get it all done.
Very much looking forward to your creations. On the mountain in back of the house are several old wrecks for the 1930's and 40's, overgrown by the forest, with some fine looking springs there for the taking.
You should harvest them and make something as well RR! I'm just hoping my creations come out with good results.
PROJECTS???? Only a few........
New house. Renovations......Repairs...... Just taking a little break from that this afternoon.
Update the electrical system. A 200 amp electrical service upgrade is coming soon. Install new electrical wiring throughout, with a 100 amp sub-panel in the basement.
Update the plumbing. Larger water pressure tank with a new filtration system.
Add several outdoor flood lights and weather-proof outlets, and a few outdoor hot and cold water faucets with winter purge valves.
PRIORITY ITEM!!! Invisible fence for the three dogs. Give 'em about 2 acres to play in. Oh yeah, doggy door, too.
Tear down the dilipated 5 room two story combination storage/potting shed and greenhouse way out back and build a new one - maybe this year, maybe next. Need an excavator and a large dumpster or two for that project.
Set up all the wiring for the 2 generators. Build a ventilated and accessable masonry generator out-building and run conduit and wiring to the transfer switch. "Sound proof" with a fire-proof divider for extra fuel, parts, and tool storage. Maybe it's time to go with propane generators?
Set up the new workshop!!!! Another priority project. They always seem to get bigger and better. :) This one is getting a dust collection system and an air hose from the compressor in the garage. Speaking of the garage, well, it needs a workbench and some storage cabinets, too.
Speaking of which, I'd like to add a second garage or add on to the one already there. (Just bought a large John Deere mower-plow combo this morning, and it's gonna' take up almost a full stall by itself.) Nothing too large. No football games inside, only a small addition about the size of a regulation basketball court. :innocent: This scheme is gonna' require alot of sucking up to my honey.
Gardens - one large vegetable and several flower and plant gardens going in this year and next. Plant berry bushes - all kinds. And fruit trees - apple and pear. Clear out about 2 acres of scrub growth, leaving a few patches here and there for the wildlife. Put in some privacy plantings along one boundary. Thinking about bamboo. Honest.
Need a new fire pit. A large deck. Outdoor shower and shower stall.
Trying to avoid a swimming pool. :sneaky2: Only good 3 months a year at most around here, and we're a short drive from some great ocean beaches. So far, I'm outvoted on the swimming pool. 4 Yes - 1 No.
Addition for a huge kitchen and master suite in a year or two?
Build a bunch of bird feeders and bird and squirrel houses. Yep, SQUIRREL HOUSES! Don't mess with me here. :sneaky2:
I figure I can keep going for another couple of years with this list.
Dang Ken! You're going to need a LOT of spare time for that Honey-Do List!!
Rockgod,
The great thing about knife making is, your working with metal so if the knife your working on doesn't come out right you can always reuse the blank and cut it down to a smaller knife or use it for a different project.
As far as tips go Granted I am no expert just a back yard tinkerer, Ive found that getting your metal at the right temp is a huge factor when forging a blade,too cold a steel and your hammering twice as hard and long, too hot and you get some very odd shaped and funky looking blades, after you heat 3 or 4 pieces of scrap you'll get used to looking for certain colors in your heated metal that are the best to work with. and I have also found that the quenching is the biggest part of learning how to make a good knife try different methods till you find the one that works for you in my case its an oil quench , The biggest thing to remember is your making this for yourself and as long as you like it thats all that matters.
Thanks for the tips Welderguy! I haven't been able to start just yet, still trying to find all the parts for a forge. My Brother in Law can get me some coke, which will burn hotter than blacksmith's coal, so that will be a help. Mostly I've just been doing research on the right color for the temperature and using the magnet method to determine temperature. I'll post pics as soon as I start. I've got a lot of scrap from the leaf springs I found, so I'm sure I can have at least 1 item worth keeping by the time I'm done!
Looking forward to seeing your work. so I hope you have a digital camera,LOL.
I have decided I'm also going to make a few tomahawks out of ball-peen hammers. I'll be getting an old forge in about 10 days, so I can start then. This is going to rule!!!
Looking forward to seeing the finished products.
I'll post pictures as progress is made. Won't be for at least 10 days though, family trip to Michigan!
Looking forward to the pics.
Back from Michigan and getting the forge tomorrow. Will probably start with something smaller than a leaf spring, like a ball-peen hammer! Yepp, my brother in law and I are going to start with small tomahawks from hammers. Should be fun. I'll be sure to take pics and post what I get!
What are you using for a forge? Homemade?
My other brother in law (who is a sculpture artist, sure to be extremely famous someday), has a propane forge at the studio he works at that he's going to let me have. He says it burns A LOT of propane and really isn't that cost effective, but we're going to see if we can convert it to a coke-burning forge. So long as we don't let too much air get to the coke, it shouldn't get so hot as to melt the metal, thus sayeth the OBIL.