5160/L6 Billet Progress Pics

[Greg Covington]

Hope these pics don't bore anyone here....but we have had alot of press talk lately so since I was gonna torture myself this morning in all this humidity in Ohio, I figured I'd share.

First pic...9 layers 5160, L6, and a couple thin strips of 01 thrown in for good measure.....

Into the forge till red, flux, and then up to yellow and a good soak....

First weld on the welding dies...I do this twice before the draw dies....pic looks foggy because of humidity on the lens.....

Drawing dies....the Smurf sticker matches the "Clairborne Blue" and Papa Smurf is Ron yelling at me to have patience....heheheh

Drawn billet....

Okay...this is how I do it....I cut about 3/4" off the end of the billet and throw it away. For this one...I cut the billet into four and stacked it. In between I use an angle grinder to clean the mating surfaces of the billet. Restacked the billet and threw in a couple extra thin strips of L6 that I got from Dan Gray.

Next weld....

More flux...wire brushing, more flux...then a repeat draw.....as you can see it is VERY hot so I drew the billet out to about 15"....and 1/2" thick....I'll cut it into three and weld again then call it done..... 9 times 4=36...then two extra layers....=38....then times 3 tomorrow will give me 114 layers. Too humid to finish today and I'm getting a little "floaty" despite drinking about one gallon of water in the process.

 

[David Wesner]

Bored ??? You're kidding right ? There are very few things I would rather do than learn new techniques from the " Master Smiths " that frequent this form.And yes , I'm including you in that statement . One thing people will tell you about me is - " I call em like I see em " Nice work Greg !! Thanks for the post .

 

[LongRifle]

I'm coming over .

Great photos, thanks for posting them.

You look awful hot for not swinging a 2000 gram hammer . Stop by sometime and watch me forge a big a bowie, I drank almost three gallons in an hour and a half last week. I know what you mean about feeling "floaty." I usually don't drink water because I am thirsty, I drink it to cool down.

Take a couple pitchers filled with ice and a couple gallons of water. I turn the forge way down and let the steel come up to heat slowly, all the while gulping down ice water. It sounds pretty remedial, but it works and I don't mind standing in a 110* garage. Although, I even after forging a mini bowie I wanted to get the hell out of the shop .

I'm looking forward to the finished piece.

Matt

 

[samf]

Greg
That picture on your press looks alot like Bowie papa smurf
Sam Fogler

 

[Greg Covington]

I'm coming over .


Matt

Matt just wants to come over 'cause he sees that Sam Adams bottle in the first pic!

trapperwez Bored ??? You're kidding right ? There are very few things I would rather do than learn new techniques from the " Master Smiths " that frequent this form.And yes , I'm including you in that statement . One thing people will tell you about me is - " I call em like I see em " Nice work Greg !! Thanks for the post .

Thank you Sir.....I am humbled!

 

[Don Hanson III]

Thanks for the pics, looks like fun to me. Nice lookin press
I try to do all my forging before it gets hot and finish knives in the air condition all summer but I'm going to have to do a little forging soon, not looking forward to the heat.

Don Hanson lll

 

[Ron Claiborne]

Looking good Greg thanks for the pictures i learning to like that blue and a close up of smurf would be nice
bowie

 

[Ron Claiborne]

Greg i noticed that you need some new bricks ,i have also found that if you bend or cut off the top holders the breaking want happen looks like your getting good heat , you ask the other day what size pipe i used to make the bevel dies with i use a 3" 1/4 "thick bend it like a egg cut it down the middle, stack them weld it now you have a !/2 " thick peace weld this to the top plate .repeat fore the bottom place the contact point a little of center . Or you can grind a peace os steel \\\\\
if this is confusing call me
Bowie

 

[Burchtree]

Nice pics!!! Keep 'em coming sweaty.

I know the feeling -- I got a squirrel-cage fan blowing right on me and i still sweat like a madman when I'm forging.

 

[J. Neilson]

Sweating or melting....I can't tell the difference any more in this heat. Cool pix Greg. Now I have a better idea of what I'll be walking into next month.
Nice press!

 

[Greg Covington]

Here the rest of the pics:

The final stack.....3 pieces of 38 layer for a total of 114.

The final billet....I will cut off about 1/2" of the tip and about 2" off the other end....the previous cuts that I made before I stacked showed that the weld were so tight that the steel looked homogenous...that is....until dipped in ferric. The billet is about 1.5"wide by 13" long and right now at 3/8" thick. This will allow me to squeeze 2 or 3 Bowies out of this one.

Finally....here is the pic Ron requested. Papa Bowie Claiborne Smurf yelling at me 'cause I didnt layer my axe head enough...just one L6 streak running down it if you look close!

 

[Greg Covington]

Thanks for the advice on the bevel dies Ron! I will probably call you next week to get all the fine details.

My bricks are getting bad....the current new ones I have are a hair too thick to fit in the slots.....what kind do you get and where do you get them? Forge turns white inside on these humid days.

Nice pics!!! Keep 'em coming sweaty.

I have two big fans running on me and it still gets pretty hot.....I leave the shop between pressing.

I will post some pics of the resulting knife that will be made here in a week or two....don't have any plans right now....maybe a big fighting Bowie.....stag...etc. We'll see.

 

[LongRifle]

Get moving Greg, I want to see some pics of the pattern.

I'm still on the look out for a power hammer, after these pics I'm giving the press some serious though.

 

[Bruce Bump]

Great pix Greg. I sure like your new press! It looks really precise and well constructed.

 

[rhrocker]

I love these "short stories". Keep this going Greg until you're finished! We're all enjoying it. Great looking press.

 

[Greg Covington]

I will make a PART TWO post through the process.....the short story thing is kinda fun.

 

[Raymond Richard]

Greg, you just raised the temp out here in Oregon by 5 degrees. I just put together a die for doing tangs after doing more electrical work. Brought up my old Miller welder and needed 220 for it so I had to do some plug changing. Thanks for the pictures!