A little help please

[thompsonblades]

Well, I tried a new forge idea today. I used an old, unmodified, kerosene forced air heater. I forged this knife from a piece of 1X3/8 inch bar stock. I consider it my best forging yet. Anyways, what I need help with is in what kind of handle to use. Should I use a bolster and how would I make and attach it? I do know I want to use a butt plate of some kind, probably from steel since thats all I have. No brass. Also, I had this one idea of using some old cotton t-shirt towels and some epoxy to make a sort of poor mans micarta by coating the towels in the epoxy and tightly wraping them around the tang. I figure I'll get a perfectly tight fit, and when the epoxy hardens, I'll be able to sand down the handle to a comfortable grip. Any ideas would be helpful.

 

[JasonSCarter]

Very Nice! If it we're mine, I'd heat it back up and move the tang down to the middle of the blade. Google "How to make a stick tang knife" Also on the micarta, use fiberglass resin available at just about any walmart or auto store.

Jason

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Glad you are having fun. Be careful though.

Take a look at some forged blades, and you will see where yours differs. The tang is not centered, as Jason pointed out.
The up-curved blade is an artifact of not down-curving the steel before forging the bevels. If you curve the blank down first, the tip will lift as the bevels are forged in. If it lifts too high, just curve it downward some more and keep on forging the bevels.
I saw your other chopper blade. I have a suspicion you are using the wrong type of hammer as a forging hammer. A proper forging hammer will make things easier, and the results smoother. If you are using a blacksmith's hammer, try and have the blows land fairly flat on the hot steel. The blows should be even and not smashing blows. Anvil height is important in getting the blows flat.

Your kero heater may not be producing a hot enough flame to forge with, BTW. The steel needs to be between 2000F and 1600F to forge. Below that ,it will be red, but the steel does not move right, and cracks can form inside the steel.

Also, I can't tell from the photo what is going on where the tang meets the blade, but it looks like some extra metal there. Did you weld on the tang?

What method of HT are you planning on using?


Stacy