First thread (and it's a doozy)

[JZZ]

I am really looking to set up shop. A little background:

I'm a surveyor at an Operation on the North Slope of Alaska. I work a 3week on/3 week off schedule and I am looking to do something productive on my time off. In my younger years I have been a sailor, steelworker, welder, machinist, beekeeper, mechanic, machinery operator, gunsmith, among many others and I am sitting on 9/10's of an Engineering degree that I am no longer interested in finishing. I've had a lot of experience and hobbies in my short time on this planet.

I caught the forging and blademaking bug bad. This is something I really want to try and I want to start off with a bang. I have a $15-20K budget and I am really searching on where to spend it. The basic items (anvil, forge, press, Hammers&tongs&tools, grinders) are pretty obvious, but the selection is dizzying. I honestly don't know where to start.

If you started over with a $20K insurance check today after a major disaster, what would you get? Assume that you are carrying nothing over and you will be close to where I am at.

I fully intend to make knives, but I really think a forged billet (pattern welding) operation would be where I could sustain a side-business. I am enthralled by the process and cannot wait to get started!

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I would start with:
Steel - 20 feet of .125X1.5 steel all in the same type (36" or 48" bars 1084 or 15N20 would be good)
Something to cut the steel - A metal cutting portable bandsaw, Lenox blades, and a SWAG table for it
Something to shape the steel - A good grinder - TW-90, Northridge, Esteem, etc.
Something to drill holes in the steel, handles, and guards - A good benchtop drill press
Stuff to remove and smooth the steel - All the necessary belts, sandpapers, hand tools, files, etc.
Something to harden the steel - An 18" HT oven - Evenheat or Paragon
Something to harden the steel with - 5 gallons of Parks #50 and a 24" deep 6" wide quench tank ( cut off large oxygen or other cylinder)
Something to make the handle with - Stabilized wood blocks (Greenberg Woods is a great source)
Something to cut the wood with - A wood cutting bandsaw (10-12" size of any good brand) is really nice, but in the beginning you can use the metal cutting saw and a coarse blade.

There are many miscellaneous items you will want or need, such as rivet/pin stock, Corby bolts and the matching counterbores ( I highly recommend the ones from USA Knifemakers. Get the carbide counterbores and only cry once.), brass and other guard/pommel materials. Again, the list is huge eventually, but these will get you started.


Make a dozen or so knives - one at a time - by stock removal to learn the process.
After that, if you really want to forge them by hand - get a forge, anvil, tongs, hammers, vises ... the list goes on.

 

[Tom Lewis]

To make a knife you need to learn how to grind. In addition to Stacy's excellent list, I would get 20 feet of mild steel 1 1/2" x 3/16 or 1/4" . Practice grinding on the cheap mild steel. Make your mistakes on the mild steel before you start on the more expensive blade steel.
If you can visit an established knifemaker you can learn a lot.
If you can go to one of the ABS blade schools on forging, handles, damascus, etc. It will really shorten your learning curve.
There are lots of u-tube videos on knifemaking. Some are better than others.

 

[JZZ]

To make a knife you need to learn how to grind. In addition to Stacy's excellent list, I would get 20 feet of mild steel 1 1/2" x 3/16 or 1/4" . Practice grinding on the cheap mild steel. Make your mistakes on the mild steel before you start on the more expensive blade steel.
If you can visit an established knifemaker you can learn a lot.
If you can go to one of the ABS blade schools on forging, handles, damascus, etc. It will really shorten your learning curve.
There are lots of u-tube videos on knifemaking. Some are better than others.

I have signed up for classes in Denver in June with Jason Knight; and, I am trying to find time for classes in Great Falls, Mt with Ed Caffrey. Thanks for the tip!

 

[weo]

If you've got the cash, and want to make damascus, a 25(ish)-ton press is something I'd seriously consider. It takes a lot of the variables out of forge welding billets easy. When doing billets by hand, you have to be very diligent with your prep work, hammer control, heat control, etc. With a press, you don't have to worry about these things nearly as much.

 

[scott kozub]

don't forget about electrical. Many of the tools you'll be using will be 220v so you need hookups. If you don't have them, put an electrician on the list.

If your doing pattern welded steel you'll need a welder. You don't need much of a welder. If you want to get into stainless steels you'll need some aluminum quench plates and should consider a Dewar for liquid nitrogen.

You may also want a kydex press for sheaths. If you want to make leather sheaths that's another set of tools. Maybe an electro chemical etcher if you want to brand your knives.

Much of these tools can easily be made if your handy and have the time and want to save some money.

 

[Drew Riley]

That's a pretty sizeable budget, but it goes quickly once you start buying new machine tools. If you can find any local (or semi-local) makers with even a modest shop setup, I'd recommend making as many visits as you can just to get an idea of what you like or don't like, need or don't need.

There are a lot of common tools that 99.999% of makers use (drill press, bandsaws, misc. handtools, etc...), but then there are tools that only some makers use or find useful (lathe, mill, disk sander etc...)

If you're primarily interested in forging, then you certainly want a forge, but there are many different options and styles to pick from. At the same time, you may also want to invest in a digitally controlled heat treat oven/kiln for more precise heat treating.

You might also think about what misc. odds and ends you might need: electrical upgrades, lighting, exhaust hood (if coal forging), climate control, dust collection, air compressor, PPE, fire suppression, etc....

 

[kbright]

I kinda wonder what you have available on the North Slope of Alaska. Walrus tusk? whale bones? polar bear claws? reindeer antlers? I could see you becoming a supplier of materials as well as a consumer.

 

[JZZ]

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I kinda wonder what you have available on the North Slope of Alaska. Walrus tusk? whale bones? polar bear claws? reindeer antlers? I could see you becoming a supplier of materials as well as a consumer.

Mostly Zinc and Lead. It's a fly-in/fly-out operation. There are lots of drops, but the tundra eats them up pretty quickly!