Forging Blades on the 100# Little Giant

Thanks for sharing the pictures, Don. It's really neat to see the various phases in making a forged blade...and then see the final product:thumbup:
 
Great addition Don and Tina! Your website upgrades this year should be very rewarding to you. I have sure enjoyed them.
This new pictorial of using your Little Giant from start to finish makes a newbie like me want to attend some knifemaking courses starting tomorrow. You can only read so much. The visuals help put it all together.
Well done!!
 
I really need to get a power hammer...:) Sweet blades, and great job forging. I'm very impressed.
 
beautiful pictorial essay Tina and
Don you must be one helluva dancer
 
Thanks for your comments guys. This was a lot of work but fun, we plan to do more. Durwood and RAN, your slip joint folder blades started something like this, forged from large round stock.
 
That's really a neat photoessay Don and Tina, well done! I enjoyed each part of it, and am now running to the shop to try something I just learned off of it. I know that had to be a lot of work also!
 
Hey Don very intetesting..I havent forgotten you waiting for a whole in Jim's schedule..not carrying her aches!
 
Don, you seem to be doing more 1086M and less W2 in a lot of your fixed work. You must be happy with the 1086M results you are getting. What are the main technical differences in the two steels? Would you use the 1086M with one of your slim trappers, or just with the larger blades?
 
Canine, I still use lots of W2, I just forged and profiled 8 slim trapper blades from W2. I perfer 1086M for larger blades and I'm liking the hamon activity I get with it. 1086 would also make a fine smaller blade and I plan to use it in some upcoming folders.

1086M - .86 carbon .43 manganess .23 vanadium

W2 - 1.-1.5 carbon .20-.30 manganess .23 vanadium

These numbers are very close, I pulled them from my head. W2 varies on some charts though and is flat wrong on one chart I have.

Anyway the two steels are very close with W2 having more carbon. The vanadium in both steels makes for better edge holding and abrasion resistence.
 
Don, The only thing that would make this better is if it was a vidio. I've had very little experience using a little giant. I'm lucky if I can keep a billet on the anvil and would never attempt to try to forge to shape with one. My little giant is a 6# sledge that gets used as little as need be. Thanks for the look!
 
Very cool stuff Don -- you've got some serious control over that monster. :thumbup:
 
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