Giant Fresnel lens as a knife forge?

U

Ugly Duck

Joined
Oct 6, 2008
Messages
568
I went to the recycle center & took out the giant Fresnel lens from a discarded rear projection TV & focused the sunlight onto a new penny. At 7 seconds the zinc melted out of the copper, at 10 seconds the penny started to vaporize (burned a hole right through it). Any longer than that & there wouldn't have been anything left. This thing ignites wood into flame in a fraction of a second. Saw a Youtube video of one melting a padlock into a puddle in 5 minutes. Seems like one could be used to red-hot steel for forging a knife... anybody heard of that? Maybe I'll sacrifice an old blade & experiment...



destructo.jpg
 
UD, PM me an address and I'll send you a few scraps of 1095 and 1084 blade steel and maybe a railroad spike.
 
I got a message from il bruce on Romanon... he sez carbon steel is forged at about 2200 degrees F. That just isn't gonna happen on a blade-sized piece. Oh well... it sounded like a good idea. Thanks for the offer, dude!

I got this thing to melt nylon plastic into oyster shell chips to use as koi pond filter media. Another brainstorm of mine. It works great for that....
 
True enough you need more precise control to heat to quenching temp. But a good idea none the less. The last time I used a wood fire to harden blades I had 1st degree burns on my forehead and singed the hair on my hands through welding gloves:eek: So any less painful way is attractive to me. Don't nobody remind me about using tongs or a propane forge. I'm dense I get it:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top