Grain question

J

JMJones

Joined
Jul 14, 2010
Messages
945
I just picked up some of Don Hanson's w2 and am going to forge a blade. I am planning to cut a slice of the round stock off and rough forge it into bar stock, then into the knife blade. My question is should I forge from the parent stock to take grain direction into account, or will that all work itself out when the stock is forged down and to shape?

Thanks
John
 
The grain from the extrusion of the round stock will be totally changed when you forge the hockey puck slice into a bar, and them a blade. Don't worry about what it is now.
 
As Stacy says i do this with Dons w2 as well because i have no other way to get it forged down.

Bob
 
The forged blade is best developed through a large rate of directional reduction by forging. The more you work it the better it gets, providing you forge with a plan and do it at the right temperature.

But don't be bashful about doing what you want to do.
 
Ed Fowler said:
The forged blade is best developed through a large rate of directional reduction by forging. The more you work it the better it gets, providing you forge with a plan and do it at the right temperature.

But don't be bashful about doing what you want to do.
Click to expand...

Hi Ed,

I would like your input on this procedure.
I cut the 1.5 inch "hockey puck" from the 2.35 inch (or so) round parent bar and forged it into an approximatly 11 inch bladed bowie with hidden tang. It is about .25 or a little more at the ricaso with a distal taper with a blade width of about 2 inches before clean up. Does this sound like a large rate of reduction, or should forge the parent bar lenthwise into barstock and forge the blades from that. I got a bunch so I am open to either method.


Thanks

John
 
The bar was developed lengthwise, the grain runs from one end to the other. If you want to take the greatest advantage of the parent stock I feel you would be best off to work it down lengthwise. With the grain flowing parallel to the spine. This should provide the greatest lateral strength in the blade.

The last time I worked with W2 was when I took a forging tutorial with Bill Moran, that was over 30 years ago. What I have learned since that time has always been using high quality 52100 and 5160. The high endurance performance blade is not the result of a single event, but many events, working together, each carefully planned and documented.

If I was in your shoes I would develop two blades as identical in size and geometry as you can, one forged as you did the first one and one forged with the grain in the bar. Test them for edge flex, cut and lateral strength then you will know which is better.

You working in your shop with your steel and equipment will be a lot different than what I do in my shop. This is why we do not ask students to test their blades developed under our eye in our shop and with our equipment to destruction. We test a blade to destruction that one of the coaches has developed and as a demonstration and suggest the student go home and see if he can match it in his shop.

Your own personal testing is the only way you will know the true quality of your blades.

Good Luck! and if you have any further questions do not be afraid to ask.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top