Heres what happened....

[Michael_Schaap]

Ok.... so.... I took the plung and did some forging today(finally got some time to myself).... not sure if it was a positive experience or negative... but it was an experience....

Heres what I was working with....

1. Found a park with some privacy and worked there away from the crowd.
2. Had the "One Brick Forge" fired up and I believe ready to go fueled with propane
3. The selection of steel I had was L6 (3/16 x 1) and 52100 (3/4 round stock)
4. Tools I had was 24 oz ball pen hammer, wire brush (to get things clean) and vise grip pliers (actually never got to use them)
5. Anvil was rail road track

Heres what happened...

I started with the L6 since it was already flat (thought it would be easir to start with that). Put the stock in the forge and it took some time to get to a yellow/orange color. Enough time actually that I am starting to think that the opening that I made for the one brick forge was too big (I made the opening as big as I could without the brick cracking... apr. 1 1/2 wide by 2... 2 1/2 long). I thought I would want some room. As I worked I noticed that the only steel getting to forging temperatures was the steel in the direct path of the propane. And that was it..... nothing else was getting hot enough to forge.

At any rate, I took the stock and brushed it off before starting to forge. The RRT anvil bounced around quit a bit actually. With what I had, nothing held it in place all that much. It did not prevent forging, but was an annoyance. I noticed that the steel was not moving all that much either. I must have pounded on that steel for about an hour and it was no more looking like the beggining form than when I started (ok... maybe "no more" is a bit strong... I was moving steel but VERY slowly). I also noticed that I lost forging temperatures very rapidly. I am assuming that thats because it was cold outside today (about 50 F). Could I have not been forging high enough.....? I did try the 52100 stock with similar results.


My thoughts.....

Thoughts that was going through my mind at the time.....lets see.... I think the forging chamber is too big.... what do you think.....? I was going to try it again with another brick with a smaller chamber to see the effects.... The hammer I was using..... I am not sure if it was a hinderance. I know a cross pein is used to move the steel in the direction you want it to go. Do you think that the hammer was heavy enough to move the steel.... 24 oz... (was the heavy one that the Home Depot seemed to have.... I want to get a good cross pein but am saving for it now). Seemed that I would forge the curve for the blade.... then straighten the steel out and the curve would either disapper or ... more actually... the steel got real thick. Something has to be done with the anvil....... thinking about getting a portable workbench from Lowes.... clamp it on the workbench... thoughts?


Well... like I said... not a complete negative experience.... but I do need some advice on what to change for my next time... thoughts???

Michael

 

[RARanney]

I'm a beginner at this too, but I do make a point of reading most of what Mssrs. Goddard and Fowler write about knifemaking. I think you answered your own question. The steel wasn't getting and/or staying hot enough. The round bar might be a bit much for that hammer, but the flat should have moved if it was plastic enough. Wayne Goddard says he always has to tell his students "get it hot".
I'm not clear on the hole size of your forge. One hole goes all the way through, end to end. The steel sits in this chamber. The other hole goes half way through at a right angle to the end to end tunnel. This half way hole is where you point your heat source. Being out in the open may have contributed to the loss/lack of heat. Wayne Goddard shows you how to shape an ordinary ball pein hammer in his video. I've only "one brick forged it" once, but it worked just fine, except for my walking RR track anvil.

 

[WinDancer]

Michael, do yourself a huge favor and find a local blacksmith. Sweep floors or clean up or whatever he wants in exchange for a few lessons. It will save you a year of frustration. Practice is the answer, but only AFTER you know what the question is

Good luck,
Dave

 

[Peter Atwood]

Sounds like you had some fun despite the difficulties Michael. Here's my take on it.

You weren't getting the steel nearly hot enough. Your hole in the firebrick is probably too large. I would drill another one out and make it just a little bigger than the biggest piece of stock. You Want the maximum insulative value in your "furnace" that you can get.

The hammer you have is plenty big enough for the job. The windy cold day definitely contributed to your heat loss but not as much as you think. The steel needs to be at a bright orange heat at the very least and preferably in the yellow range to get it to move. I would do your forging in a place that is in the shade so that you can see the colors better. Remember that you only have a few seconds to do your thing before you lose the heat. So plan your movements and choreograph your steps in advance. You want to be able to pull the piece out and have the hammer on it almost instantly. After some practice you will learn to gauge this and time sort of slows down allowing you to become extremely aware of your movements.

The RR anvil needs to be lashed down to the stump or block in some way and it might help a bit if you had kept it warmed or preheated even if that is by keeping your car heater blasting on it while you're on the way to your forging spot.

You may need a bigger or more powerful torch. I would try to do as WinDancer says and find a local smith who will let you fool around wiht the real deal. In the meantime, don't give up!!! You ARE on the right track.

Also, get a couple of pieces of mild steel from your local welding shop about the same size as your carbon steel stock. Practice on those instead of ruining your good steel.

Good luck and give us a report on your future progress.

 

[Michael_Schaap]

You may need a bigger or more powerful torch.




The tourch I have can use MAP gas..... I know this is a hotter fuel. Guess I used propane cause I know more about it. Working on the smaller opening for the one brick forge today

Thanks for the thoughts

Michael

 

[Ed Fowler]

You have a lot of heart and I wish you luck. There is a lot to learn for all of us, the desire and initiative are what makes knifemakers. A solid anvil is a must, doens't have to be anything fancy, just stable. There is only one rule when exploring in the world of knives, enjoy the voyage and share the knowledge. There is some good acvice in the suggestions you received. Stick with it!