Questions for you guys who use power hammers

Ed Fowler said:
YS
Instead of forging at high heat the first heat, try giving the bar a soak at just above critical for 2 hours for every linear inch to the center, if the bar is only 1 inch I use the two hours just the same, this applys only to 52100 and possibly only to the 52100 we use. Our blades are strong enough that they cannot be bent without a cheater bar on them, they usualy spring back after a 30 to 40 degree flex, and will return to about a 25 to 30 degree bend on their own after a 90 degree flex.

I am pleased to hear that you are testing your blades with some experiments of your own.
Click to expand...

Ed, are you tempering fairly high? I just forged 3 blades from 52100 3/4" round, and in the next couple of days I'll heat treat and temper (I have some of Justins Texaco "A", not that it'll save a poor forging or heat treating job, but surely won't hurt!).
 
Thanks Don (this is Robert, or Roger, I answer to anything :o). Would it be possible to hear your step by step sequence for forging out a blade blank on your Little Giant? I follow Mr. Morans tape pretty much, but it just seems that something doesn't quite work with it, I sure do a lot of profiling and cleanup afterwards. He (Moran) says he forges to within a 32nd" and grinds the rest. I sure don't doubt him! Of course he has a couple of more years of experience than I do.
 
rhrocker said:
Thanks Don (this is Robert, or Roger, I answer to anything :o). Would it be possible to hear your step by step sequence for forging out a blade blank on your Little Giant? I follow Mr. Morans tape pretty much, but it just seems that something doesn't quite work with it, I sure do a lot of profiling and cleanup afterwards. He (Moran) says he forges to within a 32nd" and grinds the rest. I sure don't doubt him! Of course he has a couple of more years of experience than I do.
Click to expand...
Sorry Robert, that was a type o, I know you as Robert. I usually take a piece of 1'' or larger round or sq stock and forge it down to 1 1/4''X5/16'' or so, then forge a point and start forging the edge out holding the blade parallel to the dies (the slight radius and rounded edges of the dies really helps here) now, beat the point up or down, till it looks right. Now with the edge up and spine laying on the bottom die I lay a piece of square 1'' stock where the ricoso is to be and forge it down to around 1'' tall, then lay the blade down and flatten the ricoso area, then just forge the narrow tang out from there, Now I take alot of lower heats for twiking and straightening and normalizing. Sometimes I do the tang first, sometimes the point. Very hard to explain with my fingers :p Hope this helps

Don P.S. This picture is kind of old, my forgings are lookin better now :rolleyes:
 
Actually, I was talking about the big can of poop soup that looked like it was about ready to blow everywhere regarding heat-treating.

But then again, this thread is still young... :)

As per hammers... I still don't have my 50 LG running yet, I'm still moving everything around in the shop to make room for it.

I hope to someday add something like a 100 LG or 150 Beaudry.
 
sunfishman said:
Sorry Robert, that was a type o, I know you as Robert. I usually take a piece of 1'' or larger round or sq stock and forge it down to 1 1/4''X5/16'' or so, then forge a point and start forging the edge out holding the blade parallel to the dies (the slight radius and rounded edges of the dies really helps here) now, beat the point up or down, till it looks right. Now with the edge up and spine laying on the bottom die I lay a piece of square 1'' stock where the ricoso is to be and forge it down to around 1'' tall, then lay the blade down and flatten the ricoso area, then just forge the narrow tang out from there, Now I take alot of lower heats for twiking and straightening and normalizing. Sometimes I do the tang first, sometimes the point. Very hard to explain with my fingers :p Hope this helps

Don P.S. This picture is kind of old, my forgings are lookin better now :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Don, those forgings look great. I'll try to post some of mine here in a bit. I think I pretty much follow, but would love to see what you just said, along with some digital photos. I'm sure you don't have a thing else in the world to do except to mess around with what I need and want :D Might as well throw in a video to Don :p
 
OK Nick - HT poop soup, I was wrong :p
150# Beaudry is a very nice hammer, I'd take one.

Robert, I'll try to get some pics of the process, I forged damascus today and will most likely be forging a few blades tomorrow, other than that I don't have much to do :p

Don
 
Good deal Don! I'm excited about seeing your sequence using a digital camera, as they say, a picture is worth blah blah blah you know the rest. Here's a couple of shots that didn't come out very well. The first is my "Hot Area" of the shop, and is my homebuilt forge w/T-Rex burners from Rex Price, then my Batson style "H" frame hydraulic press, my Blu air hammer, and last, but certianly not least, my good old 100 pound Little Giant. It's still in primer, and to be honest I'll probably never get around to painting the poor old thing. The other picture is several blades I forged out over the past couple of days. Since this photo, they've been cleaned up, holes drilled, shoulders bandsawn out, and left in 9% vinegar overnight to get rid of the darn scale. 7 of the blades are for orders, and the rest are "Scagel" inspired blades, that I'll dress out with leather, various metals, and antler handles. Some are 5160, and 3 are 52100, so I'll be getting a good lesson in heat treating over the next day or two, but I'm up for it. BTW Don, what is that marker you use to write on your blades? It sure shows up!
standard.jpg


standard.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top