Understanding the limitations of your equipment.

jdm61

jdm61

itinerant metal pounder
Joined
Aug 12, 2005
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I have been thinking about forging some axes and had the brilliant idea of trying to forge a full tang/integral hawk like some of the tactical models you see around, but out of some of the DH3 square W2 bar stock that I have. then I realized something. While a regular axe head will fit in my forge and my 24 inch Paragon oven, a 7 inch wide like hawk head will not go into either sidewise. the interior of the oven is only 5.5 inches wide. Curses!!! Foiled again!! :mad:
 
Glad you figured that out before you got started.

When I was about 12, I built my first kayak. It was a 16' seal style eskimo kayak. I worked in the laundry room for several months building the frames and doing all the ribs ( Sitka spruce). Once ready to cover with canvas, I went to move it outside.....only to discover that it wouldn't make the turn through the door. I was going to have to disassemble part of the kayak to get it out.
We were having an addition added to the house at that time, and the contractor had been watching my progress on the detailed woodworking of the kayak frame. He heard that I was going to have to tear part of it down to get it out. When I came home from school the next day, it was out back and sitting on a custom set of stands. The contractor had his men take the end window out of the laundry room and remove the kayak, then put the window back in. He said it would be criminal to ruin all my hard work. The stands for it were his gift to me. He even came over the weekend I covered it and helped stretch and tack the canvas.
 
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Cool story, Stacy :D As for my dilemma, in hindsight, I now see why the couple hawks guys who do their own heat treat and have posted pictures seem to favor the big round top loading kilns, not to mention things like stock removal and water jet or laser cutting. ;)
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Glad you figured that out before you got started.

When I was about 12, I built my first kayak. It was a 16' seal style eskimo kayak. I worked in the laundry room for several months building the frames and doing all the ribs ( Sitka spruce). Once ready to cover with canvas, I went to move it outside.....only to discover that it wouldn't make the turn through the door. I was going to have to disassemble part of the kayak to get it out.
We were having an addition added to the house at that time, and the contractor had been watching my progress on the detailed woodworking of the kayak frame. He heard that I was going to have to tear part of it down to get it out. When I came home from school the next day, it was out back and sitting on a custom set of stands. The contractor had his men take the end window out of the laundry room and remove the kayak, then put the window back in. He said it would be criminal to ruin all my hard work. The stands for it were his gift to me. He even came over the weekend I covered it and helped stretch and tack the canvas.
Click to expand...
 
Tomahawks and drawknives are two reasons why my new shop has got a coal forge indoors. I may not use it all that much, but it's sure handy to have when called for.
 
"Understanding the limitations of your equipment"

I have spent a life time researching that with many girlfriends. ;)
 
Salem Straub said:
Tomahawks and drawknives are two reasons why my new shop has got a coal forge indoors. I may not use it all that much, but it's sure handy to have when called for.
Click to expand...
Coal would be great for forging those, but for HT, I wouldn't trust it on a lot of the steel that we used. Now I think that I could fit a drawknife in the oven because I don't see the tangs being longer than 5 inches. But it is interesting that most of the big knife ovens are made for LONG stuff, but not wide stuff. Even the 45 inch "sword oven" from Paragon is still only 5.5 inches wide inside. I don't know how big of an opening you could have in the end a 55 gallon "Fogg forge" setup and still hold the heat in. The same would be true for most of the "home version" high temp salt pots. Even a 6 inch tube is going to be to small at some point.
 
Get or make a Farrier's style forge that has a side that lifts as a door. It still has smaller ports on the end, but when needed the whole side lifts open and you can put in a much wider piece. Several of the NC forges are like this.
 
Of course, when I start looking at stuff that I can't afford, I discover that all of the bigger Evenheat knife ovens now have a 10" wide by 6.5" high chambers and that the newer oval version of the Chile Forge Habenero has a 9 inch wide door on both ends. :roll eyes: Anyone want to buy a slightly used kidney for $2400? :D
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Get or make a Farrier's style forge that has a side that lifts as a door. It still has smaller ports on the end, but when needed the whole side lifts open and you can put in a much wider piece. Several of the NC forges are like this.
Click to expand...
 
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