W2 from start to finish

R

ricky_arthur

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Jan 4, 2013
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Here is my First attempt Forging from w2 rounds that I picked up here in the sale forum. Figured I'd post a couple pics. I have very little forging experience so obviously this isn't a tutorial. lol I don't know what I'm doing. I need to go to a blacksmith class. But I do have a question...

3/4 inch rounds.

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After heat treat with clay coating and finish grind.

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I have had better hamons with 1084, so there must be some different technique with w2? Is it in the coating or the polishing? The line is distinct, but has very little ashi, or shimmery effect. The hamon looked better after a quick etch then it did after finish sanding and the etch and polish. Here it is off the grinder a 2 minute etch in FC diluted 1-4.
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Here it is finished, I tried FC, and lemon juice, but never got anything too amazing with the etch.

The desert ironwood however is the best piece Ive used.

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Any tips on Forging or hamon creation with W2 are appreciated.
 
I've been using ferric for etching as well. I think its too harsh though. I am going to start using vinegar and lemon juice and compare the differences. I'm curious to see what the more experienced guys say though.
 
You seem to have figured it out. One observation and this is purely personal taste. IMO, clip point bowies like that without swedges/false edge are kind of like a flat chested Kate Upton. Yeah, she is still very pretty but something is missing, know what I mean? ;)
 
Very nice job! That polished brass might be a touch too much bling for the feel of that knife but when it mellows it will look nice. I like swedges too. But disagree that any bowie of this type without a swedge is missing something. Much of it depends on the overall feel and the profile of the blade. I think yours works fine the way it is. One thing you didn't show us was how you clayed the blade. The etch technique is a contributing factor to the hamon development but the clay is a factor in its creation (as is HT of course). It is not recommended to put the clay on thick. Here is what DHIII says about his W2:



Don Hanson III:
After normalizing, I heat W2 blades to 1450f, soak for 5 to 10 minutes and quench in Park's #50 oil. A 1 hour temper at 450f will give you around a 61-62 RC hardness. I temper twice for 1 hour at a higher or lower temp, depending on the size of the blade and its intended use.

W2 is capable of very fine grain and is a super cutting and tough steel but you have HT it properly for best results.

I shoot for 1450f on my W2 but up to just under 1500 is good also. Don't gobb on a bunch of clay and no need to heat the Park's 50.

Temper at 425f one hour twice, or 450f for larger blades.
 
Don't gobb on a bunch of clay
Click to expand...

Yes, too much clay on W2 kills the hamon activity, as does too much heat.

I hope you got more than one blade from that piece of W2. And didn't over heat it too bad? Multiple normalizing heats are required after forging...
 
Don Hanson III said:
Yes, too much clay on W2 kills the hamon activity, as does too much heat.

I hope you got more than one blade from that piece of W2. And didn't over heat it too bad? Multiple normalizing heats are required after forging...
Click to expand...

Don, Yes there is enough for another blade on that piece. I don't think I over heated it and I did 3 normalizing heats after forging. I put less clay than I use on 1084 because I had read your advice on w2 multiple times, but perhaps I should try an even thinner coat? Thanks
 
ricky_arthur said:
Don, Yes there is enough for another blade on that piece. I don't think I over heated it and I did 3 normalizing heats after forging. I put less clay than I use on 1084 because I had read your advice on w2 multiple times, but perhaps I should try an even thinner coat? Thanks
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Sound good Ricky. Yes, even less clay. If anyone gets a better hamon on 1084 than on W2, something ain't right! :cool:
 
Here is my Last 1084 Hamon, Which I would say is better than the one I just got with w2, so I will do some tweaking. I lay the clay on pretty thick for 1084. I would say the clay I used on w2 was 1/8" thick give or take.
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I'd say that turned out damn nice for not knowing what you're doin! ;) I'm pretty sure 1/8" thick clay would be about the max you would want to put on, try even less on your next one. Thanks for sharing! :thumbup: I also was fortunate enough to be able to get some of Don's W2 in 7/8" and was messing around with it by hand last week, after not forging for bout a year.. needless to say I was sore! :eek: lol

Got this far and decided it was time to get myself a propery heat treated (and mounted) post anvil.. As well as to ship some to a friend with a press :D





~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
 
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Hey Don are those different types of steel? I'm curious what makes the one have a darker color where the clay was while the other seems to be the opposite of that. Wasn't sure if it was steel or technique.

Ricky that's a fine job for a first forged blade!

-Clint
 
Don, those are stunning, thanks for letting me see how it should look.


LOL coldsteelburns, I feel your pain. Tonight I finally called an acquaintance (who Is now a friend) who is a blacksmith and he let me come over and get my first lesson in blacksmithing and use his pneumatic hammer. It was still alot of work, but I got 1 bar flattened, I gave him half of it along with his first knife making lesson He makes some amazing things out of metal, from roses to fish, but has never made knives. He has a 50lb little giant sitting unused, that needs rebuilt, I think I might try to talk him out of it someday. For the next in w2, I think a hells belle is in order. This will be for a KITH on another forum.

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Ricky, if you plan to do a fair bit of forging by hand, I would advise maybe getting one of those gel pad tennis elbow braces for your hammer arm. And ounce of prevention thing. I got mine AFTER I got tendonitis from trying to hammer out a 1 inch drill rod of O1. ;)
 
Augus7us said:
Hey Don are those different types of steel? I'm curious what makes the one have a darker color where the clay was while the other seems to be the opposite of that. Wasn't sure if it was steel or technique.

Ricky that's a fine job for a first forged blade!

-Clint
Click to expand...
Clint, those blades are all W2, etching & polishing make lighter/darker hamon. But I think the camera made that one darker than it really was.
 
Ok. Well obviously not the same as seeing Dons pics, but if it helps here is the clay pic and etched pic of the new blade. I tried to make it thinner and vary the thickness to see how it would affect it.
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Thank you very much Ricky!!! Very nice hamon over there !! :) and thank to you now i have a very useful reference about the thickness required for the clay.
Damn if it's thin!! No wonder why my hamons looked like a plain line, and i was thinking i was putting thin layers!!!
 
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