my first small garden forge

[Paddytray]

cheers Dave .
I think I can knock up a fan attachmet some how .
And Coke was my second quess so cheers for saving me a few precious hours .
I have got loads of wood as I've cut down 6 of my neighbors trees for her and kept the lot for carving playing etc .
I was also tempted to make my own coal I don't have a clue if this wood would be ideal . Another venture and another hair brained idea no doubt but ahh what else is there to do play call of duty or facebook . I gotta teach my boys something worth learning where the only screen they need protects there eyes not ruins them lol .

 

[Paddytray]

Tempted to convert this to gas now but I should give her a proper run it's only fair . I'm waiting on a few things , like heat probe and I.r high temp reader . Cutting and tapping fluid . Hardness testing file set. Then I can give her a heat test with whatever I can source in the form of fuel. And before I can cut my steel down to the size of my stencil . However I'm not cutting too near the knife itself. As I want to shape it by hammer and not cut it too much instead use files for the finger notch etc . I've drawn a stencil and would like a honest opinions . I.e am I going about things the wrong way or trying to hard etc .

The last one is what I'm hoping to achieve with this little venture . Two rat tailed knives with a pucker stamped under the tail. I will have help in the form of a silent member from here (BCUK) so silent I don't know his user name but he's a freinds son . So 2 knive blanks one each . Any help appreciated
Paddytray .;

 

[Dave Budd]

if you are forging to shape save yourself a lot of cutting and grinding before that stage and just cut it into strips a little less than the width of your finished knife. You can forge the point at the very least (that will increas the length) and then if you forge the bevels too then you will gain some width too (depending on the thickness to width ration and the finished cross section desired I gain between 25 and 50% extra width).

Looking at your drawings, I think with forging to shape you will get the two knives that you have drawn and then two smaller ones too! Or two larger blades, you are wasting a load of steel at either end of the blank (especially the tail end)

Forge as close to the shape as you can and then grind the rest of the way. If you are using hand tools then anneal before filing, but otherwise just normalise is a couple of times before grinding. Nest normalise a last time, harden, temper and do any post HT grinding and polishing.

The ring on the will be drawn down and curld by hammer whilst hot of course

 

[BJJJ]

What a brilliant informative thread. :You_Rock_

 

[Paddytray]

I was thinking if i use a drill to cut out the finger notch cut to the line the tail and tips (a little shorter with the tail) and straight between the blades .Forge the dip in the top of the blade and the handle then draw down the tail then detail and twist to position with grips . I'm trying to keep it u.k legal so shall i reduse the stencil in size .
The steel is much longer and I was thinking of cuttin close to the tails & tips I'll use the blade end left overs for a palm chisel or something .

 

[Paddytray]

welsh traditional cast iron baking stone for a lid
Soon as I get a chance i'll do a heat test

 

[Dave Budd]

i didn't notice that it was a pair of folder blades (was looking at your fixed blade example). Either way will work, see what suits you best I would temper a bit cooler though, more like 220-250 depending on how hard you like your edges, and good luck keeping it anything like close to that temperature for 1hr in a forge

 

[Paddytray]

Yeah gave up on the idea of tampering on forge after very little thought lol . Slaps self

Paddytray . ;

 

[Paddytray]

It's 2 knives stencilled on the steel but i've changed the original shape now .
Reduced the size a fair bit at the tail and also the length of the blades .
They are going to be full tang as such . I.e the tail sticks out and will curl simular to this one .
however I would like a bog oak handle so the tail will be twisted differently to the above picture .
with brass pins to hold the wood in place .
Well that the plan anyway lol.
I will be cutting these down to blanks first , Cutting around the tails nice and neat .
To save the rest of the steel for later.
And the blacked out bit by the blade tips will also be used up making a few whittling blades.

 

[Samon]

why wouldn't the finished knife be UK legal? Unless you're making something that is on the 'prohibited weapons list' then it'll be fine to own and use on private/appropriate land.

Or do you mean to take out in public, like a pocket knife?.. 'cause, you'll be hard pressed to convince a copper you have legal intentions with that one if you get stopped outside tesco! lol

Liking the thread so far though, all looks really good and very informative!

 

[Paddytray]

I just want it U.k legal then atleast then I have an arguement .
I can state I made it myself deliberatly U.k legal .
when we go out as a family I carry a knife Always .
I took a 1.5 inch whittler recently to france and back carried it most of the time.
I did forget to leave it in the hotel one day going into disney.
And they was unsure what to do .
so I exsplained my hobbies and told the truth that I forgot to remove it and its use .
They took it for safety and gave it back when I left the park
Im not silly with it and my intentions will be obvious if spotted
as it will live in my family fun bag with all the other bushcrafty bits I insist on taking with me when we're out.
The mora isn't always there just took recently on a 1 night stealth camp .

 

[Paddytray]

saying that the blade type now I think about it is toning towards a skinning knife lol scrachy head time may tone down the curved trailing-point a little more lol.
Ah like I said I'm a newby . thanks for all the advice and feedback guys !

 

[spandit]

A fixed blade knife, regardless of length, is not "UK legal" (i.e. to carry around without good reason). Similarly, with good reason (or in your own home for example), there is no limit to blade length

For folding knives to be carried every day without good reason they must have a cutting edge of less than 3 inches and not be locking

I look forward to the finished articles!

 

[Paddytray]

Exactly Spandit . This one will only come out with me when I'll be needing it .
not for our weekly shopping trips but when we're out camping, foraging , etc .
And so I want it to be small mainly for those who frown on knives regardless of size .
For instance if I'm cleaning off Mussels on a beach with a knife it has a perpose .
If i'm whipping it out in tesco I deserve a Warning or it being taken off me .
As long as We're not silly and our intentions are obvious I've personally never had a problem .
and I'd carry a knife All day for work on my belt and used to ride public transport with it on my belt in full view .
No problems ever . If spotted say I go for a pub lunch after foraging ect and I'm questioned .
I'll exsplain my hobbies I'd have my 3 kids with me my missus also . They normally just ask for it to be hidden .
I just want this one to be small so that it doesn't come across as offensive .
And have no intentions of carrying it openly in public unless fitting .
I will tone down the shape of the blade towards the tip as I don't need a skinning knife .
I just wanted to attempt the rats tail mainly and put some detail to it .
The blade shape it's self will end up being more of
That's if I can pull this off anyway lol It will be the first knife I've made so far

 

[Paddytray]

Started cutting out a few blanks today . Sickness and kids keeps me from playing . Sorry for the dragged out thread .

Dremel on middle setting seems to work best for me . Keeping the metal cool with the occasional dip in water and I spray as I go with tapping fluid . This helps the disc last a lot longer and cuts faster in the long run .

The 4 rats I will be shaping by hammer to the rest of the desired shape . There are four in the hope that with practice I will accomplish the desired finish . And I've left the finger space as again I'd like to shape that on a anvil. But if I fail hard I can remove it by dremel and file on the others . The little 3 finger knife my boy designed and that one is being filed into shape not hammering it out on a anvil but using a bench sander and files instead. I will be using this forge but I've since brought a gas forge . So this coal forge may become redundant. But it deserves to turn out a knife first at least .
Paddytray .;

 

[vukic]

Started cutting out a few blanks today . Sickness and kids keeps me from playing . Sorry for the dragged out thread .

Dremel on middle setting seems to work best for me . Keeping the metal cool with the occasional dip in water and I spray as I go with tapping fluid . This helps the disc last a lot longer and cuts faster in the long run .

The 4 rats I will be shaping by hammer to the rest of the desired shape . There are four in the hope that with practice I will accomplish the desired finish . And I've left the finger space as again I'd like to shape that on a anvil. But if I fail hard I can remove it by dremel and file on the others . The little 3 finger knife my boy designed and that one is being filed into shape not hammering it out on a anvil but using a bench sander and files instead. I will be using this forge but I've since brought a gas forge . So this coal forge may become redundant. But it deserves to turn out a knife first at least .
Paddytray .;

did you manage to "turn out" a knife with your forge???

 

[Paddytray]

Well this really is the first time in my life that I have thought of making my own tools . And the forge build was just the start of a long journey. Since The build I have expanded my shed and my tools . The shed was 8x6 and is now a mighty 11x13 with a wedge on the side . I started this thread then went on to equip myself with the tools I so desperately need and still need . I have played with steel in both this forge and the gas one . And yes I have made a nice little shiney whittling blade . That I'm yet to finish the handle . I've also twisted a tail on one blank today after a failure of a first attempt of a rat tailed knife . I was gutted I must admit I had formed the tail and the blade loverly and I was really proud of my self . Then the next day I decided to ALTER IT A LITTLE. It cracked and it cracked after id already learnt that lesson playing with scrap steel and talked to the genius Dave budd . I felt like a tit as I rushed it after knowing it would happen. It wasn't hot enough it was cold out and my anvil was cold . School boy ! . But I'm learning and I'm loving learning. I only get a few mins to a hour or so at a time to play but I will turn out a knife soon enough . The handle scales are cut the copper is ready the epoxy and liners are waiting. Hoping to draw out the blade tomorrow.

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk 2

 

[Paddytray]

few more pictures from the last few days

 

[Paddytray]

another attempt to handle the whittler this time with a silver birch handle .

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk 2

 

[Paddytray]

that handle failed too lol .
but I have nearly finished this one for swmbo .