Suffolk Bushcraft Group

[Cromm]

Ok fella sounds good.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Yeah I will be going to the Club Shoot on the 2nd

 

[Iambosscat]

Was down the workshop last night sorting it out ready for tomorrow, we are hosting a Britsh Blades Forum Knife/fourging workshop tomorrow... so tomorrow's going to be a bit busy.. may be I'll start another File knife as I have a anneled file in the Landy.

If I was to do another Knife workshop would anyone be interested ?...

I want to get out as its the last Sunday before a shoot...... but it depends what happens with other things...

I would be up for another Knife workshop Stu, when you thinking?

 

[Big Stu 12]

I would be up for another Knife workshop Stu, when you thinking?

Not sure mate, it was a good day I got a small file knife blade made, and a few others got some nice projects done, an axe was made out of a Hammer, and a few other knives as well , if there was the real interest, not like last time and your where the only one to turn up in the end.... I would think about doing another.

 

[Big Stu 12]

just seen this.. on Ebay..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-G...d=100005&prg=1048&rk=1&rkt=4&sd=111281500432&

one way to sharpen tools...

 

[Big Stu 12]

I had an old File that I had thrown in a fire at a meet that had sat in the glove box for about a year...After a hour or so of work, filing and cutting, harding, and tempering yesterday came out with this..



Now just got to finish it with a sharpening, and handle it with a stacked leather I think..not sure yet...

 

[crosslandkelly]

Nice one Stu. How did it go yesterday?

 

[Big Stu 12]

It was good, I finished tidying Three Axe Heads, that I've had hanging about they are ready for Helveing and sharpening, Also reworked the Adze I got a few months ago that just needs Handling, now sharp just needs hone/stropping in , so a very productive day for me.

Think the Guys and Girl that turned up had a good time and got what they wanted done .

 

[Cromm]

Sounds good Stu, I went to the in laws with archery gear and family today, had a bit of play with the kids doing archery but it was to cold and windy for them so was left to play. Did a bit of wood removal of a couple of the Ash and Elm staves and Hazel shoots that I am hoping to turn into arrow shafts.
I keep trying to work out a new quiver but haven't pin pointed what I really want yet.
Was using the Great Northerns today, but had a yearning to shoot primitive not sure why must be the weather?

 

[Cromm]

Right I have an old file, do I just drop it in the wood burner for the night and wait till tomorrow for it to cool down for my starting point on making a file knife?

 

[ozzy1977]

That should do the job Steve.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Thats it bud, basically....

Take an Old file, put it in a fire as long as it glows bright red, and cools down slowly then it will go soft.. its called annealing, as your not controlling the process the softness may differ, if it needs to be softer do it agian..

Take it out when cold, mark it up to what you want.... cut/grind/file to shape, including the bevels/grind.. drill any holes for the scale pins .

To re harden, heat to red hot and quench in oil (Keep it moving untill the flames stop then put in water. .. it will go hard at this point check with another file, if it skates over the surface its hardened, if not repeat this stage, when hard you will not be able to do any more file work to it but it will grind but be careful if you do or you will soften it, if it gets too hot.. ie turns blue..

Then to temper - or it will be too brittle

Clean surface of all the black back to shiny.. Carefully heat until you see a straw colour appear at this point Quench in oil again.. if you go to blue the blade will be too soft .

Thats it in a nut shell.

BTW used engine oil is good for the quench .. oh careful thing will be HOT, lol.. .. or heavy.. it depends on which excuse you use as you drop it...lol

Clean

 

[Hedgecrafter]

Hi there.

I met stu yesterday at the workshop and after begging me all day I gave in a joined the group.
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at the next meet. I've done a fair bit of camping, but virtually no experience in real bushcraft other than lots of carving and knife making, mostly indoors.
It will be the first time I've put a hammock up so if anyone wants to help I can pay in casserole and dumplings.

 

[Cromm]

Side note can you use blood to cool it, may have read that somewhere, that it gives a better quality finish?

 

[Big Stu 12]

You can use anything to cool it, you just need to cool it quicker then air, in Industry they sometimes use a brine/salts of sorts, this adds other property's to the metal,

what you are doing by heating the steel is you are changing the structure of the carbon/steel, then depending on how quick you cool it you change it the quicker the cooling the less structural strength it has, and the more crystalline the carbon is in the steel, that a very simple way of describing it..

 

[Big Stu 12]

Just found this, its quite good describes it quite well . but is a bit simple.. its for school kids...

http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm

 

[Cromm]

Ok, file in the wood burner lets see what happens. Will read up on the rest. I think I have a book somewhere this is it : step by step knife making by Daivd boye. Will have to look for it.

 

[Big Stu 12]

when you got the blade done, you just got to put the scales on

dont worry about the handle part being flat if you make a full tang, you can use leather or felt as a scale liner, between the scales and tang, you can soak them with either superglue or epoxy thinned with acetone so it soaks in.

if your making a stick tang and you want to stack leather protect the leather stack and make it hard by soaking the same way as you buld it up

 

[mikesmith777]

If I was to do another Knife workshop would anyone be interested ?...

I will be up for that Stu, as long as the day was right. If I remember rightly the last one was on a Sunday, so if its the same that should be no problem.

 

[Cromm]

Hi there.

I met stu yesterday at the workshop and after begging me all day I gave in a joined the group.
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at the next meet. I've done a fair bit of camping, but virtually no experience in real bushcraft other than lots of carving and knife making, mostly indoors.
It will be the first time I've put a hammock up so if anyone wants to help I can pay in casserole and dumplings.

Hi,
Hope you can post photos of the knives or carvings you have made? Good to have a new person join in.