One Brick Forge

Thought I would show a simple set up for firing up your own forge ... not just for knives but anything creative.... maybe a spear or harpoon... or whatever you can think of.... Of course this won't be as beautiful of Valkman's knives or some other talented folks here.... but it was meant to be utilitarian and get folks thinking and maybe started....

If there's interest... I'll finish it up and post the pics in a series...

Valkman can also add his experiences with this type of forge... He's the real Master!

 

Melbo asked the same question when sent him the pics....

I sprinkle it where the dogs are digging and voila!.... no more digging....

 

It is neat but it really limits how big a knife you can HT. That's why I made mine a little bigger, but I'm still limited to 5" blade length.

Mine is just 2 firebricks (which Bear sent me) and the rest is to insulate it and raise it up so I can sit on a stool and look right in there.

 

O.k. had some time today... total time from set up to clean up... 1 hour.... about a little under 30 minutes forging time....

Blade is cooling down.... next up is working it with a hand file and sandpaper....

No power tools... I think Wayne Goddard and Tai Goo call this a neo-tribal knife because you make the knife all by hand...

 

O.k. Here's the cooled off knife...

It has all kinds of scale on it from forging.... next I'll hit the files and sandpaper....

 

To take that on with files and sandpaper you better WANT to be a knifemaker!

It looks great Bear. I hope to do some forging at the new place.

 

Its not too bad with files and sandpaper.... I've been keep track and so far I've got about an hour and 30 minutes in this from cutting the coil spring to forging this....

I'll keep you all posted.... won't be as pretty and professional as yours Valkman... just trying to inspire more knifemakers by showing just how easy it can be to make your own pretty expedient knife....

 

Useful and sturdy is all you can ask when you're making your first knives, nothing wrong with that at all! Mine have quit going up in quality lately and actually I'm having trouble doing my best work with all that's going on so I'm not taking orders or trades until after we move. The wife is having severe heart problems and I almost had to call 911 this morning around 2:30. Scary stuff!

 

Sorry to hear about your wife.... I'll send some good thoughts and prayers her way.... Just let me know or call if there's anything I can do to help or if ya just need to talk ....

Yup... sometimes you hit a wall on things... time off sometimes helps... inspiration and motivation come in all shapes and sizes at the weirdest times.... don't let the lull bother you.... try something totally different or new for yourself and just for fun.... you're an awesome craftman... it won't be long till you're back "bettering" your best !

 

Well thanks, I appreciate it. She also has a spinal tap scheduled - ugh.

But in the new shop I plan to get a mill and maybe a anvil and forge and we'll see what comes out. I never will concern myself with how many I sell but I just want to make some neat stuff. Some guys get off making 50 at a time but I'd rather work on 3 or 4 different things at once. Have a slipjoint about 90% done.

 

Spent about an hour and a half on this so far.... so total time on this project from cutting the coil spring to these pics is 3 hours...

Doesn't take long with a common mill file and the right technique... you can see the progress here... last pick shows a crack and imperfection from forging... I sawed it off with a hack saw... and reshaped the blade and finished it with the old mill file....

 

Here's some more of the pics and progress on the knife... nice thing about forging is you get a nice distal taper to the blade..... that's the taper from the guard to the point that adds strength and balance to the blade....

 

Neat! Now get to grinding!

 

Yes Sir !.....

Here's what's left after 1.5 hours of hand filing...

Actually finished it up a bit with some used plumbers sand paper but that picture came out with too much glare....

Not bad for and old hand file and a little bit of muscle huh?

All that's left if heat treat, a simple handle and sharpening ....

I'll add some pics so you can see the taper in the blade...

 

O.k. here's a shot so you can see the taper of the blade from the handle to the tip... its also tapered back to the where I'll attach a simple handle... its also tapered from the middle of the blade to the edge and from the middle to the back....

Yeah I know... easier to just make a flat blade.... and I'd recommend that to folks for your first one... saves you alot of time filing....

Here's the taper looking down on the back of the blade.... I left some forge marks for aesthetics....

 

Looking real nice there Bud! Finish it and let me know if you lost my address.

 

Heh heh heh.... You'll have to ask Melbo if you can play with his knife when its finished...

This one is his as proof that I can forge and finish a knife with no electricity.... some guys just won't believe you know how to do stuff unless you show them...

Only had time to do a quick hardening cycle today.... heated it up in the one brick forge to non-magnetic and then quenched in the olive oil....

Started with this....

 

Knife at almost non-magnetic... sorry no pics of the quench...
Only got two hands...

More tommorrow....