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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Apr 25, 2008 4:52:37 GMT
I use a 5kg weight lifting plate as my anvil. Hahahahahahahaha..heeee. Poor hey? Well done on the forging Sl4K. +1 for giving it a go. Best wishes for further work.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2008 7:45:00 GMT
Thanks mate .
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Post by Matt993f.o.d on Apr 25, 2008 21:39:49 GMT
Did you ruin it when heat treating?
If not, then don't throw it away! Just because the heat treat didnt work, doesnt mean the blade is ruined! Just normalize, and start the heat treat again. If you find that you just can't get the steel to harden, it may not actually be carbon steel. A spark test could help you find out, but its difficult to describe what a spark test is without pictures.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2008 23:35:26 GMT
I did a spark test and compared it to a file and well I think it's safe to say that there was not much carbon in it. I read that Swedish RR spikes only have 0,01% carbon content.
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Post by Matt993f.o.d on Apr 27, 2008 16:04:09 GMT
That explains it. Mild steels do not harden. All the same, it would have made a nice letter opener.
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Post by Tom K. (ianflaer) on Apr 27, 2008 22:22:23 GMT
I am so impressed and jealous I can't even tell you. I have been slowly assembling my own forge for years now. I can only hope my first attempt is a nice as that. I got real excited just looking at the pictures can't wait to do one of my own. well done.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2008 1:56:06 GMT
I did a spark test and compared it to a file and well I think it's safe to say that there was not much carbon in it. I read that Swedish RR spikes only have 0,01% carbon content. Of course if you compare it to a file which has loads of carbon it is not going to look like much. If you were in the US, I would say send it to me.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2008 11:36:58 GMT
Thanks ianflaer.
Sam, yes I know but the difference was very big, the RR spike had very little sparks and they were long.
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Post by Dan Davis on Apr 28, 2008 12:27:12 GMT
Mix yourself a bath of salt water and dishwashing soap. Dissolve about 10 pounds of salt in 2 gallons of water and then add a cup of dishwashing soap to it. When you get ready to heat treat add about a gallon of ice to the mix.
The salt raises the boiling point of the water and makes it cool the steel faster. The soap lowers the surface tension of the solution and increases the contact with the steel. The ice increases the temperature differentail and raises the cooling rate.
Heat your RR spike blade to bright orange, then quench. It should harden nicely.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2008 9:41:01 GMT
Oh thanks for the advice Dan Davis, I gave the knife away to my dad and he modified it to a throwing knife. But I'll make more forgings with the RR spikes later and then I'll definitely try your method, thanks again!
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Post by Matt993f.o.d on Apr 29, 2008 20:12:31 GMT
That would be one extreme quench!
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