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Post by john1 on Nov 11, 2019 4:18:08 GMT
What’s the easiest way to make a type XIIa or XVIa longsword - forging or stock removal ?
For forging, is it easier to use round stock or flat stock ?
Is adding a fuller easier with forging or stock removal ?
Thanks !
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Post by Jordan Williams on Nov 11, 2019 8:11:48 GMT
I would imagine it depends on your work space. Stock removal is easier for me because I have no forge or dedicated area to place one.
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Post by MOK on Nov 11, 2019 10:08:53 GMT
Yeah, it depends on what you have the tools, facilities and skills for. Historically, iron and steel swords were made with a combination of both, first forged to mostly the right shape and then finished by grinding.
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Post by john1 on Nov 11, 2019 19:31:54 GMT
I don’t have the tools for either one right now. But I have space, and the ability to buy tools . Although, I’d like to keep the tools to a hobbyist level from a cost-benefits perspective. So DIY fire brick propane forge, common 4x36 woodworking belt grinder, etc. Grinding 6mm flat stock down to a 2mm distal taper and diamond cross section just seems like a LOT of work. Is forging the blade to rough shape easier - or just more material efficient ?
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Post by Adrian Jordan on Nov 11, 2019 19:57:49 GMT
From what I've been told from smith buddies forging allows you to get it into shape a little more quickly, waste less material and gives you more flexibility, since the material may just not be in the spot you want vs. it being gone entirely with grinding. If everything goes well then there should not be a marked difference in the quality of the end result. Since you need to do some grinding even after forging a belt sander is still a must.
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Post by john1 on Nov 11, 2019 20:05:51 GMT
Thanks - “a little more quickly” and “with a little more flexibility” both sound like good things - forging it is then
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Post by legacyofthesword on Nov 12, 2019 3:17:24 GMT
I've done a bit of forging and a bit of stock removal. Forging is faster at getting the basic shape you want - grinding to shape takes longer. However, grinding makes it easier to control the whole process and make sure you come out with the exact shape you want. Forging can be a bit more of a toss up; a misplaced hammer stroke can bend the blade in a way you didn't want, or put dents in a surface you wanted flat. Grinding is going to give you more precision and control, forging is going to be faster.
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Post by legacyofthesword on Nov 12, 2019 3:20:26 GMT
Also keep in mind, you're going to need to put the anvil somewhere. Forging takes a lot more force than you might think, so consider what the anvil is sitting on: concrete might crack, wood might break, and dirt is going to get pounded down into a depression.
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Post by john1 on Nov 13, 2019 9:08:16 GMT
Thanks - I’m just planning on making 3-4 swords total, but each one with a different geometry (to compare cutting dynamics) - so maybe stock removal would be faster/easier then ?
For forging, I was just planning on attaching the anvil to a stump, and sitting that in the garage floor. Is it likely the concrete will crack ?
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Post by legacyofthesword on Nov 13, 2019 9:30:19 GMT
Thanks - I’m just planning on making 3-4 swords total, but each one with a different geometry (to compare cutting dynamics) - so maybe stock removal would be faster/easier then ? For forging, I was just planning on attaching the anvil to a stump, and sitting that in the garage floor. Is it likely the concrete will crack ?
I think stock removal is going to be slow compared to forging, but it might indeed be easier. You've got more control over the process with grinding. I've only ever made knives, but I can imagine a sword taking a heck of a long time with stock removal.
As for if the concrete floor will crack or not: I'm not sure, depends on how thick the concrete is, I'd imagine. It's been a while since I did forging, but I did the same setup (anvil on a stump) and I vaguely remember cracking some concrete pavers or the like that it was set on. The wood should help absorb the energy though.
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