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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #297694 - 24/03/17 03:53 PM

These are my hunter patterns now

A pig sticker, wapiti hunter, and two sets of skinner hunters and a general hunter with two handle styles



A light hunter, bird and trout with a field scalple/rabbit knife that is also a fruit knife pattern



And as shown in finished knives, my steaking knife, slaughterman, skinner and boner.



--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: 93x64mm]
      #297695 - 24/03/17 04:26 PM

Quote:

Quote:

A very interesting and informative thread VonGruff.
Really like your knives mate, they look like they would work well.
Interesting build on the forge too. Looking forward to seeing it fired up.
Great photos and write up.
Thanks for posting this.



Couldn't have put it better!
VG would it be possible for you to add some more info on your steel choice & forging/tempering techniques? A run down on the knife making process here would be a good bit of additional info to add to this thread!
Keep up the good work mate
93x64mm




This is a thread I have going on another forum where I have been documenting the making of the knives. It started out on just the one african themed knife, the skinner shown above with the giraffe bone and buffalo horn but because of the interest shown and feedback posted, has carried on with the making of my new 72 inch belt grinder, a few other projects and a few more knives.

Untill recently I had been using slasher bladers and pruning hook, files and farrier rasps but am now using 1/8 in / 3.2mm 1084 for the general hunting knives, .2 in / 5mm O1 for the pig stickers and .09in / 2.4mm 15N20 for the kitchen nives. It is all carbon steel but I can heat treat this steel here at home by taking it to non magnetic heat and quenching in 130 degree canola oil then tempering at 185 degree (C) for 2 hours.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/my-african-knife.26296/

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12

Edited by VonGruff (24/03/17 04:48 PM)


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VonGruff
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Reged: 08/02/09
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298109 - 29/03/17 06:54 PM

There was progress today with the forge bench done and everything set up so as soon as the new regilator gets here it will be all go.
I took all my anvil parts down to the garrage and had it all welded together. After a bit of time cleaning up all the welds and splaters it was bolted to the stool top which will be bolted to the concrete floor but in all reality it is really quite stable.





--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298110 - 29/03/17 06:55 PM

I did a short video of it all sorted for now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNizltSvmQk&feature=youtu.be

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12

Edited by VonGruff (29/03/17 06:58 PM)


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Bidgee
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298282 - 02/04/17 04:41 AM

A cracker of a thread VG! Great stuff, top work on the knives as well.

Thanks for posting.

Cheers


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: Bidgee]
      #298451 - 05/04/17 09:08 AM

I was talking to the supply outfit about the regulator (and to order another 8 ft of blade stock) and it should be here in the morning so the forge can get its first heat up. I had a batch of knives ground up so gave then a hand sand to 360 to be ready for the heat treat which I cant do for a couple of days as I have been helping a friend to shift house (to a town an hour away) so it wont be untill I get that sorted out that I can get back to the shed.




A boner, general hunter, 3 hunter skinners and a wapiti hunter. One of the hunter skinners and the boner are for me. I have a field scalpel and a light hunter (for myself) away being heat treated as it is in a SS (N690) which I cant do with my equipment.






--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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gryphon
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298456 - 05/04/17 09:45 AM

VG have you considered grinding a few bars of ready rolled Damascus bar stock?

As you undoubtedly already are aware its out there with reasonable pricing too.

https://www.knifemaking.com/category-s/754.htm

Closer to home here and there are some great patterns

http://damasteel.se/files/2114/1104/3562/Product_Information_Austenitic_Stainless_Damascus.pdf

--------------------
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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: gryphon]
      #298459 - 05/04/17 11:18 AM

Untill I have a means of regulating or holding a set temp in the forge I will probably stick to the carbon steels for now.
I have a few projects to do as far as forging goes with a need to make a few sets of tongs, punches and drifts and may even look at making propper hammers instead of just trying with the face corrected ball peen hammers that I have for now till I get going propperly.
I would like to get into forging a bit of 1084/15N20 damascus at some stage and of course want to try cable damascus, but will have to learn how to read the forge and get the best from it before I start branching out from using plain carbon steel and eat treating it.

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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gryphon
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298467 - 05/04/17 12:58 PM

Its a start as there is no forging in buying damascus bar stock, just shaping and you seem to have that pretty good.

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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: gryphon]
      #298473 - 05/04/17 03:23 PM

I guess I am of the character type that prefers to do these things myself. Part of the learning process will be figuring out how to do it with the other side of the equation being the cost of shipping to get the damascus from the US to here. It is expensive enough to get in belts etc without adding the weight of steel to the package.

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298831 - 10/04/17 07:29 PM

Things came together this morning when the regulator arrived and I could get back to the shed. It didn't take long to get things assembled and the forge fired up. I had an old pick that I will never use again so I cut one of the pick arms off so it would fit in the forge to see how long it would take to get to red heat. I turned the vodeo off just before it reached the heat as it is a bit boring but from cold it took about 7 minutes to get to heat so I plunged it into the oil quench tank to bring the oil to temp for quenching the blades I was about to heat treat.
6 minutes of watching it heat up but for me it was interesting so this is the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cliTeG5sRA&feature=youtu.be

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298832 - 10/04/17 07:36 PM

I had ground another two boning knifes yesterday as I had another order for one and thought to get one ahead for a stock blade that I would just have to put a handle on when needed.
I was very surprised to find just how quick it was to heat treat the blades in the forge with 8 being done in about as many minutes.
I had ground another two boning knifes yesterday as I had another order for one and thought to get one ahead for a stock blade that I would just have to put a handle on when needed.
I was very surprised to find just how quick it was to heat treat the blades in the forge with 8 being done in about as many minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puwvvs5_IN8&feature=youtu.be

This was the blades after heat treating anf tempering



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Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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93x64mm
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #298849 - 11/04/17 06:10 AM

Magic work mate!
Made light work of the hardening process.
Well done


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: 93x64mm]
      #299332 - 20/04/17 02:45 PM

I have these knives uo to the stage where the handles are having the finish applied so today I started on the sheaths.
I got in a new double shoulder of 3mm (1/8) cowhide so marked out the patterns with as little waste as possible.


I had a little lefy from the previous piece so made up a couple to make sure my new patterns were fitting the knives propperly and then cut out the rest.


With the belt loops sewn in and the welt glued in I will leave them till the adjustable U groover gets here to make the turn over of the back to the front much easier. A friend showed me his and how he runs a couple of grooves down the inside of the sheath either side of the center line and the leather folds over and lies much flatter for punching the stitch holes.



Before I started this morning I made a third hand to make the stitching much easier and when I stitched u the couple of trial sheaths I was quite impressed with how much easier it is compared to how I had been doing it for the last near 50 years.

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #299417 - 21/04/17 05:14 PM

So this is the knives as they stand at the moment. They still have to have the final blade finish and be sharpened.
First are some hunter skinner and this first one I was going to keep for myself, but will probably sell it on as I have some lovely wood coming from the US, thanks again to Frank (on another forum)who has made much of this possible by sourcing and shipping various goodies for me.


walnut and ebony


walnut and jarah


A wapiti hunter in walnut and hickory


--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #299419 - 21/04/17 05:21 PM

and a few boners

First is a special order companion knife to go with a light hunter in the same walnut and jarah shipped of a short while back



One for myself in a specail piece of walnut cut from my late fathers yard in the early 80's


And a plain walnut one just to start getting one or two ahead for casual sales.



I seem to have missed getting a pic of a general hunter in walnut and jarah but it is on the bench anyway and as ready as these are.
In this pic of them in the sheaths thata still have to be hot wax dipped there is three extra that are still to be finished. On the far left is my own personal light hunter in a fantastic piece of olivewood and buffalo horn that I will show propperly when it is finished with the top left being a new killing knife (for the sheep) with walnut and copper pins, and a little field scalpel with buffaol horn scales.


--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12

Edited by VonGruff (21/04/17 05:23 PM)


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93x64mm
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #299472 - 22/04/17 08:32 AM

Beautiful work VG!
Really like the profile of all your knives!


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: 93x64mm]
      #299510 - 23/04/17 10:13 AM

I did a short video this morning of how I hot wax the sheaths

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2jzIUNzWV0&feature=youtu.be

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #300286 - 10/05/17 03:17 AM

I had sent an email to the Australian supplier of the gas equipment for my forge asking about the setting as I didn't seem to be getting the heat at the same rate or the intensity that he showed on his 'how to' video. He rang yesterday (from Aus) so we had a good yarn with the advice being to drill out the jet from .7mm to 1mm. Because of the slightly different gas between AU and NZ I could get the gas flow with less pressure. When I did that it was night and day different so I had a crack at forging a couple things I needed. The first thing was a slag hammer as I had been given a stick welder on permanent loan, so used part of a small jackhammer chisel, cut the top off, forged the chisel end out flatter and made a point on the other end. Some of the videos I saw had them drift a hole through the chisel and taper the handle then rivet it on the other side of the head but that was more than I decided was necessary so I simply welded the handle on. Not too shabby for a first effort I thought.


I had a bit of trouble holding the chisel when I was hammering on it as while my extended handle pliers would open up wide enough, the handles were miles apart and not able to be held in one hand so vice grips sufficed even though I had to double handle everything to get it out of the forge and then take a grip wth the vicegrips to take it to the anvil so the next thing I really needed was a set of tongs that would hold something larger than flat stock. I had picked up some 1/2 in round rods so cut a couple of pieces and went to it. Again it was difficult to hold but eventually a rudimentary set of tongs emerged so I was reasonably happy. Will try a different tack next time as the full tong from 1/2 stock makes them quite heavy so will try to do the jaws from the full size then forge the reins down through 3/8 square to 1/4 in round at the hand grip.
At least these will help to get the next set underway.

Having done that I put the head of the pliers in the forge and when they got to heat I simply closed up the handles till they would hold the knife blades with a single hand grip. Really leased with them and will continue to use them for placing knives into and retrieving them from the forge.


--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #300287 - 10/05/17 03:17 AM

While I have a couple of ball peen hammers and forging work can be done with them, I see thatmost of the serious "smiths" have a special hammer that is flat on one end and radiused on the other, weighing about 2 1/2 to 3lb so I thought I had better get one as well. At the scrap yard last time I wanted a bit of round stock to make one and the guy asked if an old sledge hammer head would do as they had a few 'out the back'.
I found one that was about 4 lb so thought that would be a good base to work from.

I needed to shorten it a little to lighten it and after a while of cutting on one end it struck me that it would be hardened so I fired up the forge and when it had got to heat, put it in a bucket of sived ash for the night to anneal it. Made the cutting a little easier so rounded one end and radiused the edges on the other and after a bit of a clean up, put it back in the forge to heat treat, did the quench in water then tempered it in the cooling forge. Found a suitable piece of beech and knocked up a rudimentary handle and now have a hammer that weighs right and swings nicely.



The rounded end is for moving metal and making a thinning process a little quicker then the flat end is used to planish out the dips and hollowsthat the rounded end caused.

--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #300288 - 10/05/17 03:20 AM

By then I had got another Lee Speed stock and a few other projects up to a stage that I could get these blades cut out of the flats stock today, so should get them all profiled tomorrow. On another forum the guys decided they should do a group buy so these will all be done together for them, plus a couple of extras.


--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
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Reged: 08/02/09
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Loc: South Otago, New Zealand.
Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #300303 - 10/05/17 02:56 PM

So all profiled with coarse belt today. Nine round butt skinners on top with a pair of boys knives, 2 light hunters, a reverse angled hunter skinner, 2 wapiti hunters and 3 boners on the bottom row. May get the egdes all tidied up with fines belts tomorrow and start cleaning up the faces.






--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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Dogfish858
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #300311 - 11/05/17 12:22 AM

Looks great!

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But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am?


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VonGruff
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Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: Dogfish858]
      #300521 - 19/05/17 07:53 PM

Have these blades all ready for heat treating now with their individual handle scales all marked for each knife with the name of the recipient scribed onto the tang so that will do for this week. There are different handle requests with some having bolsters (jarah or ebony) but all having scales from a rimu board I had set asside for them . There are a couple of foriegners in there with one having jarah scales and the hidden tang with brass jarah and beech. There were some that wernt part of the group buy that are set asside for now but they will be attended to after these are completed.



--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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VonGruff
.400 member


Reged: 08/02/09
Posts: 1119
Loc: South Otago, New Zealand.
Re: A gas fired forge in the making [Re: VonGruff]
      #300650 - 22/05/17 10:54 AM

I got a few more blades from the drawer ready for heat treating so it will be all done in one session. The ones without handle scales by them are for spec so have drilled them for either bolster and scales or simple one wood scales. The one with all the lightening holes is a piece of 1/4 in D2 that I started some time back and have tapered the tang so may finish it with something nice.
With all the clamps finished and painted I should have no problem getting all the handles sorted without having to wait for apoxy to cure before removing the clamps for another batch.



--------------------
Von Gruff.

Exodus 20:1-17

Acts 4:10-12


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