[TheForge] Steel Sources for Weapons

Thu Feb 6 13:26:21 2003

Well, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe =
ordinary car and truck coil springs are 5160.  So if you want cheap steel =
of approximately the right size, there you go. =20

Don't get a broken spring, because if it broke, it probably fractured =
elsewhere as well.  Uncoiling the spring is not hard.  (I recommend an =
angle grinder with cut-off wheel for cutting off pieces.)  You WILL have =
to flatten it, and that WILL be a lot of work. =20

Best bet here (if you don't have a power hammer) is to get someone to be a =
striker for you, or get someone to hold it for you while you strike (or =
build a Weightless Hammer, http://www.monmouth.com/~freeman/wh/wh.htm, if =
I may put in a blatant plug!)=20

In any event, it would be well to learn HOW to work with 5160 before you =
go out and buy a piece.  You're not likely to do things right the first =
time, so might as well start with cheap stuff.

Rules of thumb:
Work all steel hot, but work high-carbon steel cooler than mild steel.  =
(Which means it will be tougher and harder to move.) =20
Forge thick, grind thin. (Referring to the edge, where carbon loss during =
heating may result in a low-carbon edge on a high-carbon blade.  Instead, =
leave some thickness and grind back to the high-carbon steel.)
Anneal, then harden, then temper.  (There are short cuts that achieve the =
same end, but you can ruin tool steel if you make a mistake.  "Ruin" means =
it shatters into little pieces!)

I'd suggest getting a coil spring, cutting off individual coils, and =
making simple tools like chisels, punches and drifts out of the pieces.  =
That will give you practice that you can apply to blade-makeing.

Hope this helps.

Bruce
NJ

>>> [email protected] 02/05/03 02:09PM >>>
Thanks everybody for the information, I guess my best bet is just to
save up and get stock. Thanks again.

Chad=20

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]=20
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steve Bloom
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:27 PM
To: [email protected]=20
Subject: RE: [TheForge] Steel Sources for Weapons

At 12:03 PM 2/5/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>I appreciate the suggestions of using 5160, 1085, and 1095 but I was
>looking for something more along the lines of me being able to go out
to
>the junk yards or the tracks and find. My metallurgical knowledge is
>very small so translating those numbers into items is impossible for
me.
>If I remember right they represent the grade of steel and the amount of
>carbon in it? Was hoping someone could give me some everyday items that
>could be used. Again this is just for learning purposed at this point.

Check out Admiral Steel : 1/4 X 1-1/2 X 22' $74.54 5160
That's about 7 swords worth at $10 a pop. New steel is cheap compared to
trying to bash down a leaf spring (Yeah, I've done it 'cause at times my
cheapness overrides my brain).

Bottom line - new stuff is inexpensive, close to the size you need so
you
don't waste time and energy just resizing it, and you'll know precisely
what
you've got which makes the heat-treat far more predictable. 5160 is a
nice
steel - you've got to work at it to mess it up.

Steve
Steve Bloom, IronFlower Forge. Archer, FL
     Webmaster for the FABA web site:
	www.blacksmithing.org=20

_______________________________________________
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge=20
theforge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoaccess.com=20
Login:  [email protected]=20
password:  anvil
___________

_______________________________________________
http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge=20
theforge mail list group photo site is
http://www.photoaccess.com=20
Login:  [email protected]=20
password:  anvil
___________