[TheForge] untapped resource?

[Bob Ehrenberger]

Daniel,

When my son first got into knifemaking we had lots of people give us old
springs and mower blades. It makes for nice tooling, I think we have a
lifetime supply.  The one problem was that people would give us a piece of
junk and then expect a nice knife in return. It didn't ad up, $5 of scrap
for $50+ knife. We were better off buying the stuff, no strings attached.

You can usually get drops from a spring shop for next to nothing. It's new
steel and no surprises down the road.  You can get old springs from a spring
shop too, but they are the same as junk yard steel.  What are you getting???

Damascus is a good use for salvage material since any stress fractures will
be taken care of in the welding and folding process.  The only problem is
deciding on the steel mix.  You would hate to put all that work into it only
to find  out that the layers all look the same when etched.

Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.
eforge at centurytel.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel Kretchmar" <dan at irontreeworks.com>
To: "Bob Ehrenberger" <eforge at centurytel.net>; "Sponsored by ABANA"
<theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 9:20 AM
Subject: RE: [TheForge] untapped resource?


> Bob,
>    Though I enjoy making the occasional knife, I do not make them for sale
> ....yet....I enjoy the large forming/smithing more at the moment.  It just
> seemed like so obvious a resource that I couldn't figure out why I hadn't
heard
> of anyone using it.  I was practically slapping my forhead while saying
"duh!"
> when I thought of it.  I heated/flattened/annealed about 10 of them.
After
> they were cool, I slapped them on the anvil to see if they would break.
One
> did, but the others seem okay.   I think that they would be a good source
for
> damascus material even if they do have some fine cracks in them, though.
If
> nothing else, they can make good and cheap strikers for "flint and steel".
I
> like the idea that someone had about froes and axes...have to try
that...maybe
> an adze for carving.....hmmmm..........
>
> If I get really good at this knife making stuff, I might try to make a set
of
> french chef's knives for my brother.  I have now made 6 damascus billets,
2
> damascus knives, 1 damascus basket makers froe for my wife, and a couple
of
> plain high carbon ones.  It's fun but not as much fun as making an iron
> dragon!
>
> http://www.irontreeworks.com/dragonlatch.jpg
>
> :)
>
> Daniel Kretchmar
> www.irontreeworks.com
> Traditional Woodworking and Blacksmithing
>
>
> Quoting Bob Ehrenberger <eforge at centurytel.net>:
>
> > Daniel,
> >
> > I have, and use old lawn mower blades.  The problem with them is you
never
> > know what they are made of, if you have 10 blades you may have 10
different
> > alloies.  Also like other used steel they may have hidden flaws (from
> > hitting rocks and stumps) that don't show up until after you have put a
lot
> > of work into a piece.
> >
> > If you are making knives to sell, the new steel is cheep when compaired
to
> > your time. If you are making knives for your own use, it's a good source
of
> > useable steel just don't be too disapointed if the blade fails.
> >
> > I made a hive tool from used steel years ago and it has worked out well.
> > It's always a gamble.
> >
> > The longer I do this (blacksmithing) the less I mess with salvage
material.
> >
> > Robert Ehrenberger
> > Shelbyville, Mo.
> > eforge at centurytel.net
> >
> > ---Original Message----
> > Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 22:21:21 -0500
> > From: "Daniel Kretchmar" <dan at irontreeworks.com>
> > Subject: [TheForge] untapped resource?
> >
> > Hey all,
> >       The other day, while I was driving home from work, it suddenly
occured
> > to me that lawn mower blades are good steel...obvious I know....but I
> > stopped at a lawn mower store and asked if I could have the old blades
that
> > ...
> > clip
> > ...
> > I did a grinding spark test and also heated and quenched and then
shattered
> > one so I know its at least 1080. I flattened and annealed one and just
> > finished grinding out a Usuba ocho (japanese vegatable cleaver).  It
seems
> > like the metal is great!  The two stores I called said that I could have
as
> > many as I wanted as often as I wanted........
> >
> >
> > Sooooo.....Why have I never heard people talk about this resource
before?
> > Have I just not noticed?  Is the metal toxic and contains something that
> > will kill anyone uses it? :)
> >
> > Dan
> > www.irontreeworks.com
> >
> >
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