[TheForge] More Museum Madness

[Andrew Vida]

Peter Hirst wrote:
> Thanks for everyone's tips on dealing with the museum.  Here's a new twist.  I submitted a steel flint striker to the education department there and got an interesting response.  "It looks very good, but is it all steel or irone with a steeled edge?     Actually, I made the whole thing from 1045, with max hardness (About R50C) on the striking edge and straw tempered elsewhere). I thought it was pretty good, but they insist that even so amll an item as a striker should be steeled. This from the organization that sells machined scissors stamped "CHINA" in its crafts center as colonial reproductions. But they are buying and i am selling ,SO just to humor them I said I woulod look into steeling the edge, but can't find out anythng specific about the process.   
> 
	I used to interpret at Allaire Village in NJ.  I managed to keep   out 
of the petty politics, but I got ear fulls and all I can say is that 
dealing with such people appears to be largely miserable.  What you are 
describing seems to dovetail perfectly with my experiences.

	First of all, I am not aware that strikers were of laminar 
construction, though perhaps I am simply misinformed on this point. 
More significantly, who the hell is going to pay for a piece requiring 
that much extra work?  The demand sounds idiotic IMO - probably the 
product of wholesale ignorance of either historical fact, present day 
economics, or both.

	I would pay careful attention to what these people say and how they say 
it.  If signs of rational thought do not make themselves apparent 
shortly then I would recommend you run screaming in a direction away 
from them.  Folks such as these have a profound talent for making 
unreasonable demands of blacksmiths.  I got tired of it after a few 
years and bowed out.

> The business ende of this item is about 3/16 x 3/8 x 3 1/2, one of the long edges being the striking surface.  Couple of questions:  
> 
> Would I split the thin edge to insert the steel or fold the piece  over the steel?

	I suppose you could, but methinks you'd be reduced to a state of 
barking madness before you finished the second one.  Also, unless you 
are going to be able to sell each one for $25 to $35, I am certain that 
you will be subsidizing the museum.  I would think very carefully about 
this before agreeing to it.  You will likely come to resent your 
situation before very long, unless you really want to give your work away.

	If you are going to do this, I would consider raising curved burs on 
the high carbon piece.  These are hammered (lightly) into the cafe of 
the hot low carbon steel, thereby fixing the two for welding.  Replace 
the mass into the forge and bring to welding heat.  Proceed as usual 
from there.
> 
> What combination of mild and high carbon steels can I reasonbly expect to forge weld in this configuration, and are there any special problems, other than the obvious mechanical ones of  size that i need to look out for.  I am willing to do this by trial and error, but would refer whatever guidance I can scare up.  
> 

	I'd use 1095 on the high carbon side.  Wrought iron for the rest.

	I still think the idea is nuttier than a fruitcake.
-- 

	-Andy V.

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