[TheForge] More Museum Madness

[David Childress]

This forum had an email on making a striker of mild steelwith a slit
that has some piano wire inserted.  Sounds as close to steeled as I
would bother with.  I am going to try this next time I make fire and
see how much of a pain it is.

David Childress

On 4/6/08, Peter Hirst <saltydog335 at aol.com> 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.
>
> 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?
>
> 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.
>
> Thanks.
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