[TheForge] flint strikers

[Daniel Kretchmar]

dab,

I make mine out of 1095.  If I quench them in water they spark.  If I
temper them, they don't.  I have tried quenching them in oil, but they
didn't spark that way either.

I finish forging them and then put them back in the forge until they
are bright orange.  I pull them out with tongs grabbing the section
that is held in the hand and do a quick quench (in and out, really
fast) of just the side that the flint strikes.  I hold it above the
slack tub for about 5 seconds and do it again.  I keep doing that
until the handle is black.  I found that if you put them in the water
and quench them all the way black they will develop cracks which will
fracture all the way through when you strike them with a flint.  Doing
the "in and out" of the water of just the face is a "tempering" of a
sort (kinda), but my strikers all spark really well when I do them
this way

Danr
www.irontreeworks.com

On 3/24/09, dan tull <dantull at numail.org> wrote:
> I know we covered this before, but what was the consensus of opinion , to temper or use as quenched?  From hay rake tines to files, seems they would be too brittle and hard to shave sparks in "as quenched". I expect it will be a "resultant" issue , as in, do two and see which showers best.
>
>
> dan tull
> Georgia
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