Author Topic: Forging a drawknife?  (Read 3121 times)

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Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Forging a drawknife?
« on: July 02, 2013, 06:04:37 pm »
OK, so I am too cheap to buy a decent drawknife. Knowing me, a normal drawknife would be broken in days the way I work. So I intend to forge a heavy duty drawknife. I have some medium-high carbon steel in the the form of RR spikes, and some mild steel in the form of bar stock. I will pretty much be just ripping bark off with this thing, and maybe some osage if I get some.
What I am thinking is pretty simple- just take a bar of steel, draw it out to lengthen, then forge a decent edge, then grind a proper edge onto it. Forge small "tangs" on each side, attach wooden handles, done.
Sound good?
Thanks for advice!
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Offline KHalverson

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Re: Forging a drawknife?
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2013, 06:30:03 pm »
forge that sucker from the mild steel ya have and quench in super quench
itll get to maybe 40 rc
Kevin

Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: Forging a drawknife?
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2013, 06:42:58 pm »
forge that sucker from the mild steel ya have and quench in super quench
itll get to maybe 40 rc
Kevin
So it will be good enough?
I can't get super quench... brine seems almost as good based on the websites I am reading. I am thinking cold brine.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2013, 06:51:44 pm by Thesquirrelslinger »
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Offline KHalverson

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Re: Forging a drawknife?
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2013, 08:17:02 pm »
1 # salt per gallon of warm water
I bottle dawn dish soap  I get mine at dollar general
I bottle jet dry 
home brew super quench
it works great.
just don't use on high carbon .05 or higher

Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: Forging a drawknife?
« Reply #4 on: July 02, 2013, 09:41:59 pm »
1 # salt per gallon of warm water
I bottle dawn dish soap  I get mine at dollar general
I bottle jet dry 
home brew super quench
it works great.
just don't use on high carbon .05 or higher
Is super-quench that much better than brine? Thanks for the recipe!
( don't think this can be used on RR spikes...)
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Offline KHalverson

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Re: Forging a drawknife?
« Reply #5 on: July 03, 2013, 03:34:32 pm »
i couldn't comment if its that much better than brine
my experience with brine is pretty much low
I use the super quench on rr spikes

Offline Thesquirrelslinger

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Re: Forging a drawknife?
« Reply #6 on: July 03, 2013, 04:52:45 pm »
i couldn't comment if its that much better than brine
my experience with brine is pretty much low
I use the super quench on rr spikes
Ah. So its not truly super quench(I have been told to NEVER use super quench on medium-high carbon steel, it will shatter)...
Perfect... Drawknife is starting to come along.
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"