Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => At the Forge => Topic started by: KHalverson on February 27, 2018, 06:05:11 pm
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the yellow rake tooth was purchased from my local tractor supply store for $1.99.
that's a very reasonable cost for almost 3 feet of high carbon steel.
step #1 is to heat the tooth to @ least red hot and uncoil.
repeat as many times as necassary until ya have a fairly straight rod.
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step #4 is to start forging the tooth flat.
I'm shooting for 5/16-3/8 wide by roughly 1/8th thick.
I like to flatten about 5 inches of stock.
step 5 is to start tapering down the end of the stock.
I shoot for about 2 inches worth of taper.
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next I mark @ 5 inches over all.
that is where I want my second taper to start.
I taper out to about 6.5 inches.
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Those hay rake teeth make good strikers.
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I'm watching. Thanks for posting this.
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Cool - I'm watchin' (-P ! Thanks - Bob.
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Thanks for sharing, waiting & watching patiently. John
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next step I use a chisel to hot cut the striker @ about 6.5 inches
I then forge in taper till about 7 inches long.
next i clamp a small ball pein hammer in my leg vise and use it as a mandrel to start my bend.
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Watching
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I finish the first bend and start the 2nd bend same as the first.
second bend gets finished and then I reheat and place in the vise to align the ears.
next I curl the ears.
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ears are aligned.
and then curled.
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I stamp my mark next,
if you put your work in the publics eye it deserves to be maker identified in my opinion.
here the striker is heated till non magnetic( critical temperature).
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quench only the striking edge in water leaving the ears to cool below red heat above water.
this produces the super hard edge required to strike consistent sparks but allows the ears to stay softer and less brittle.
next we hit the grinder to clean the decarbed striking edge up.
be cautious to keep the striker cool.
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final step is testing,
we have nice sparks on some Michigan quartz.
I use that for my testing cause it doesn't produce spark as easily as most flints,
if i get good sparks of this good rock makes it easy.
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I hope this encourages others to give this a try.
feel free to ask questions and I will answer to the best of my ability,
Kevin
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Nice work Kevin. Thanks for posting it. What kind of belt grinder do you use? I would like to get a good one this summer.
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Thanks for sharing Kevin - really enjoyed it :OK ! Bob
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Thanks Kevin very nice build. Looks like a good project for a beginner.
Bjrogg
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I think a beginner like me can figure that out. Very nice How To and thanks Kevin
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So Kevin you don't temper it after quench, that may have been my problem. I have this on my to do list now
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So Kevin you don't temper it after quench, that may have been my problem. I have this on my to do list now
no temper needed .
u need the hardness.
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Took me about 45 mins to get my first steel finished. Thanks again Kevan!
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Thanks for posting this, always wanted to try making a striker.
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Took me about 45 mins to get my first steel finished. Thanks again Kevan!
good deal.
pretty soon you will be banging out 3-4 an hour.
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Good how to build along! Now all I need is a forge, an anvil, a pair of forging pliers, and finding my round tuit! Oh, and some lessons in using the striker! >:D (=)
Hawkdancer
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Have you ever done a knife w/striker handle? Thanks John
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Have you ever done a knife w/striker handle? Thanks John
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Yessir!!!
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Have you ever done a knife w/striker handle? Thanks John
I have owned two of 'em. Nice in theory, but brittle in function. Both broke handles off shortly after I received them.
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"I have owned two of 'em. Nice in theory, but brittle in function. Both broke handles off shortly after I received them. "
Thanks for the reply. Thought it would be a neat idea to shave wood or magnesium then strike.
Was looking at some RR spike hawks & knives. I like the hawk you made, can't remember the thread. I was on a job site running parallel with the RR. picked up a bunch of spikes and found a small cut off of track & plate for an anvil. John
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If you are remembering the railroad spike tomahawk with the curly ash handle, I own it. It matches the curly ash handled rifleman's knife he also made and I own. And both match the curly ash stocked .69 caliber flintlock smoothbore that Jack Garner made and I own.
It's nothing if not the nicest set of woods gear I have ever seen.
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I believe that's the hawk. Owl stamped on the sheath, KH stamped in the head & black walnut wedge in the handle. John
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Nice work Kevin! That baby is blowing some sparks...
Don
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I picked up one of those hay rakes and straightened it out. I will make a few of these when the weather is good
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Nice post.Thanks for showing.
I use broken discarded rake teeth here to for various things.
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By far my favorite striker material.
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Well here's my first striker from a hay rake spring tooth. Not as refined as Kevin's but it works good
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Not bad for the 1st .