Get refractory cement from a great guy, Darren Ellis. I use AGP#36, many use Satanite. He also has soft firebricks if you need more. http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/ I just bought a little round magnet that had a hole in the center and screwed it to the end of a 1x2, which I clamped to the table near the forge. I check the whole edge from tip to plunge cut to see if I'm heating it evenly - sometimes most of the blade is non-magnetic but the tip or somewhere else is still magnetic. Type of magnet shouldn't matter. Have fun!
Bear, I got your PM and just realized I hadn't responded... Give the "intro Kit" to another here. If I had the time, I could scrounge the stuff. Thanks for the Kind offer! now, some more Kona coffee?
Will do.... Will keep you in mind on the Kona... all out of the good stuff right now... gotta make another trip to my buddy downtown.....
I just ordered my first batch of stainless steel - this will be interesting. I got some ATS-34 and some 440C, and will send it to Bos for heat treat.
I am really going to have to pony up and get you to do a knife up for me Don...I really am. The US vacation this year has about drained me just now though....
So it seems. His blob on the clustermap sorta says he's dropped in now and then. But milhol is way outa touch. Glad to see he ain't fergot us.
Anytime, Andy! I make batches of stainless stuff and send them to Bos so it just depends what I have left before the next batch. Right now it's so hot I've only been working about one night a week!
Yes....I am here....alive an din person (I will do appearences for a fee you know ). Not enough hours in the day so it seems now. Milhol is fine but busy with new endeavours...!! Don't tell me Vegas is hot mate....I am enjoying Winter here so it is going to be a temp shock when I step off the plane...!!!
Thanks! That seems like a long time ago - I didn't even have a drill press back then and I wound up with 3 in my shop.
i pick up a chunk of iron or steel, usually leafspring toss it in the fire and when its hot enuff, start hammering the only grinding i do is to rough sharpen the finished product or remove burs on the tang after that its file time
I used a chop saw at first to remove most of the steel but then I got a good bandsaw that could follow the contours of a knife and that made life much easier. I hate bandsawing but it beats grinding off all that steel!
