Thread: Sleepless? Forge stuff!

Its a bit after 3am, and I just finished forging up, and filing down my first attempt at a straight. Its a learning experience, and I am already seeing where I need to change, and where I can improve.

Tomorrow I will try heat treating, after I put a few more hours into it. I am finally getting sleepy now, and working tired is always a bad idea.

Feel free to critique

Is the big smile to help with anger control?
Nice shape.

Either hot-punch or drill the pivot hole now before HT.
Your life is going to be easier.

Love the big smile and simple design.

The smile is what I was going for, the length? that just sort of "grew" as I worked it. Currently a blade of 3.5" and a width of .700" the plan right now is to cut a half inch off the end. It just seems a bit off balance with such a long blade.

Advice please (or just opinions)
Second problem is not as easily remedied. Pivot hole will need to be further back than I allowed for (if I want proper balance and handling) in an area of the tang that is already tapered and thinned. Should I simply add a few thrust washers to make up the space? The area of contact/support for scales will be small (.180) and I am worried that it might put too much torque strain on the scales when assembled.
Or would you recommend using a stick welder to build up the area immediately on/around the place where the pivot will go?

Bruno? Charlie? any thoughts?

Originally Posted by Magpie

Bruno? Charlie? any thoughts?

Yes. I'd say don't make the blade shorter, but reshape the heel on the grinder so that the tang becomes longer.
Then you can put the pivot hole where it should go.

See how it will strop...make sure the angles are do-able.

Maybe someone with a TIG that has experience on high carbon steel could weld it, but trying to do it with a stick (at least my experience) would burn up the tang. To me, from the picture it looks like there's enough meat on the end of the tang to draw it out.

finished a blade today that looks very much the same, was a little close when it came to drilling the pivot hole but I got away with it, partially because the blade is a slim profile and pretty equal to the tang width. I how wide is the tang opposed to the blade width on your razor?