Thread: Will this burner work?

I'm wanting to make a couple of knives from old files just to begin the learning process of knife/razor making.
I plan on making a forge sometime in the future, but I'm still looking into that.
For now though I'd like some opinions on weather or not the burner in this picture would do the job for my first few very amateur knives.
I'd anneal the files before working on them, then re-harden and temper.
Do you guys think this kind of set-up would get the temps up high enough for what I need?
Grant

No, I don't think so, for the same reason that my original set-up didn't work.
You will lose a tremendous amount of heat on the sides, and the middle will not get as hot as needed.
Here is what I did to make a very low cost forge. You could do something similar.
Building a forge | onikudaki.be
The main thing is to keep heat from getting wasted. That, plus a way to feed oxygen into the fire is all you need.

Sure... Set it really close to the the house too...vi haven't seen a you tube disaster in a while.. Seriuosly though, ithink you would have to enclose it and pump air into it some how.

This type is a fairly standard beginner's project: Forge built from a car wheel

I would recommend some sort of clay layer around the inside of the "bowl" to retain heat. Bruno's hinted at it, but the main principle of the forge is to retain, guide, control, prevent heat losses to the environment and keep them long enough in one place to be useful.

The other thing is to please consider not using briquettes. If you can find hardwood charcoal, possibly packaged as "lump coal", it will work a lot better. Briquettes have a lot of crap in there that may be fine for cooking but do not make an efficient fire for forging steel. If there was no other source they would work but then I'd rather teach you how to make your own charcoal in favor of a better fuel.

Good luck on this one. This is the beginning of the path to a bad disease. Just so you know....

Oh yes. Don't use briquettes.
I tried it. It works just fine for about 10 minutes, at which point you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about.
Then at 15 minutes, you'll notice that the briquettes will start falling apart to powdered clay, completely smothering the nice fire you had going.
Hardwood charcoal is a must.

I would say that you should speak to a farrier they use forges that are just right for what you are wanting to do I believe.

Baldy, please head over to bladeforums and in the shoptalk area there are two stickies on making knives from files. The "how do I make a knife from this file" threads are more common there than the "I dont think my new razor is sharp enough" threads here.

If you go over there, they are going to tell you roughly the same thing I'm going to say;
It is MUCH easier to start with a properly annealed blank of a known steel than to guess at a file. Not only do you have to guess on how to anneal it, but you'd have to guess what steel it is to try to heat treat it. While you are over at BF, look at a sticky called "working with the three steels.". It's written by Kevin Cashen who is brilliant.

All that said, if you want to make a knife or a razor from a file, GO FOR IT! Don't let me or anyone else slow you down. But please do read the bladeforums stickies. They will make you life easier.

ETA: here is the appropriate subforum. Stickies of course at the top. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/fo...ns-and-Answers

And a bit closer to home for you: Australian Blade Forums

Thanks for all the great advice guys, particularly Mike Blue who has given me some excellent tips via PM.
I'll probably make the first couple out of files simply because I have a handfull that I've picked up at garage sales for less than a dollar and I'm sure there will be mistakes. so its a cheap material to learn on.
I have an old BBQ gas bottle that I'm going to cut in half and try that as the forge.
And thanks for all the links too, there is so much to learn.
Grant

Originally Posted by Bruno

No, I don't think so, for the same reason that my original set-up didn't work.
You will lose a tremendous amount of heat on the sides, and the middle will not get as hot as needed.
Here is what I did to make a very low cost forge. You could do something similar.
Building a forge | onikudaki.be
The main thing is to keep heat from getting wasted. That, plus a way to feed oxygen into the fire is all you need.

Bruno, I think your assistant really should have some clear safety glasses to protect her eyes.