forge welding guards to blades

[Colin KC]

Just had the thought after seeing Jons "neo tribal" knife.

Does anyone, or has anyone forge welded guards to blades, is it difficult? What would the problems be?

I've a few thoughts, but what about the pounders out there?


Waddya say?

[Kevin]

Colin...I have thought about this before.

I forged welded a bolster on a knife once which wasnt too difficult....... will do a guard one day once I figure out how to......just needs some thought...would be cool though wouldnt it.

The difficult part may be cleaning up the transition in front and behind the guard (handle fit?).





:)
Kevin.

[Kevin]

I made a couple of those socket handled knives once and I have been thinking of somehow including a guard into them....forge welded or cut and drawn.

If you have any idea then I would be interested.......better still, come over and show me :D

[Colin KC]

I made a couple of those socket handled knives once and I have been thinking of somehow including a guard into them....forge welded or cut and drawn.

If you have any idea then I would be interested.......better still, come over and show me :D

I'd love to, let meget some pounding practice in first though :D

I saw a forged guard once (in a Goddard book?) looked pretty cool

[jbaron]

i may try a steel and brass damascus wrap around guard

[Colin KC]

i may try a steel and brass damascus wrap around guard

Be careful Jon, if you're gonna do bronzed damascus make sure you got all the breathing stuff, cos brass gives off some very nasty fumes :yikes:

[jbaron]

thats ok we have a huge extractor over the forge

[Kevin]

thats ok we have a huge extractor over the forge


I heard something about not heating other metals (of the mokume variety)in the same gas forge that you may be forging/welding in as there may be cross contamination......dont know if thats correct though, but I would err on caution.

[Colin KC]

It's the zink in both cases Kev that's the culprit, both noxoius gasses & contaminent to forge welding:mad:

[jbaron]

any other ideas i was also thinking of some kind of steel rod wrap around or a smooshed cable.

[jbaron]

colin i suppose you could arc weld a guard on as well

[Colin KC]

Yeah, or mig, 'sjust an idea about forge welding it on to carry on the neo tribal aspect;)

[Kevin]

If you do any arc/mig welding then that may cause a weakness at the join?...........multi normalise?

I did see a picture in a book of a guard that was welded on, then the joins were ground...looked neat.

[jbaron]

colin i'll give it a go

[Colin KC]

colin i'll give it a go

Make sure you give that blade good support Jon, if you're gonna do the forge weld thing :yikes: :twak: :wink:

[Roger Gregory]

In the bad old days blacksmiths would throw a penny or two into a rival's forge to contaminate it and prevent forge-welding .......

Roger