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Author Topic: Bladesmith on tv  (Read 14732 times)

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Offline john k

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Bladesmith on tv
« on: July 07, 2015, 05:44:42 PM »
Did anyone watch the 4 bladesmith on tv this week?    Were given a piece of coil spring from a RR car, had 3 hours to make a heavy knife with blade from 12-15 inches long.   I thought it was reasonably well done, considering most iron pounders don't do real good against the clock.   Also straightening a coil spring is one mean thing to do.  Didn't see anyone using  a bending fork.  Anyone see it?
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Offline oldgoaly

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2015, 11:56:33 PM »
I was wondering why they did not use a bending iron or the hardy hole, but then what do I know ok if you put red hot iron or steel in oil submerge it or look out for the flames! Guess everyone does it once.
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Offline Branson

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2015, 12:05:43 PM »
Didn't watch the program, but I'm wondering -- did they anneal the spring first?  I certainly done so.
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Offline john k

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2015, 02:28:14 PM »
No time to anneal, heat it and start pounding.  The most professional looking knife, ( all said they were bladesmiths)  broke when whacking a cocoanut.  At least the guy that needed the money the worst, won the cash prize. 
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Offline Twilight Fenrir

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2015, 02:49:31 PM »
I'm not an expert at all, but by the very act of making it glow, it is no longer hardened... Right? You would only need to anneal it if you were planning to work it cold for some reason... Unless I am mistaken?

I know when I was using a hardened steel drill bit as a punch the other day, it went from brittle hard to bent to hell in about 2 seconds of contact with hot steel... (wound up turning to my scratch awl, which worked, but was also near instantly reduced to soft malleable steel)

I've made a few knives out of automotive coil springs, and haven't had any trouble ^^; Granted, they weren't THAT big...

« Last Edit: July 08, 2015, 03:03:43 PM by Twilight Fenrir »
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Offline Branson

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2015, 11:12:00 AM »
Quote from: Twilight Fenrir on July 08, 2015, 02:49:31 PM
I'm not an expert at all, but by the very act of making it glow, it is no longer hardened... Right? You would only need to anneal it if you were planning to work it cold for some reason... Unless I am mistaken?

Annealing relieves stresses in previously worked steel.  Those stresses are why that knife broke.  The time it takes in slow cooling allows the steel's molecules to relax.
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Offline oldgoaly

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2015, 05:02:40 PM »
it is hard to tell exactly what they are doing the editting jumps from smith to the next. I have not seen them temper the blades after hardening. blood red into oil. they the should be taking them up to blue or straw then to the oil. Is that cut out? or do they not temper?
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Offline Nolatoolguy

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2015, 07:58:39 PM »
I saw the comerical for it but never watched it.

I would be interested to see how it does. Maybe it will get some people interested in the craft.
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Offline Aunt Phil

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2015, 03:29:00 AM »
Quote from: Nolatoolguy on July 11, 2015, 07:58:39 PM
I saw the comerical for it but never watched it.

I would be interested to see how it does. Maybe it will get some people interested in the craft.

There are many people interested in the craft Nola, but damn few of them are much interested in the work it takes to learn the craft.  I just ran into a man and wife who got into the craft and took lessons from an old boy I know well.  Now they're pounding hell out of every chunk of iron they can find.  In my mind smithing is far more an art than a skill.  Just like welding you have to see the metal move where you want it in your mind before you swing the hammer smithing.

The old boy went through a fire 5 years back that left his shop a heap on the concrete slab, he's still rebuilding the power hammers.  It was a sad day watching the pretend firemen let that shop burn when they could have saved 90% of it. 

Smithing today is a disappearing trade beyond fancy fences.  10 years ago my buddy was resharpening 200 chisels for air hammers a week for contractors.  Today if he gets 10 a month it's a big month for chisels.  Contractors have no work, chisels sit on the shelf and stay sharp.  It's not a moneymaker in this area.
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Offline john k

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2015, 01:46:26 PM »
Sad to hear of a shop burning.   Maybe the owner stopped them from pouring on water because of the power hammers?   I know an acquaintance did for his auto machine shop fire.  Burned to the ground, but 3 of his machines were then rebuilt. 
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Offline Aunt Phil

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2015, 02:07:49 PM »
Quote from: john k on July 13, 2015, 01:46:26 PM
Sad to hear of a shop burning.   Maybe the owner stopped them from pouring on water because of the power hammers?   I know an acquaintance did for his auto machine shop fire.  Burned to the ground, but 3 of his machines were then rebuilt.

Owner didn't stop anything, PAID "Professional" "Firefighters" chose to stand off and watch the shop burn because they could. 
Fire could have been knocked down with a 1½ hose poked through a hole in an overhead door set on fog was instead allowed to burn & grow while a ladder that requires a 5" supply was served with a single 2½, because a "Professional" made the wrong decision. 
I have pictures of the fire in progress that tell the story.

Standard answer from IAFF members around here is "That's why you pay for Insurance."
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Offline Nolatoolguy

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2015, 03:26:04 AM »
Quote from: Aunt Phil on July 13, 2015, 02:07:49 PM
Quote from: john k on July 13, 2015, 01:46:26 PM
Sad to hear of a shop burning.   Maybe the owner stopped them from pouring on water because of the power hammers?   I know an acquaintance did for his auto machine shop fire.  Burned to the ground, but 3 of his machines were then rebuilt.

Owner didn't stop anything, PAID "Professional" "Firefighters" chose to stand off and watch the shop burn because they could. 
Fire could have been knocked down with a 1½ hose poked through a hole in an overhead door set on fog was instead allowed to burn & grow while a ladder that requires a 5" supply was served with a single 2½, because a "Professional" made the wrong decision. 
I have pictures of the fire in progress that tell the story.

Standard answer from IAFF members around here is "That's why you pay for Insurance."
I don't know the very case in that you witnessed so I can only speculate. However with my experience of loosing our house they did there job. I am no scientist nor do I really know much about fire. However I know enough to know that firefighters ems an police are there to help us. Yes there are a few bad apples in the bunch as with any profession.  No the system is not perfect. At the end of the day thoe they have a second to make a decisions that take many years an still debate. The most important thing thoe in any fire is people. In the grand scheme of things do physical possessions really matter?

Yes I lost my house but they did what they could to save it but more importantly they made sure everyone was out.


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Offline stanley62

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #12 on: July 21, 2015, 10:26:38 AM »
I have watched two episodes and it looks very cool to me!  They do edit out some pretty big chunks of time...

  Jim
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Offline oldgoaly

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #13 on: July 21, 2015, 01:35:17 PM »
They could sure cut out 99% of the time standing in front of the judges!
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Offline Stoney

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Re: Bladesmith on tv
« Reply #14 on: July 21, 2015, 04:01:31 PM »
I agree with Old Goaty And another 99 % of the talking heads and show more hot iron
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