can you forge d2

[beast]

can you forge d2 ? we scrap d2 die plates every day at work (115mm dia by10mm thick) with a shape cut in the middle. i like to use scrap steel i'm cheap

[Raymond Richard]

You can forge D-2 but you got to remember its air hardening steel. I can tell you your not going to like it. As soon as you pull it out of the forge it starts getting hard. You need to work it really hot, need to warm up the anvil, hammer, and anything that the steel comes in contact with that will cool it off. If you plan on working this by hand you'll swear it ain't moving and you know what, it ain't moving much. Its extremly stiff but it can be done.....Good luck!

[MongoForge]

Never tried it myself..

But a MasterSmith told
me that people who claim
to forge D2 have a Macho
Ego problem..:cool:

[beast]

i think i'll keep scraping it thanks

[Sweany]

if you can cut it , the stuff would make great chisels hot cuts etc.

[Sweany]

OOps almost forgot.

A couple years ago in Blade mag, was an article By Joseph Silaski (sp) He had experimented wityh cold forgeing D-2 the last 10 or 15% of the edge was formed by cold forgeing, light hammer, planishing blows. Electro microspic pics showed grain refinement and he claimed improved performance in edge retention and cutting ability.

Cut, grind, tappy tap tappity tap.

[Crex]

I tried forging some and it's not for the faint of heart but if you like to cut trees with an 8 foot gator tooth crosscut, it's your huckleberry for sure. Tough stuff for sure but can't say it's worth the effort. I started using it for hot cut stuff as Sweany suggested. It's good for that.
Carl Rx

[beast]

thank for the ideas i'll have the guys keep some and cut it to make some hot cuts

The best way to work D2 is with small faced or sharp faced hammers, not broad flat faced hammers. You want to see a deep dent with each blow. If the hammer has a small domed or linier face, with extra back up mass or weight behind it, it will move the steel much easier. After you get the form hogged out you can go back with flatter faced hammers to clean it up. These are also good rules for most general forging, but with D2 they are even more critical.

[Raymond Richard]

Tai,
If you would like some D-2 let me know, I'd love to see a bush knife made from it. The one major draw back with it is trying to anneal it, its a long process. Think you need to bring it up to 1200, hold it there for awhile and then bring it down in temp over 12 or so hours. When I first got into doing knives I thought I'd give it a try, I believe I've still got one round bar of it an on occasion I'll grab it by mistake and wonder what the heck it going on. I'll hit it a couple times before my memory kicks in and then it will go right back in the pile with the rest. I'll have to mark it in some way to remind me what it is. What you said about using sharp hammers and denting it makes sence. I'm pretty sure the knife or two I made from it was with fairly flat hammers.....

Thanks Ray, but I have a good supply, don't really use it much. It is hard to work with, but you can. I'm liking the 10x series, because I'm getting into the quench lines and the vibration thing.

My forge is a giant ash pit. So to anneal the D2 I just lay it over a good bed of coals (charcoal) and cover it over with the ash. Enough air gets in through the tuyere to soak it for quite a while. I've have good luck with air hardening steels that way.

My favorite air hardening steel is A6. It is relatively low alloy compared to A2 or D2. It forges much easier and is more stable through heat treating. It is a low temp air hardening steel, hardens from 1450 to 1550. It makes a great knife and pattern welded steel. It retains it's air hardenability in damascus.

[Jerry Oksman]

Sweany, it's Joe Szilaski http://www.szilaski.com/ he's up here in the northeast, really nice guy. I run into him at the NY shows.

[Raymond Richard]

Tai,
I've also got a bunch of A-2, it does move a lot easier than the D-2. Do you know what the carbon and crome content is in the A-6?

Funny I was doing a bunch of the 10 series myself and decided to give some L-6 a go again. I'd bought a bunch from Admiral a couple years ago and thought they sent me a bunch of crap. I didn't think it was hardening for me, I think Saturday I grabbed a piece of it and forged another blade with it and when I got around to hardening it I let it set awhile before I checked it with a file. Its not like most steels that you harden and check right away and sure enough its hard. The L-6 has a delay time untill it gets hard. You got any idea why this is? I like forging it now that I know it gets hard. It kind of reminds me of an oldman in a way......

[Sweany]

Jerry thanks joseph does some KEWL STUFF