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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 10-11-2015, 05:10 PM
Ed of all trade Ed of all trade is offline
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quiet ways to power forge.

I would like to forge my knives and My health won't let me swing a hammer for very long at all. My other problem is I need to be quiet so I won't bother people. Can you forge a knife close to shape with a hydro. press? I hope to make some damascus In the future so I was just wondering. Thanks Ed.
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Old 10-11-2015, 06:03 PM
jmccustomknives jmccustomknives is offline
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Ed, you can make Damascus and/or get things close, but as for forging things to shape you'll still need to do hammer work. If all you want to do is smaller blades you'll want to get an anvil like a Fisher. These are quiet and don't ring like other anvils. These anvils have good rebound and you cans use lighter hammers (less than 3lbs). With the press you won't need a 10lb sledge, lol.

To put the Fisher anvils in perspective, my wife can't hear me when I'm using the 10lb sledge. However, she can feel it though the floor.
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Old 10-11-2015, 06:20 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I love my hydraulic press, it allows me to move a lot of metal with very little physical effort. But quiet....that's a relative term. It is much quieter than a power hammer, probably somewhat more quiet than most hammers hitting an anvil but it whines pretty loud, probably sounds similar to an electric powered log splitter if you've ever been around one of those. If you really, really need to be quiet then you should probably just shape your knives by stock removal. That's much easier on you physically, and its so quiet no one could complain. Don't let anyone kid you - there's no advantage to forging a blade unless maybe you're a Master Smith. Properly heat treated your stock removal blade will perform every bit as good as a forged blade. For damascus though, well, you're going to have to make some noise ....


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Old 10-12-2015, 05:58 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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There are several ways to "dampen" and anvil so that the sound is minimized. Several articles in several Blacksmith Association sites. Do a little research. Also as JM indicated there are several brands of anvil that don't sing so loud. Square and rectangular knifemakers anvils with short or no horns are much quieter than the typical farrier's and general smithing anvils. It's the horn and tail sections vibrating that account for most of the noise. Mount on wood not a steel anvil stand and set up over dirt, sand, or gravel.
Several common dampeners used: 6' to 8' of logging chain loosely wrapped around the waist of the anvil; large speaker magnets stuck to the sides; etc.
One thing I found that has worked extremely well on one of my noisiest anvils was to drill and tap a spot about half way out the bottom side of the horn for 1/4 x 20 threaded rod. cast about 8# of lead tire weights in a soup can with 2" of the threaded rod sticking out (straight up/centered). Screw this into the tapped hole in the horn. Works like the old stabilizers they used to mount on recurve target bows. Will make that Irish tenor sing like a German bass. Almost unbelievable difference.
Another thing is to always work your steel hot - in the forgable range. Usually when when things start to get loud is when a smith hits "cold" steel. Not only is it bad for noise, but bad for steel, anvil and hammer.

It might amaze you about how many neighbors never notice your forging sounds if you get it dampened down, but will notice the whine of a hydraulic press that Ray mentioned. Pick the time of day for your neighbor hood when everyday sounds will help drown out your forging sound - traffic, midday when no one's home, afternoons when kids get home and play outside, etc. Always some way to skin the neighbor's cat. Give it some thought.

If you just have a crotchity old neighbor who likes to complain, invite him/her over for a snack/drink and show them your "new toy" and show how it works, even get them to try it a little if possible. Once they've seen/done they tend not to notice the dampened noise so much.

Then there's the option that Ray mentioned and just do boring old stock removal. A well made knife is a well made knife however you get there.


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Old 10-12-2015, 06:26 AM
Ed of all trade Ed of all trade is offline
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I have a 90 lb peter wright that is strapped to a block of wood and is quiet, that is not the problem. My health is to the point that I can't swing a 2 lb hammer for long at all without paying for it for the rest of the day. We have a family member with autism that does not like loud sounds so I wonder about a power hammer, even a small one. I have been a member of the Blacksmiths Guild for 3 or 4 years now and want to keep on forging. Just looking for a way around the limits I have. Thanks Ed
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anvil, bee, blade, blades, block, cold, damascus, forge, forged, forged blade, forging, hammer, hydraulic press, knife, knives, make, mount, power hammer, press, problem, steel, stock removal, wood


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