Wednesday, May 19, 2010

In a break from the cleaning up that would be done

if I didn't keep taking breaks, something else made years ago, when I realized I needed some carving chisels
Little closer look at the blades, different widths and bevels
They were all forged from overhead garage door spring, an amazingly useful stuff for a blacksmith. For that matter, from larger spring you could use a torch to heat it, then pound it straight and grind it. Heat-treated properly, holds an edge very well. The handles were turned on Dad's lathe.

In the garage is a set of larger ones forged from auto coil spring. Very handy tools at times; the big ones originally made when I started making knife sheaths out of walnut and maple for some blades.

4 comments:

AnarchAngel said...

Better than the $300 or so a woodworking supplier will charge you for the equivalent.

BobG said...

Nice job. I used to use leaf springs for making knives back when I was doing that as a hobby.

Firehand said...

It still amazes me just how cheap and available truly high-quality steel is, and how few people understand just how wonderful that is. I got half a dozen sections of broken spring from a door company years ago, and they just gave it to me; thought it was really neat what I was doing with it.

AnarchAngel said...

Well yeah... but even if they knew it, how many people would know what to do with it...

It's not like most woodturners also have forges... though they should.