Busy Busy Busy DAGGER?

I officially joined the Carbon Collective newly renamed The HOT METAL ALLIANCE. I now have 24 hour access to the facility for 15 hours per week. I have been practicing basic techniques like tapering, where one draws out the metal to a gradually smaller size. I have transformed 3/4 Round mild steel into a completely unrecognizable square taper. While doing so I decided to use these practice pieces to make something special. We will see if my vision works~!

Someone else already had the Gas Forge running so I got to use this. The advantage is the control of heat, it will not burn/ melt your metal.

I initially took this round scrap rod of 3/4″ Mild Steel and started to taper it. Every time one strikes the metal it loses the glowing heat.

After a while I decided the it was tapered enough and began to stretch out the tang

Once the tang was long enough, i cut off the scrap 8 inches of round rod left. I then took this 8 inch scrap and tapered both sides to me a 12 3/4 ” crossguard. The cross guard is almost as long as the blade as I want to curl the end with some scroll work.

After I was satisfied with the cross guard shape, a new friend Abe helped me punch a hole through the metal. To do this, one uses a cold metal punch and strike a hot piece of metal you want to add the hole to directly to the anvil. As you drive the punch against the anvil, the hot metal has no where else to go but outward creating a swell. Once you are about 85%-90% through simply flip the hot piece over, look for the swell and the cold spot from where the metal is thinner and hit the opposite way. the punch shears off the edges and leaves you with a small biscuit of scrap metal.

And of course the fire… don’t stare too deep into the flame!